Anorak Ventures

Anorak Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm established in 2016, with offices located in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The firm focuses on investing in pre-seed and seed-stage companies that are developing differentiated and disruptive technologies. Anorak Ventures seeks out highly specialized teams, often referred to as "Anoraks," who possess a strong, even obsessive, interest in niche subjects and are dedicated to solving complex problems at the forefront of technology. The firm aims to help these companies achieve product-market fit and secure follow-on financing, leveraging its network and expertise.

The firm was founded by Greg Castle, who serves as the Managing Partner. Castle brings a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur, corporate marketer, and venture investor, having worked closely with and invested in over 150 seed-stage companies. His previous roles include marketing executive positions at Scaleform, Autodesk, and Glassdoor. Anorak Ventures also benefits from a curated network of advisors, including notable figures like Brendan Iribe, Morgan Schwanke, and Zach Bookman, who have held leading roles at companies such as Oculus VR, Meta, Google, and SpaceX, providing deep technical, operational, and capital markets expertise to support portfolio founders.

Anorak Ventures has built an impressive portfolio of over 120 seed-stage technology companies, which collectively represent an aggregate market capitalization of $125 billion. Notable investments include companies that have achieved significant valuations, such as Oculus, Flexport, Anduril, Mux, Onebrief, Flock Safety, Sesame, and Rec Room. More recently, the firm has invested in companies like Serene Sleep, Arinna, Purple Rhombus, Schemata, Exia Labs, Level Zero, and Heaviside Industries, demonstrating a continued focus on emerging and frontier technologies across various sectors.

The firm's investment thesis, often termed "Computing in the Third Dimension," centers on the convergence of computer vision, robotics, virtual/augmented reality, and generative AI. Anorak Ventures actively seeks opportunities in areas such as hardware-enabled services, advanced manufacturing, gaming, and deep learning. They are known for their collaborative approach, working closely with founders and co-investors to foster success and provide hands-on support in areas like branding, marketing, communication, and fundraising.