Led · Seed · Jun 2026

Volund Manufacturing is a manufacturing company led by Eric Hostetler that recently completed a $12 million Seed financing. Coverage of the raise appeared via Marlinspike, which celebrated Volund as part of its portfolio. Public reporting on the company did not include specifics about its products, markets, or operating metrics. The articles also did not disclose the company’s founding year, location, prior funding history, or detailed plans for the newly raised capital. The available public messaging around the raise included celebratory language such as “Rearm and Rebuild!” but offered no further operational or financial detail.

Participated · Seed · May 2026

Illoca offers an AI-native design engine and a collaborative interface called Illoca Tracing Paper™ that replaces traditional toolsets with an intelligent canvas understanding sketches, markups and natural language. The platform uses multi-agent AI to translate architectural intent into real-time 2D and 3D designs, aiming to reduce manual modeling and speed iteration. Founders Chin-Yi Cheng (CEO) and Chiaowei Yu (COO) bring experience from Google DeepMind, Autodesk AI Lab and Tesla. Illoca positions itself as a productivity multiplier for architects and cites early partnerships with large design and construction firms such as Kajima Corporation. The company completed a $13 million Seed raise to support product launch and expansion. Headquartered in San Ramon, California, Illoca’s stated mission is to set a new standard for professional design interfaces and return creative agency to architects.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2025

Latent Technology is a London-based gaming company specialising in AI-driven physical animation. Its core product is Phoenix, a proprietary generative physics animation model that enables emergent movement and behaviour without pre-scripted animations. The company is developing the Latent Behaviour Engine to let developers define and deploy physics-driven generative AI behaviours. Latent is testing its technology in a closed beta with select studios and plans to release two tech demos later this year. The approach aims to reduce manual animation workload while increasing realism and interactivity. The company recently raised seed funding to accelerate product development and integration into game development workflows. Latent Technology offers an AI platform that lets developers create virtual worlds featuring real-time animation driven by AI-based animation technology and real-world physics. The system enables virtual-world characters to move in real time rather than relying on thousands of pre-crafted animations. The company is led by CEO Jorge del Val and CTO Jack Harmer. Latent says its mission is to help reinvent how virtual worlds are experienced and created, bringing more dynamic interactions to players and creators. The team is recruiting and building toward that ambitious mission. The company intends to use the recent funding to expand operations and accelerate development efforts.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2024

Integrated Biosciences combines synthetic biology, optogenetics and AI/machine-learning to generate highly specific cellular phenotypes and discover precise small-molecule drug candidates for age-related diseases. The company has published work in journals including Nature, Nature Aging and Cell Systems and last year pioneered an AI-driven discovery of a structural class of antibiotics. It is developing a portfolio of preclinical-stage assets that target fundamental, age-related pathways at the phenotypic level. Integrated pursues a multi-asset business model, advancing programs via company-led development and co-development partnerships and maintains collaborations with private partners and Illumina Ventures Labs. The company announced it closed a $17.2 million seed financing to scale its platform, advance clinical development of its small-molecule portfolio, and accelerate commercialization efforts.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2024

CruxOCM develops a co-pilot platform that provides real-time automation, optimization, and data connectivity for control-room operators across pipeline and energy networks. Its product suite includes pipeBOT™, maxOPT™ and leanOPT™ to drive operational and business decisions. The platform integrates cross-domain, real-time, AI-driven software to help energy organizations improve financial, sustainability, and QHSE outcomes. The company is led by CEO Vicki Knott and targets energy-industry clients. CruxOCM intends to use the new funding to deliver additional value to its energy customers and expand deployment of its co-pilot capabilities. CruxOCM builds RIPA-enabled operations control management software that automates control-room tasks for oil and refined-products pipelines, helping maximize flow rates, streamline startup/shutdown procedures, and improve safety and asset utilization. The company claims its software increases revenue and safety for critical energy infrastructure and counts early customers including Phillips 66. CruxOCM plans to refine its user experience to deliver a more off-the-shelf product and to expand into additional energy verticals. Its near-term product-market focus is on US pipelines, with plans later to enter gas pipelines, gas plants, and offshore facilities. The company has seen rapid growth over the past two years, currently has 18 employees and plans to grow to 25 by year-end to support product development and deployments.