Focal (formerly Darling Ventures) is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs technical, AI-native founders at inception, investing up to $1M as the first check—often before incorporation. The firm focuses on B2B software, vertical SaaS, infrastructure, and AI across North America.
Deal activity increased 100% year-over-year (2 deals in the last 12 months). Their most common stage is pre-seed (56% of deals). Average disclosed round size is $3.5M (across 9 rounds with reported amounts).
Portfolio
7
Fund Size
$35M
Top Stage
Pre Seed
Last 12 Mo
1
Team
Portfolio Breakdown
Stage Distribution
Sector Distribution
Investment Activity
DealsAvg Round Size
Portfolio
9 investments
| Company | Round | Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 Flamingo | Pre-Seed | $2.2M | Oct 2025 |
 BLNG | Seed | $3M | Apr 2025 |
 Keragon | Seed | $7.5M | Jan 2025 |
 Harmonyze | Pre-Seed | $2M | Aug 2024 |
 Prescient | Series A | $10M | Mar 2024 |
| Keragon | Pre-Seed | $3M | Jan 2024 |
 Masthead Data | Unknown | $1.3M | Jun 2023 |
| Masthead Data | Pre-Seed | $1.3M | Jan 2023 |
 Thoras | Pre-Seed | $1.5M | — |
Top Co-Investors
Upfront Ventures2 shared
Afore Capital2 shared
Alchemist Accelerator2 shared
DEPO Ventures2 shared
Blumberg Capital1 shared
CEAS Investments1 shared
Headline1 shared
Bowery Capital1 shared
Speedinvest1 shared
Precursor Ventures1 shared
Hustle Fund1 shared
Last updated: 7 September 2026