Venture Capital Firms in Washington, DC: A 2026 Guide for DMV Founders

The main venture capital firms in Washington, DC include Revolution, K Street Capital, Construct Capital, Paladin Capital Group, NextGen Venture Partners, Quona Capital and Zeal Capital Partners, with In-Q-Tel, Blu Ventures, Razor's Edge Ventures and Grotech Ventures close by in Virginia and Maryland. The DC VC scene leans toward early-stage software, fintech, cybersecurity, defense and "hard" industries, and the city now has its own $26 million public venture program run through K Street Capital. This guide sorts the firms by stage and focus, links to primary sources and shows where DMV founders can meet these investors in person.

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DC venture capital firms at a glance

Photo via Magnific

The table below covers firms that are based in DC or the immediate DMV and that state their focus publicly. Stages and sectors come from each firm's own website or from the reporting linked in the sections that follow. Always confirm a firm's current fund and thesis before you pitch, because focus areas change between funds.

Seed and early-stage VC firms in Washington, DC

Revolution

Revolution is the Washington, DC investment firm founded by Steve Case. It invests through a family of funds (Revolution Growth, Revolution Ventures and the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund) that it says backs entrepreneurs at every stage. See the Revolution listing on StartDMV.

K Street Capital

K Street Capital is based at 875 15th St NW and invests in early-stage US tech companies in healthtech, fintech, cybersecurity, climatetech and AI. It runs three vehicles: a managed fund, a syndicate that it describes as the DC region's largest early-stage private investment network (120+ investors), and the SSBCI-backed DC VC Fund of Funds. The firm reports 90+ portfolio companies and 14 exits.

Construct Capital

Construct Capital, co-founded by Dayna Grayson and Rachel Holt, is an early-stage firm investing in founders rebuilding foundational industries such as manufacturing, logistics, defense and energy. TechCrunch reported that the Washington, DC firm closed a $300 million third fund in 2025.

NextGen Venture Partners

NextGen Venture Partners invests $500K to $2M in US-based pre-seed and seed B2B startups in SaaS, healthtech, fintech, data and robotics, and $3M to $5M in growth companies past $10M in annualized revenue. Its pitch to founders is a network of venture partners it calls the VP Engine. See the NextGen listing on StartDMV.

Zeal Capital Partners

Zeal Capital Partners, led by Nasir Qadree, is a Washington, DC firm that makes early-stage investments in fintech and future of work companies. Technical.ly covered its first fund and its focus on inclusive investing.

Cybersecurity, defense and national security investors

The DMV's federal customer base makes it one of the strongest regions in the country for security and dual-use investors. If you sell to government or critical infrastructure, start here.

• Paladin Capital Group: Paladin is a multi-stage investor with an office in Washington, DC, focused on cyber, AI, deep tech, digital biology and biosecurity. It reports 90+ cyber and deep tech deals since 2008. StartDMV listing.
• In-Q-Tel (IQT): IQT is a not-for-profit strategic investor that adapts startup technology for its government partners, with focus areas including space, biotechnology, microelectronics and energy. StartDMV listing.
• Blu Ventures: Blu Ventures is an early-stage fund in the DC metro area that backs cybersecurity companies from seed to scale, including threat detection and identity and infrastructure defense. StartDMV listing.
• Razor's Edge Ventures: Razor's Edge invests in fast-growing technology companies at the intersection of national security and commercial markets. StartDMV listing.

Growth equity and regional funds near DC

Once you have meaningful revenue, a different set of firms comes into play. Updata Partners invests $20M to $200M in growth-stage B2B software and AI companies with $5M to $50M in ARR, and it specifically targets companies outside the Bay Area. In Maryland, Grotech Ventures in Owings Mills backs young technology companies outside Silicon Valley (StartDMV listing). For fintech founders building for emerging markets, Quona Capital invests in fintech that advances financial inclusion from Latin America to India, Southeast Asia and EMEA.

Maryland and Virginia also have public investors. Read our guide to TEDCO funding programs for Maryland startups and our Virginia startup ecosystem guide, which covers VIPC.

The DC Venture Capital Program ($26 million)

According to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), the DC Venture Capital Program is a $26 million fund for equity investments in pre-seed, seed and early-stage tech companies based in Washington, DC. Key points from the program page:

• It is funded by the US Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
• Private investors must match every District dollar at least one to one, for a total of at least $52 million.
• DMPED selected K Street Capital as program administrator, and K Street contracts with local and regional VC firms to deploy the money.
• Founders do not apply directly. Fund managers apply, and founders benefit by raising from the participating funds.

If you are a DC-based tech startup, ask investors you meet whether they are a manager in the program. See the DMPED listing on StartDMV.

Angel groups and where to meet DC investors

Before most DC founders reach a VC partner meeting, they raise from angels. District Angels is a volunteer-run syndicate of accredited investors, launched in 2024, that focuses on pre-seed and seed startups in the region and lets founders pitch the whole group at once. VC in DC is a network of 800+ members from 450+ firms that brings investors and founders together.

Upcoming investor events on StartDMV:

• DC Founders and Funders Open House at STATION DC on October 27.
• Accelerate Investor Conference 2026 in Arlington on November 4.
• VC in DC's Third Thursdays on November 19.
• District Angels Monthly Deal Room on November 20.

For the full calendar, see DMV startup events. To see who is raising right now, read our weekly DMV startup funding roundup and our list of startups in Washington, DC.

How to approach a DC VC firm

1. Match stage and sector first. A growth equity firm will not lead your pre-seed round, and a fintech-only fund will not back a defense hardware company.
2. Get a warm introduction. Portfolio founders, angels from District Angels or K Street's syndicate, and university programs are the most common routes.
3. Use the federal angle. Many DMV investors value SBIR awards, government pilots and security clearances as early traction.
4. Show up in person. DC's investor community is small, and regular events are where relationships start.

Is your organization on StartDMV?

If you run a DMV venture fund, angel group, accelerator, coworking space, service provider or startup, list your organization free at https://startdmv.org/submit-organization so founders can find you. Hosting an investor or pitch event? Submit it at https://startdmv.org/submit-event.

Get the weekly list of DMV startup events, grants and deadlines. Join the StartDMV list at https://startdmv.org.