a16z Launches $400M Seed Fund To Expand Into New Technology

With its new seed fund, the company is expanding its net for opportunities outside of its usual investments.

article-image

Marc Andreessen (left) and Ben Horowitz; Source: Bryce Duffy

share
  • “Seed investments have long been at the heart of venture, the true financial bet towards a team, an idea, and little else,” the company said
  • “While our core focus in the firm is to continue to back the best software companies, at the seed stage we’re quite happy to stray from our traditional comfort areas to learn alongside the top teams undertaking the most ambitious ideas across any area of tech,” it said.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, is launching its new $400 million seed fund, the company said in an announcement Friday. 

“Seed investments have long been at the heart of venture, the true financial bet towards a team, an idea, and little else,” the company said

The company said it views seed funding as a core part of its strategy, after it has written some of the earliest checks into Slack, Okta, Databricks, Samsara, Instagram, and many other companies since it began funding in 2009. Since 2020, a16z has invested about half of its funding into seed stage companies, it said. 

The venture capital firm, which manages roughly $18.8 billion in assets, has made a series of early investments in crypto since entering the space back in 2013.

In June, a16z launched a $2.2 billion crypto fund, its third such fund, that will invest in crypto networks and the founders and teams building within the digital assets space. Since then, it has dived into an array of investments within the crypto space from NFT marketplace OpenSea to blockchain-powered 5G networks.

Separately, the company also announced earlier this month it was expanding its operations to the East Coast. With this initiative, the co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen have continued to search for innovative ways to try to outperform their competitors. One of which is their continued investment offerings in crypto, which includes infrastructure, DAOs, DeFi, NFTs and more, Blockworks previously reported

But with its new seed fund, the company is expanding its net for opportunities outside of its usual investments. “While our core focus in the firm is to continue to back the best software companies, at the seed stage we’re quite happy to stray from our traditional comfort areas to learn alongside the top teams undertaking the most ambitious ideas across any area of tech,” the company said. 

It also plans to partner with seed ecosystems across seed funds, angel investors and operators. “And we are dedicated to offering the best platform to bring companies from seed through IPO,” the company said.

Want more investor-focused content on digital assets? Join us September 13th and 14th for the Digital Asset Summit (DAS) in NYC. Use code ARTICLE for $75 off your ticket. Buy it now.

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

As the shutdown enters its second week, sources say the Senate Banking Committee looks to move ahead with a market structure bill markup

article-image

The collaboration expands Ripple’s Middle East footprint, supporting Bahrain’s blockchain adoption and future rollout of Ripple USD

by Blockworks /
article-image

The medical device firm will manage its $400 million Solana holdings using Coinbase Prime infrastructure to bolster its digital asset strategy

by Blockworks /
article-image

The deal gives PayPay a 40% stake in Binance Japan, linking digital assets with Japan’s largest mobile payment network

by Blockworks /
article-image

Citigroup’s venture arm backs BVNK to expand stablecoin payments infrastructure amid growing US regulatory clarity

by Blockworks /
article-image

The partnership integrates Deutsche Bank’s payment rails with Bullish’s regulated exchange, streamlining fiat operations for institutional traders

by Blockworks /