135 VC firms investing in robotics & automation and aerospace & defense, ranked by portfolio depth and activity.
F4 Fund tracks 135 VC firms that actively invest in robotics & automation + aerospace & defense, with check sizes ranging from $5K – $500M (median: $2M – $2M). As of June 2026, and 89% lead or co-lead rounds. Rankings are based on F4's proprietary analysis of 1,358+ researched VC firms, scored by data completeness, portfolio depth, investment recency, and stage alignment.
| # | Firm | Check Size | Portfolio | Leads? | Activity | Decision | Intro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▶ 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 | 14 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 2 | ▶ 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 | 38 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 3 | ▶ Silent Ventures Exceptional founders building unrivaled aerospace, defense, and national security companies. Silent Ventures takes a contrarian bet on defense tech at the earliest stages — concept, pre-seed, and seed — when most institutional capital is unavailable. The firm believes the next generation of great defense companies will be built by mission-driven startup founders combining private-sector speed with national security urgency. Dallas | $1.5M – $3M | 34 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 4 | ▶ 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 |
| 5 | ▶ 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 | 33 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 6 | ▶ Initialized Capital Passion and vision matter more than pedigree. We seek founders with grit, audacity, and a spark of rebellion—regardless of background. We invest early, before success is inevitable, and support founders from 0-to-1 through Series A. San Francisco | $250K – $2M | 185 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 7 | ▶ M1C Fuel the next industrial revolution by backing founders rebuilding how the world is powered and built — targeting energy independence, industrial resilience, and frontier industries. Uses AI, robotics, IoT, satellites, and blockchain to address climate change, resource depletion, and inequality, with a focus on companies where impact metrics are tightly coupled to business performance. Miami Beach, FL | $100K – $500K | 30 | Follows | Active | — | Req'd |
| 8 | ▶ 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 |
| 9 | ▶ 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 |
| 10 | ▶ 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 |
| 11 | ▶ Robostrategy Embodied artificial intelligence and robotics represent the most significant technological frontier and capital deployment opportunity. We invest in companies advancing humanoid robotics, general-purpose physical intelligence, medical robotics, industrial automation, and defense/autonomous systems. The future of intelligence is in motion. San Juan | $1M – $150M | 12 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 12 | ▶ 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 |
| 13 | ▶ ZAKA VC Founders backed by entrepreneurs. ZAKA bridges North American and CEE startup ecosystems, investing pre-seed to seed in Health & Biotech and Industrial Tech. The firm deploys institutional capital while leveraging operator networks to help European founders scale globally. Prague | $100K – $500K | 67 | Follows | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 14 | ▶ 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 | 43 | Leads | Active | — | Req'd |
| 15 | ▶ 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 | 38 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 16 | ▶ Link Ventures We invest in early-stage AI-driven startups founded by top technical talent from MIT, Harvard, and Boston ecosystem. We believe transformative AI innovation is emerging from university-affiliated founders backed by comprehensive operational support, mentorship, and access to world-class networks. Cambridge | $1M – $8M | 76 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 17 | ▶ 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 |
| 18 | ▶ Cortical Ventures We create AI impact, not hype. As operators backing operators, we help bring new companies and technologies to life. We are AI builders and practitioners with two decades of experience building through every AI hype cycle, not tourists observing from the sidelines. San Francisco | $500K – $2M | 19 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 19 | ▶ 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 | 33 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 20 | ▶ Outlander VC Category-agnostic, radically founder-first investor using the 38-point Outlander Founder Framework (vision, intelligence, character, execution) to back 'oddball, unknown, under-networked, underrepresented' founders at Day Zero before product or revenue exists. Current thesis excitement: Defense Tech, Physical AI/Robotics, and Future of Commerce + Work. New York | $500K – $2M | 33 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 21 | ▶ Accel Partner with exceptional teams building transformative technology companies across all stages San Francisco | $2M – $10M | 127 | Both | Active | — | — |
| 22 | ▶ 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 |
| 23 | ▶ 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 |
| 24 | ▶ 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 |
| 25 | ▶ Divergent Capital We back deeply technical founders solving hard problems with innovative technologies. Combining capital with go-to-market expertise and structured fellowships, we partner with founders who have authentic personal connections to their problems and bring novel technological approaches to market. New York | $250K – $1M | 44 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 26 | ▶ Crucible Capital Human progress is defined by manipulating energy and atoms over spacetime. Software and open networks governed by tokens will transform the infrastructure economy. Crucible backs founders building digital infrastructure foundations at the intersection of energy, compute, and crypto. New York | $500K – $3M | 28 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 27 | ▶ 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 | 27 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 28 | ▶ 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 | 26 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 29 | ▶ 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 | 25 | — | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 30 | ▶ 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 |
| 31 | ▶ 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 | 24 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 32 | ▶ 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 |
| 33 | ▶ Dyne The Blue Economy — ocean-based industries — represents a massive, underserved opportunity. DYNE partners with bold innovators building maritime technologies across trade/transportation, defense/infrastructure, natural resources, and freedom of navigation. We prioritize dual-use companies that serve both commercial maritime and national security customers. West Palm Beach, FL | $1M – $13M | 5 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 34 | ▶ 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 |
| 35 | ▶ 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 |
| 36 | ▶ 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 | 22 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 37 | ▶ Wave Function Ventures Deep tech hardware companies in aerospace, defense, energy, robotics, and industrial manufacturing represent the next generation of durable, high-return ventures. The fund backs founders at the earliest stage — sometimes pre-incorporation — who are building hardware solutions to the world's most important problems, leveraging government contracts and non-dilutive funding alongside venture capital. Los Angeles | $150K – $750K | 12 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 38 | ▶ 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 | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 39 | ▶ Konvoy Konvoy invests in thesis-driven companies building the future of interactive entertainment, critical infrastructure, and deep tech. We combine deep gaming expertise with cross-sector innovation vision to identify platforms and technologies shaping the future. | $500K – $5M | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 40 | ▶ 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 | 58 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 41 | ▶ 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 | 31 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 42 | ▶ 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 |
| 43 | ▶ 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 | 53 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 44 | ▶ Pale Blue Dot Early-stage climate tech companies building the sustainable future. We invest in both software and hardware solutions addressing climate change through optimization, adaptation, and pioneering innovations. The next billion-dollar companies will be built with climate in mind. Sweden | $500K – $2M | 40 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 45 | ▶ 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 | 51 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 46 | ▶ 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 | 39 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 47 | ▶ Ravelin Investing in founders building critical software that addresses the decay of Western infrastructure, institutions, and industrial base. Ravelin backs software-defined transformation of aerospace, defense, manufacturing, energy, and industrial sectors. San Francisco | $100K – $500K | 18 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 48 | ▶ 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 |
| 49 | ▶ BASS Ventures Back 'crazy dreamers' — founders with exceptional tenacity, ambition, and vision who are building transformative companies. BASS serves as the 'bassist' providing foundational support: capital, operational resources, global cloud credits, and talent. Focus on AI software, physical AI, and fashion & beauty in 2025. Seoul | $250K – $6M | 26 | Leads | Active | — | — |
| 50 | ▶ 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 | 26 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 51 | ▶ 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 | 25 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 52 | ▶ 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 | 25 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 53 | ▶ 2100 Ventures Back big-dreaming European founders building century-defining businesses, leveraging the Benetton family's industrial network for strategic support and patient capital. Milan, Italy | $200K – $500K | 16 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 54 | ▶ Belief Capital Belief backs young, deeply technical founders building AI, robotics, infrastructure, and other systems-level companies toward a future of abundance. New York | $500K – $3M | 34 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 55 | ▶ 8-Bit Capital Network-powered startups connecting people and businesses through software tools and platforms | $250K – $3M | 55 | Both | Active | — | — |
| 56 | ▶ 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 | 55 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 57 | ▶ 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 | 24 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 58 | ▶ 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 | 33 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 59 | ▶ 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 |
| 60 | ▶ MVP Ventures Partner with elite, early-stage teams building differentiated and defensible technology. Provide Most Value Per dollar on founders' cap tables through capital and operational support. Menlo Park | $1M – $3M | 15 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 61 | ▶ 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 | 42 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 62 | ▶ 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 |
| 63 | ▶ Anorak Ventures Anorak Ventures invests in teams building transformative technologies that reshape the real world. The next generation of great technology companies will not just live on the internet; they will rebuild infrastructure, strengthen domestic capabilities, enable frontier exploration, and solve critical real-world challenges through robotics, AI, 3D computing, and deep-tech innovation. Los Angeles and San Francisco, California | $250K – $3M | 23 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 64 | ▶ Footprint Coalition Global environmental challenges cannot be solved by established mega-corporations alone, but rather require breakthrough innovation from a diverse set of new companies. We combine venture capital with integrated storytelling and media to create culture-defining content around climate solutions and sustainable technology adoption. Los Angeles | $250K – $15M | 32 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 65 | ▶ 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 | 31 | Both | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 66 | ▶ Comma Capital Back ambitious operators-turned-founders at the earliest stages of company formation. We invest in teams with deep domain expertise building SaaS, fintech, digital health, and AI solutions. Our 1,000+ operator network provides significant value-add beyond capital. New York | $100K – $3M | 22 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Req'd |
| 67 | ▶ 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 | 58 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 68 | ▶ Angular Ventures Backs inception-stage technical founders across Europe and Israel building solutions for hard markets including AI infrastructure, space/aerospace, advanced manufacturing, energy, biology, and other deep-tech verticals. London | $500K – $5M | 46 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 69 | ▶ Align Brands and technologies reshaping culture. Align invests in early-stage consumer brands with strong brand equity and unit economics, and in frontier technologies (AI/robotics, clean energy, defense) transforming how people live and work. First-check conviction investor with meaningful follow-on capital and co-investment access. Miami | $500K – $10M | 20 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 70 | ▶ 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 |
| 71 | ▶ 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 | 18 | Leads | Active | — | — |
| 72 | ▶ 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 | 18 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 73 | ▶ Pax Ventures Pax Technica: The next era of American global leadership will emerge from physical-world technological superiority — reinventing defense, energy, manufacturing, aerospace, and critical infrastructure. Backs mission-driven founders tackling the hardest industrial-scale problems. Menlo Park | $1M – $4M | 18 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 74 | ▶ 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 | 18 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 75 | ▶ Inertia Ventures Inertia invests in AI-native companies built to become core infrastructure for legacy industries, especially platforms operating in regulated, context-heavy, and physical-world workflows where durable data, compliance, audit trails, or embodied operations create compounding advantages. New York | $2M – $15M | 66 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 76 | ▶ 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 | 11 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 77 | ▶ 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 | 24 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 78 | ▶ 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 |
| 79 | ▶ 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 | 17 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 80 | ▶ 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 | 17 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 81 | ▶ 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 | 31 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 82 | ▶ Defy VC Back exceptional entrepreneurs building enduring companies that defy expectations. Value authenticity and tenacity to turn daring ideas into lasting impact. One life-altering investment can lead to industry-wide transformation. San Mateo, California | $100K – $10M | 38 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Req'd |
| 83 | ▶ 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 |
| 84 | ▶ 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. As of May 2026, IQT is emphasizing mission investing through fewer larger bets in autonomy, contested logistics, critical infrastructure, and technologies that can move to mission use quickly. Washington | $250K – $3M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 85 | ▶ FoundersX Ventures AI-first venture capital firm investing in AI transformation and digital infrastructure across GenAI Infrastructure (AI chips, quantum, autonomous robotics), Deep Domains (fintech, healthcare, enterprise), and GenAI Agents (autonomous AI for real-world consumer and enterprise use). Menlo Park | $500K – $3M | 36 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 86 | ▶ 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 | 10 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 87 | ▶ Blackbird Back wild hearts with the wildest ideas from the very beginning. Invest in companies, not rounds — following exceptional founders from pre-seed through all subsequent stages. Focused on ANZ founders building globally ambitious companies across any sector. Sydney | $150K – $60M | 43 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 88 | ▶ SpeedInvest Backs globally ambitious technology companies from pre-seed and seed through selected growth rounds using specialist EMEA sector teams and a platform model for capital, customers, talent, follow-on investors, and operational support. Vienna | $250K – $30M | 49 | Leads | Active | — | Open |
| 89 | ▶ Baobab Ventures Operator-led capital for global pre-seed and seed technical founders building AI, robotics, defense, developer tools, AI-native applications, and adjacent deep-tech companies where rapid execution and distribution matter. London | $300K – $350K | 15 | Both | Active | — | Open |
| 90 | ▶ 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 | 21 | Leads | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 91 | ▶ Khosla Ventures Technology-based economic disruption of large markets through black swan investments. We seek founders with domain expertise and unreasonable conviction to build billion-dollar companies solving the world's largest problems. Menlo Park | $500K – $50M | 38 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | 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 | ▶ 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 |
| 95 | ▶ Creandum We back the companies of tomorrow before it's obvious. We combine early-stage European investing with a permanent San Francisco presence to help founders build category-defining global companies. We invest in ambitious technical founders who deeply understand industry transformation. Stockholm | $200K – $10M | 36 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 96 | ▶ 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 | 18 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 97 | ▶ 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 | 18 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 98 | ▶ 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 |
| 99 | ▶ Brickyard Extraordinary founders execute faster when isolated from distractions and provided intensive on-site support. We seek junkyard dogs with high agency, non-obvious vision, delusional optimism, and execution discipline. Category matters far less than founder quality. Chattanooga, TN | $100K – $500K | 52 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 100 | ▶ Female Founders Fund Female founders build exceptional companies that outperform their male peers. We invest in category-defining female leaders with strong points of view who are reshaping their markets, backed by community and supported by a visible ecosystem. New York | $250K – $2M | 28 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 101 | ▶ Deep Checks Deep Checks matches deeptech founders worldwide with venture capital investors who specialize in their specific technology niches. We operate as a specialized deal-flow curation platform connecting founders with 50+ deeptech VCs, angels, and founder-investors. Our mission is to democratize access to expert capital for scientific and hardware founders who are otherwise hard to reach. San Francisco | $500K – $5M | 12 | — | 1mo | ~2 wks | Open |
| 102 | ▶ Impact Venture Capital Corporate-advantage seed investing. We identify promising AI and deep tech startups early, then leverage our hundreds of relationships with corporate venture capital arms to de-risk investments, accelerate time to exit, and create curated dealflow where both founders and corporates benefit from strategic alignment. El Dorado Hills, CA | $250K – $1M | 22 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 103 | ▶ 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 | 27 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 104 | ▶ 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 | 21 | Leads | Active | ~2 mo | Req'd |
| 105 | ▶ Eniac Ventures Partner with exceptional founders building from 0 to 1, with focus on AI applications, developer tools, SaaS, and healthcare. Believe in founders who have succeeded once or have deep domain expertise. | $500K – $5M | 26 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 106 | ▶ New Industry VC Deep Tech hardware startups succeed through two essential founder qualities: Narrative Command (dominating category discourse from day one) and Operational Mastery (disciplined risk sequencing across Lab, Pilot, Demonstration, and Commercial stages). We invest at the very beginning, when founders can still establish narrative dominance and adopt operational frameworks before complexity increases. Chicago | $250K – $2M | 1 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 107 | ▶ 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 | 11 | Follows | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 108 | ▶ 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 | 20 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 109 | ▶ Quorum Capital Partners Uncovering potential through collective conviction. Quorum engineers a system for selecting early-stage startups that leverages the discernment of domain experts via Specialist Limited Partners (SLPs) who earn carry on deals they source or evaluate. This creates specialist-level conviction across generalist domains. Philadelphia | $100K – $750K | 20 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 110 | ▶ 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 |
| 111 | ▶ HOF Capital HOF Capital invests in relentlessly ambitious founders building world-changing technologies that accelerate abundance: sustained technological progress that expands access to opportunity, health, and economic prosperity. Its current public thesis emphasizes AI and agentic systems as amplifiers of discovery, engineering, and knowledge creation, alongside frontier infrastructure and applications that can shorten scientific and technological invention timelines. New York | $500K – $10M | 29 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 112 | ▶ 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 |
| 113 | ▶ 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 | 23 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 114 | ▶ Expansion Venture Capital Entrepreneurs, not VCs, build great companies. We invest early in great & passionate entrepreneurs and serve as long-term partners. Available 24/7 to help founders with mentorship, product-market fit, fundraising, business development, customer acquisition, talent sourcing, and strategic partnerships. New York | $250K – $1M | 30 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 115 | ▶ Sand Hill Angels Sand Hill Angels backs seed-stage, high-tech companies with large and growing markets, well-defined problems, disruptive solutions, defensible technology, and strong teams with demonstrated ability to execute. The group leverages 145+ experienced angels to provide capital, mentorship, and network access across the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Mountain View | $50K – $2M | 30 | Follows | Active | — | Open |
| 116 | ▶ Founder Collective We invest at the earliest stages and partner with exceptional entrepreneurs from idea to IPO. We stay small by design to remain aligned with founders. We're sector-agnostic, conviction-driven, capital-efficient, and believe in founder/market fit and intrinsic value over hype. Boston | $250K – $3M | 29 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 117 | ▶ 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 | 33 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 118 | ▶ 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 |
| 119 | ▶ Halogen Ventures The smartest place you can invest your capital is in women. We bet on early-stage female-founded and female-led companies creating groundbreaking consumer and B2B software technologies that solve meaningful problems in families, healthcare, childcare, education, climate, and sustainability. Santa Monica | $100K – $1M | 29 | Follows | Active | ~1 mo | Req'd |
| 120 | ▶ TenOneTen Ventures Technical founders backing technical founders. We invest early in technical teams transforming major industries facing existential threats and tremendous opportunities. We target essential sectors—healthcare, logistics, real estate, manufacturing—where technical innovation solves critical problems. Los Angeles | $250K – $5M | 24 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 121 | ▶ 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 |
| 122 | ▶ 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 | — | 1mo | ~2 wks | Open |
| 123 | ▶ Crossbeam Venture Partners We are a stage-agnostic venture capital firm investing in exceptional founders building the companies that shape our world. New York | $500K – $3M | 20 | Both | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 124 | ▶ Deep33 Backs frontier deep tech companies solving physical infrastructure bottlenecks of the AI supercycle, especially compute, energy, quantum, AI infrastructure, robotics, and autonomous manufacturing across the U.S.-Israel corridor. New York | $5M – $15M | 9 | Both | Active | ~1 mo | Open |
| 125 | ▶ 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 |
| 126 | ▶ Bessemer Venture Partners We partner with entrepreneurs from their early days through every stage of growth, focusing on innovative solutions in technology, healthcare, and financial services. Redwood City, California | $5.8M – $34.3M | 6 | — | 1mo | — | — |
| 127 | ▶ Gaingels Equity of access and representation in venture capital delivers positive returns. Diverse and underrepresented (including LGBTQ+) leaders of high-growth companies deserve capital access. When these founders succeed, they influence ecosystems and open doors for historically excluded groups. New York | $200K – $500K | 29 | Follows | Active | ~2 wks | Open |
| 128 | ▶ 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 | 19 | Leads | Active | ~2 wks | Req'd |
| 129 | ▶ Evolution Venture Capital Partners Culture-Tech companies that disrupt and define how we live, work, play, and interact with the world every day. We invest in passionate founders building transformative products that change cultural behaviors. New York | $500K – $6M | 28 | Leads | Active | ~1 wk | Open |
| 130 | ▶ 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 |
| 131 | ▶ 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 |
| 132 | ▶ Strider Capital The next generation of transformative technologies will emerge from entrepreneurs building solutions for national defense, security, and critical infrastructure protection. We invest at the intersection of technology and geopolitical imperatives. Washington | $250K – $2M | 1 | Leads | Active | 3+ mo | Req'd |
| 133 | ▶ 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 |
| 134 | ▶ 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 | 16 | Both | Active | ~2 mo | Open |
| 135 | ▶ 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 | 38 | 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 135 VC firms that actively invest in robotics & automation + aerospace & defense. 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 robotics & automation + aerospace & defense investors is $2M – $2M, with a full range from $5K – $500M. The distribution breaks down as: 19 firms in the <$500K range, 18 firms in the $500K-$1M range, 30 firms in the $1M-$2M range, 30 firms in the $2M-$5M range, 16 firms in the $5M-$10M range, 22 firms in the $10M+ range.
Among the 135 firms tracked, 89% 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 robotics & automation + aerospace & defense investors combine domain expertise with an active portfolio in the space. Among these firms, 33% prefer warm introductions, and the average firm has 31 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.