Manatt Venture Fund

Manatt Venture Fund

Manatt Venture Fund operates as the in-house investment vehicle of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, a US law firm founded in 1965 with approximately 400 attorneys across offices in Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities. The fund was established to make minority equity investments in emerging companies, leveraging the firm's extensive client relationships in healthcare, financial services, and technology. The fund targets early-stage companies across digital health, fintech, enterprise software, AI/ML, and cybersecurity. It typically makes minority investments and supports portfolio companies with access to Manatt's legal, regulatory, and strategic advisory services. Geographic focus is primarily North America, with deal sourcing heavily weighted toward the firm's existing client base and professional network. Scale and team size are not publicly disclosed, as the fund does not report separate AUM or headcount. Manatt Venture Fund maintains offices in Los Angeles and New York, integrated within the larger firm's structure. It does not operate standalone philanthropic vehicles tied to the fund; the firm itself runs a pro bono program and charitable foundation under Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. The fund's structural differentiator is its operation as a law-firm captive — a model that provides portfolio companies with embedded access to legal, regulatory, and compliance expertise that independent venture funds typically lack. This structure allows it to offer strategic support rather than solely capital, which can be especially valuable in regulated industries like healthcare and financial services.