Organization · Venture Capital
Union Square Ventures
Union Square Ventures (USV) is a New York City-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage opportunities across various sectors, focusing on transformative technologies and societal impacts.
Overview
What Union Square Ventures does
What Union Square Ventures is
Union Square Ventures (USV) is a New York City-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage opportunities across various sectors, focusing on transformative technologies and societal impacts.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder and publisher 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 2004
- Approximate age
- About 22 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder · Publisher
- Last reviewed
- March 16, 2026
Official channels
Find Union Square Ventures elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Union Square Ventures as a funder
Investment thesis
Vehemently generalist with collaborative investment decisions. Deliberately small fund sizes for alignment. Internet-enabled market transformation. Climate conviction with dedicated fund. Early and sustained web3/crypto commitment.
Focus narrative
Vehemently generalist: social media/platforms, marketplaces, developer tools, fintech/crypto/web3, climate/energy, education, healthcare, consumer internet. Dedicated Climate Fund for crisis mitigation/adaptation. Everyone invests in every area.
Value beyond capital
One of the strongest historical track records in VC. Small fund sizes ensure concentrated partner attention. Fred Wilson's AVC blog creates accessible, transparent culture. Non-hierarchical partnership with collective decision-making. Climate and web3/crypto expertise from early conviction.
Terms and economics
- Typical check
- $1,000,000–$20,000,000
- Sweet spot
- $3,000,000
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Seed · Series A
- Regions
- North America
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Yes
Portfolio and track record
- Last recorded investment
- August 1, 2025
- Recorded notable exits
- Twitter, Etsy, Coinbase, Stripe, and MongoDB
Portfolio context
Iconic portfolio: Twitter, Etsy, Coinbase, Stripe, MongoDB, Tumblr, Zynga, Stack Overflow, Kickstarter, Meetup, Carta, Flurry. One of the best-performing VC firms in US history (2011). USV 2019 fund at 57.1% IRR.
Capability profile
Union Square Ventures as a publisher
Editorial focus
Union Square Ventures (USV) is a venture capital firm based in New York City, founded in 2004. It focuses on early-stage investments, primarily in Seed and Series A rounds, across various sectors influenced by technological and societal pressures. USV targets internet-enabled businesses through its Core Fund, addresses climate change with its Climate Fund, and invests in later-stage opportunities with its Opportunity Fund.
Audience value
USV provides insights and investment opportunities in transformative sectors, helping startups navigate early-stage challenges and scale effectively.
Format and cadence
- Content formats
- blog and podcast
- Primary platform
- usv.com
Availability
- Guest pitch state
- Not currently accepting
Audience and focus
- Audience
- Founders · Investors
- Regions
- North America
Flagship work and coverage
Flagship properties
USV publishes a blog with regular updates and insights on their investments and industry trends, and hosts podcasts discussing various topics related to technology and venture capital.
Common questions
What to know about Union Square Ventures
Upseed classifies Union Square Ventures under the Venture Capital organization type. Its current public profile includes funder and publisher 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
March 16, 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.