Participated · Series B · Jan 2026

JetZero, founded in 2020, is an aerospace startup building the Z4, a blended-wing commercial airliner that targets up to 50% better fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions than today’s tube-and-wing jets. Its full-size Demonstrator prototype is engineered for at least 30% improved aerodynamics and is scheduled for a first flight in 2027. By collaborating with the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the FAA, the company intends to validate the design and pave the way for commercial entry in the early 2030s. The all-wing architecture is also expected to enhance passenger comfort while reducing operating costs for airlines. Based in Long Beach, California, JetZero positions its technology as a key enabler of aviation’s 2050 net-zero goals. Including government grants, incentives, and commercial commitments, the company has secured more than $1 billion to date, underscoring strong strategic and institutional backing. This substantial capital base is being directed toward advanced manufacturing, flight testing, and supply-chain readiness.

Participated · Series D · Dec 2024

Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Ayar Labs builds co-packaged optics that move data between chips with light instead of copper, reducing power consumption while boosting bandwidth for AI infrastructure. Its flagship TeraPHY optical engine is manufactured in concert with leading semiconductor partners and is designed to slot directly into existing accelerator and switch designs. By replacing traditional electrical I/O with optical links, the technology delivers significant performance gains and cost savings in power-constrained environments. Following its latest financing, the company plans to ramp production and testing capacity, open and staff a new office in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and deepen ecosystem partnerships to speed customer deployments. Ayar Labs’ CPO solution is already qualified for industry-standard fab, manufacturing, and packaging flows, positioning it for broad adoption. The company has raised a cumulative $870 million to date, providing substantial capital to execute its global expansion and commercialization roadmap.

Participated · Series B · Jun 2024

GrayMatter Robotics is a Los Angeles-based AI and advanced robotics company delivering autonomous robotic solutions for tedious and ergonomically challenging tasks such as sanding, polishing, grinding, coating, and finishing. It bundles proprietary AI technologies with robots, sensors, and tools and provides application-specific solutions in a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) format. Representative products include Scan&Sand™, Scan&Polish™, Scan&Buff™, and Scan&Grind™. The company serves manufacturers across aerospace & defense, specialty vehicles, maritime, metal fabrication, and consumer products such as sports equipment. Led by CEO Ariyan Kabir, GrayMatter aims to improve shop floor worker quality of life, enhance production capacity, and reduce scrap, repair, and rework costs. The company raised $45M in Series B funding to accelerate development and deployment of its AI-powered robotic solutions. GrayMatter Robotics delivers AI-driven robotic automation solutions aimed at tedious and ergonomically challenging manufacturing tasks. Its core products are smart robotic cells for high-mix surface finishing and surface treatment, sold to a range of manufacturing industries. The company says its systems help improve shop-floor worker quality of life, enhance production capacity, and reduce scrap, repair, and rework costs. Leadership is headed by CEO Ariyan Kabir and CTO Brual Shah. GrayMatter plans to use the new funding to expand its team across a wide range of roles and to accelerate development and deployment of its AI-robotic solutions. The article does not disclose revenue or user metrics. GrayMatter Robotics develops smart robotic assistants that help humans perform surface-treatment tasks like sanding and spraying on manufacturing lines. The company packages proprietary AI algorithms with commercially available robots, sensors, and tools so robots can program themselves and learn a new part in minutes. Its turnkey solutions aim to help manufacturers grow capacity, maintain consistent quality, and keep a digital trace for improving operations. GrayMatter is led by CEO Ariyan Kabir and is based in Los Angeles, CA. The company raised $4.1M in seed funding and will use the proceeds to scale hiring, accelerate development of its robots for sanding and finishing, and engage a wider customer base. Investors in the round include Stage Venture Partners, Calibrate Ventures, 3M Ventures, OCA Ventures, Pathbreaker Ventures, and B Capital Group.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2024

Evoloh designs and manufactures alkaline electrolyzers using inexpensive, domestically sourced components and roll-to-roll printing to cut production costs and simplify transport and installation. The company’s core product is a compact electrolyzer stack built around alkaline electrolysis, which avoids expensive noble metals and enables a cost advantage. Evoloh emphasizes manufacturing innovation rather than novel membrane materials, aiming to commoditize stacks if hydrogen demand scales. Founder Jimmy Rojas, who worked on hydrogen and energy systems at Stanford and at Baruch Future Ventures, launched the company to address manufacturing, logistics, and supply-chain issues in electrolyzer production. The company expects its first factory to be operational by the end of next year and intends to produce 3.75 gigawatts of electrolyzers at full capacity. Evoloh recently raised an oversubscribed $20 million Series A to refine its manufacturing process, run large-scale pilots, and sign paying customers.

Participated · Series E · Dec 2022

Svante develops carbon capture and removal technology built around nanoengineered filters and modular rotary contactor machines. The company is constructing a 141,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Burnaby, BC that will produce filters capable of capturing 10 million tonnes of CO2 annually and serve as its global headquarters and R&D center. Svante disclosed a US$145 million capital investment in that facility. The company offers integrated project development services and aims to de-risk first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial deployments while accelerating delivery of projects domestically and internationally. Svante intends to leverage its Canadian IP and manufacturing capabilities to prioritize opportunities in its Canadian pipeline. The company has received industry recognition, including placement on the 2024 Global Cleantech 100 and XPRIZE XB100 lists, and a Corporate Knights ranking among private companies. Svante designs and manufactures structured adsorbent beds (filters) that capture CO2 from industrial flue gas and direct air, concentrating it into 95% pipeline‑grade CO2 for storage or industrial reuse. Its modular solid sorbent technology is tailored to separate CO2 from nitrogen in dilute, low‑pressure flue gases and is targeted at heavy industries including hydrogen, pulp and paper, lime, cement, steel, aluminum and chemicals. The company was founded in 2007 and its board includes Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. Svante is commercializing its technology through a planned Vancouver manufacturing facility that it says will produce enough filter modules to capture millions of tonnes of CO2 per year across hundreds of large-scale CCUS facilities. Management says the new facility will remove barriers to rapid deployment and enable rapid expansion of its order book. The company has received strategic partnerships and pilot projects with Chevron, including prior investment and a 2020 pilot funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Svante builds solid sorbent-based carbon capture technology that captures, concentrates and releases CO2 for storage or industrial use in about 60 seconds. The company plans to scale up manufacturing through a new Centre of Excellence for Carbon Capture Use and Storage in Vancouver, BC to produce commercial-scale structured absorbent filters and test its rapid adsorption machine (RAM) designs. Svante says its planned filter plant will have annual capacity to deliver filter modules capable of removing 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year (equivalent to three 1 Mt/year plants). Its technology is being deployed at pilot and demonstration scale, including a 1 tonne-per-day CO2MENT pilot with LafargeHolcim and TOTAL in Richmond, a 30 TPD demonstration completed in Lloydminster, and a 25 TPD plant under design at Chevron near Bakersfield. The company has attracted more than USD$195 million in funding since its founding in 2007. The article highlights Svante’s World Headquarters, R&D and engineering test center in Canada and emphasizes the role of its technology in decarbonizing emissions-intensive industries like cement and large-scale hydrogen production. Svante develops a solid sorbent carbon-capture solution that captures CO2 directly from industrial sources for safe storage or industrial reuse. The company says its technology can achieve capture at less than half the capital cost of existing engineered solutions. Svante plans to use new growth capital over the next three years to support several commercial-scale carbon capture facilities targeting hard-to-abate sectors such as cement manufacturing, blue hydrogen production and natural gas boilers. The company emphasizes a capital-light business model and deployment at industrial scale. Svante has attracted more than USD $150 million in funding since its 2007 founding. Its board includes Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Pratima Rangarajan of OGCI Climate Investments.