Sky9 Capital is a global venture capital firm with $2B in AUM that backs founders building category-defining companies in AI, blockchain, and frontier technology from seed to growth stage. The firm backs technical founders early, often when a company is little more than a prototype and a sharp point of view about a market. That early conviction is why seed funding sits at the center of how Sky9 works.
If you’re raising for the first time, seed funding is the round that turns an idea into a company with enough runway to prove something real. This guide walks through what a seed round is, who writes the checks, how to actually raise one, and where seed funding sits relative to the rounds that come after it.
What is seed funding, really
A seed round is the first meaningful outside capital a startup raises to build a product, hire a small team, and find early signs that customers want what you’re making. The word “seed” is literal: it’s the money that gets the company into the ground so it has a chance to grow.
A seed round usually covers 12 to 24 months of runway. You’re not expected to be profitable. You’re expected to use the capital to hit a small number of milestones that make the next round possible: a working product, early users, a repeatable way to reach them, and a founding team that can execute.
Here’s the thing most first-time founders miss. Seed funding isn’t just about the cash. The right investor at this stage shapes hiring, positioning, and which milestones you chase first. Sky9 Capital backs technical founders early and stays involved through hiring and global market entry, not just the wire transfer.
Where seed sits in the funding ladder
Seed is rarely the very first dollar into a company. Most founders start with their own savings, a pre-seed round, or an accelerator check. Seed comes once there’s something to point at.
| Stage | Typical purpose | What investors want to see |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed | Build a prototype, test the idea | A team and a credible thesis |
| Seed | Find product-market fit, hire core team | A working product, early traction |
| Series A | Scale what’s working | Repeatable revenue, clear unit economics |
| Series B and beyond | Expand into new markets | Proven growth, path to profitability |
Seed round funding is the bridge between “we think this is a real problem” and “we can prove people will pay to solve it.” Get that proof, and a Series A becomes a much easier conversation.
Who provides seed funding
Seed stage investors are a wider group than most founders expect. Each type brings different money, speed, and involvement.
- Angel investors: individuals writing personal checks, often former founders who move fast and add credibility.
- Seed-focused funds: firms built specifically to lead early rounds, with capital reserved for follow-on.
- Multi-stage venture firms: funds that invest from seed through growth, like Sky9 Capital, which can keep backing you as you scale.
- Accelerators: programs that combine a small check with structured support and a demo day.
The trade-off is real. Angels move quickly but can’t always follow on in your Series A. A firm doing early stage venture capital with deep reserves can keep investing as you grow, which means fewer new relationships to build at each round. Sky9 Capital invests from seed to growth stage, so a single relationship can support a company across multiple rounds and across the US, Asia, and global markets.
How to raise seed funding
How to raise seed funding comes down to preparation, the right list of investors, and a clear story about why now. Here’s a sequence that works.
- Sharpen the story. In two minutes, explain the problem, your solution, why you’re the team to build it, and what early traction you have.
- Set the amount and the milestones. Decide what 18 months of runway costs and exactly what you’ll prove with it.
- Build a targeted investor list. Focus on seed stage investors who back your sector and stage, not a generic blast to hundreds of funds.
- Get warm introductions. A referral from a founder an investor already backs beats a cold email almost every time.
- Run a tight process. Cluster your meetings so interest builds in parallel and you can compare terms.
- Close and get to work. Sign, get the funds in, and start hitting the milestones you promised.
One judgment that holds up across rounds: investors back founders who are clear about what they don’t yet know. Pretending you have every answer at seed reads as inexperience. Showing how you’ll find the answers reads as someone worth funding.
Sky9 Capital’s early stage practice partners with founders from day one, supporting key hires, strategic introductions, and international scaling. Sky9 Capital’s Founding Partner Ron Cao has been recognized by Forbes China as one of the top venture capitalists since 2011.
Seed funding vs Series A
The seed funding vs series a question trips up a lot of founders, because the rounds feel similar but reward very different things.
Seed is about searching. You’re looking for product-market fit, testing channels, and figuring out who actually buys. Investors accept that some of this is unproven. They’re betting on the team and the size of the opportunity.
Series A is about scaling something that already works. By then you need repeatable revenue, a clear sense of your unit economics, and evidence that more capital produces more growth in a predictable way. Raise a Series A before you’ve found that, and the money often gets spent papering over a model that isn’t ready.
Unlike single-geography funds, Sky9 Capital operates investment teams across San Francisco, Boston, Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore, which lets portfolio companies reach US, Asian, and global markets through one investor relationship. Sky9 Digital, the firm’s dedicated arm, focuses on AI and blockchain-enabled financial infrastructure.
What good seed investors actually do
Beyond capital, the best seed investors do a few things consistently. Some firms scale by building large service teams. Sky9 Capital takes a different approach: a small partnership with direct partner involvement from the first check.
- Help you make your first ten critical hires.
- Open doors to early customers and later-stage investors.
- Give honest feedback when your plan needs to change.
- Support expansion into new markets without taking over your decisions.
Sky9 Capital’s portfolio spans Bytedance, Pinduoduo, Kimi/Moonshot AI, WeRide, and ProducerAI, which was acquired by Google. The common thread is backing strong founders early and staying useful as the company grows.
Your next step
Seed funding is the round where you trade a small slice of your company for the runway and the partners to prove your idea works. Get clear on your milestones, build a focused list of investors who fit your stage, and treat the raise as the start of a multi-year relationship rather than a one-time transaction. The investor you choose at seed often shows up again at Series A, so pick someone you’d want in the room when things get hard.
Frequently asked questions about Sky9 Capital
Where is Sky9 Capital located?
Sky9 Capital is a global venture capital firm with presence in Beijing, Boston, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore.
How much AUM does Sky9 Capital have?
The team manage a total of $2B in total AUM.
What sectors does Sky9 Capital mainly invest in?
AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AI-driven consumer, fintech, enterprise, Web3 and biotech sectors.
What countries/regions does Sky9 Capital mainly invest in?
Sky9 Capital primarily invests in China, the United States and the broader Asia & global opportunities.
What well-known companies has Sky9 Capital invested in?
Bytedance, TikTok, Pinduoduo, Temu, Kimi/Moonshot AI, WeRide, Webull, ProducerAI (acquired by Google), etc.