Top 15 Advertising Investors in 2025

In today’s fiercely competitive advertising and adtech landscape, securing capital from investors who deeply understand your sector can be a startup game-changer. Here's a carefully curated list of the 15 top investors backing advertising and adtech startups in 2025—spanning venture capitalists, media-focused funds, and strategic backers ready to fuel your growth.

Leading Investors in Advertising & AdTech

1. Aperiam

A pure-play adtech and martech VC based in New York, Aperiam provides funding as well as advisory and technology orchestration—offering deep industry alignment and support. Visible.vc

2. North Base Media

Focused on journalistic enterprise, engagement, and monetization software, this Washington DC-based firm backs advertising opportunities in emerging markets (check sizes around $750K). Visible.vc

3. Circadian Ventures

An early-stage investor based in Atlanta, Circadian backs ambitious adtech startups at the Seed and Series A stages with strategic partnership and growth focus. Visible.vc

4. Ground Up Ventures

A pre-seed and seed-stage investor from New York, Ground Up builds hands-on relationships with founders, offering guidance and accountability through early-stage growth. Visible.vc

5. Aperiam Ventures (as part of Firsthand’s round)

Firsthand, an AI-driven brand agent platform, raised $26M in Series A, led by Radical Ventures with contributions from Aperiam Ventures among others—highlighting its continued presence in adtech funding. Axios

Notable VCs Influencing the Advertising Landscape

6. Fifth Wall

Recognized in seed-stage advertising categories by founders, Fifth Wall is a key seed investor cited frequently in community-compiled lists. Signal NFX

7. Commerce Ventures

Consistently ranked as a top seed-stage investor in advertising verticals—strong in early-stage adtech backing. Signal NFX

8. Upfront Ventures

Another heavy-hitter in the seed-stage advertising investment ecosystem, credited by founders in community voting. Signal NFX

Broader Venture Capital Titans With Ad Exposure

9. Founders Fund

This powerhouse ($17B AUM in 2025) invests across ambitious, deep-tech ventures—including adtech by extension of its broader internet and platform investments. Wikipedia

10. Thrive Capital

With about $25B under management, Thrive backs growth-stage internet and software startups—often intersecting with advertising and creator economy investments. Wikipedia

Media & Entertainment VC Firms with Advertising Overlap

11. Baseline Ventures

An early seed-focused firm (founded by Ron Conway), known for media and tech investments—relevant for adtech startups seeking seasoned media support. Visible.vc

12. Lerer Hippeau

Supports early-stage ventures in media and advertising from its NYC base—strong for founders targeting brand and content marketing spaces. Visible.vc

13. Muse Capital

A Los Angeles-based seed-to-Series B investor focusing on consumer disruption, including ad-supported platforms. Visible.vc

14. Founders Fund (repeat category, but worth reinforcing)

Already mentioned—but its deep pockets and track record in scalable platforms underscore its appeal to adtech founders. Visible.vc

15. Lightspeed Venture Partners

A multi-stage investor active across consumer tech and marketing tech—ideal for startups expanding through advertising ecosystems. Visible.vc

Quick Summary Table

Final Thoughts

The advertising and adtech space in 2025 is rich with investors—from sector-specific firms like Aperiam to luminaries like Founders Fund and media-savvy VCs. Whether you’re building AI-powered brand tools, monetization platforms, or creator monetization infrastructure, this list gives you a strategic shortlist to target.

Once you're ready to pitch, consider using a tool like Peony to support your fundraising process. It offers AI-powered document organization, branded data rooms, secure sharing, and engagement analytics—helping investors focus on your vision, not your file chaos.

Let me know if you'd like guidance on messaging any of these investors—or want the post enriched with SEO elements like meta descriptions or embedded keyword strategy!