Array Ventures

High-Level Overview

Array Ventures is a San Francisco-based pre-seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2015 that specializes in backing technical founders building enterprise software, AI infrastructure, and developer tools.[1][2] The firm's mission centers on identifying founders solving impactful problems in overlooked industries through revolutionary technology, with a particular focus on engineers and technical leaders transitioning from lucrative corporate positions to launch ambitious startups.[1] Array Ventures operates with a distinctive investment philosophy: they deploy capital in the $250,000 to $2 million range during pre-seed and seed rounds, typically targeting 8-15% ownership stakes in portfolio companies.[1] Their sector expertise spans enterprise SaaS, data analytics, artificial intelligence, security, infrastructure, and cloud technologies, with a global investment approach that includes notable backing of Indian and Israeli startups.[1] The firm has established itself as a meaningful force in the early-stage ecosystem by combining institutional capital with hands-on operational support, helping portfolio companies navigate the critical journey from inception through achieving significant annual recurring revenue (ARR) milestones.

Origin Story

Array Ventures was founded in 2015 by Shruti Gandhi, an engineer-turned-investor with a distinctive background that bridges technical depth and venture capital expertise.[1][2] Gandhi brings over 100 investment decisions to the table, with 15 exits to marquee acquirers including Apple, Amazon, PayPal, ServiceNow, Gartner, and JAMF, demonstrating a proven track record of identifying breakout companies early.[2] Her background as a Columbia computer science professor and software engineer informs the firm's deep technical acumen and ability to evaluate complex infrastructure and AI-driven solutions.[3] The founding team expanded to include complementary expertise: Rajas Date, who previously founded a developer tools company and worked at a leading cloud provider; Elias Torres, a serial founder whose companies include Drift (acquired for $1.2 billion); Roy Scheer, a go-to-market specialist who guided companies like Moveworks, ServiceNow, and Productiv through their 0-10M ARR scaling phase; and Katie Jansen, former CMO of AppLovin who scaled that company from pre-revenue to $4 billion in ARR over 12 years.[2] This composition reflects an intentional strategy: Array Ventures assembled partners with both founder experience and operational expertise, enabling them to serve as genuine partners rather than passive capital providers.

Core Differentiators

First Institutional Check for Technical Founders

Array Ventures has carved out a distinctive niche as the "first check" investor for technical founders.[2] Rather than competing in crowded seed rounds, they specialize in pre-seed investments when companies are often just emerging from stealth or operating with minimal external capital. This positioning allows them to build deeper relationships with founders at the earliest stages and secure meaningful equity ownership before the firm becomes a household name.

Operational Support Beyond Capital

The firm distinguishes itself through robust post-investment support that extends far beyond writing checks. Their network includes 500+ industry experts serving as angel investors, advisors, and customers, enabling strategic introductions that directly drive customer acquisition for portfolio companies.[2] Partners like Roy Scheer provide specialized go-to-market guidance, while the collective team draws on experience scaling companies across multiple stages. This "Beyond The First Check" philosophy—positioning themselves as a founder's first business development hire and partner for securing the second wave of customers—reflects a commitment to hands-on value creation.[2]

Technical Founder Alignment

Array Ventures explicitly targets founders with strong technical backgrounds leaving lucrative corporate roles to tackle significant problems.[1] This founder profile alignment means the firm's partners genuinely understand the technical challenges portfolio companies face, reducing information asymmetry and enabling more sophisticated due diligence and support. The team's collective founder experience—including serial entrepreneurs like Elias Torres—creates natural credibility and mentorship relationships.

Proven Exit Track Record

The firm's portfolio includes notable acquisitions such as Simility (acquired by PayPal), alongside companies like Modal, Blumira, and Uniform.dev that represent the next generation of infrastructure and security tools.[1] With 85 total investments and a historical average check size of $446.8k, Array Ventures has demonstrated consistent ability to identify winners across multiple market cycles.[1]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Array Ventures operates at the intersection of several powerful macro trends reshaping enterprise technology. The firm is riding the wave of AI infrastructure democratization, backing companies building the foundational tools and platforms that enable enterprises to adopt AI safely and effectively. As organizations grapple with security, compliance, and operational challenges around AI deployment, Array's portfolio companies in security (Blumira), data infrastructure, and developer tools address genuine market pain points.

The firm also benefits from the shift toward specialized infrastructure and developer tools. Rather than betting on horizontal platforms, Array focuses on vertical-specific solutions and infrastructure layers—a thesis validated by the success of companies like Drift (acquired for $1.2B) and the broader market consolidation around specialized SaaS solutions. This positioning aligns with enterprise buyers' preference for best-of-breed tools over monolithic platforms.

Additionally, Array Ventures capitalizes on the geographic expansion of venture capital beyond Silicon Valley. Their willingness to back Indian and Israeli startups reflects recognition that technical talent and innovative problem-solving are globally distributed, not geographically concentrated. This global lens provides portfolio companies with access to international markets and talent pools while diversifying Array's risk exposure.

The firm's emphasis on technical founders leaving corporate roles also reflects a broader professionalization of startup founding. Rather than betting on first-time entrepreneurs, Array targets experienced engineers and product leaders who understand enterprise dynamics intimately. This founder quality thesis has proven prescient as the market increasingly rewards founders with domain expertise and operational credibility.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Array Ventures has positioned itself as an essential partner for the next generation of enterprise infrastructure companies. As enterprises accelerate their digital transformation and AI adoption, the demand for specialized, technically sophisticated solutions will only intensify. The firm's combination of early-stage capital, operational expertise, and global network positions it well to capture outsized returns from this secular trend.

Looking forward, Array's influence will likely expand in several directions. First, their ability to serve as a true first institutional check—combining capital with customer introductions and go-to-market support—will become increasingly valuable as founders seek partners who can meaningfully accelerate their path to product-market fit. Second, as their portfolio companies mature, Array's track record of exits will attract higher-quality deal flow, creating a virtuous cycle of founder quality and investment returns.

The firm's May 2025 fund opening signals continued capital availability and confidence in their investment thesis.[4] As AI infrastructure, security, and developer tools become mission-critical to enterprise operations, Array Ventures' deep technical expertise and founder-centric approach will likely position them as a preferred early-stage partner for the founders building the infrastructure layer of the next decade. The question is not whether Array will remain relevant, but rather how quickly their portfolio companies will scale to become the next generation of enterprise software giants.