Work-Bench
Work-Bench is a New York City-based seed-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on early-stage enterprise software companies. Founded in 2012 by Jessica Lin and Jonathan Lehr, the firm has built a reputation as one of the most thesis-driven seed investors in the NYC ecosystem, leading seed rounds in B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, data and AI, infrastructure, and developer tools companies.
Investment Approach
Work-Bench maintains a focused investment thesis centered on enterprise software. The firm invests primarily at the seed stage, with check sizes typically ranging from $2 million to $10 million, leading rounds in the $3 million to $6 million range. They run a highly concentrated portfolio of approximately 6 investments per year, allowing them to be deeply engaged with each portfolio company.
The firm's thesis-driven approach means they focus on specific categories: Cybersecurity, Data and AI and Machine Learning, Enterprise Apps and Vertical AI, and Infrastructure and Developer Tools. This focus allows the partners to develop genuine expertise in their target domains and provide meaningful guidance to founders.
Approximately 50% of Work-Bench's investments are in New York-based startups, with the firm leveraging its deep ties to the NYC enterprise tech community to source deals and support portfolio companies with customer introductions to Fortune 500s and fast-growth companies in their network.
Fund History
Work-Bench has raised four funds over the years. The firm announced Fund IV in May 2025, a $160 million vehicle dedicated to supporting seed-stage founders building enterprise software companies. This represents a significant step up from Fund III, which was $100 million. The firm's consistent growth reflects its strong track record of generating returns through concentrated, thesis-driven investments.
The firm's partner team consists of Co-Founders Jessica Lin and Jonathan Lehr, who work closely with portfolio companies throughout their growth journey. Lin leads investments in horizontal and vertical SaaS enterprise applications, while Lehr focuses on areas including Machine Learning and AI, Cloud, and Infrastructure.
Notable Portfolio Companies
Work-Bench has backed several successful enterprise software companies that have achieved significant valuations:
Unicorns:
- Socure - Digital identity verification and fraud prevention platform, now valued at $4.5 billion
- Cockroach Labs - Distributed SQL database for mission-critical apps, valued at $2 billion
- Spring Health - Mental healthcare platform, valued at $3.3 billion
Other notable investments:
- FireHydrant - Incident management and reliability automation platform
- AuthZed - Managed permissions database
- Arthur AI - AI model monitoring and performance optimization
- Dialpad - AI-powered business communications
- Courier Health - Patient engagement platform
- CloudQuery - Open source cloud asset inventory
- Govwell - Modern software for governments
- RippleMatch - Early career recruiting software
How to Connect
Work-Bench accepts cold emails, but founders should note that the firm values a strong network connection. Warm introductions from the NYC enterprise community or portfolio company founders can significantly improve response rates.
Application process:
- Send a concise email introducing yourself and your company
- Include a brief description of your technology, traction, and how it fits their thesis
- Focus on the problem you're solving and your approach to enterprise sales
Key contacts:
- Jonathan Lehr - @jlehr on Twitter/X, LinkedIn
- Jessica Lin - @jessicaclin on Twitter/X, LinkedIn
Events attended:
- SaaStr
- TechCrunch Disrupt
- NYC tech community events
- Enterprise software conferences
Pro tips:
- Emphasize your enterprise go-to-market strategy
- Be ready to discuss your sales motion and customer acquisition strategy
- Show awareness of the competitive landscape
- Demonstrate understanding of enterprise procurement cycles
What they look for:
- Founders with deep domain expertise
- Clear understanding of the enterprise customer
- Strong CTO or technical co-founder for technical products
- Realistic views on sales cycles and enterprise adoption
Website: work-bench.com