Karman Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm created to back founders building the next generation of AI-native companies. The firm was designed with direct input from entrepreneurs who wanted a partner that moves quickly, commits early, and actively supports portfolio companies. Karman emphasizes optimism about the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on society and positions itself as a highly founder-centric fund.
The firm invests at the earliest stages in companies operating at the forefront of AI. Its main areas of interest include:
In addition, Karman supports founders advancing American national interest, aligning with the theme of American Dynamism.
In 2025, Karman Ventures announced the close of its oversubscribed $40 million debut fund. The fund was raised with the backing of a unique network of limited partners, including more than 10 decacorn founders, over 10 general partners from leading later-stage venture firms, and access to a 6,000-plus alumni talent network drawn from some of the most iconic technology companies.
The fund’s design is founder-driven, shaped to deliver value beyond capital through deep operational support, talent pipelines, customer introductions, and assistance with follow-on fundraising.
With this debut vehicle, Karman seeks to establish itself as a first-check investor for transformative AI startups.
Leadership
Karman Ventures is led by a team of investors and operators with deep experience in AI and technology ecosystems. William Barnes serves as Founding Partner, bringing the vision behind the firm’s founder-first design. Dave Clark, Partner, adds operational expertise and strategic insight to the leadership team. Together with their broader LP network of entrepreneurs and later-stage VCs, they combine entrepreneurial track records and venture capital expertise to shape Karman’s investment strategy and support model.
Investment Strategy
Karman Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed companies and frequently serves as the first institutional check.
The firm typically writes checks in the $100,000 to $500,000 range.
Its strategy is to partner early, move decisively, and leverage its LP base and talent network to provide portfolio companies with differentiated support in hiring, customer acquisition, and scaling.
Notable Investments
Karman’s portfolio reflects its commitment to working with technical teams who are deeply focused on building products their customers love.
Some of these include:
Notable Exits
Karman Ventures is a newly established firm and has not yet reported notable exits.
Other
Founders should note that Karman offers more than capital: the firm integrates its LP base of decacorn founders and later-stage VCs with a large alumni talent pool to accelerate growth for early-stage companies. This network access is a core differentiator.
