Organization · Venture Capital

Picks and Shovels

Picks and Shovels is an operator-led investment firm based in the United States, focusing on pre-seed and seed stage startups that provide tools and infrastructure for various businesses.

Venture CapitalFunder

Official website

Overview

What Picks and Shovels does

What Picks and Shovels is

Picks and Shovels is an operator-led investment firm based in the United States, focusing on pre-seed and seed stage startups that provide tools and infrastructure for various businesses.

How it participates in the startup ecosystem

The current public profile supports funder capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.

Operational profile

Organization status and context

Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.

Operational status: Active
Organization type: Venture Capital
Founded: Founded in 2022
Approximate age: About 4 years
Structured capabilities: Funder
Last reviewed: April 9, 2026

Official channels

Find Picks and Shovels elsewhere

Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.

Capability profile

Picks and Shovels as a funder

Official pitch route

Investment thesis

Picks and Shovels invests in pre-seed and seed stage startups that provide tools and infrastructure for businesses, focusing on sectors like crypto and fintech.

Focus narrative

The firm focuses on early-stage investments, particularly in the idea, pre-seed, and seed stages. Picks and Shovels seeks startups that offer tools and infrastructure across various verticals, especially those that demonstrate a strong understanding of their customer demographics and market needs. The typical investment size is around $100,000, positioning the firm as a first money in investor.

Value beyond capital

Picks and Shovels adds value to its portfolio companies through hands-on operational support, leveraging the experience of its team to guide startups in product development, market strategy, and scaling operations. The firm emphasizes building strong relationships with founders, helping them navigate challenges and seize opportunities in their respective markets.

Terms and economics

Typical check: $0–$100,000
Sweet spot: $100,000

Focus and fit

Stages: Pre-seed · Seed
Sectors: Fintech Web3 & Blockchain Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Consumer
Regions: United States

Availability

Currently deploying: Yes

Portfolio and track record

Recorded portfolio count: 20
Recorded notable exits: Skip

Portfolio context

Notable portfolio companies include: Anon: Multiplayer Identity SDK for the internet. Assistiv Labs: Drata for Accessibility. Cedar: Melio for digital assets. Concrete: Protection of non-stable collateral in DeFi lending. Daydream: Programmatic SEO. Eventual: AI for insurance accounting teams. Glowstick: 3D IDE and design platform for professionals and teams. Ion Protocol: CDPs for restaked assets. Litvue: Helps top litigators find critical case data. Masava: Integrating the alcohol beverage supply chain. Morph AI: Stealth. Olympix: Snyk for Web3. Openlytics: Empowers business analysts to create their own data flows. Osiris: B2B fintech fraud consortium leveraging machine learning. Skip: Enabling payment-based MEV in Cosmos blockchains (Acquired by ICF). Slingshot: Foundational data model for psychology. Stell: Technical requirements for the modern industrial base. Switchboard: Error monitoring and incident response platform. Vaporware: Tools to make NFTs interactive and composable.

Connected ecosystem