Family office investors are private firms that manage a family's wealth, and the quickest way to reach them is through a filterable list of investors who are active right now, narrowed by type, stage, sector and geography, followed by a brief, well-targeted pitch. They take longer to locate and decide than venture funds, but they provide patient capital that a fund generally cannot match.
Defining family offices in practice
A family office is a private investment company that oversees the assets of one household (a single family office) or several (a multi-family office). Some of these firms put money directly into startups. No public registry lists them all, and most stay out of the spotlight, so few offer a form for founders to submit a deck.
That makes the search more demanding and the process relationship-driven. What you get in return is capital built for long-term growth.
Reasons family offices fund startups
- Long-horizon capital. Without a fund lifecycle or a fixed exit deadline, a family office can keep its stake in your company for decades.
- Range of check sizes. Investments span angel-sized checks of $100K to $250K up to growth rounds of $50M+ from the biggest offices. Plenty prefer to join a round alongside venture firms instead of setting the terms.
- Leading versus following. Larger, professionally run offices regularly lead rounds, while smaller single-family offices more commonly follow a venture-led round.
- Occasional early-stage bets. Offices led by entrepreneurs sometimes back young companies in industries they understand well.
How the two models differ
- Time frame: A venture fund operates on a 7 to 10 year cycle. A family office has no set end date and can hold an investment for decades.
- Return bar: A venture fund depends on rare winners that return 10x or more. A family office typically aims to protect wealth while growing it, so a steady 3 to 5x can meet its goals.
- Who decides: A venture firm reaches decisions as a partnership. A family office decides through one principal or a small investment team.
Active family offices and where they invest
CNBC's Family Office 15 ranking noted that Hillspire (Eric Schmidt) completed 15 direct investments in 2025, Bezos Expeditions completed 14, and Emerson Collective and Raptor Group completed 12 each. The offices differ in focus:
- Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs) puts its money toward impact, climate, education and AI, and took part in FieldAI's $405M round.
- Horizons Ventures (Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong) backed Zoom, Siri and DeepMind early on.
- Verlinvest (founding families of AB InBev, Belgium) concentrates on consumer companies and made early investments in Oatly and Vita Coco.
Across 2025 and 2026, the strongest themes are AI, climate tech, biotech and defense tech. US offices gravitate toward AI, deep tech and biotech. Indian offices invest in consumer brands and fintech between Pre-Series A and Series B, so early-stage founders often find them easiest to approach.
Locating family offices through Round Funded
Since no single registry exists, a searchable database is the practical option. Round Funded includes 60,000+ active investors: VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators, all searchable by stage, industry, geography and check size. Only investors with a check in roughly the last 6 months appear in the results, and every email address is verified.
A straightforward process:
- Narrow the results to family offices that fit your stage, sector and region.
- Choose 30 to 50 whose previous deals resemble your business.
- Load them into your fundraising pipeline, where each investor, stage and next step is kept together.
- Send outreach from your own Gmail so replies go to your inbox and the thread remains yours.
Round+ is priced at $99 a month and comes with a 3-day free trial for first-time accounts. There is no free tier. To get going, submit your startup on Round Funded.
Approaching a family office with your pitch
- Start with relevance. State in one sentence why this specific office is a match, back it with one paragraph of evidence, and close with a small, easy next step.
- Address what they care about. A family that made its fortune in consumer goods will assess your deck through that background.
- Consolidate your evidence. A data room holding your deck, traction, team and ask costs nothing to build or share on any plan.
- Scale personalization. Round Funded's AI writes an individualized outreach email and follow-ups for every investor.
Focus matters more than volume. Thirty to 50 carefully matched family offices, each followed up, will likely serve you better than 500 generic messages. If you would rather work from a curated list than guess, get matched with active family offices and build your pipeline from there.
How Round Funded helps you reach family offices faster
- Apply with your startup and filter family offices by stage, sector, geography and check size.
- Pick out the offices whose earlier deals match your story from more than 60,000 active investors who have written a check in roughly the last 6 months.
- Store your deck, traction, team and ask in a Data Room, which is free to create and share on every plan.
- Have the AI prepare a tailored email and follow-ups for each office, then send them through your own Gmail.
- Follow each office, its stage and its next action in your fundraising pipeline so no step gets lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a family office?
It is a private investment firm that handles the money of one family or several. Some of them invest straight into startups.
Do family offices invest at pre-seed?
Yes, though selectively. Offices run by entrepreneurial principals sometimes place angel-style bets in areas they know well.
How large are family office checks?
Checks start around $100K to $250K for angel-style investments and reach $50M+ for growth leads. Many join alongside venture firms rather than leading.
How do I find family offices that invest in startups?
With no public registry, use a searchable database. Round Funded lets you filter 60,000+ active investors by investor type, stage, sector and geography.
How many family offices should I reach out to?
Plan for 30 to 50 well-matched offices and follow up with each. That tends to produce better results than 500 generic sends.