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The Venture Codex

Playground Global

380 Portage Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States

Overview

Playground Global is an early-stage venture capital firm backing technical and scientific founders with deep engineering expertise, a collaborative environment, and a first-hand understanding of the intricacies of deep tech. Established in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Playground’s mission is to transform ambitious ideas into impactful businesses that benefit humanity and the planet. We invest in areas that span across next gen compute automation, energy transition and engineered biology. Playground has been an early – and frequently first investor – in companies that include PsiQuantum, Relativity Space, Ultima Genomics, MosaicML (acq. by Databricks), d-Matrix, and Strand Therapeutics.

Total investments
102
Lead investments
48
Investments · 12mo
13
Active investors
13

Sector focus

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Information Technology
  • Robotics
  • Software
  • Venture Capital
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Investment portfolio

  • Matic

    Participated · Equity · Aug 2026

    Matic develops an AI-powered home robot designed to respond to voice and gestures, including a Cues feature that lets users point and say commands like “Hey Matic, clean this.” The robot uses voice localization, computer vision and 3D mapping, supports 75 languages, and processes data on-device for privacy. Matic claims its robots deliver 8x the airflow of competing robot vacuums and include specialized cleaning algorithms for rugs, corners, toekicks and mopping, with continuous software updates. The company says 13,000 families currently use its robots and WIRED awarded it a 10/10 rating. After nine years of development, Matic raised $115 million to advance product development and scale deployments, including planned cleaning demonstrations in San Francisco and New York City. FOUNDERS are Navneet Dalal and Mehul Nariyawala and the company is based in Mountain View, California.

  • Infinimmune

    Led · Series A · Aug 2026

    Infinimmune uses its Anthrobody platform to screen millions of single memory B cells across hundreds of targets to identify naturally paired human antibodies, then applies its GLIMPSE antibody language models to guide optimisation for potency, specificity, half-life and developability. Its lead programmes are IFX-101, a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-22 described as a potential first-in-class candidate, and IFX-201, which targets interleukin-13 as a potential best-in-class option for atopic dermatitis. The company expects first-in-human studies for both programmes to begin in 2027 and is advancing additional antibody programmes derived from its human-first discovery approach. Financially, Infinimmune raised $75 million in a Series A co-led by Regeneron Ventures and Playground Global, and earlier support includes ongoing backing from Playground Global since founding. In March 2026 it entered a multi-target collaboration with Merck that includes up to about $838 million in upfront and potential milestone payments, which the company cites as validation of its platform and a potential commercial route.

  • Photon Queue

    Led · Seed · Jul 2026

    Photon Queue develops room-temperature, free-space quantum memory devices that store photons in optical loops using proprietary high-reflectivity mirrors and optical switches. Its approach delivers high efficiency and broad bandwidth without cryogenics, vacuum systems, or complex transduction, and is compatible with multiple wavelengths and quantum computing architectures. The company has deployed its first commercial devices at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Maryland, reflecting early customer traction with national labs and research institutions. Founded in 2024 as a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign spinout, Photon Queue is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The company serves applications in quantum computing, communications, and metrology and is working to scale product development, manufacturing, and customer deployments with the newly raised capital.

  • Cantilever

    Participated · Seed · Jun 2026

    Cantilever offers a curated music streaming service designed to present and help users discover music. The company is based in the United Kingdom and positions itself as a platform supported by the independent music sector. In June 2026 it completed a £250k pre-seed raise funded by 20 independent record labels and individuals affiliated with those labels. This financing is the first public fundraising disclosed by the startup since its founding. The company has not provided metrics such as users or revenue, nor detailed product launch timelines. Cantilever said it will share further updates on its development as they become available.

  • NVision Imaging Technologies

    Participated · Series B · May 2026

    Founded in 2015 and led by CEO Sella Brosh, NVision develops quantum-enabled healthcare technologies based on engineering and controlling quantum properties of organic molecules. Its POLARIS platform enables real-time measurement of metabolism on standard MRI systems, and its Photonic Integrated Quantum Circuits (PIQC) platform supports its quantum computing efforts. The company raised $55M in a Series B (including a $17M EIB venture loan), bringing total funding to $120M. NVision plans to use the new funding to expand operations and further its development efforts. The firm positions its combined platforms to improve understanding of disease and support therapeutic development. Financially, the recent round added both equity and debt capital to the company’s balance sheet.

Team

  • Matt Hershenson

    Founding Partner, Co-Founder, and General Partner

    LinkedIn
  • Peter Barrett

    Founder, General Partner, and CTO

    LinkedIn
  • Bruce Leak

    Co-Founder, Founding Partner & General Partner

    LinkedIn
  • Greg Wilson

    VP of Finance

    LinkedIn