The Venture Codex

Participated · Series A · Jun 2026

Picogrid builds hardware-enabled software products that connect sensors, unmanned platforms, and digital systems to enable unified control and data flow across land, sea, air, and space. The company provides an open integration layer and an ecosystem that now spans more than 100 defense systems from vendors such as Skydio, Northrop Grumman, Echodyne, CX2, and Neros. Led by CEO Zane Mountcastle and based in El Segundo, CA, Picogrid positions its solution as infrastructure for mission execution and operator interoperability across vendors. Following the $45M Series A, the company plans to expand its product family, extend integration into new operational domains, and scale deployments with the US military, allied forces, and partner vendors. The article did not disclose revenue, valuation, or other operating metrics beyond the ecosystem breadth.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2026

Material Hybrid Manufacturing Inc. (MATERIAL) is pioneering chemistry-agnostic, additive manufacturing for energy storage through its proprietary HYBRID3D™ technology. The platform combines semiconductor-grade precision with advanced 3D printing to embed batteries of virtually any geometry into drones, wearables, robotics, consumer electronics, and other high-performance systems. By eliminating the rigid constraints of cylindrical or pouch cells, the company says it can boost pack-level energy density by more than 50% and cut module weight by over 22% in initial unmanned aerial-system trials. Current projects include a U.S. Air Force Phase II SBIR program to integrate conformal batteries into Class I UAS and commercial pilots with consumer-electronics manufacturers. Future plans call for containerized, deploy-anywhere production units that provide on-demand, localized battery manufacturing, reducing reliance on global supply chains. Headquartered in Miami, MATERIAL is led by CEO Gabe Elias, a former Formula One design engineer. To date, the company has attracted $7.1 million in seed capital and a $1.25 million Air Force contract to accelerate product and market development.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2025

Aethero, based in San Francisco, is developing space-grade computers and autonomous satellite platforms for defense and mission-critical customers. Its systems combine custom hardware and AI/ML software to enable on-orbit processing, coordinated swarm maneuvers, missile warning and tracking, and reduced reliance on ground control. The company says its computing can compress and process data in orbit for significantly better AI/ML capabilities than current space computers, gaining advantage for time-sensitive defense and intelligence missions. Aethero serves public and private sector customers and emphasizes enabling US leadership and strategic urgency in space. The company announced $8.4M in seed funding to accelerate development of next-generation hardware and software and to support further demonstration missions. Aethero builds radiation-hardened space computers (first-generation product: the AetherNxN) to enable on-orbit pre-processing, computer vision, and eventual autonomous decision-making. The AetherNxN is based on an Nvidia Orin processor, fits platforms as small as a CubeSat, provides roughly 20x more processing power than existing options, and is designed for 7–10 years in low Earth orbit. The company plans a larger second-generation module for bigger spacecraft and intends to transition to a proprietary, domain-specific space processor with planned manufacturing alongside Intel around 2026. Aethero has a five-person team and plans multiple in-space demonstrations of its MVP this year, including a June launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 to show over-the-air updates and in-space model training. The startup says customers and demand themes are emerging from Earth observation, on-orbit servicers, and private space stations, citing high data volumes from assets like the ISS. Aethero was founded by Edward Ge and Amit Pinnamaneni following prior work at Stratodyne and university research; the company was accepted to Y Combinator’s winter 2022 cohort but dropped out due to ITAR-related legal issues.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2025

Nucleus Genomics provides clinical-grade whole-genome sequencing and comprehensive genetic risk assessments covering over 800 diseases. The platform combines genomics with lifestyle and wearable data to contextualize health information and deliver personalised recommendations. The company recently acquired Irish biotech Cambrean, an AI-based health platform that converts Oura ring and Apple Watch data into actionable health insights, and is rolling out features such as AI Doctor, pharmacogenomics, and family forecasting. Nucleus integrates with partners like Bionic Health and Legacy to expand consumer health offerings. Founded in the U.S. in 2021 by Kian Sadegh, the company emphasises making whole-genome sequencing widely accessible to prevent avoidable genetic tragedies. Financially, it has raised venture capital including a $14M Series A and prior investments from Seven Seven Six and Founders Fund. Nucleus Genomics offers a platform that calculates polygenic risk scores by analyzing users' uploaded genetic data from at‑home testing services or data from its own testing kits. The company lets customers order its genetic testing kit or upload results obtained elsewhere and provides information about genetic predisposition to certain conditions. Polygenic risk scores have faced scrutiny for European population bias, and the company says it aims to build models that work across populations. Nucleus emphasizes user data ownership and granular control over how and whether data is shared for research. The company has not yet launched mainstream and it is unclear how broader consumer access will look. Following the recent raise, Nucleus plans to grow its team and establish its own genetic testing infrastructure, including buying testing kits in bulk, and is considering international expansion. Nucleus Genomics provides a consumer-facing platform where users can upload genetic data from services like 23andMe or Ancestry, or order a testing kit, and receive polygenic risk scores via the company’s proprietary algorithms. The product focuses on presenting genetic and non-genetic information in a user-friendly format and aims to eventually calculate absolute disease risk. The company is still developing its polygenic risk score algorithms — described by the founder as the startup’s "secret sauce" — and plans to launch around January 2022. Nucleus says it will also enable users to opt in to share genetic data with drug companies in exchange for a potential dividend payment. The startup plans to grow its team from three to six or seven members as it readies the product. Financially, Nucleus announced a $3.5M seed raise to support algorithm development, product launch, and team expansion.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2024

Albedo develops vertically integrated satellites optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) to deliver 10-centimeter optical imagery commercially. Its approach emphasizes a dense satellite bus, efficient electric propulsion to counter atmospheric drag, and advanced guidance, navigation and control plus robotics to achieve stability, agility and geolocation accuracy at high resolution. The company says it can drive costs down relative to historically expensive military systems by optimizing the bus and operations for VLEO (250–450 km altitude). Albedo was founded by former Lockheed Martin engineers including CEO Topher Haddad, AyJay Lasater and Winston Tri. The company is working toward the launch of its first commercial satellite in the first half of 2025, then a six-satellite block for daily global revisit and ultimately a 24-satellite constellation for five revisits per day. Financially, Albedo has raised financing across rounds and is positioning to scale manufacturing and operations with the new capital. Albedo develops very-low-earth-orbit (VLEO) satellites that will deliver ultra-high-resolution imagery, including 10 cm optical and 2 m thermal infrared data. The company plans to operate its low-flying satellites and offer imagery-as-a-service, developing both the satellite hardware and the software to support operations and image delivery. Albedo intends to fuse optical and thermal products to provide new insights for precision agriculture, HD mapping, insurance, utilities vegetation management, construction, pipeline monitoring, urban planning, and defense. The firm was recently awarded the first U.S. license to sell 10 cm imagery commercially and says its VLEO approach reduces costs while avoiding added contribution to orbital congestion. The Series A funding will enable completion of its first satellite and development of the software to support satellite operations and deliver imagery to users. The company has raised $58M in total funding in less than two years since inception. Albedo is building a constellation of low-orbit satellites designed to deliver "aerial-quality" Earth imagery with a technical target of 10-centimeter visual and 2-meter thermal resolution. The company aims to launch its first satellite in 2024 and deploy a full constellation by 2027; an eight-satellite fleet would enable daily revisits and a 24-satellite fleet would allow three revisits per day. Albedo expects customers across property insurance, mapping, utilities and other large enterprises. The startup graduated from Y Combinator and is leveraging advances such as cheaper launches, modular satellite construction, and cloud services like AWS Ground Station and Azure Orbital. It faces technical risk around in-orbit refueling for electric propulsion, and if that fails or drag is worse than expected, it may need to operate at higher orbits with reduced resolution (roughly 12–15 cm). Financially, Albedo recently closed a $10 million seed to hire staff, pay suppliers, fund satellite design and reserve launch capacity, and it plans to pursue a larger Series A in about a year.