Union Square Ventures
About Union Square Ventures
Thesis-driven early-stage venture firm.
Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham started USV in October 2003. In September 2005 they announced the final close of Union Square Ventures 2004, LP, the firm's first fund. Albert Wenger joined in 2007 and Andy Weissman in 2011. Rebecca Kaden joined in 2018, and Nick Grossman became a partner in 2019. In October 2026 Bloomberg reported that the active general partnership had been cut to four people: Wilson, Kaden, Grossman and Michael Mignano. Mignano joined in April 2026. The firm is at 817 Broadway in New York.
USV says it invests at the edge of large markets that technological and societal pressures are changing. Reporting on the October 2026 fundraise names four themes for the new money: AI applications, data obtained through physical intelligence or AI, consumer and enterprise intelligence, and energy. Rebecca Kaden has written about access to critical data sets and what it means for AI infrastructure. Third-party profiles list General Intelligence (AI infrastructure) and Tutor Intelligence (industrial AI, where USV led the Series A) among recent investments. The Lounge deals desk also records AI rounds in Generalist AI, Suno, Glif, Nous Research and Tasklet.
USV has kept its funds small compared with many peers. The USV 2022 fund raised $275 million, and USV 2024 was also reported at $275 million. In October 2026 the firm announced $900 million in new funds. These are a $500 million early-stage fund and a $400 million opportunity fund. The opportunity fund is used for later-stage deals and follow-ons in existing portfolio companies. The previous opportunity fund was $350 million.
USV invests early, at seed and Series A. Third-party profile f4.fund estimates checks of $1M to $6M, which is not a figure USV has published. Following the 2026 fundraise, Fred Wilson said the firm could lead rounds needing checks of about $30 million, according to a secondary report of the Bloomberg story. USV does not publish a fixed check-size range.
- Tasklet: AI company with a $20M seed round in April 2026 that the Lounge deals desk records as USV-led
- Generalist AI: $400M Series B, June 2026, on the Lounge deals desk
- Suno: AI music company, $400M Series D, June 2026, on the Lounge deals desk
- Glif: $17.5M seed, April 2026, on the Lounge deals desk
- Nous Research: $90M Series B on the Lounge deals desk
- Tutor Intelligence: industrial AI company; USV led its Series A, per f4.fund
- General Intelligence: AI infrastructure company listed among recent USV investments by f4.fund
- usv.com/writing/2005/09/union-square-ventures
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Square_Ventures
- bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-08/union-square-ventures-doubles-f
- aiweekly.co/alerts/usv-raises-900m-shrinks-partnership-to-four-for-ai-
- pitchbook.com/news/articles/union-square-ventures-275-million-fund
- dealroom.co/news/148247-usv-files-for-opportunity-fund-tied-to-400m-co
- f4.fund/firms/union-square-ventures
Investing activity
Union Square Ventures appears in 6 AI deals tracked by the AI Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $958M, and led 1 of them. The rounds are mostly Series B, Seed and Growth, with a median round size of $90M and the largest at $400M. The most recent are Tolan (Venture round, $30M, Oct 2026), Nous Research (Series B, $90M, Oct 2026) and Generalist AI (Series B, $400M, Jun 2026).
Union Square Ventures most often invests alongside Menlo Ventures, Nvidia, Y Combinator and Lightspeed Venture Partners, and the companies it backs on AI Lounge are mostly in AI, Consumer AI companion and Open-source AI agents.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Union Square Ventures
When was Union Square Ventures founded and by whom?
Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham started USV in October 2003 in New York. Its first fund, Union Square Ventures 2004, had its final close in September 2005.
How large are Union Square Ventures' funds?
In October 2026 USV announced $900 million across a $500 million early-stage fund and a $400 million opportunity fund. Its 2024 early-stage fund was $275 million.
Who are the partners at Union Square Ventures?
The active general partners reported in October 2026 are Fred Wilson, Rebecca Kaden, Nick Grossman and Michael Mignano. Kaden is the partner most often linked to AI and data themes.
What check size does Union Square Ventures write for AI startups?
USV has not published a range. Third-party data suggests $1M to $6M historically, and Fred Wilson has said the new funds allow leading rounds of about $30 million.
What AI themes does Union Square Ventures invest in?
Reported themes are AI applications, data from physical intelligence or AI, and consumer and enterprise intelligence. Energy is a fourth theme.
What AI companies has Union Square Ventures invested in?
Union Square Ventures's AI investments include Tolan, Nous Research, Generalist AI, Suno, Glif and Tasklet. The 6 rounds on AI Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
Where is Union Square Ventures based?
Union Square Ventures is based in New York, US.
What stage does Union Square Ventures invest at?
In the rounds tracked on AI Lounge, Union Square Ventures has invested at Series B, Seed, Growth and Series D, with a median round of $90M. Union Square Ventures led 1 of those rounds.
Who does Union Square Ventures co-invest with?
Union Square Ventures's most frequent co-investors on AI Lounge are Menlo Ventures (2 deals), Nvidia (2 deals), Y Combinator (2 deals), Lightspeed Venture Partners (2 deals) and Homebrew (1 deal).
How can founders reach Union Square Ventures?
Founders on AI Lounge can see Union Square Ventures's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add Union Square Ventures to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.