# First Row Partners

First Row Partners is a Private Equity based in Seattle, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** Seattle, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Seattle, WA, United States
- **Founded:** 2019
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.firstrowpartners.vc
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstrowpartners

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 313174
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/313174

## About

First Row Partners is a pre-seed specialist venture firm applying arts-based approaches to invest in the future of technology. Its founding partners have invested in 20+ pre-seed startups across the US and Canada since 2020. The firm funds startups where technology delivers superpowers to emerging brand builders, content creators, and storytellers. Its portfolio themes are Tech Elevating Human Expression and Tech Merging Media & Commerce.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment
- Enterprise Software

## People

- Minda Brusse — Founding Partner
- Yoko Okano — Founding Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at First Row Partners?

Investment decisions are made by founding partners Minda Brusse and Yoko Okano. The firm is structured as a compact partnership, with no other named investment professionals disclosed publicly. Both partners are involved in sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio support for the firm's pre-seed investments.

### How does First Row Partners source proprietary deal flow?

The firm applies what it describes as arts-based approaches to investing. This methodology shapes how it identifies founders who blend expertise with imagination, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. First Row targets emerging brand builders and storytellers, relying on its founding partners' networks across creative and technology communities rather than a traditional funnel-driven sourcing model.

### Does First Row Partners participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

First Row invests directly in pre-seed startups. There is no public indication of fund-of-funds commitments or secondary LP stakes. The firm’s model is built entirely around writing first checks into early-stage technology companies.

### Which sectors does First Row Partners explicitly avoid?

The firm does not publish a list of excluded sectors, but its investment themes — Tech Elevating Human Expression and Tech Merging Media & Commerce — signal a deliberate focus on consumer platforms, creator tools, and media infrastructure. Deep tech, biotech, and traditional enterprise SaaS fall outside the core thesis.

## Related profiles

- [First Round Capital](https://altss.com/profile/first-round-capital)
- [First Spark Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/first-spark-ventures)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:06:42.396Z

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