Deep Checks Research
Overview
Deep Checks is a founder-to-investor matching platform built by Julian Capital, a deeptech seed fund, to efficiently connect deeptech founders worldwide with venture capital investors specializing in their specific technology niches. Launched as a free service, Deep Checks has become "the largest source of deeptech deal flow in the world" according to Julian Capital's own positioning.
Investment Model
Deep Checks operates as a matching and curation platform rather than a traditional venture fund. The platform is built by Julian Capital (a deeptech seed investor writing $750K-$1M checks) but serves a network of 50+ deeptech-focused VCs, angel investors, and startup founders. The platform does not invest directly but facilitates warm introductions between founders and relevant investors.
Core Value Proposition
For Founders:
- Submit a single deck and reach 50+ deeptech VCs simultaneously
- Pre-screened introductions (Deep Checks reviews every deck and routes to relevant investors)
- No program to attend, no application process friction
- Typical check sizes: $500K-$5M for deeptech startups
- Average response time: deals reviewed every 3 weeks
For Investors:
- Access to curated deeptech deal flow across all sectors
- Quality pre-screening of founders and business plans
- Network effects with 50+ other active deeptech investors
- Founder CRM with deep coverage of niche deeptech sectors (mining robotics, photonic chips, biotech, climate, etc.)
The Network
Deep Checks has assembled a network of prominent deeptech investors including:
Lead Investors Featured:
- Leo Polovets (Humba Ventures, Susa Ventures co-founder)
- Chris Sacca (Lowercase Capital, Lowercarbon Capital)
- Ali Tamaseb (DCVC, author of "Super Founders")
- Rayyan Islam (8090 Industries)
- Julian Shapiro (Julian Capital)
- Joe Wilson (Undeterred Capital)
- Ian Rountree (Cantos Ventures)
- Ariana Thacker (Conscience VC)
- Seth Bannon (Fifty Years)
- Packy McCormick (Not Boring Capital)
- Victor Wang (HOF Capital)
Deeptech Founder Angels:
- Gaurab Chakrabarti (CEO, Solugen - synthetic biology)
- John Gedmark (CEO & Cofounder, Astranis - satellite communications)
Investment Thesis
Deep Checks targets the full spectrum of deeptech sectors where traditional venture capital has historically underinvested due to complexity and scientific risk:
Sector Coverage:
- Semiconductors and chips (photonics, isotope enrichment)
- Energy (nuclear, solar, geothermal, hydrogen)
- Robotics (manufacturing, mining, food processing)
- Biotech and life sciences (synthetic biology, cell culture)
- Space and aerospace (satellites, materials)
- Climate and sustainability technologies
- Manufacturing and advanced materials
- Defense and security technologies
Stage and Check Size
Deep Checks predominantly serves pre-seed and seed stage founders:
- Typical valuation cap: ~$20M (lower valuations receive more attention)
- Check sizes: $500K-$5M from participating investors
- First-check investors: Multiple funds (Julian Capital, Undeterred, Humba, etc.)
- Average check from Julian Capital: $750K-$1M
- Decision timeline: 14 days for Julian Capital; varies for other partners
Geographic Focus
Global with emphasis on:
- United States: San Francisco Bay Area (HQ), New York, Seattle
- Europe: London, Berlin
- Israel: Growing presence
- Platform explicitly welcomes worldwide deeptech founders
Founder-Friendly Characteristics
- No Program Requirements: Founders submit decks directly; no accelerator or bootcamp
- Pre-screening Value: Deep Checks team reviews every deck and explains to investors why the founder is interesting
- Warm Intros: Not cold outreach - Deep Checks sends contextualized introductions
- Speed: 3-week review cycle; individual investors decide quickly (Julian Capital: 14 days)
- Network Effects: Being featured creates pressure on investors to evaluate quickly, potentially improving founder negotiating power
- Operator Support: Julian Capital provides post-investment operator support (website design, GTM strategy, customer intros)
Recent Momentum and Activity
As of early 2026:
- Events: Quarterly Deep Checks founder dinners (SF Dec 2024, NYC Feb 2025)
- Scout Program: Launched advanced scout program for experienced VCs and scientists (fewer than 25 participants)
- Portfolio Velocity: Recent notable portfolio companies (2025) include Heritable Ag (pre-seed funded through Deep Checks), GreenLib ($1.5M pre-seed), and others
- Decks Reviewed: Continuously processing submissions with accelerating founder interest
- Network Growth: Expanding from initial core VCs to 50+ institutional investors
Competitive Advantages
- Deeptech Specialization: Unlike general founder networks (Doordash, etc.), Deep Checks is exclusively deeptech-focused
- Founder Network Effects: Built-in relationships with thousands of scientific founders (Solugen CEO, Astranis CEO, etc.)
- VC Network: 50+ investors with genuine deeptech expertise, not financial generalists
- Curation Quality: Deep Checks team personally reviews and contextualizes every submission
- Builder Mindset: Founded by operators (Julian Shapiro: Webflow, DemandCurve; Jacob Jackson: MedStack, Mammoth)
- Post-Investment Value: Operator support beyond capital (Julian Capital designs websites, does GTM strategy)
Fundraising Success Stories
- Heritable Ag: Closed $1M seed through Deep Checks (founder Brad Zamft: "Once I submitted, my email started blowing up with DocSend notifications. I booked meetings with a dozen firms and closed oversubscribed in 2-3 weeks")
- GreenLib: $1.5M pre-seed entirely funded through Deep Checks (founder Fred Rostami: "The entire pre-seed through Deep Checks. We got warm, well-matched intros to investors who actually got what we were building")
- Multiple portfolio companies with successful fundraising rounds in 2025
Unique Model Characteristics
Deep Checks operates a three-party marketplace:
- Supply: Deeptech founders submit decks (valuation cap ~$20M)
- Curation: Deep Checks team reviews and routes to relevant investors
- Demand: 50+ investors (institutional VCs and founder angels) browse curated deal flow
This differs from traditional venture capital:
- Not a fund with committed capital
- Not an accelerator with a cohort or program
- Not a standard founder network with broad participation
- Instead: a specialized deal routing and curation service connecting founders with capital
Decision Process and Involvement
- Decision Process: Individual investors (not committee) make investment decisions
- Timeline: Varies by investor (Julian Capital: 14 days; others: 3-week batches)
- Involvement Level: Ranges from passive (some investors) to board-seat operators (Julian Capital, others)
- Co-investment: Multiple checks common; founders often close rounds oversubscribed
Data and Transparency
Deep Checks provides:
- Deck review counter (live countdown) on homepage
- Quarterly "Deep Checks Dozen" highlighting best startups
- Success stories and founder testimonials
- Transparent fee structure (free for founders, institutional participation)
- Public investor bios and investment theses
Technical Infrastructure
- Founder CRM: Unparalleled coverage across deeptech niches (per Julian Capital)
- Deck Processing: Automated routing to relevant investors based on technology/sector
- Communication: Integrated email system (DocSend integration for tracking)
- Built by: Team at Julian Capital with input from deeptech community
Weaknesses and Limitations
- Deeptech Only: Explicitly excludes traditional SaaS/software companies
- Valuation Cap: Companies above ~$20M valuation receive less attention
- Capital Check Size: Most common range is $500K-$1M (smaller than some later-stage focused VCs)
- No Feedback: Deep Checks does not provide feedback to rejected founders
- Investor Discretion: Individual investors make decisions; no guaranteed capital
Recent Announcements and Innovations
- Agentic Workflow Evaluation: Deep Checks (the software product at deepchecks.com) launched LLM evaluation for agentic AI systems (distinct from the VC platform)
- Scout Program: New program for deeptech scouts and scientists to gain deal flow access and financial upside
- Expanded Geography: Recent NYC event (Feb 2025) signals expansion beyond SF
- Founder Education: Growing content (fundraising guides, pitching guides, founder resources)
Team and Leadership
Julian Shapiro (Managing Partner, Julian Capital & Creator of Deep Checks)
- VP of Marketing at Webflow ($4B valuation)
- Founder of DemandCurve (Y Combinator S19)
- Creator of Velocity.js (popular open-source animation library, used by Uber, Samsung, WhatsApp)
- Known for longform startup handbooks and growth marketing expertise
Jacob Jackson (General Manager, Deep Checks)
- Founder and startup revenue leader
- CRO at MedStack (healthcare DevOps)
- Head of Growth at Mammoth (climate tech)
- Extensive sales and operations experience
John Forbes (General Manager, Deep Checks)
- Partner at Dorm Room Fund (4 years, led competitive investments)
- Chief of Staff at disaster coordination platform
- Sales and product experience from 0 to PMF
Conclusion
Deep Checks represents a new model in venture capital: a specialized matching platform that solves a real problem in deeptech fundraising (founders can't easily find relevant VCs, and VCs struggle with deeptech deal flow). Rather than managing a traditional fund, the Deep Checks team has built infrastructure and network effects to facilitate connections at scale.
The platform's success is evidenced by:
- Hundreds of deeptech startups submitting decks
- 50+ institutional investors participating
- Multiple founder success stories with oversubscribed rounds
- Rapid growth and geographic expansion
- Becoming the "largest source of deeptech deal flow in the world"
Deep Checks is particularly useful for science-first founders building hardware, biotech, robotics, or infrastructure (not traditional B2B SaaS) who need to identify and reach out-of-market investors with domain expertise in their specific niche.