U.S. Commerce Department
1401 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20230, United States
Overview
U.S. Department of Commerce promotes job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for all Americans by working in partnership with businesses, universities, communities, and its nation’s workers. It has taken responsibilities in the areas of trade, technology, entrepreneurship, economic development, environmental stewardship and statistical research, and analysis. It works to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and facilitates global trade by opening up new markets for U.S. goods and services. It is known for promoting progressive business policies that support America’s businesses and entrepreneurships, and their communities grow and succeed. U.S. Department of Commerce is only focused on making U.S. companies more innovative at home and more competitive abroad, so they can create jobs. It provides effective management and monitoring of its nation’s resources and assets to help both environmental and economic health. This department protects not only public safety and security but also oceans, coasts, and marine life while assisting country’s economic development through critical weather monitoring, weather forecasts, and resource preservation. U.S. Department of Commerce also conducts important operations, including constitutionally directed decennial census, which serves as the basis of America’s representative democracy and the system by which businesses and innovators secure intellectual property rights. The Secretary of Commerce leads the department’s efforts, overseeing a 7.5 U.S. dollar billion budget and nearly 47,000 employees worldwide. U.S. Department of Commerce was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
- Total investments
- 4
- Lead investments
- 4
- Investments · 12mo
- 3
- Active investors
- 10
Sector focus
- Government
- Service Industry
- Social Entrepreneurship
Investment portfolio
- GlobalFoundries
Led · Equity · Jul 2026
GlobalFoundries is a UAE-backed chipmaker focusing on semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging technologies. The company is actively developing silicon photonics technology aimed at making AI data centers faster and more energy efficient. It recently secured $300 million in funding from the U.S. government through the Biden-era Chips Act to support that effort. Under a separate agreement tied to the deal, the U.S. Department of Commerce will receive about a 1% stake in the company. Coverage did not provide revenue, user metrics, or details on prior funding rounds. The announcement frames the investment as part of broader federal initiatives to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities.
- SandboxAQ
Led · Equity · Jun 2026
SandboxAQ develops physics-grounded AI tools—centered on its ReAQT platform and Large Quantitative Models (LQMs)—that generate high-fidelity simulation data and predict properties of yet-to-be-synthesized materials. The company uses workflows such as AQCat and AQVolt to screen catalyst and battery chemistries with near-quantum-chemistry accuracy, and it has collaborated with NVIDIA on AQCat. SandboxAQ has published technical work in journals including Nature NPJ Computational Materials and Chemical Science. Its models are trained on the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology rather than human language, enabling virtual screening of millions of candidate materials to reduce lab trial-and-error. Following the CHIPS award, SandboxAQ plans to advance top candidates into scaled domestic manufacturing through American manufacturing partners and to invest the award funds into its platform and model enhancements.
- Biota
Led · Grant · May 2026
Biota develops faster PFAS monitoring and analysis technologies, combining a RapidTest screening platform that delivers results in about 15 minutes with MagnaPrep, a laboratory sample-preparation method using proprietary magnetic nanoparticle technology. The company is focused on accelerating PFAS analysis across both field and laboratory workflows and plans to expand its diagnostics platform to additional contaminants, including microplastics. Biota opened a 7,500-square-foot laboratory and innovation center in Longmont, Colorado to support product development, manufacturing, and customer deployments. It has received support from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the State of Colorado's Advanced Industries Program, and participates in gener8tor's Great Lakes Innovation Accelerator and Imagine H2O's ecosystem. Financially, Biota recently completed a $3 million seed round to scale commercial deployment, sales, and customer operations.
- Actacell
Led · Equity · Dec 2010
ActaCell is an Austin, Texas‑based technology company developing lithium‑ion technologies for electric vehicle applications. The company plans to scale up production of nanocomposite alloy anode materials for lithium‑ion batteries to be used in EVs and other applications. This program supplements its initial lithium‑ion technology targeted at the Hybrid Electric Vehicle market. ActaCell was founded in 2007 and is led by president and CEO Bill Ott. The company leverages research from Professor Arumugam Manthiram and his Materials Science Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Venture capital backing includes DFJ Mercury. ActaCell is an Austin-based developer of lithium-ion batteries that provide longer cycle life at a low cost. The company is focused on commercializing its Li‑Ion technology. It received a $250,000 pre-seed award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, with a reserved amount up to $1m. That award was administered through the Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Central Texas Regional Center of Innovation and Commercialization (CenTex RCIC). The award is combined with a $5.8m Series A financing the company received a year earlier from Google.org and DJF Mercury. Management says the funds will support expansion of technical and management ranks and completion of a world-class Li‑Ion R&D facility.