AG真人官方

Seven Stars Announces First Fund to Back the Visionaries Shaping AI's Future

Founded by former SV Angel Partner Steven Lee, the $40 million oversubscribed fund will support next-generation founders building enduring AI application companies

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- , a venture capital firm that partners with founders building the next generation of AI companies, today announced the launch of its inaugural $40 million pre-seed and seed-stage fund, oversubscribed in just five weeks. Founded and managed by Steven Lee, former Partner at SV Angel, Seven Stars will focus on partnering with early-stage AI startups with a sharp focus on applications across both consumer and enterprise technology.

鈥淲hile AI already benefits one billion knowledge workers across finance, law, and marketing, I鈥檓 most excited by AI鈥檚 impact on the rest of the world鈥檚 eight billion people,鈥� said Steven Lee, Founder and General Partner at Seven Stars. 鈥淎I is the equalizer for the 90%, poised to transform lives on a global scale 鈥� and it all starts with motivated founders to build enduring companies that empower individuals and companies to thrive in a rapidly-changing world.鈥�

Lee has been investing in seed-stage AI companies since the early days of the AI revolution and has helped founders raise over $1.25 billion in capital. He built Seven Stars to deliver unique value to visionary AI founders, offering hands-on fundraising coaching, access to a diverse talent pipeline, and a thoughtfully-curated advisory network with world-class executives, operators, and researchers with experience from leading AI companies, including Google, Nubank, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

Seven Stars鈥� model is focused on co-investing and working collaboratively alongside other VCs and angel investors. The firm鈥檚 well-established LP base comprises long-term institutional investors, including a university endowment, pension fund, and firms managing capital on behalf of endowments, foundations and insurance companies, among others.

鈥淪teven鈥檚 extensive relationships and trusted reputation with leading AI companies have positioned Seven Stars to drive the next phase of AI-driven disruption,鈥� said Hunter Somerville, Partner at StepStone Group (NASDAQ: STEP), a global private markets investment firm. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to invest in his oversubscribed inaugural fund.鈥�

鈥淪teven exemplifies the core principles we look for when backing a new manager,鈥� said Nate Leung, Partner at Sapphire Partners and co-founder of OpenLP. 鈥淚n our opinion, he brings an outstanding track record from a highly respected firm, with clear early signals of potential outperformance and what we believe is a distinct investment edge. His portfolio already includes several category-leading companies in AI applications, and his reputation is backed by strong endorsements from founders and co-investors alike. With strong integrity, ambition, and a deep commitment to building authentic relationships, we鈥檙e excited to support Steven as he builds Seven Stars into an enduring firm.鈥�

Lee鈥檚 investment thesis 鈥� and the backstory behind the firm鈥檚 name 鈥� is deeply rooted in his background as first-generation Korean-American, born in Los Angeles鈥� Koreatown. His parents鈥� clothing small business called 鈥淪even Star Fashion鈥� was the influence behind the Seven Stars name 鈥� and in practice, Lee resonates with founders with entrepreneurial stories similar to his family鈥檚. As one of the few Korean-descent partners in the VC industry, he鈥檚 an active member of Gold House, a non-profit organization that empowers and unites Asian Pacific creators and businesses. In 2024, Gold House named Lee as one of the most impactful Asian Pacific leaders in culture and society alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, and Stanford Professor Fei-Fei Li.

鈥淲hen I meet a founder, I鈥檓 drawn to their life story, the obstacles they鈥檝e overcome, and what motivates them to build an iconic company,鈥� continued Lee. 鈥淒igging into the real grit of the founder can oftentimes signal the ultimate success of a startup 鈥� with the founder at the center of it all.鈥�

About Seven Stars

Seven Stars is a pre-seed and seed-stage fund that partners with next-generation founders building enduring AI companies, with a focus on applications across both consumer and enterprise technology. The fund is founded and managed by Steven Lee, a former SV Angel partner with nine years of investing experience. Lee has advised hundreds of founders on more than 900 financings, helping raise over $1.25 billion in capital to-date.

For more information, visit .

View source version on businesswire.com:

Kira Wolfe, COMMAND

[email protected]

Source: Seven Stars