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The House Fund
The House Fund is a pre-seed and early-stage venture capital fund for Berkeley's boldest startups. It invests at inception stage in Berkeley's top founders.
The House Fund
The House Fund is a pre-seed and early-stage venture capital fund for Berkeley's boldest startups. It invests at inception stage in Berkeley's top founders. To join, a startup must have at least one founder who is a UC Berkeley alumni, faculty member, student, or affiliate. The firm paves the path from 0→1 and beyond for visionary founders and has partnered at inception with founders that have built multiple unicorns.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2016
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Berkeley
Corporate office
Berkeley, CA, United States
Principals
Jeremy Fiance
Founder & Managing Partner
Cameron Baradar
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does The House Fund source its deals?
The firm sources exclusively from the University of California, Berkeley ecosystem — including faculty research labs, student-founded startups, and alumni networks. Its proximity to campus and a structured scout program of graduate students give it early visibility into technical talent before companies formally raise. The fund also works closely with Berkeley SkyDeck, the university's accelerator.
Does The House Fund invest outside of UC Berkeley-affiliated companies?
No. The firm's mandate is restricted to startups where at least one founder, a key researcher, or a core technology originated at UC Berkeley. This includes faculty spinouts, student-launched ventures, and companies commercializing Berkeley intellectual property. The fund does not pursue general market deals without a campus connection.
Who runs investment decisions at The House Fund?
Founder Jeremy Fiance and Partner Cameron Baradar lead the investment committee. Fiance started investing in Berkeley startups while an undergraduate, building a track record that included early exposure to Databricks. The firm's small partnership structure means all material investment decisions go through the founding team.
How is The House Fund related to UC Berkeley officially?
The House Fund is an independent private venture capital firm and is not a division or affiliate of the University of California. It raises capital from external limited partners and operates commercially. However, its exclusive investment thesis and Berkeley-located office create deep informal ties to the campus entrepreneur and research community.
Has The House Fund produced notable exits?
Databricks remains the fund's most prominent portfolio holding, having grown from a Berkeley AMPLab research project into a company valued at over $40 billion. Databricks acquired Arcion in October 2023, further validating the Berkeley-to-enterprise trajectory. Other exits include the IPO of Zymergen in 2021, though that company faced subsequent operational struggles.
Does The House Fund run multiple investment vehicles?
The firm has raised at least three core venture funds since 2016, along with a precursor vehicle in 2015 when founder Jeremy Fiance was still a student. It also operates a scout program that embeds current UC Berkeley graduate students into its deal-sourcing process, though the scout structure functions more as an extension of the core fund than a standalone vehicle.
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