Virginia Venture Partners (VVP)

VVP Pre-Seed Fund

Invests in Virginia pre-seed startups through equity co-investment partnerships and founder-ready growth support.

The VVP Pre-Seed Fund is a direct equity investment programme administered by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) through its Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) division. VIPC, the operating nonprofit of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), co-invests up to $250,000 as a direct equity stake into Virginia technology startups that have built an MVP and demonstrated early customer traction. This is a dilutive instrument — VIPC takes equity in the company, not a grant or loan. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis via the VIPC online portal.

Eligibility requirements are specific: the company must have a working MVP, early customer traction, and annual recurring revenue below $500,000 ARR. The startup must be actively raising a $750,000–$2,000,000 pre-seed round for VIPC to co-invest alongside. Targeted sectors include technology, cybersecurity, life sciences, energy, and aerospace, with the company required to be headquartered in Virginia. The Pre-Seed Fund bridges the gap between the convertible-note-stage Launch Note (ARR below $200,000) and the Seed Fund (raising $2–5 million).

To maximize success, founders should apply when they already have a lead investor or strong investor interest established for the pre-seed round, since VIPC positions itself as a co-investor rather than a lead. Demonstrating genuine customer traction — even modest recurring revenue or signed letters of intent — is essential. The ARR ceiling of $500,000 means companies above that threshold are out of scope for this instrument and should consider the VVP Seed Fund instead. Applications are submitted via VIPC's online investment portal on the Virginia Venture Partners programme page.