Start Up Farms

Start Up Farms is the direct investment arm closely linked to Plug and Play Tech Center, a global innovation platform. Both were founded by Saeed Amidi. Start Up Farms typically provides early-stage capital to startups that may also participate in Plug and Play's accelerator programs, creating a pipeline where investment and corporate innovation access are bundled.

Start Up Farms focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage deals, with check sizes generally ranging from $25,000 to $500,000. The firm positions itself as a provider of first institutional capital for founders at the earliest stage of company formation, often operating from properties owned by the Amidi family.

Saeed Amidi, an Iranian-American entrepreneur, founded Start Up Farms. The capital originates from the Amidi family's diversified business activities, particularly their extensive commercial real estate holdings in the Bay Area. These properties famously hosted early offices for Google and PayPal, which influenced the firm's model of combining investment with physical workspace.

The firm concentrates on pre-seed and seed-stage investments. Later-stage capital is typically provided by the broader network of venture capitalists and corporate partners within the Plug and Play ecosystem, rather than directly from Start Up Farms itself, which prefers to establish its position at the earliest entry point.

Start Up Farms is sector-agnostic within technology, with a record that includes enterprise software, artificial intelligence, fintech, digital health, and mobility. The firm's deal flow is heavily influenced by the vertical-specific accelerator programs run by its sister organization, Plug and Play, which operates dedicated tracks in areas like smart cities and insurance technology.

Start Up Farms operates as a private equity asset manager that functions similarly to a family office investment vehicle. It does not solicit third-party limited partners in the traditional sense. It is the proprietary capital deployment entity of Saeed Amidi, closely tied to his family's balance sheet and operational assets.

Deal flow is sourced through the immense proprietary network of Plug and Play Tech Center, which screens thousands of startups annually for its corporate partners. Start Up Farms gains early visibility into startups that apply to Plug and Play's programs, and it also sources deals from tenant-companies in Amidi-owned commercial real estate properties across the Bay Area.