Crosslink Capital
Crosslink Capital provides early-stage venture capital and founder networks to disruptive tech companies.
Crosslink Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 1989 that invests $1-9M in Seed and Series A technology companies across enterprise software, financial services, and IT infrastructure. Beyond capital deployment, the firm provides portfolio companies with access to its proprietary Alpha Network—an invite-only community of 2,000+ founders, CEOs, and operators—plus dedicated support teams in San Francisco and Menlo Park offering talent networks, business development, and strategic guidance. Crosslink manages over $4.2B in assets across venture and public equity strategies, with a track record including exits like Postmates (acquired by Uber), Chime, and Coupa.
Problem solved
Early-stage founders lack access to both growth capital and the operational expertise, networks, and talent needed to scale successfully.
Target customer
Early-stage technology founders at Seed and Series A stages building in enterprise software, financial services, and IT infrastructure sectors.
Founders
M
Michael Stark
Co-founder
Co-founded Crosslink Capital in 1989 as a spin-out from Robertson Stephens.
S
Seymour Franklin Kaufman
Co-founder
Co-founded Crosslink Capital in 1989 as a spin-out from Robertson Stephens.
E
Eric Chin
General Partner
30+ years as entrepreneur and VC investor; co-founded Alpha Network in 2005; prior GP at Bay Partners with investments in Opsource, Invensense, Mulesoft, and Dropcam; co-founded WebSpective (INKT) and TelASIC Communications (MTI).
D
David Silverman
Co-Managing General Partner
Deep tech investment banking background from Robertson Stephens, Piper Jaffray, and 3i Ventures; known for company-building partnerships in marketing, analytics, and fintech.
Funding history
Crosslink Ventures X
$350M
April 2024
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Crosslink Ventures IX (Crossover)
$228M
Unknown
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Crosslink Ventures VIII
$350M
January 2021
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Total raised:
$4.2B+ AUM
Pricing
Venture capital firm; typical initial check sizes $1M-$9M at Seed and Series A stages.
Notable customers
Bleacher Report, BuildingConnected, Chime, Coupa, DataStax, Molekule, Omniture, Personal Capital, Postmates, ServiceMax, Verodin, Vungle, Weave
Tech stack
Snap.svg (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery (JavaScript libraries)
GetSocial (Analytics)
DocuSign
WordPress (Blogs)
Google Analytics (Analytics)
HSTS (Security)
Font Awesome (Font scripts)
Google Font API (Font scripts)
Nginx (Reverse proxies)
Varnish (Caching)
PHP (Programming languages)
Apple iCloud Mail (Webmail)
Microsoft 365 (Email)
Fastly (CDN)
Bunny (CDN)
MailChimp (Marketing automation)
MySQL (Databases)
MariaDB (Databases)
Google Tag Manager (Tag managers)
Pantheon (PaaS)
Website
Competitors
Sequoia Capital
Larger fund sizes and broader stage coverage; Crosslink more specialized in early-stage with integrated founder networks.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Much larger firm with broader investment thesis; Crosslink more focused on hands-on early-stage support through Alpha Network.
Y Combinator
Accelerator-focused with cohort model; Crosslink operates as traditional VC with individualized portfolio support.
Greylock Partners
Earlier founded (1965) with larger scale; Crosslink differentiates through proprietary Alpha founder network and dedicated support teams.
Bay Partners
Smaller regional firm; Crosslink has greater AUM and more established track record with public exits.
Why this matters: Crosslink Capital is notable for its 35+ year track record in early-stage venture capital combined with its proprietary Alpha Network, which differentiates it from pure capital providers by embedding founder networks and operational expertise directly into portfolio support. The firm's portfolio includes multiple billion-dollar exits and IPOs, demonstrating conviction in its hands-on, community-driven approach to founder success.
Best for: Early-stage technology founders building market-disrupting companies in enterprise software, fintech, or infrastructure who need capital plus access to executive networks and operational expertise.
Use cases
Scaling an Enterprise Software Startup from Seed to Series B
A founder building a vertical software application raises a $5M Seed round from Crosslink. Beyond capital, the firm provides introductions to prospective enterprise customers through its Alpha Network, connects the founder with experienced operators who have scaled similar businesses, and assigns a dedicated board member to help refine go-to-market strategy. This integrated support accelerates customer acquisition and prepares the company for a successful Series A 18 months later.
Building the Network Effect in a Marketplace
A marketplace startup focused on construction industry receives a $3M Series A from Crosslink. The firm's portfolio team helps identify and recruit key supply-side partners, connects the founder with other marketplace operators in Alpha to share scaling playbooks, and provides strategic guidance on unit economics. Crosslink's hands-on involvement helps the company build network effects faster than pure capital alone would enable.
Navigating a Growth Inflection and Acquisition Interest
A fintech company in Crosslink's portfolio experiences rapid growth and receives unsolicited acquisition interest. The firm's experienced partners, having managed prior exits like Personal Capital ($1B acquisition) and ServiceMax ($945M acquisition), provide strategic counsel on valuation, negotiation, and alternative fundraising paths. This operational guidance helps the founder make the best decision for long-term value creation.
Alternatives
Sequoia Capital
Larger, more established firm with higher average check sizes; less emphasis on dedicated founder network support.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Much larger scale and broader thesis; more institutional approach versus Crosslink's personalized founder-centric model.
Y Combinator
Accelerator model with cohorts and batches versus Crosslink's traditional VC approach; lower upfront capital but more structured programming.
FAQ
What does Crosslink Capital do? +
Crosslink Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests $1-9M in Seed and Series A technology companies. Beyond providing capital, the firm offers portfolio companies access to Alpha, a proprietary network of 2,000+ founders and operators, plus dedicated support teams that provide business development, talent recruitment, and strategic guidance.
How much does Crosslink Capital invest? +
Crosslink typically writes initial checks of $1M-$9M at the Seed and Series A stages, with flexibility based on opportunity size and company maturity. Check sizes are tailored to the specific needs of each company.
What is the Alpha Network? +
Alpha is an invite-only community of 2,000+ handpicked founders, CEOs, investors, and operators co-founded by Crosslink GP Eric Chin in 2005. The network facilitates 40+ annual events and is a core source of strategic value for Crosslink portfolio companies, with 70% of members being founders or CEOs themselves.
Who uses Crosslink Capital? +
Early-stage technology founders building market-disrupting companies in enterprise software, financial services, and IT infrastructure. Notable portfolio companies include Chime, Coupa, Postmates, Personal Capital, and Weave.
How does Crosslink Capital compare to Y Combinator? +
Y Combinator is an accelerator that uses a cohort model with structured programming and $500K-$2M investments; Crosslink is a traditional venture capital firm providing larger initial checks ($1-9M) with individualized, hands-on support through its proprietary founder network and dedicated portfolio teams.
What is Crosslink Capital's track record? +
Crosslink has managed over $4.2B in assets and generated notable exits including Postmates (acquired by Uber), Personal Capital ($1B acquisition), ServiceMax ($945M acquisition), BuildingConnected ($275M acquisition), and Weave (IPO).
How long has Crosslink Capital been in operation? +
Crosslink Capital was founded in 1989 as Omega Ventures and rebranded to Crosslink Capital in October 1999 to reflect its focus on crossover investing. The firm has over 30 years of venture capital experience.
Tags
venture capital
early-stage
seed-stage
series-a
enterprise software
fintech
founder networks
portfolio support
networking