Participated · Safe · Aug 2026

Relativity Networks manufactures and sells hollow-core fiber, a technology that transmits light through a vacuum chamber in the fiber’s center to achieve about 30% lower latency versus conventional fiber. The company says conventional fiber carries a signal at roughly five microseconds per kilometer, while its hollow-core fiber reduces that to about 3.5 microseconds per kilometer. Relativity is targeting data center and multi-campus deployments where reduced latency across larger geographic spans can enable synchronized, distributed compute. The company recently secured a $40 million follow-on order from a leading hyperscaler and raised $22 million via a SAFE note round. CEO Jason Eisenholz positions the technology as a way to expand the geographic reach of large-scale AI and data center systems. The articles do not provide revenue, user, or founding-year information.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2026

Nuclear Turbines aims to reduce the cost of nuclear power by replacing traditional steam turbine systems with highly efficient high-temperature turbine technology typically used in jet engines and gas-fired power plants, combined with a novel nuclear reactor design. Its compact systems are intended to be deployable "behind the meter" at industrial sites, data centres and manufacturing facilities. The company says this approach can lower generation costs to around one-fifth of today’s nuclear plants and builds on advancements in small modular reactors to address cost and scale challenges. Founded in 2025 and spun out of BAE Systems in partnership with Empirical Ventures' venture studio, the startup is led by Jeremy Owston and Professor Tim Abram. Following a £15m funding round led by IQ Capital, the company plans to use the capital for design, constructing large-scale test rigs and hiring to expand the team. No revenue, user or valuation metrics were disclosed in the articles.

Participated · Series B · Dec 2025

pH7 Technologies operates a commercial PGM extraction facility in Vancouver and is scaling its mining-sector applications beginning with copper. Its proprietary closed-loop organo-electrochemical process is designed to recover metals from low-grade sulfide ore, tailings, and complex feedstocks that have been historically uneconomic or challenging to process. The company’s proposed copper production approach aims to convert low-grade sulfide ore directly into 99.9% pure copper cathodes on-site while generating green hydrogen as a by-product. pH7 says the process could increase recovery from low-grade resources, extend the value of existing mining assets, and strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains. Current plans include engineering and technology development phases to produce technical and economic data to support future demonstration and commercial deployment across the Canadian mining sector.

Led · Equity · Oct 2025

Lasso has developed Lasso SpinTech, a patented “advanced cotton-candy machine” that spins protein and fiber into new textures, enabling the creation of nutritious, minimally processed foods from nearly any ingredient. The compact, energy-efficient system—about the size of a washing machine and using less power than a toaster oven—can already produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of product annually without high heat, excess sugars, or artificial additives. After initially commercializing the technology through its 2020 plant-based meat brand Tender Food, the company now plans to launch additional in-house brands and license the platform to global food partners. The technology offers more than 1,000 ingredient combinations and flexible control over fiber characteristics, positioning Lasso to address multiple high-growth grocery categories including protein snacks and pet food. CEO Mike Messersmith highlights rising consumer rejection of ultra-processed foods and demand for clean labels as key market drivers. To date, Lasso has raised $6.5 million to accelerate commercialization, but the article does not disclose revenue, user numbers, or other operating metrics.

Led · Series A · Aug 2025

NuCicer develops high-protein chickpea varieties and sustainable ingredient solutions for food brands. Its products generate simply milled protein and flour ingredients that help companies meet protein and fiber targets without relying on highly processed isolates. The company operates a licensing-based model to scale rapidly through strategic supply chain partners, allowing adoption without disrupting existing infrastructure. NuCicer’s current variety matures 10–20 days earlier than most conventional chickpeas, reducing late-season weather risk and the need for chemical desiccants. It planted over 2,500 acres in 2025 and plans to 10x acreage by 2026. Led by CEO Kathryn Cook, NuCicer intends to use the new funding to expand operations and advance development efforts. NuCicer has developed a chickpea variety that contains up to 75% more protein than regular chickpeas, enabling much higher-yielding chickpea protein ingredients. The company says this could slash the cost of chickpea protein by nearly half — the first time a plant protein cost has been reduced this dramatically. Its ingredients target applications such as texturised vegetable protein (TVP) and alt-dairy products like yogurts. NuCicer is a father-daughter run startup founded by Kathryn Cook and UC Davis researcher Douglas Cook. The company will use new funding to support commercialisation trials and to scale its speed-breeding program to further develop and improve products. NuCicer recently closed an oversubscribed $4.5M seed round to advance those plans.