Organization · Angel Group
Referent Ventures
Referent Ventures is an angel investment and advising firm based in San Francisco, focusing on early-stage companies in blockchain, subscription services, and climate change. Founded by Jade Van Doren, it supports founders committed to solving significant problems.
Overview
What Referent Ventures does
What Referent Ventures is
Referent Ventures is an angel investment and advising firm based in San Francisco, focusing on early-stage companies in blockchain, subscription services, and climate change. Founded by Jade Van Doren, it supports founders committed to solving significant problems.
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
- Angel Group
- Founded
- Founded in 2022
- Approximate age
- About 4 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder
- Last reviewed
- May 5, 2026
Official channels
Find Referent Ventures elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Referent Ventures as a funder
Investment thesis
Referent Ventures backs founders solving significant problems with business models aligned to their communities, focusing on blockchain, subscription services, and climate & health.
Focus narrative
Referent Ventures invests in three primary areas: Blockchain, where it addresses real problems in finance, marketplaces, and supply chains; Subscription services that deliver exceptional value to subscribers; and Climate & Health, focusing on innovative strategies to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and healthcare.
Value beyond capital
Referent Ventures adds value to its portfolio companies through advisory support, leveraging Jade Van Doren's extensive experience in product-led growth, subscription models, and mission-aligned business strategies. The firm aims to provide not just capital but also strategic guidance to help founders navigate their growth journeys.
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed · Friends and Family · Angel · Accelerator
- Sectors
- SaaS & Cloud SoftwareClimate & SustainabilityHealthcareArtificial IntelligenceBiotech & Life SciencesConsumerFood & AgricultureSpace Tech
- Regions
- North AmericaUnited States
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Not published
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded portfolio count
- 12
Portfolio context
Notable portfolio companies include: Axiom Math: Building a self-improving superintelligent reasoner. groq: Specializes in fast AI inference. Anthropic: Focuses on AI research and products prioritizing safety. Taxa: Engineering the synthetic microbiome for personal care. Braintrust: Provides AI-powered interviews to assist in hiring. ANZEN: Offers specialty insurance powered by expert-class AI. Pano: Develops AI-powered wildfire detection and situational awareness. AllTrails: An outdoor platform with a significant user base. Rythm Health: Monthly blood tracking for health improvement. SpaceX: Innovating in space technology. Cerebras: Builds powerful AI systems. Quizlet: Enhances learning through AI. Invisible: Advances AI models for enterprise applications.
Common questions
What to know about Referent Ventures
Upseed classifies Referent Ventures under the Angel Group organization type. Its current public profile includes funder capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
May 5, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.