Participated · Seed · May 2025

Persona AI develops bipedal humanoid robots designed to perform welding and other skilled trades in heavy manufacturing, with an initial focus on shipbuilding. The company has iterated three hardware generations in 24 months, performed its first untethered weld in a Houston shop, and demonstrated outdoor walking in protective materials. Persona AI has units already at HD Hyundai and plans prototype delivery by the end of 2026 with commercialization in 2027. It plans to offer robots via a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model to reduce customer capital expenditure and enable large-scale fleet deployments. The founding team includes veterans from NASA and prior humanoid efforts, and the company targets markets with acute labor shortages and repetitive, high-value welding work.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2023

OurSky merged with PlaneWave Instruments in February 2025 to create Observable Space, a vertically integrated hardware-and-software space company building laser communications ground stations, ground-based sensing systems, and in-space optical payloads. Observable Space operates facilities in Los Angeles and Michigan and plans to scale manufacturing in Detroit as it raises production capacity. The company announced a $90M Series A to support production growth and international expansion. It has also secured an IDIQ contract from the U.S. Space Force worth up to $94M, with $22M in initial task orders awarded. Observable Space plans to send its compact Iguana in-space imager into orbit this year aboard an Apex Space satellite bus; the system is offered to customers with about eight weeks’ lead time. Leadership has stated the merged company aims to provide real-time orbital insights by combining hardware and software into a single offering.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2022

Slingshot Aerospace develops AI-powered software that ingests imagery from satellites and small aerial drones and turns it into actionable insights for customers in defense, disaster response and commercial markets. Its flagship product for the military, Slingshot Edge, streams and analyzes real-time drone video to support Air Force Special Operations Command missions. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with an additional office in El Segundo, California, the company focuses on accelerating decision-making by fusing multi-source data through proprietary algorithms. Slingshot won a competitive U.S. Air Force Rapid Innovation Fund SBIR award, reflecting both technical merit and perceived commercial viability. The company has attracted venture backing from ATX Venture Partners and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, which provided matching capital for the new Air Force contract. This dual-sourced financing approach underscores Slingshot’s strategy of pairing government demand with private investment to speed product deployment. Financial details beyond the current $3 million package were not disclosed, and no user or revenue metrics were provided in the article.

Led · Equity · Nov 2021

Chromatic 3D Materials develops proprietary reactive 3D-printing materials, software, and printers to produce durable, functional, flexible elastomers for medical, defense, rail, and industrial-equipment sectors. Founded in 2016 and based in Minneapolis, MI and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the company is transitioning from early technology development to production-grade parts for customers. In November 2021 it raised an additional $5M in financing to support commercialization and growth. The company intends to use the funds to continue commercial introduction of its technology, expand its team (doubling headcount by 2023), and deliver production-grade parts to customers. Chromatic was awarded Phase I and II SBIR grants from the National Science Foundation in 2017 and 2019. Its product focus is industrial-grade elastomeric materials and the supporting hardware and software to enable durable, flexible 3D-printed parts. Chromatic 3D Materials produces patented 3D-printable polyurethanes and foams engineered to meet the strength and durability required for finished industrial manufactured goods. Its technology aims to enable additive manufacturing for end-use parts across multiple markets. The company’s first product family includes flexible polyurethane elastomers targeting apparel, tooling, automotive, and healthcare applications. Development of the technology was supported by the National Science Foundation SBIR program. Chromatic has received recognition in regional competitions including the Minnesota Cup, Midwest CleanTech Open, WEFest, and the New England Venture Summit. CEO Dr. Cora Leibig said the partnership with DSM will accelerate market introduction of the materials.

Participated · Series B · Oct 2021

Founded in 2016, Skyryse is an El Segundo, California–based aviation automation company focused on SkyOS, a flight control operating system that replaces dozens of traditional gauges and switches with touchscreen-based automation. The system handles take-off, landing, hover, and engine-out emergencies, while still keeping a pilot in the loop, thereby enhancing safety and reducing pilot workload. Skyryse has already integrated SkyOS into platforms ranging from civilian helicopters to U.S. military Black Hawk helicopters and has inked integration contracts with United Rotorcraft, Air Methods, and Mitsubishi Corporation. The company is nearing the final stages of FAA certification after receiving final design approval for its flight control computers. New funding will accelerate SkyOS deployment across additional aircraft types and support the remaining certification testing. Including the latest round, Skyryse has secured more than $605 million in equity financing and now carries a $1.15 billion valuation.