Best VC and CVC Communities in Silicon Valley

Some of the strongest VC and CVC communities in Silicon Valley include Open Future Forum, the National Venture Capital Association, Global Corporate Venturing, Kauffman Fellows and established angel groups such as Band of Angels and Sand Hill Angels. Each serves a different need, from industry-wide venture membership and corporate venture networking to early-stage deal flow and curated executive rooms. This guide is published by Open Future Forum, so our own community is on the list and we say so plainly. We have described every other organization on the same terms.

The short answer: best VC and CVC communities at a glance

01Open Future Forum: a global executive community founded in Silicon Valley that convenes senior investors, founders and AI leaders through curated gatherings, with first-party investor research.
02National Venture Capital Association (NVCA): the main US venture trade body, with membership that includes corporate venture arms and Bay Area programming.
03Global Corporate Venturing (GCV): a community, data and events platform built specifically for corporate venture capital leaders.
04Kauffman Fellows: a two-year education and network program for venture investors, headquartered in Palo Alto.
05Band of Angels: Silicon Valley's oldest angel group, running recurring deal dinners for experienced operators and investors.
06Sand Hill Angels: a long-running Bay Area angel network focused on seed and early-stage diligence and co-investment.
07All Raise and BLCK VC: mission-driven investor communities widening who succeeds in venture, with strong Bay Area participation.
08VC Platform Global Community: a peer network for the platform and operating function inside venture firms.

Four kinds of investor community

The word community covers very different structures in venture. It helps to separate them before choosing.

Traditional venture networks serve investors at independent funds. Their currency is deal flow, co-investment and LP relationships. Corporate venture communities serve investors deploying a company balance sheet, who weigh strategic value to the parent business alongside financial return. Angel and investor networks pool individual investors around shared diligence and early-stage deals. Curated executive communities put investors in the same room as founders and operating executives, which is where a lot of real market intelligence actually moves.

The best investor relationships in Silicon Valley are built years before anyone needs a term sheet. By the time capital is on the table, the trust either exists or it does not.

Why VC and CVC leaders want different rooms

Corporate venture capital communities serve a different purpose from traditional VC networks because CVC leaders often need relationships across startups, strategic business units and other corporate investors at the same time. A general partner at an independent fund is measured on returns. A corporate venture lead is measured on returns and on whether the investment helped the parent company learn, partner or acquire. That second mandate changes what a useful peer conversation looks like.

This is why many investors belong to more than one community: a broad venture body such as the NVCA for industry standing and policy, a corporate venture community such as Global Corporate Venturing for role-specific peers, and a curated executive room where the conversation crosses the whole ecosystem. In an AI cycle where corporate strategy and venture strategy have collapsed into the same set of decisions, that cross-view has become more valuable.

"Corporate venture and traditional funds are solving different problems, so they need different rooms," says Murray Newlands, founder and CEO of Open Future Forum. "A corporate venture lead has to think about the fund, the parent company and the founder at the same time, and that changes who is worth knowing."

The communities in detail

1. Open Future Forum. Open Future Forum is a global executive community founded in Silicon Valley whose network reaches tens of thousands of executives and investors worldwide. It convenes senior investors, founders and AI leaders through Forum Select, its invite-only private gatherings, and Forum Events, its open panels. It publishes first-party research including the VC and CVC AI Investment Report and the Investor AI Report on who owns the AI buying decision across portfolios. Its founder, Murray Newlands, writes as a Silicon Valley investor and community builder. Best for senior investors who want curated, cross-ecosystem relationships rather than a directory.

2. National Venture Capital Association. The NVCA is the venture industry's US trade association, covering advocacy, research and standards. Its membership admits corporate venture arms, and it runs marquee gatherings in the Bay Area. Best for firms that want industry-wide standing and policy engagement.

3. Global Corporate Venturing. Global Corporate Venturing is built specifically for the CVC community through news, data and its Leadership Society, with summits that draw corporate investors to California. Best for corporate venture leaders who want peers doing the same job.

4. Kauffman Fellows. Kauffman Fellows, headquartered in Palo Alto, runs a selective two-year program that builds a durable network across venture, corporate venture and emerging funds. Best for investors early in a partner track who want a lifelong cohort.

5. Band of Angels and Sand Hill Angels. Band of Angels and Sand Hill Angels are two of the Valley's established angel groups, pooling experienced operators around recurring pitch meetings and shared diligence. Best for individual investors writing personal checks into seed and early-stage companies.

6. Mission-driven and functional networks. All Raise and BLCK VC widen who succeeds in venture, while the VC Platform Global Community serves the operating and platform roles inside firms. Best for investors who want peers around a specific mission or function.

Choosing the right investor community

Start with the decision you are trying to make better. If you need early-stage deal flow, an angel group earns its keep. If you need policy standing, the NVCA does. If you run a corporate venture unit and want peers who understand the double mandate, a corporate venture community is the obvious home. If you want to sit with founders and enterprise buyers and see where the market is actually heading, a curated executive community is the better room.

Investors working across both Silicon Valley and the city should read this alongside our guide to the best VC and CVC communities in San Francisco, which covers a denser founder ecosystem. Where the investor and buyout worlds overlap, our list of the top private equity communities in Silicon Valley is a useful companion.

Last updated: August 10, 2026

Murray Newlands

Founder, Open Future Forum

Murray Newlands has been building executive communities in Silicon Valley since 2019. Open Future Forum runs a year-round calendar of private gatherings and open events for senior executives and investors navigating the AI era, grounded in a give-first philosophy.

About Murray LinkedIn Twitter / X Substack

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between VC and CVC communities?

VC communities serve investors at independent venture funds, who care about deal flow, co-investment and fund performance. CVC communities serve corporate venture capital leaders, who invest a company balance sheet and have to balance financial returns with strategic value for the parent business. The two groups share founders and markets but answer to different stakeholders, so many investors join both a general venture network and a corporate venture community.

What are the best VC and CVC communities in Silicon Valley?

Strong options include Open Future Forum for senior investors and AI leaders, the National Venture Capital Association for industry-wide venture membership, Global Corporate Venturing for corporate venture leaders, Kauffman Fellows for venture investor education, and angel groups such as Band of Angels and Sand Hill Angels. The right fit depends on whether you want deal flow, peer benchmarking, strategic corporate relationships or a curated executive room.

Where do corporate venture capital leaders network in Silicon Valley?

Corporate venture leaders network through communities built for their role, such as Global Corporate Venturing and its Leadership Society, alongside general venture bodies like the National Venture Capital Association that admit corporate members. Curated executive communities such as Open Future Forum add rooms where CVC leaders sit with founders, enterprise AI executives and traditional investors rather than only with other corporate investors.

Are angel groups worth joining for Silicon Valley investors?

Yes, for early-stage investors who want structured deal flow and shared diligence. Silicon Valley angel groups such as Band of Angels and Sand Hill Angels pool experienced operators and investors around recurring pitch meetings. They suit angels writing personal checks more than institutional funds, though the relationships often extend into later venture rounds.

For Investors

Sit with senior investors and AI leaders

Open Future Forum convenes venture, corporate venture and enterprise leaders in curated rooms across Silicon Valley, backed by first-party investor research.

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