Mission Street Capital

Profile

Mission Street Capital is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, co-founded by Surabhi Todi and Lisa Shmulyan. The firm was established with the unique strategy of investing in AI-native startups emerging from hacker houses and talent clusters. Todi and Shmulyan's backgrounds are embedded in the hacker house culture, having met at Mission Control, a renowned hacker community. What sets them apart is their diligence process, where scouts spend extensive time living and interacting with prospective founders to assess their potential before making an investment decision. Mission Street Capital aims to be the first institutional check for companies, offering deep engagement beyond the usual pitch deck evaluation process.

The firm targets pre-seed and seed stage investments, focusing primarily on AI-driven companies originating from hacker houses globally. It writes small checks consistent with its debut sub-$2 million fund, aptly named 'Fund 0'. Despite its small size, the fund boasts a notable LP base including researchers from leading AI labs like OpenAI and investors from top-tier VC firms, underscoring its strategic value. The firm operates largely within the San Francisco Bay Area but maintains a global scouting reach through its connections with various talent clusters.

Mission Street Capital has invested in a dozen companies, with highlighted investments including Aside, an AI browser; HydraDB, an infrastructure for AI agents; Smallest AI, a voice AI company; Bild AI, a tool for construction estimation; Clera; and Ruvo, which facilitates Brazil-US money transfers. These engagements reflect the firm’s focus on AI-native businesses. The portfolio underlines its commitment to being the earliest backer leveraging its AI and tech-centric LP network for further opportunities and growth.