Mode VC
California

The Westly Group

The Westly Group, based in California, backs Seed to Series B startups in climate, logistics, industrial, and cybersecurity, leading rounds with checks from $500k to $30M.

Website LinkedInPortfolioPitch pageTeam page
Entry stageSeed, Series A, Series B
Check size$500K to $30M
Leads roundsYes
FocusClimate, Logistics and mobility, Proptech, Industrial, Cybersecurity
Latest fund$100M seed fund
Investing team10 peopleNo activity since Sep

Who you would pitch at The Westly Group

10 people on the investing team, 5 of them partners who can make the call. Partners are listed first.

Danny Cotter
Danny CotterManaging PartnerHe previously worked at Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Prelude Ventures, focusing on advanced energy technologies and digital transformation.
Steve Westly
Steve WestlyFounder and Managing PartnerHe previously served as California State Controller and held senior roles at eBay.
Emily Fritze
Emily FritzePartnerShe previously held roles at Powerhouse Ventures, the Obama White House, ARPA-E, and the U.S.
Jason Kalira
Jason KaliraPartnerHe previously held executive roles at Parsable and began his career at Battery Ventures.
Shaun Chaudhuri
Shaun ChaudhuriPartnerFocus: early-stage AI and infrastructure investments in industrial/manufacturing and cybersecurity.
Jamie Daudon
Jamie DaudonPrincipalPreviously, she worked at the Cadmus Group on decarbonization projects for clients including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bloomberg…
Megan Cain
Megan CainPrincipalShe previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Vermont Works, Goldman Sachs, and the New York Stock Exchange.
Nick Albanese
Nick AlbaneseInvestment Associate and VP, Research & StrategyHe holds degrees from Georgetown and Columbia.
Kelly McCarthy
Kelly McCarthyAssociateShe previously worked at Barclays in investment banking, focusing on climate technology and energy transition.
Noemi Walzebuck
Noemi WalzebuckSenior AssociateShe previously worked at Bessemer Venture Partners and Powerhouse Ventures, focusing on climate and industrial tech.

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Writes $500K to $30M checks. Its smallest check is larger than 71% of firms in the atlas.

Bars: how many firms in the atlas report each band. Highlighted: this firm.

No recent activity since September 2026. Quiet does not mean closed.

Weekly count of activity updates. Activity is not a confirmed deal.

Notable investments

TeslaSentinelOneLuminarProcorePlanet LabsDataRobotComfySimple EnergyRapidSOS
Founders and investors at a Mode VC gathering

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Raising a pre-seed or seed round? We write $1M to $5M first checks and help founders with distribution. A partner reads every deck.

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One email when this firm shows new activity. Nothing else.

Firms like The Westly Group

Munich Re Ventures$500K to $10M
Alpaca VC$500K to $3M · active Sep 22
Cybernetix VenturesCheck size not reported
Rock Yard VenturesUp to $100K
Analog Ventures$500K to $3M
New Stack Ventures$500K to $3M

On these lists

Seed climate investors in California75Seed industrial investors in California67Series A climate investors in California58Series A industrial investors in California48Seed cybersecurity investors in California38Series A cybersecurity investors in California31Seed logistics and mobility investors in California30Series A logistics and mobility investors in California24

Questions

What stage does The Westly Group invest in?

The Westly Group reports entry at seed, series a, series b.

How much does The Westly Group invest?

The Westly Group reports checks of $500K to $30M.

Does The Westly Group lead rounds?

Yes. The Westly Group says it can lead.

Who are the partners at The Westly Group?

Danny Cotter (Managing Partner), Steve Westly (Founder and Managing Partner), Emily Fritze (Partner), Jason Kalira (Partner), Shaun Chaudhuri (Partner).

Is The Westly Group active right now?

No recent activity since September 2026.

Work at The Westly Group? Claim or correct this profile.