Participated · Series E · May 2026

Photonic pursues a distributed approach to quantum computing through its Entanglement First architecture, which combines silicon-based qubits with native photonic connectivity to enable scaling across existing telecom fiber infrastructure. The company positions this architecture as a path toward fault-tolerant, commercial-scale quantum systems that can interoperate with global cloud and telecom networks. Photonic is engaged in programs including Canada’s Quantum Champions Program and Stage B of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. With the recent financing, Photonic has raised over $350 million USD to date and closed a round valuing the company at $2.0 billion USD post-money. The firm says it will use the new capital to advance platform development, deepen telecom and strategic partnerships, grow its team, and pursue near-term milestones. Investors supporting Photonic range from government development banks and national telecoms to multinational strategic and growth equity backers.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2024

Applied Carbon makes a tractor‑pulled farm implement that converts crop residue into biochar on‑site using a pyrolyzer that produces biochar and syngas to power the machine. The implement is fed by a harvester, chops and dries residue, pyrolyzes it, quenches the biochar, and spreads and mixes it into the soil. The current design is optimized for corn but can handle rice, wheat, straw, sorghum, and sugarcane; it covers roughly an acre per hour and requires a heavy tractor. The company has produced five prototypes over four years and raised $21.5 million in a recent Series A to move from prototype to early production of its pyrolyzer. Applied Carbon is building machines in Houston and plans deployments in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and has already sold carbon offsets created by its process to companies including Microsoft. In the longer term it plans to lease or sell equipment to farmers and help them monetize carbon credits rather than operate a fleet.

Participated · Seed · May 2024

Mycocycle cultivates white-rot mushrooms to break down waste and produce renewable, bio-based polymers and materials. The company selects fungal strains via natural selection and does not genetically modify them. It operates bio-processors that maintain optimal temperatures (about 60–80°F) for roughly two-week cycles and kills the fungi at the end of a run to prevent continued growth. Outputs can be used as insulation, acoustic panels, or filler; fungi can encase rubber in mycelial webs that Mycocycle can reprocess. The startup is refining a process to recycle crumb rubber from old tires and demonstrated its system on scrap drywall from a Meta data center. Founder and CEO Joanne Rodriguez, who started the company in 2018, aims to capture a portion of the large plastics market and compete with legacy materials companies. Mycocycle expects to bring in over $1 million in revenue this year and says it will be margin positive. Mycocycle leverages a patent-pending, fungi-driven process to detoxify and transform building and industrial waste—including asphalt shingles, insulation board, crumb rubber, gypsum drywall, and fibers—into a renewable, low-carbon mycelium-based raw material. The company blends lab-cultivated fungi with debris at the point of waste generation to neutralize petroleum-derived contaminants and reduce environmental contamination from burial or burning. Its process is designed to drive circularity in the construction supply chain, divert waste from landfills, and lessen the need for virgin material extraction. Since launching, Mycocycle has treated 12,000 pounds of material through paid pilots with customers across waste management, recycling, and manufacturing, and with building owners and contractors such as META and Lendlease. The startup plans to validate reuse of its biobased byproduct and scale deployment within the built environment. Led by founder and CEO Joanne Rodriguez, the company was founded in 2018.

Led · Equity · Apr 2024

Waymap offers a precise navigation app that functions outdoors, indoors and deep underground, independent of GPS, WiFi or mobile data. Its navigation relies on an algorithm called SmartStep that uses only a smartphone's motion sensors and the user’s steps, delivering accuracy up to 1 metre. The app was initially designed to enhance the lives of blind users, though its utility extends to all users navigating transit networks and busy shopping centres. Waymap's probability-based location finding also has broader applications across smart city use cases and for companies or individuals seeking precise location. The company raised £7M in funding and intends to expand internationally, growing mapped areas in Asia Pacific and the Middle East while consolidating its presence in North America and Europe. Waymap builds a smartphone navigation app that gives free, audio step-by-step directions to visually impaired users, initially focused on public transit. The app relies on a phone’s inertial measurement unit sensors (magnetometers, accelerometers and barometers) and proprietary Bayesian and map-matching algorithms rather than continuous GPS to locate users to within about three feet. In a closed two-week trial the company tested the system at three Washington, D.C. Metro stops using lidar scans and 360° video to map stations; Washington is slated to be the first full-city deployment. Waymap plans a public trial at 25 Metro stations and 1,000 bus stops by September and intends to expand later to venues such as museums, hotels and hospitals. The company tests with both blind and sighted users (15 visually impaired, seven sighted and three orientation and mobility instructors in the D.C. trial) and envisions crowd-contributed step data from sighted travelers once usage grows. Founder and CEO Tom Pey created the company after losing his own sight at age 39.

Led · Equity · Oct 2023

Climate Robotics develops on-farm systems that collect crop residue, process it into biochar, and reapply it to fields to sequester carbon and improve soil nutrient and moisture retention. The company leverages advanced robotics and AI to lower the cost and inefficiencies of biochar production and make the technology accessible to farmers. Its approach positions biochar as a high-capacity soil carbon storage solution that can also reduce farmers' reliance on chemical inputs and generate high-quality carbon credits. The Pollinator Fund’s investment will support scaling the startup’s robotic and AI technology to drive broader deployment. Climate Robotics plans to expand sales and engineering capacity and accelerate research and development to improve efficiency, economics, and revenue-generation potential. CEO Jason Aramburu said the company has validated its on-farm technology and is continuously improving its systems.