125 VC firms investing in aerospace & defense at the Seed stage.
F4 Fund tracks 125 VC firms that actively invest in aerospace & defense at the Seed stage, with check sizes ranging from $5K – $500M (median: $1.8M – $1.8M). As of April 2026, and 90% lead or co-lead rounds. Rankings are based on F4's proprietary analysis of 1,092+ researched VC firms, scored by data completeness, portfolio depth, investment recency, and stage alignment.
| # | Firm | Check Size | Portfolio | Leads? | Activity | Decision | Intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▶ Helios Capital Early-stage investments in commercial space, aerospace, and adjacent deeptech sectors represent transformational opportunities for humanity's future in space exploration and technology advancement. New York | $25K – $1M | 29 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 2 | ▶ AeroX Ventures We invest in foundational technologies that strengthen both commercial leadership and national security capabilities. We back technical founders building dual-use innovations at the intersection of Aerospace, Defense, and Deep Tech. Portfolio companies demonstrate strong technical validation and capital efficiency, often bootstrapping to meaningful revenue before institutional investment. Winston-Salem, North Carolina | $250K – $3M | 13 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 3 | ▶ First In Security technology is a necessity independent of economic cycles. We back technical experts who have seen over the horizon as security practitioners across commercial, military, or intelligence sectors. We invest in entrepreneurs who are on a mission to secure our freedom. Washington | $500K – $5M | 31 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 4 | ▶ E2MC Ventures The space economy represents the next frontier for transformative economic opportunity and meaningful impact. We back pioneering founders building the technologies and services that enable humanity's expansion into space while creating value on Earth. We apply financial discipline (Wall Street cash-flow and intrinsic-value approach) to identify sustainable, scalable space businesses. Miami | $1M – $5M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 5 | ▶ Point72 Ventures Point72 Ventures backs ambitious founders building for big outcomes across critical domains. Going deep, not wide—the firm focuses on specialized investment theses in AI, Consumer, and Defense Tech, bringing deep sector insights, partnership, and hands-on support from seed to pre-IPO. New York | $250K – $50M | 203 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 6 | ▶ Hiro Capital Europe can lead the next phase of human evolution enabled by technology. We invest in AI, Spatial Computing, Autonomy, Robotics, Longevity, Games, and Space/Defence. We are founders backing founder leaders with hands-on engagement. | $5M – $50M | 40 | Leads | Active | — | Req'd |
| 7 | ▶ Space Capital Space-based technologies — GPS, GEOINT, and SatCom — are the invisible backbone of the global economy. Space Capital invests at the intersection of space technology and global markets, backing founders building the infrastructure, distribution platforms, and applications that will generate the next wave of trillion-dollar outcomes. New York | $250K – $3M | 40 | Leads | Active | — | Open |
| 8 | ▶ Type One Ventures We invest in startups building the technologies, infrastructure, and services that will be integral as we progress towards a Type I Civilization on the Kardashev Scale. Humanity is at ~Type 0.73 civilization and estimated to reach Type I in ~100 years. We fund moonshot technologies solving fundamental problems in space, robotics, AI, and human longevity. San Francisco | $500K – $20M | 37 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 9 | ▶ Red Swan Ventures Thematic-driven investor backing ambitious founders building for big outcomes across critical domains. Core conviction: defensible businesses create competitive advantages by transforming data challenges and market opportunities into sustainable value. We Go Deep, Not Wide. Focus on AI (defensible AI turns data challenges into advantages), Consumer (vision and strategy to break through attention economy), and Defense Tech (modern solutions for global stability). Active operational partnership beyond capital provision. | $250K – $100M | 65 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 10 | ▶ Caruso Ventures Back highly effective CEOs building tech-enabled companies that solve hard infrastructure problems. Deep tech (quantum, space) offers generational returns with long deployment cycles suitable for patient capital. Boulder, Colorado | $500K – $2.5M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 11 | ▶ Pathbreaker Ventures Pathbreaker invests in specialized engineering and product leaders solving critical global problems through emerging technologies (hardware and software). The fund believes AI, robotics, and computer vision will transform traditional industries over the coming decades. Pathbreaker focuses on companies tackling $100B+ problems at inception and pre-seed stages. San Francisco | $250K – $2M | 54 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 12 | ▶ Scout Ventures Scout invests in frontier technologies built by founders from military, intelligence, and national research labs. The team provides capital, operational partnership, government network access, and non-dilutive capital leverage. Focus on dual-use technologies with both commercial and defense applications. Austin | $500K – $5M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 13 | ▶ Seraphim Capital Space has a unique role in addressing the world's most pressing problems and represents a $trillion investment opportunity. We back visionary entrepreneurs transforming science fiction into science fact using space technology and space-based data to solve challenges in sustainability, connectivity, and digitalization at global scale. London | $250K – $25M | 30 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 14 | ▶ Radius Capital Next-generation aerospace will be powered by software, AI, and robotics - not new aircraft. We invest in enabling technologies that unlock aerospace innovation: software, design tools, AI systems, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and novel concepts for autonomous operations. San Francisco | $100K – $1M | 12 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 15 | ▶ Tango.vc Back exceptional technical founders solving hard problems in AI, machine learning, and robotics. Solo GP conviction-based investing with deep domain expertise in autonomous systems, ML infrastructure, and product development at scale. Redwood City, California | $100K – $250K | 12 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 16 | ▶ Refactor Capital The most enduring companies are created by founders willing to commercialize real science and scale real systems. We focus on hard tech at the intersection of computation and physical sciences—aerospace, biotech, energy, materials—where technical execution is the moat. Burlingame, CA | $1M – $2M | 46 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 17 | ▶ Founders Fund Back revolutionary technologies and visionary founders who think in first principles. We invest across all stages when conviction exists, providing patient capital and board-level partnership to founders building consequential companies that reshape industries. San Francisco | $500K – $50M | 24 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 18 | ▶ Anorak Ventures Computing is breaking free from two-dimensional interfaces and transitioning to 'Computing in the Third Dimension' - convergence of computer vision, robotics, VR/AR, and generative AI. We invest in founders building infrastructure, platforms, and applications that dissolve boundaries between digital and physical experiences. Best founders combine deep technical expertise with obsessive focus on frontier technology problems. Los Angeles and San Francisco, California | $250K – $3M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 19 | ▶ Creative Destruction Lab The primary constraint for seed-stage, science-based entrepreneurs is access to experienced business judgment. CDL provides objective-based mentoring from accomplished entrepreneurs, angels, and scientists to help founders prioritize tasks and de-risk their businesses. Toronto | $50K – $250K | 20 | — | 2mo | ~2 wks | Open |
| 20 | ▶ Haystack Exceptional founders create disproportionate outcomes. We identify entrepreneurs pulling the future forward through fundamental innovation and exceptional execution. Rather than chasing sector trends, we partner with high-signal founders solving enduring problems across any category. San Francisco | $250K – $2M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 21 | ▶ Massive Investing in inevitable deep tech. Back visionary founders building transformational companies in domains where technological disruption is predetermined, not probable. Focus on early scale inflection points where companies move from potential to proven commercial viability. Golden, CO | $500K – $3M | 20 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 22 | ▶ Humba Ventures We invest in hard tech and hard sectors—companies building solutions to difficult, underexplored problems that others won't. Unlocking society's potential depends on founders willing to build what others won't. We're hyper curious, drawn to difficult and underexplored areas. San Francisco | $250K – $1M | 35 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 23 | ▶ Moonshots Capital Back extraordinary leadership teams—founders exceptional at building and exiting businesses with leadership styles that military-trained partners can uniquely mentor, support, and supercharge. Particular conviction in military veteran founders (30%+ of AUM) who demonstrate proven track record, drive, mission-orientation, teamwork, strategic excellence, growth mindset, and integrity. Austin | $1M – $10M | 35 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 24 | ▶ Manta Ray Back mission-driven founders addressing significant global challenges through leading-edge technology. Provide flexible and patient capital, leveraging our time, resources, and networks to support portfolio company success. Focus on founders with authentic social and environmental missions alongside commercial viability. London | $250K – $3M | 52 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 25 | ▶ BlueYard Capital Invest in only two kinds of technologies: those that move humanity toward utopia, and those that hold the line against oblivion. Back n-of-1 visions for an era of Black Swans—unconventional companies solving civilization-scale problems that others dismiss as too early, too risky, or too misunderstood. Berlin | $500K – $5M | 51 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 26 | ▶ Aera VC Investing in breakthrough deep technologies that address humanity's greatest challenges. We allocate ~80% to climate solutions (carbon-negative materials, renewable energy, climate adaptation) and ~20% to frontier tech (aerospace, robotics, advanced materials, biotech). We operate as a venture-and-philanthropy platform backed by the Fukutake family, blending profit-seeking with impact objectives. Singapore | $500K – $20M | 32 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 27 | ▶ AIN Ventures Founders with military backgrounds and demonstrated grit combined with differentiated dual-use technology create exceptional venture opportunities. We focus on pre-seed and seed-stage companies solving meaningful problems that make the country and allies safer while having strong commercial applications. New York | $250K – $3M | 31 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 28 | ▶ Next Frontier Capital Exceptional talent and innovation exist beyond coastal venture capital hubs. We partner with mission-driven entrepreneurs to build companies of impact, utility, and value in the Rocky Mountain region. Technical founders with regional commitment and proven execution ability are our ideal partners. Bozeman | $2M – $5M | 47 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 29 | ▶ Mission One Capital Backing founders rebuilding how the world is powered and built. We invest in frontier-tech startups solving three existential challenges: climate change, resource depletion, and inequality. We look for scalable business models where impact metrics are directly tied to financial performance and community benefit. Miami | $100K – $500K | 30 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 30 | ▶ Stage Venture Partners We partner with exceptional founders building emerging B2B software technologies solving hard problems in non-obvious sectors. We bring value-investing discipline, operational expertise, and deep LA ecosystem networks to help companies achieve sustainable unit economics and rapid product-market fit. Los Angeles | $1M – $3M | 30 | Leads | Between | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 31 | ▶ Tribe Capital Apply AI and data science to identify and invest in N-of-1 companies with 10-100x potential. Back founders who expand individual freedom and decentralize power. Invest in companies that embody principles from the Bill of Rights (voice, fair process, proportionality, user power) and Bitcoin whitepaper (trust-minimized, verifiable, aligned incentives, open access). Menlo Park | $500K – $5M | 60 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 32 | ▶ Starlight Ventures We invest in teams and solutions that address multi-decade problems that humanity has no choice but to solve. Our focus is breakthrough science and technology applied to energy transition, life sciences, space, and next-generation computing. Miami | $250K – $2.5M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 33 | ▶ Air Street Capital We invest exclusively in AI-first companies where advances in artificial intelligence are the primary driver of product capability, competitive advantage, and long-term value creation. We are deeply coupled to the frontier of AI research and industry, enabling us to identify emerging technical inflection points and structural shifts early. London | $1M – $300M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 34 | ▶ Winklevoss Capital We back determined builders working on hard problems in critical domains. Real innovation is non-obvious at first and often misunderstood. We support contrarian founders during frontier exploration when they need it most. New York | $100K – $5M | 25 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 35 | ▶ One Way Ventures Immigrants are strongly underrepresented in venture capital despite founding or co-founding 55% of America's billion-dollar startups. Immigration and entrepreneurship are parallel one-way journeys. We back exceptional immigrant founders because their success is not priced into the market. Boston | $250K – $3M | 37 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 36 | ▶ Centre Street Partners Partner with technical operators and SMB owners to execute technology-led middle-market buyouts. Capture outsized economic value from AI at the ownership layer of services providers rather than pure-play tech. New York | $5M – $50M | 24 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 37 | ▶ Spacecadet Ventures Founders building the possibly impossible deserve capital plus marketing support. Great technology combined with exceptional storytelling and narrative development creates world-changing moonshots. We provide both the capital and the story-telling expertise to help founders achieve escape velocity. New York | $250K – $1M | 99 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 38 | ▶ Prelude Ventures Climate is the biggest challenge of our lifetime and the greatest business opportunity of the coming decades. We back visionaries accelerating climate innovation that will reshape our global economy for the betterment of people and planet. The most successful companies are born from a vision for a better future and the ability of that vision to create large, lasting positive impact. We invest in frontier technologies addressing climate across seven sectors: Built Environment, Carbon Management, Compute, Energy, Food & Agriculture, Manufacturing & Industrials, and Mobility. The best ideas come from everywhere—we operate where many venture firms can't or won't. San Francisco | $100K – $5M | 50 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 39 | ▶ Asymmetry Ventures Backing transformative startups with exceptional defensibility and civilization-level impact potential. Focus on technical complexity, defensible innovation, and companies solving large-scale problems. Quality over volume approach with selective, thesis-driven investing. San Francisco | $100K – $500K | 23 | Follows | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 40 | ▶ Shor Capital Backing ruthlessly iterative founders at pre-consensus stages. We invest in founders before the broader market recognizes the opportunity, focusing on individuals who demonstrate exceptional ability to iterate quickly, navigate complex challenges, and maintain unwavering dedication to their vision. Miami | $100K – $500K | 23 | — | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 41 | ▶ R7 Partners Intelligence is coming into the physical world through AI and robotics applied to atoms rather than bits. We back capex-heavy, long-horizon bets in hard-to-abate decarbonization sectors and hardware-heavy industrial systems that many traditional early-stage funds avoid. Chicago | $100K – $5M | 35 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 42 | ▶ Ground Up Ventures We're a different type of venture firm. We wake up every morning and ask ourselves how we can help our portfolio companies move the needle. From in-the-weeds to twenty thousand feet, we are partners at every level. We serve as an extension of founder headcount, sitting in portfolio company Slack channels, maintaining weekly calls, and proactively helping with hiring and customer introductions. New York | $250K – $1.5M | 45 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 43 | ▶ Also Capital Founders who intentionally pick hard problems outperform. The founders we back don't shrink in the face of a tough challenge, and it's this courage that is the root of outperformance. Picking hard problems attracts exceptional early talent and the most ambitious capital partners. We back technically ambitious founders at inception — before markets are well-defined or consensus has formed. New York | $250K – $1M | 21 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 44 | ▶ Silicon Roundabout We back 'sub-0.1% of the population' type exceptional founders building fundamental, infrastructure-level technologies in critical sectors (computing, defence, energy) reshaping our world. Community-driven approach provides proprietary deal flow and deep technical credibility. Focus on first cheques in pre-seed/seed with hands-on mentorship and network access. | $150K – $8.7M | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 45 | ▶ 11.2 Capital We invest in technically sophisticated founding teams solving breakthrough problems in deep-tech. We believe the next generation of transformational companies will be built by scientists and engineers with deep domain expertise tackling problems at the frontier of AI, cybersecurity, quantum, robotics, space, synthetic biology, and bioengineering. We provide patient capital and technical partnership to help these teams achieve escape velocity. San Francisco | $500K – $3M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 46 | ▶ Airbus Ventures Back deeptech entrepreneurs with deep technical expertise, integrity-driven vision, and complex problem-solving capabilities working at intersections of space, autonomous mobility, advanced materials, quantum computing, and climate technology. Use aerospace systems lens to identify dual-use deep-science technologies with extraordinary technical leadership and first-principles engineering expertise capable of unlocking entirely new economies. Menlo Park | $100K – $10M | 20 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 47 | ▶ HCVC We back founders on a mission to industrialize scientific and technological progress. Hardtech startups solve difficult technological problems using interdisciplinary mixes of technology and engineering. We provide patient, supportive capital and community to help founders navigate R&D cycles and build technically defensible products. Paris | $100K – $2.5M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 48 | ▶ MANTIS Venture Capital Mantis invests opportunistically in Seed and Series A technology-enabled startups, leveraging deep social capital across tech, media, entertainment, and finance to provide unmatched GTM support. The firm is founder-obsessed and differentiates through celebrity network access, customer introductions, talent acquisition help, and brand amplification. Santa Monica | $500K – $3M | 109 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 49 | ▶ Decisive Point Amplify founder impact through capital paired with deep expertise in government market access, federal R&D funding capture, and government contracting strategy. Focus on dual-use technologies addressing national security, defense, energy, and infrastructure challenges. Beacon, NY | $500K – $10M | 19 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 50 | ▶ Harpoon Ventures Technology will define geopolitics. We invest in the Freedom Stack—foundational technologies critical to American national security and technological leadership. We partner with mission-driven founders building capabilities essential to American prosperity and strategic advantage. San Diego | $500K – $5M | 40 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 51 | ▶ The Venture Collective (TVC) Permanent balance-sheet investor backing highly defensible, category-defining, mission-driven companies solving the world's biggest problems. Focus on founders transforming legacy industries with emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. New York | $100K – $2M | 52 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 52 | ▶ Nebular The founder is the wedge—category comes after. We invest at the event horizon, in what's very early and unexpected. Uncommon people, ideas, and technologies where new markets and movements are on the brink of inevitable. We move fast, write lead checks, and stay out of founders' way. New York | $250K – $2M | 10 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 53 | ▶ Underline Ventures Support analytical, action-oriented Eastern European founders building hard technology and deep tech solutions. Founders remain in control while benefiting from strategic guidance, long-term alignment, and operational support through pre-seed to Series A. Bucharest | $500K – $1M | 17 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 54 | ▶ 8VC Partner with elite founders building transformational technologies that create lasting economic and societal value. Focus on Smart Enterprise across five sectors: Logistics, Life Sciences, Healthcare, IT Infrastructure, and Government/Defense. Invest in platforms that enable human experts to solve non-linear problems through data integration and network effects. Austin | $500K – $50M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 55 | ▶ Intel Capital Scalable, defensible innovation at the intersection of software, hardware, and intelligence. Champion founders driving the next wave of technological innovation across Cloud, Devices, Frontier, and Silicon domains. Breakthrough technologies emerge from convergence of multiple domains. Santa Clara, California | $1M – $50M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 56 | ▶ v1.vc Patient, long-term capital partners to the most ambitious founders. Help founders navigate from v1 (seed) to s-1 (Series A+). We believe the best companies are built by ambitious founders who need patient capital, operational expertise, and partnership from experienced operators. Boulder, CO | $500K – $3M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 57 | ▶ Valor Ventures The South is emerging as a center of gravity for venture capital, not a satellite region. We back B2B AI and SaaS founders solving real problems with clear ROI, creating a Community of Courage where capital aligns with conviction. Atlanta | $500K – $3M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 58 | ▶ XYZ Venture Capital Great companies aren't born, they're made. XYZ invests in early-stage founders with exceptional execution capability, deep domain expertise, or lived experience insights. They specialize in helping founders navigate the earliest stages by providing capital plus strategic operational support. San Francisco | $10K – $5M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 59 | ▶ Crosscut Ventures Partner with visionary founders building category-defining frontier technologies that address humanity's most pressing problems. We invest in deep tech, hardware, and climate solutions emerging from technical communities like SpaceX, focusing on founders with big ambitions, not incremental ideas. Los Angeles | $500K – $10M | 24 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 60 | ▶ Mark VC Mark VC takes a deeply founder-centric approach, building '360-degree behavioral maps' of founders through extensive personal reference calls. They invest across industries but focus on security & defense, healthcare, consumer, and enterprise software. They strive to be the most valuable investor on the cap table through hands-on coaching and operational support. Austin | $500K – $5M | 24 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 61 | ▶ 8-Bit Capital Network-powered startups connecting people and businesses through software tools and platforms | $250K – $3M | 53 | Both | Active | — | — |
| 62 | ▶ Origin Ventures Origin Ventures invests in bold founders leading humanity into the fifth economic era—the Artificial Intelligence Economy. AI is fundamentally transforming how we live, work, and play through infrastructure, software, applications, and services that drive productivity and enable autonomous systems. The firm is an early believer in extraordinary people with deep domain expertise who challenge norms and redefine economies. Chicago | $1M – $8M | 53 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 63 | ▶ 1517 Fund We back dropouts, renegade students, and deep-tech scientists working on ideas that would appear in science fiction. We exist to prove that great founders don't need university degrees and are found in the oddest places. We invest at inception stage (R&D through Seed), providing capital, mentorship, community access, and operational support. People-first approach: it's more about the who than the what. Telluride, Colorado | $50K – $1M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 64 | ▶ 7percent Ventures Back determined founders with uncommon insights solving the world's biggest problems through transformative deeptech. Focus on moonshots: multi-billion-dollar, step-change opportunities across Future Compute (quantum, alternative architectures), Defense & Dual-Use (aerospace, strategic tech), Smart Planet (robotics, climate, materials), and Humantech (AR/VR, interfaces). Frame investments through free-world resilience lens, prioritizing Western technological independence. Support founders through capital, operational guidance, technical expertise, and extensive networks. London | $250K – $2M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 65 | ▶ Black Flag Be the first check in for founders building America's next era of critical technologies. Invest in audacious founders across Defense, Aerospace, Energy, AI, Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, and Health+Bio solving problems critical to national security and American technological leadership. Provide capital ($250K-$1M), unmatched government access, mentor network, and go-to-market acceleration. San Diego | $250K – $1M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 66 | ▶ Bolt Bolt invests at the intersection of digital and physical. They believe the best hardware companies combine deep manufacturing expertise with software innovation. They operate a million-dollar prototyping shop and employ hardware engineers on staff to be true product partners with founders. Boston | $100K – $5M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 67 | ▶ Caffeinated Capital Support founders pursuing their life's work with an alternative to the hype cycle: the luxury of long-term thinking. We support founders building category-defining companies across all sectors that will last for lifetimes. San Francisco | $1M – $5M | 15 | Leads | Active | — | — |
| 68 | ▶ Ten VC Invest in brilliant founders building breakthrough technologies that can scale into transformational platforms. Focus on breakthrough applications of deep science, industrial new normal, and new infrastructure & tools across deeptech, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. Menlo Park | $250K – $1.5M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 69 | ▶ Vanedge Capital Deep technology and hard tech company investing at inflection points. Partner with technical founders building infrastructure-level solutions for global scale. Founded 2010 on belief that next generation of transformative companies require deep technical expertise, not just capital. Vancouver | $1M – $15M | 42 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 70 | ▶ Cantos We invest in people who will transform the physical world. Near frontier technology solving climate change, disease, armed conflict, poverty, and existential risks. Technical founders building capital-intensive, long-horizon companies. San Francisco | $400K – $1.5M | 41 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 71 | ▶ Elementum Ventures Seed-stage deep technology with IP defensibility, deployed by multi-exit founder-operators willing to be hands-on operational partners. Focus on frontier sectors—defense, climate, space, biotech, fusion—where bold technical founders are building mission-critical capabilities. Menlo Park | $250K – $1.5M | 22 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 72 | ▶ Costanoa Ventures Building transformational companies requires more than capital—it demands deep operational expertise, consistent partnership, and genuine commitment to founders' success. Costanoa backs visionaries solving big, hard problems across data infrastructure, applied AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and national security. The firm centers on the 'missing middle' of early-stage investing: providing unusually intensive, hands-on support to founder teams during their most critical growth phases. Palo Alto | $2M – $10M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 73 | ▶ UP Partners The next two decades will see dramatic changes in mobility across ground, air, sea, and space. We invest in entrepreneurs building frontier technologies that make movement cleaner, faster, safer, and lower-cost, leveraging our extensive relationships with global companies. Santa Monica | $1M – $10M | 30 | Both | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 74 | ▶ Kindred Ventures Kindred backs visionary and relentless founders building the future using technology and science. They invest at the earliest stages, often helping form companies before they exist. They believe in AGI for good, decentralized fair systems, personalized well-being, quiet electric transportation, and inevitable but yet-to-be-imagined technologies. San Francisco | $500K – $5M | 47 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 75 | ▶ Fifty Years We back founders using technology to solve the world's biggest problems. We believe capitalism can be a force for good when companies are built to be both massively profitable AND create positive impact. The best entrepreneurs are determined, passionate, smart, creative, and can inspire thousands of talented people. San Francisco | $250K – $2M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 76 | ▶ Angular Ventures Back determined technical founders from Europe and Israel building hard technology solutions that solve complex problems. We invest at inception-stage, often as the first institutional investor, backing heretical, independent thinkers pursuing pre-consensus ideas with technical depth and commercial viability. Global mindset essential; US market expansion planned for European/Israeli founders. London | $500K – $5M | 45 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 77 | ▶ Alumni Ventures We democratize venture capital by providing individual accredited investors with professional-grade access to elite venture opportunities. We leverage our massive 850,000+ community network and 11,000+ investors to create unique value for founders, sourcing and diligencing deals alongside top-tier VCs (a16z, Sequoia, Khosla) without leading rounds. Our network is our competitive advantage—it compounds value for all stakeholders. Manchester, NH | $250K – $5M | 54 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 78 | ▶ Boom Capital Boom Capital invests early in founders building at the frontiers of science. We position founders as scientist-protagonists and back highly technical teams tackling ambitious, non-obvious problems in genomics, machine intelligence, aerospace, new chemistries, and related deep science sectors. San Francisco | $50K – $300K | 12 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 79 | ▶ Batshit Crazy Ventures Support unconventional, bold founder-led companies solving real problems at the earliest stages. We provide capital, operational mentorship, and resources to pre-revenue and pre-seed startups that traditional investors overlook. Boulder, Colorado | $100K – $1M | 23 | Both | Between | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 80 | ▶ K5 Global K5 Global backs category-defining companies from inception to IPO. The firm leverages exceptional networks across media, entertainment, politics, finance, and technology to provide strategic value beyond capital. We believe the best companies are built by founders who can access world-class talent, capital, and strategic relationships. Los Angeles | $1M – $3M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 81 | ▶ Prime Movers Lab Prime Movers Lab partners with serial entrepreneurs building breakthrough scientific companies that tackle the world's biggest problems. We believe the best venture partners provide operational excellence, technical expertise, and hands-on support—not just capital. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture. Jackson, Wyoming | $2M – $30M | 16 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 82 | ▶ NP-Hard Ventures Europe must own and build its own technological infrastructure. We back product-obsessed technical founders solving the hardest foundational problems in robotics, deep tech, computational infrastructure, and defense. Technological innovation is essential to European sovereignty, prosperity, and resilience. | $250K – $550K | 10 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 83 | ▶ Ride Ventures Patient capital provider identifying exceptional early-stage founders building category-defining companies in software, fintech, and AI. Non-lead co-investor positioning allows deep pattern recognition without governance burden. Greg Arrese's capital markets background combined with domain expertise in fintech and AI enables identifying inflection points before larger funds recognize them. San Diego | $100K – $500K | 10 | Follows | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 84 | ▶ Blackhorn Ventures Industry 4.0 thesis: transformation and decarbonization of industrial economy requires unprecedented digital infrastructure. Convergence of AI and industrial policy creates opportunity to digitize/decarbonize physical asset base while improving resource efficiency and national security. Boulder, Colorado | $500K – $15M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 85 | ▶ HAX Hard tech breakthroughs in the physical world will solve humanity's biggest challenges in climate, industrial automation, and human health. Founders with deep scientific expertise and engineering mindset can move at unparalleled speed when given access to fabrication infrastructure, global manufacturing partnerships, and hands-on mentorship. San Francisco | $550K – $550K | 15 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 86 | ▶ Streamlined Ventures Visionary founders are the true catalysts of transformation and progress. We partner with exceptional founders at the seed stage to help them build extraordinary companies through intensive operational support, structured tools, and candid guidance. Palo Alto | $250K – $10M | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 87 | ▶ Construct Capital Foundational industries (manufacturing, logistics, defense, energy) have been neglected for decades. Tech founders can unlock trillions in value by applying software, AI, automation, and cloud infrastructure to transform these sectors. This is the largest venture opportunity: tripling the Industrials market cap from $3.7T to $55T by 2050. Washington | $2M – $6M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 88 | ▶ In-Q-Tel (IQT) Transformative national security solutions emerge from early-stage private-sector startups developing frontier technologies. IQT identifies, evaluates, and leverages innovations to accelerate government adoption while enhancing commercial success. Washington | $250K – $3M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 89 | ▶ Lightbank Lightbank invests in disruptive technology companies led by great founders in dynamic markets with world-class products. The firm believes exceptional founders and opportunities exist everywhere, especially in overlooked geographies like the Midwest. We partner with early-stage founders and provide operator-heavy support beyond capital. Chicago | $500K – $5M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 90 | ▶ DCVC We back entrepreneurs using computational approaches (AI, simulation) to solve trillion-dollar problems in climate, health, industrial transformation, and national security. Deep tech requires patient capital and scientific rigor. San Francisco | $5M – $25M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 91 | ▶ UpHonest Capital We invest in the most promising entrepreneurs building the fastest-growing early-stage startups. We provide cross-border access by connecting founders to resources and networks across the world's most valuable and influential VC markets. Palo Alto | $50K – $1M | 25 | Follows | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 92 | ▶ Celesta (fka WRVI) Celesta invests in brilliance at the forefront of science and engineering, targeting companies that enable mass adoption of emerging tech, radically improve health outcomes, and transform large industries. Focus on platforms enabling emerging tech adoption, bioconvergence innovations (high-tech + biotech), and technologies disrupting legacy industries with deep tech. San Francisco | $250K – $20M | 19 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 93 | ▶ Soma Capital Soma invests in technical founders building innovative companies across all sectors. We believe in building deep friendships day 1 with brilliant superhumans pushing humanity forward. Our founder-first approach emphasizes non-dilutive capital, founder autonomy, and access to Fortune 500 networks for customer development. San Francisco | $100K – $2M | 31 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 94 | ▶ Julian Capital First check for deeptech founders building across all deeptech sectors (chips, energy, robotics, medtech, materials science, aerospace). We provide more than capital—we become your growth team, design your website, and offer hands-on go-to-market support backed by deep expertise in startup scaling and commercialization. San Francisco | $750K – $1M | 13 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 95 | ▶ Boost VC Back the quirky underdog pursuing seemingly impossible ideas. Frontier tech (aerospace, biotech, climate, robotics, crypto, AI, VR/AR) will create the next generation of legendary companies. Technical founders with deep domain expertise can solve the hardest problems in physics, chemistry, and computing. San Mateo, California | $500K – $3M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 96 | ▶ Riot Ventures Modernize critical industries through deep technology. We are dedicated to backing ambitious, technically sophisticated founders solving hard problems in traditionally underserved sectors. We provide capital, operational guidance, board partnership, and network access—supporting companies from pre-seed through growth stages. | $500K – $100M | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 97 | ▶ Jovono We invest in paradigm shifters—truly disruptive technologies that change our perspective of the world. We believe in missionary founders committed to their vision, and we focus on business-team-idea-timing fit, not just product-market fit. We target transformative companies across defense, climate, fintech, legal tech, and emerging domains. Los Angeles | $1M – $25M | 23 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 98 | ▶ Syndicate One Belgium-first network-driven VC backing the most ambitious Belgian-founded tech startups at Pre-Seed and Seed. Pools capital, expertise, and network from 120+ founders, operators, and investors to help early-stage Belgian companies scale globally. Brussels, Belgium | $250K – $1.5M | 23 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 99 | ▶ Lux Capital Turn sci-fi into sci-fact by backing founders solving the most vexing puzzles facing humanity. We believe in counter-conventional solutions and contrarian positions in deep technology. We champion companies working at the intersection of breakthrough science and transformational technology, led by visionary founders who are equal parts mad scientist and business mastermind. New York | $100K – $100M | 17 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 100 | ▶ Greater Colorado Venture Fund Place matters. Exceptional founders who deliberately build in rural communities create stronger, more resilient companies. We provide first-check capital to founders with vision, grit, and roots—because we believe culture-aligned companies outperform. Durango, CO | $250K – $500K | 7 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 101 | ▶ Canyon Creek Capital We invest at the Bridge-to-Series A stage—the critical inflection point for companies with real market adoption and product-market fit that are not yet ready for traditional Series A rounds. We partner with exceptional entrepreneurs to build game-changing companies while maximizing investor flexibility and returns. Santa Monica | $100K – $1M | 11 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 102 | ▶ Skyview Capital Unlock value from overlooked corporate assets through operational excellence and strategic management. Partner with outstanding management teams to transform divisions into standalone, high-growth companies. Los Angeles | $100K – $75M | 11 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 103 | ▶ Draper Associates Invest in bold, visionary founders building transformational businesses long before the world believes in them. We back founders solving impossible-seeming problems across frontier sectors: AI/robotics, crypto, biotech, aerospace, and unconventional ideas. San Mateo, CA | $500K – $30M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 104 | ▶ Human Capital Partner with exceptional founders to build generational companies that define the world's most critical industries. We provide not just capital but assemble teams of the highest caliber through our 5,000+ member builder community and deep operational expertise. San Francisco | $250K – $200M | 20 | Both | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 105 | ▶ Commonweal Ventures Entrepreneurs who work constructively with government to harness its unique strengths—scale, credibility, regulatory power, data, and funding—enjoy asymmetric advantages. 24% of venture-backed unicorns used government support. We partner with founders to unlock government as a growth lever. New York | $500K – $2M | 25 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 106 | ▶ Liquid 2 Champions exceptional founders to build lasting companies through experience, community, and capital. Generalist technology investor whose edge is network depth — Joe Montana's unmatched rolodex and 800+ portfolio company network enables introductions that most seed funds cannot provide. San Francisco | $250K – $5M | 25 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 107 | ▶ Trousdale Ventures We invest in mission-driven companies that dare to tackle impossible challenges, striving to transform industries and create lasting societal impact. We seek founders with audacity to dream big, resilience to persevere, and potential to build forever companies that shape human history. Los Angeles | $5M – $25M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 108 | ▶ FAST — by GETTYLAB Breakthrough innovations emerge from engineers tackling frontier problems. We provide fast capital, domain expertise across AI/robotics/space/biotech, and deeptech credibility to pre-seed teams. San Francisco | $5K – $100K | 10 | Follows | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 109 | ▶ KittyHawk Ventures Backing exceptional, mission-driven entrepreneurs creating companies with Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP) that impact billions of people. We invest across the full innovation lifecycle, from early-stage frontier technology through scale to liquidity. We love companies and individuals that are different, fishing where others aren't, seeking opportunities where exceptional visionary entrepreneurs see novel paths to greatness. Los Angeles | $500K – $5M | 10 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 110 | ▶ Gigafund Back the world's most ambitious and transformative entrepreneurs capable of building world-defining companies over 20+ years. Invest in founders with independent thought and first-principles vision to solve humanity's biggest problems across all sectors and geographies. Austin | $1M – $500M | 18 | Leads | Active | 3+ mo | Open |
| 111 | ▶ Reinventure Capital Overlooked founders—Black, Indigenous, Latina/o, people of color, and women—possess exceptional resilience, adaptability, and market insight, positioning them to deliver outstanding financial returns alongside meaningful social impact. These mature, experienced founders (10-15 years mainstream business experience, average age 47) consistently outperform traditional benchmarks through superior capital efficiency and sustainable growth. Boston | $1M – $2M | 13 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 112 | ▶ Offline Ventures The best ideas don't come from a screen—they're born offline in the real world. We invest in founders who build differently, prioritizing how they build as much as what they build. We believe original thinking, human-centric innovation, and founder wellness are prerequisites for building great companies. New York | $250K – $5M | 17 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 113 | ▶ HOF Capital We invest in relentlessly ambitious entrepreneurs working on fundamental technology and business model innovations that advance humanity toward abundance. Our March to Abundance thesis focuses on four primary areas: (1) freedom from repetitive work through AI and automation, (2) freedom to transact and financial security, (3) freedom from genetic disease and biological limitations, (4) interconnection of humanity through new mediums. New York | $500K – $10M | 25 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 114 | ▶ Strong Ventures Back resilient founders building category-defining companies. Leverage Korea's cultural wave for global expansion. When others say 'no', we find the 'yes'. Los Angeles | $500K – $5M | 30 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 115 | ▶ GAN Ventures We back founders everywhere-else outside traditional tech hubs. We believe exceptional talent, innovation, and business opportunities exist across all geographies. Through the GAN network of 100+ accelerators and studios worldwide, we provide capital, mentorship, and global connections for founders building scalable solutions. Denver | $50K – $250K | 11 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 116 | ▶ Space.VC Exceptional entrepreneurs building critical national security, space, and industrial infrastructure at day zero deserve capital and strategic support from founders who've scaled before. We provide capital, industry network introductions, capital connections to Series A leads, and ecosystem access. Austin | $100K – $1M | 10 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Req'd |
| 117 | ▶ Tiger Global Management Leading global companies that leverage technological innovation across public and private markets. Proven founders (especially ex-Googlers, AWS, Stripe) with large TAMs (billions+), product-led growth, and global ambitions. Conviction-based investing post-2022 correction emphasizing quality over quantity. New York | $1M – $100M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Req'd |
| 118 | ▶ MiLA Capital (Make in LA) Emerging hardware founders are overlooked by traditional VC. By combining capital with hands-on manufacturing expertise, infrastructure access, and operational support, we unlock value for founders building tech you can touch. Chatsworth, CA | $1.5M – $2.5M | 15 | Leads | Slowing | ~1 mo | Open |
| 119 | ▶ Levante Capital Invest in the most promising Southern European (primarily Italian) deep-technology companies across Advanced Manufacturing, Life Science, and Energy & Environment, and actively support their expansion into Asian markets (China, South Korea, Japan, South-East Asia). The fund uses a proprietary evaluation framework and a 'pull model' — companies must demonstrate genuine Asian market interest before investment. Milan, Italy | $500K – $3M | 8 | — | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 120 | ▶ MaC Venture Capital MaC backs visionary founders building category-defining companies with deep understanding of cultural shifts, technological advancements, and emerging market trends. Founders must demonstrate authentic insight into why their problem needs solving now, combined with ability to see how the world is changing. Particular focus on founders paying attention to shifts others might miss. | $500K – $2M | 16 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 121 | ▶ Athenian Capital AI, autonomy, and cybersecurity will define both economic prosperity and national security. We invest in early-stage founders leveraging unfair advantages to build category-leading dual-use technology startups that serve both commercial and defense markets. Cambridge | $500K – $1M | 1 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 122 | ▶ New Industry VC Deep Tech hardware startups succeed through two essential founder qualities: Narrative Command (dominating the discourse in your vertical) and Operational Mastery (disciplined risk sequencing across Lab, Pilot, Demonstration, Commercial stages). We invest at the very beginning, when founders can establish narrative dominance and adopt operational frameworks before complexity increases. Chicago | $250K – $2M | 1 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 123 | ▶ Flucas Ventures Democratize access to venture capital by building large syndicates of non-traditional LPs. Invest across all stages, sectors, and geographies based on founder quality and market conviction, not category restrictions. Enable 2,000+ diverse co-investors to participate alongside marquee firms like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz while maintaining founder-friendly economics. Miami | $250K – $5M | 15 | Follows | Active | ~1 wk | Req'd |
| 124 | ▶ VU Venture Partners Invest in early-stage tech companies addressing world's largest market opportunities and solving humanity's biggest challenges. Leverage global distributed team to source, evaluate, and support transformational founders. San Francisco | $100K – $1M | 14 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 125 | ▶ TheoryForge Operator-led fund investing in ambitious founders building transformative AI applications. We partner with technical founders who understand AI/ML deeply and are solving real customer problems with capital efficiency. Great product is always the best marketing. | $200K – $500K | 32 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
Investors on this page also frequently invest in these sectors
What other stages do these firms also invest in?
What other sectors do these firms also invest in?
Firms that frequently co-invest with investors on this page
F4 Fund tracks 125 VC firms that actively invest in aerospace & defense at the Seed stage. These firms are ranked using a composite score that weighs data completeness (30%), portfolio depth (30%), investment recency (25%), and stage alignment (15%).
Based on F4's analysis, the median check size for seed aerospace & defense investors is $1.8M – $1.8M, with a full range from $5K – $500M. The distribution breaks down as: 12 firms in the <$500K range, 21 firms in the $500K-$1M range, 30 firms in the $1M-$2M range, 29 firms in the $2M-$5M range, 10 firms in the $5M-$10M range, 23 firms in the $10M+ range.
Among the 125 firms tracked, 90% lead or co-lead rounds, and 7% typically follow. Founders seeking a lead investor should filter for firms marked "Leads" or "Both" in the rankings table above. Lead investors typically set deal terms and anchor the round.
The best seed aerospace & defense investors combine domain expertise with an active portfolio in the space. Among these firms, 31% prefer warm introductions, and the average firm has 28 portfolio companies. Look for firms whose check size matches your raise, whose stage preference aligns with yours, and who have a track record of supporting companies in your sector through multiple growth phases.
Firm profiles are continuously updated through F4's research pipeline, which combines LLM-powered web research, portfolio analysis, and transcript extraction. The ranking data refreshes every 12 hours. Editorial analysis is reviewed weekly. Individual firm profiles are re-researched on a 30-day cycle or when new information surfaces.