Afore Capital to Showcase 24 Portfolio Companies at September Event

San Francisco, CA – Afore Capital, a prominent pre-seed venture capital firm, is set to host a showcase for two dozen of its portfolio companies on September 23rd. The event, announced by Principal Jack McClelland, will take place at the firm's South Park office in San Francisco, with a virtual attendance option also available. McClelland stated in the tweet, "less of a 'demo day' and more of a 'showcase your product,' but some may raise soon."

Afore Capital, co-founded by Gaurav Jain and Anamitra Banerji, specializes in backing product-oriented founders at the earliest stages, often pre-traction and pre-revenue. The firm manages approximately $500 million in assets across multiple funds, including its recently closed $185 million Fund IV in February 2025. Afore's investment strategy focuses on providing initial checks ranging from $500,000 to $2 million, aiming to accelerate these companies towards their Series A funding rounds.

The upcoming showcase underscores Afore Capital's commitment to fostering product development and visibility for its early-stage investments. Unlike traditional "demo days" primarily focused on fundraising pitches, this event emphasizes product demonstration, aligning with Afore's hands-on approach to building companies from the ground up. This strategy is also reflected in their Founders-in-Residence (FIR) program, which supports aspiring entrepreneurs in developing concrete startup ideas.

Afore Capital's portfolio includes over 200 companies with a collective valuation exceeding $13.5 billion. Notable investments include mental health platform Modern Health, AI marketing platform Hightouch, and fintech innovator Neo Financial. More recently, the firm participated in Olto's $5.1 million pre-seed round in July 2025 and co-led Vessel's $10.3 million seed round in May 2025, demonstrating its continued support for disruptive technologies.

The pre-seed market has evolved significantly, with Afore Capital playing a key role in defining this early investment stage. While median pre-seed rounds reached $700,000 by the end of 2024, Afore's flexible investment model allows for varied check sizes depending on the startup's needs. The firm emphasizes underwriting founders with strong growth mindsets, recognizing that ideas may pivot multiple times before achieving product-market fit.