Pre-Seed Funds in 2026: Five New Funds Writing First Cheques and How to Pitch Them

Pre-seed is the stage where a founder has a team, an idea and perhaps a prototype, but little revenue. Raising it means finding funds that are willing to write a first cheque on a small amount of evidence. This ranked list covers five funds that announced or reported capital in recent weeks and say they back founders at or near pre-seed. The ranking is by reported headline size, with euros and dollars shown as reported and not converted. The funds differ widely in size, geography and style, so we also say what each is best for. Facts come from Tech Funding News and public sources, and we flag what we could not verify.

The Ranked List

• Creandum Fund VIII: €668 million, announced November 2, 2026
• The House Fund III: $115 million, reported October 2023, with a new vehicle filed November 3, 2026
• Entourage Fund II: €100 million, announced October 29, 2026
• Animal Capital Fund III: $33 million, announced June 2026 and filed November 5, 2026
• Evertrue Capital Fund I: $17 million, reported November 3, 2026

1. Creandum Fund VIII: €668 Million

Creandum, the Swedish firm behind early bets on Spotify and Lovable, closed Fund VIII at €668 million, its largest, according to Tech Funding News. It will back about 30 startups from pre-seed to Series A, with half held for follow-ons. That makes it the biggest pre-seed capable fund on this list, but also the one most likely to lead larger rounds. We could find only Tech Funding News as a source. Best for: founders with a strong team and a market large enough for a multi-billion outcome, in Europe or aiming at the US.

2. The House Fund III: $115 Million

The House Fund is a Berkeley-based pre-seed and seed investor led by Jeremy Fiance, built around the University of California network. Fund III was reported at $115 million in October 2023, with about 70 percent aimed at pre-seed, after a $44 million Fund II and a roughly $6 million Fund I. A vehicle named House Fund Breakout XII Alpha filed $52.05 million on November 3, 2026, but we could not confirm its purpose. Reports on cheque size conflict, from $50,000 to $250,000 in an older profile to $1 million to $2 million in a directory. Best for: UC Berkeley founders and researchers.

3. Entourage Fund II: €100 Million

Entourage, based in Ghent, closed a €100 million second fund above a €75 million target. It plans around 25 pre-seed and seed companies, with first cheques of €1 million to €5 million, in AI, enterprise software, robotics, physical AI and deep tech. Investors include founders of Aikido, TechWolf and Collibra. Best for: European technical founders who want an investor with operating experience.

4. Animal Capital Fund III: $33 Million

Animal Capital, founded in 2020 by Marshall Sandman after he led venture investing at WarnerMedia, announced a $33 million Fund III in June 2026, and a filing on November 5 reported $29.6 million sold. It backs early-stage US consumer startups, and plans to raise its target cheque size by about 150 percent against its first fund. We could not confirm its exact cheque range or whether it writes at pre-seed or seed. Best for: US consumer founders with a clear customer story.

5. Evertrue Capital Fund I: $17 Million

Evertrue, led by solo general partner Yvonne Bajela in London, closed a reported $17 million debut fund for pre-seed AI and frontier tech across the UK and Europe, with average cheques around £350,000. The figure rests on Tech Funding News, whose full article is paywalled, and one database lists a different amount. Best for: UK and European AI founders who want a single decision maker.

How Pre-Seed Fund Size Changes the Conversation

A €668 million fund and a $17 million fund will ask for different things. A large fund must find companies that can return a fund, so it will push on market size and ambition. A small fund can back a niche idea, but it cannot lead big follow-on rounds. Ask each investor how much it reserves for follow-ons and whether it expects to lead your next round.

How to Pitch at Pre-Seed

Lead with the team and the insight. At this stage investors back people who understand a problem better than anyone else. Show what you have built, what users or customers have said, and what you will learn with the money. Be exact about the amount you are raising, the milestones it funds and the runway it buys.

Know your instrument. Most pre-seed rounds use a SAFE, so decide your cap and discount before you meet investors and understand how a post-money valuation cap affects dilution. Keep a tidy cap table and run a light due diligence on your own investors by speaking to founders they have backed.

What We Could Not Confirm

We could not confirm cheque ranges for Creandum, Animal Capital or The House Fund III, the purpose of the House Fund vehicle that filed in November, or whether Evertrue's size is final. The list covers funds we have reviewed in the past weeks and is not a full market scan.

Key Takeaways

Creandum VIII leads on size at €668 million, with The House Fund III, Entourage II, Animal Capital III and Evertrue behind it. Match the fund's size, geography and focus to your company, and prepare your SAFE terms before the first call.

Browse the investor directory to find pre-seed investors by region and focus, and explore active capital on AngelLinx @ angellinx.ai/register.

AngelLinx Intelligence | angellinx.ai