Footwork

Smith and Basu Trivedi became acquainted on Imperfect Foods’ board. In 2020, they tested their compatibility through questions about decision-making, partnership and long-term goals, then made roughly six angel investments together before forming Footwork.⁠[1]

Basu Trivedi announced the closing of Footwork Fund I with $175 million in commitments. Much of the capital came from endowments and foundations supporting nonprofit causes. The initial plan was to back 15–20 companies over several years.⁠[2]

At launch, Footwork described initial checks of $1.5–8 million for leading or co-leading seed and Series A rounds in consumer businesses and consumerized enterprise software. The equal partnership combined Smith’s operating background with Basu Trivedi’s professional investing experience.⁠[1]

Footwork announced that it led a $15 million Series A in mobile-commerce software company Via, with Mike Smith joining the board. Via helped brands and retailers sell through text messages, messaging platforms and mobile apps.⁠[3]

The two-year review reported ten investments, evenly divided between seed and Series A, with initial checks of $2–9 million averaging $5 million. The partners held director or observer roles at all ten. Disclosed companies included Table22, Cradlewise, Trendsi, Heard, Felt and Power.⁠[4]

In their April 2025 review, the founders disclosed that Fund II had closed in February. The firm’s website identifies its size as $225 million and states that investing began in 2025.⁠[5][6]

The four-year review counted seventeen active companies: eight first backed at seed, eight at Series A and one at growth stage. Initial checks ranged from $1.25 million to $10 million. Recent additions included Elicit and GPTZero, while portfolio founders received a six-month group executive-coaching program.⁠[5]

Footwork announced an $11 million round in Anything, which lets users create and publish web and mobile apps through natural-language instructions. The partners had previously evaluated its predecessor, Create, and invested after the team rebuilt its infrastructure and relaunched the product.⁠[7]

The five-year review reported seven new investments and 24 active companies. Fund I made its final two initial investments, and Fund II was active. The partners distinguished AI-native teams from businesses using AI while benefiting primarily from other market changes.⁠[8]

Footwork and Acrew Capital co-led a $25 million Series A in accounts-receivable platform Monk, with Better Tomorrow Ventures participating. Monk combines invoicing, collections, cash application and reporting in AI-assisted workflows for finance teams.⁠[9]

In a 2026 interview, the founders described mock board discussions before investing, joint attendance at board meetings during the first year and hiring assistance. The website lists 25 investments as of Q2 2026, typical initial checks of $1–15 million and an office in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.⁠[10][6]

Website: https://www.footwork.vc/ (opens in a new window). X: https://x.com/footworkvc (opens in a new window). LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/footworkvc/ (opens in a new window). The founders publish investment announcements and annual reviews through next big thing.⁠[6][11][12]