Avra

Overview

Avra is a venture capital firm based in Burlingame, California, specializing in early-stage investments in technology companies across sectors such as software, internet, fintech, blockchain, and Web3. The firm primarily invests in companies at the Series A and Series B stages, as well as growth-stage companies, with a geographical focus on the United States. Avra's investment strategy emphasizes identifying startups with strong product-market fit and significant growth potential. The firm's team comprises experienced professionals with backgrounds in leading technology companies and venture capital firms. Notably, Anu Hariharan, the Founder and Managing Partner, previously co-founded and served as Managing Director of Y Combinator's Growth Fund, where she led investments in companies like Brex, Faire, and Gusto. Prior to that, she was a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, working with companies such as Airbnb, Instacart, and Udacity. Other team members include Nic Dardenne, a Partner focused on Investments, who led investments in startups like Zepto, Groww, and BioRender, and Lucas Fox, an Entrepreneur in Residence, who previously served as CEO of Brex's Startup business unit. Avra's portfolio includes investments in companies like Supabase, a Postgres-centric developer platform; Runway AI, an AI video company; and Render Services, a cloud provider for applications and sites. The firm operates a selective 7-week program designed for top CEOs, offering sessions led by accomplished founders. Since its inception, Avra has supported 37 companies through this program and has actively led or participated in five investments, including Whatnot, Zepto, Supabase, and Render. The firm's approach combines capital investment with strategic guidance to empower founders in scaling their companies effectively.