K5 Ventures

K5 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010 to 2011 by Managing Partners Amir Banifatemi and Ray Chan (with additional co-founder Hans Imhof) and based in Irvine, California, and focuses on providing resources and capital to technology-driven startups primarily in Southern California, Silicon Valley, and China. The firm invests at the seed and Series A stages across sectors including artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, robotics, fintech, foodtech, digital health, medical devices, and biotechnology, and operates an integrated three-to-six-month accelerator programme called K5 Launch, one of the first accelerator programmes in Southern California. Selected accelerator teams receive up to USD 25,000 in equity funding plus approximately USD 17,000 of in-kind legal, web, and public relations services from programme partners. The firm has made more than 100 disclosed investments with approximately 49 exits, and in 2015 Ray Chan co-founded The Portal with the Beall Family Foundation to connect Orange County university students with local startups.