# Pack Ventures

> Pack Ventures is a Seattle pre-seed and seed venture firm that writes the first check into startups born from the University of Washington - students, faculty, and alumni turning research into companies. Founded in 2021 by ex-Microsoft venture investor Ken Horenstein, the firm proved its model with a roughly $5M first fund spread across 26 companies, then set out to raise a $30M second fund as UW's designated preferred venture partner. It backs founders in AI, life sciences, and deep tech at the moment an idea leaves the lab.

- **Founded:** 2021
- **Headquarters:** Seattle, Washington, United States
- **Founders:** Ken Horenstein (Founder & General Partner), Ti Zhao (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~15
- **Products:** Fund I, Fund II, UW ecosystem partnership
- **Notable:** Raised a ~$5M first fund from 80+ investors and deployed it into 26 companies., Signed an MOU making it the University of Washington's preferred venture partner alongside CoMotion., Backed standout spinouts including Monod Bio (UW Institute for Protein Design), Supio, TurionSpace, and ArchonBio.

## Products & services

- **Fund I** — A roughly $5M pre-seed 'proof-of-concept' fund raised from 80+ investors and deployed into 26 companies across life sciences, software, and healthcare, with checks of $25,000-$200,000.
- **Fund II** — A $30M fund (structured as a 506(c) offering so it can openly recruit accredited investors) targeting UW-connected startups in AI, life sciences, and deep tech, with check sizes up to $750,000.
- **UW ecosystem partnership** — As UW's designated preferred venture partner alongside CoMotion, Pack provides founders early capital plus a network of co-investors, mentors, and industry experts.

## Achievements

- Raised a ~$5M first fund from 80+ investors and deployed it into 26 companies.
- Signed an MOU making it the University of Washington's preferred venture partner alongside CoMotion.
- Backed standout spinouts including Monod Bio (UW Institute for Protein Design), Supio, TurionSpace, and ArchonBio.
- Positioned as the first fund of its kind built to systematically capture UW innovation in the Pacific Northwest.

## Latest updates

- **2024-08** — Announced a $30M second fund and its status as UW's preferred venture partner, after a ~$5M first fund across 26 companies.

## Links

- Website: https://packvc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/packventures
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Pack_VC
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packvc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/packvc/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pack-ventures
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-16