Saturn Five is a Los Angeles–based venture capital firm and venture studio that partners very early with founders to co-build and scale technology companies. The firm operates across venture investing, incubation, and hands-on company building, often taking a more active role than traditional seed funds.

Pre-Seed: Core focus — Saturn Five frequently invests at formation or pre-product, sometimes before external traction.
Seed: Actively participates and leads seed rounds for companies it has incubated or supported early.
Series A: Selective follow-on participation in top-performing portfolio companies.

Typical Investment Size: $250K–$1.5M at entry, depending on whether the company is incubated or externally sourced.
Equity Taken:
• Saturn Five does not publish a fixed ownership requirement, but due to its venture studio + early lead role, its ownership is typically higher than small signaling funds.
• Founder-side expectations:
– Venture Studio / Incubation deals: Often 15%–30% ownership at formation, reflecting hands-on company building, operational support, and early capital.
– Pre-Seed / Seed (non-incubated): More traditional ~8%–15% ownership when leading or anchoring a round.
• Ownership is negotiated deal-by-deal and depends heavily on how early Saturn Five engages and the level of operational involvement.
Equity Structure: Priced preferred equity or founder-friendly early structures (common + preferred); SAFEs used selectively.
Governance: Frequently takes board seats or strong governance rights, especially in studio-built companies.

Submission Method: Direct outreach via Saturn Five’s website or warm introductions through founders, operators, and LA venture networks.
Venture Studio Pathway: Some founders are recruited directly by Saturn Five to build companies around identified themes.

Sector Focus: Software, fintech, marketplaces, healthcare IT, media/creator economy, infrastructure-adjacent tech.
 Geography: Primarily U.S.-based, with strong emphasis on Southern California.
Stage: Idea → Seed, especially companies that benefit from hands-on build support.
Team: Founder-led teams open to close collaboration and long-term partnership.

Theme Identification: Saturn Five often starts with a thesis or problem area.
 Founder Fit: Deep evaluation of founder capability, domain insight, and execution strength.
 Company Design: For studio deals, business model and product are shaped collaboratively.
 Investment & Build: Capital deployment alongside active operational involvement.

Early Capital: One of the earliest checks available, often before traditional seed funds.
Venture Studio Support: Product, hiring, strategy, fundraising, and operations support.
Long-Term Partner: Follow-on capital and continued involvement through later stages.
Network Access: Introductions to downstream VCs, talent, and strategic partners.