Gradient Raises $220M Fifth Fund To Seed Next Generation of AI Founders

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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 17, 2026--

Gradient, the leading early stage venture capital firm designed for founders in artificial intelligence, announced it closed a new $220 million flagship seed fund. The firm now manages nearly $1.2 billion in assets across five discrete funds. Founded in 2017 as one of the first AI-focused venture funds, the firm now employs twelve professionals focused on pre-seed and seed stage investments in AI startups in sectors including applications, agentic platforms, and real-world systems augmented with AI.

Gradient has invested in more than 500 AI founders and has led seed rounds in category-defining companies including CentML (acquired by NVIDIA), Krea, Lambda, Range, Streamlit (acquired by Snowflake), Writer, and dozens more, with a history of delivering top returns across all of its previous funds.

“We’re overjoyed with the excitement from the limited partner community for Gradient’s investment thesis and proven track record,” said Darian Shirazi, Managing Partner at Gradient. “Since the beginning we’ve been laser focused on working with founders in AI to help them achieve product-market fit and surrounding them with parties that can assist with scaling what works. However, at the end of the day, the founders we’ve partnered with are the real story and we’re proud of the incredible value they’ve created for the world.”

Previously, Gradient’s sole fund investor was Google, which is now one of many limited partners in the fund. “We’ve added a number of well-regarded institutions and groups known for working with the best venture funds in the ecosystem,” said Zachary Bratun-Glennon, Managing Partner at Gradient. “When we started Gradient, Google had deep conviction in the potential of AI and the need for an AI-focused seed fund. With Google’s continued support and the new investors we’ve brought on board, Gradient has become the seed platform of choice for AI founders.”

“Google launched Gradient with a clear mission to accelerate AI adoption and support the AI startup community from the ground up,” said Donald Harrison, President of Global Partnerships and Corporate Development at Google. “Over the years, we’ve seen the incredible impact of that mission firsthand. We’re proud to continue to support Gradient as they provide the specialized expertise and capital that the next generation of AI founders need to succeed.”

Gradient activated its latest fund earlier this year and has already begun making new AI investments.

About Gradient

Gradient is an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco that backs founders building in artificial intelligence. Founded in 2017, Gradient was among the first venture firms dedicated to investing in AI companies at pre-seed and seed stages. The firm manages more than $1 billion in assets across five funds and has backed more than 500 AI founders. Gradient has led seed investments in category-defining companies including Lambda, Streamlit (acquired by Snowflake), Writer, Range, CentML (acquired by NVIDIA), and Krea. For more information or to reach the team, visit gradient.com or email [email protected].

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SOURCE: Gradient

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PUB: 03/17/2026 08:00 AM/DISC: 03/17/2026 08:00 AM

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