# Upfront Ventures

> Upfront Ventures is a Los Angeles-rooted venture capital firm that typically meets technology companies at pre-seed, seed or Series A and can continue backing them through dedicated growth vehicles. Founded in 1996 as GRP Partners and renamed in 2013, it combines national and selective international investing with an unusually deliberate role in building Southern California's startup network through hands-on portfolio work, published operating advice and the invitation-only Upfront Summit.

- **Founded:** 1996
- **Headquarters:** Santa Monica, United States
- **Founders:** Yves Sisteron (Founding Partner), Steven Dietz (Co-founder), Steve Lebow (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 63 employees according to the supplied company data; the firm's public team page lists a smaller core team and may not reflect the same counting method.
- **Products:** Pre-seed, seed and Series A investing, Growth investing, Portfolio platform support, Upfront Summit, Thoughts and founder education
- **Notable:** Operating continuously since 1996, first as GRP Partners and since 2013 as Upfront Ventures., Closed a $400 million sixth fund in 2017, then described as the largest venture fund raised in Los Angeles., Raised more than $650 million across early-stage, growth and continuation vehicles in 2022.

## Products & services

- **Pre-seed, seed and Series A investing** — Initial equity investments in technology startups, with the firm explicitly preferring to meet founders as early as possible.
- **Growth investing** — Dedicated growth vehicles allow Upfront to add capital as selected portfolio companies scale and raise later rounds.
- **Portfolio platform support** — Hands-on strategic guidance, recruiting and talent support, communications, network access and company-building help.
- **Upfront Summit** — An invitation-only Los Angeles gathering for more than 1,000 investors, entrepreneurs and leaders, designed to create connections and showcase technology and culture.
- **Thoughts and founder education** — Free essays, investment memos, interviews and operating advice published by the partnership.

## Achievements

- Operating continuously since 1996, first as GRP Partners and since 2013 as Upfront Ventures.
- Closed a $400 million sixth fund in 2017, then described as the largest venture fund raised in Los Angeles.
- Raised more than $650 million across early-stage, growth and continuation vehicles in 2022.
- Backed companies that reached major exits or public markets, including Maker Studios, Ring, TrueCar, thredUP and GoodRx.
- Built the Upfront Summit into an invitation-only annual gathering of more than 1,000 investors, entrepreneurs and leaders.
- Maintains a portfolio spanning software, consumer, marketplaces, healthcare, fintech, aerospace, defense, gaming, climate and developer infrastructure.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Upfront announced a $6.5 million seed investment in Kubera Health, a healthcare financial-infrastructure company.
- **2026-05** — The firm published its investment thesis for Village, a modern specialty-pediatrics health system.
- **2026-05** — Upfront announced its backing of CVRD Health, which builds benefits infrastructure for an underserved segment of the US workforce.
- **2026-02** — The 2026 Upfront Summit focused on first principles, ambitious company-building and competition in the AI era.
- **2026-02** — Upfront discussed Daytona's $24 million Series A for secure infrastructure that runs AI-generated code.
- **2026-01** — The firm published the 2025 LA Hard Tech 50, highlighting leaders in Southern California's industrial and frontier-technology ecosystem.
- **2025-12** — Upfront announced a seed investment in Fortastra, extending its activity in space and defense technology.
- **2025-05** — Upfront led Clair's $23.2 million Series B, continuing its support for fee-free earned wage access infrastructure.

## Links

- Website: https://upfront.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/upfront-ventures
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/upfrontvc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/upfrontventures
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upfrontvc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpfrontVC/

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