Umami Capital
About Umami Capital
Umami Capital describes itself as a venture syndicate, not a traditional fund. It is based in New York. Crunchbase lists James Lu Morrissey as founder and Managing Partner, with a start date of 2021, and Tracxn also gives 2021 as the founding year. One other data provider gives 2019, so the year is not consistent across sources. Morrissey previously co-founded Mentor Collective and worked as a management consultant at LEK Consulting. Alice Shen is listed in venture operations. The firm's AngelList page names George Boyar alongside Morrissey. The firm operates through Umami Capital, LLC, which is registered as an Exempt Reporting Adviser. No separate fund vehicles or fund sizes are public, and no partner is named as the lead for AI.
Umami does not run a dedicated AI strategy that is publicly documented. PitchBook describes the firm as focused on deep tech, AI, B2B, software and life sciences. AngelList says it co-invests with larger venture firms in Seed to Series B rounds. Its AI positions include Sapiom, a Seed-stage company building payment and access infrastructure for AI agents. Sapiom later acquired Fewsats, another agent payments company. Crunchbase also lists Umami as an investor in Seam AI and Byrdhouse AI. PitchBook records a 2026 early-stage deal in Ressl AI. Umami also invested in Phantom AI, which Harbinger later acquired.
Crunchbase describes Umami as focused on Seed through Series B. Older profiles list Pre-Seed to Series A. Check size figures vary by source and date. LinkedIn gives a typical check of $100K to $500K. AngelList gives $150K to $3M depending on company stage. AngelList also reports more than 80 companies and more than $50M deployed, and its typical investment figure is about $149.7K. Founders should confirm current ranges with the team.
- Sapiom: infrastructure that lets AI agents pay for and access APIs and services. Seed round of $15.8M in February 2026, led by Accel.
- humans&: Seed round of $480M in January 2026, per the Lounge deals desk.
- Pally: Seed round of $3.5M, per the Lounge deals desk.
- Piq Energy: Seed round of $5M, per the Lounge deals desk.
- Seam AI: Seed-stage AI company, listed on Crunchbase. PitchBook records a later merger or acquisition.
- Byrdhouse AI: Pre-Seed round in December 2022, per Crunchbase.
- Phantom AI: acquired by Harbinger, per Crunchbase.
- crunchbase.com/organization/umami-capital
- crunchbase.com/person/james-morrissey-2
- venture.angellist.com/umami-capital/syndicate
- linkedin.com/company/umami-capital
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/515406-43
- tracxn.com/d/venture-capital/umami-capital/__DsQsOOl21qp_4B1dSUumuOWdw
- finsmes.com/2026/02/sapiom-raises-15-75m-in-seed-funding.html
- crunchbase.com/hub/umami-capital-portfolio-companies
Investing activity
Umami Capital appears in 4 AI deals tracked by the Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $496M. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $16M and the largest at $480M. The most recent are Pally (Seed, $3.5M, Aug 2026), Piq Energy (Seed, $5M, Jul 2026) and Sapiom (Seed, $15.8M, Feb 2026).
Umami Capital most often invests alongside cyber•Fund, Y Combinator, Multimodal Ventures and Inc., and the companies it backs on Lounge are mostly in AI and AI research lab.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Umami Capital
Who founded Umami Capital?
Crunchbase lists James Lu Morrissey as founder and Managing Partner. He previously co-founded Mentor Collective. Sources date the firm to 2021, though one gives 2019.
What AI companies has Umami Capital invested in?
The Lounge deals desk lists Sapiom, humans&, Pally and Piq Energy. Crunchbase also lists Seam AI and Byrdhouse AI. Sapiom raised a $15.8M Seed in February 2026.
What check size does Umami Capital write?
Public figures vary. LinkedIn gives $100K to $500K, and AngelList gives $150K to $3M depending on stage. Confirm the current range with the firm.
What stage does Umami Capital invest in?
Crunchbase says Seed through Series B. Tracxn says it mainly invests at Seed and Series A.
How large is Umami Capital's fund?
No fund size is public. Umami operates as a syndicate and reports more than $50M deployed across more than 80 companies on AngelList.
What stage does Umami Capital invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Umami Capital has invested at Seed, with a median round of $16M.
Who does Umami Capital co-invest with?
Umami Capital's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are cyber•Fund (1 deal), Y Combinator (1 deal), Multimodal Ventures (1 deal), Inc. (1 deal) and Pace Capital (1 deal).
How can founders reach Umami Capital?
Founders on Lounge can see Umami Capital's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add Umami Capital to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.