The Venture Codex

Participated · Equity · Mar 2026

Robotera builds full-stack humanoid robots combining AI "brain" systems, motion control, dexterous hands and humanoid hardware, and positions itself toward logistics and industrial deployments. The company reports beginning deliveries of several thousand units in Q2 2026 and claims deployments in over ten logistics centers across China with partners including SF Group and China Post. Robotera states it has achieved up to 85% of human efficiency in some logistics contexts operating 24/7 and cites a claimed 300% growth rate (no baseline published). Its investor and partner base spans logistics, automotive and consumer electronics players such as SF Group, Geely, Renault (cited as a partner), Alibaba, Samsung, Lenovo and Haier, which the company and articles present as potential channels for further deployments. Financially, the company has raised nearly ¥2.5 billion RMB (~$350M) in total capital following the recent financing, which the company says supports scaling production and broader commercial rollouts. The articles note competition from Western and Chinese robotics firms but highlight Robotera’s operational logistics focus and industrial partnerships as key differentiators.

Participated · Series C · Dec 2025

Last Energy is a nuclear technology startup building factory-manufactured small modular reactors that are permanently sealed within 1,000 tons of steel. Its commercial unit is a 20 MW pressurized water reactor derived from a decades-old government design once used on the NS Savannah, and each unit can power roughly 15,000 homes. The reactors are delivered pre-fuelled with six years of uranium, contain no penetrations beyond electrical and control lines, and the steel vessel doubles as a waste cask at end-of-life, eliminating separate disposal. The company is first constructing a 5 MW pilot reactor on a leased site at Texas A&M, targeting startup next year, and plans to bring its 20 MW commercial reactors into production in 2028. By mass-manufacturing at scale, management expects significant cost reductions similar to learning-curve effects seen in other industries. Proceeds from the latest funding will fully finance the pilot and support initial commercial deployments.

Participated · Seed · May 2023

Reasoned Art is a Milan-based art tech startup founded by Giulio Bozzo and Andrea Marec that builds Web3 digital art experiences. Its core initiative, Monuverse, reinterprets 3D models of monuments through digital artists and certifies the results as NFTs to preserve and enhance cultural heritage. The company also operates a Curated Digital Art Gallery and a Brand Collaborations unit and has provided B2B services to brands including Adidas Originals and Bulgari. Reasoned Art began its Web3 activities in January 2021 and launched Monuverse with the Arch of Peace in Milan, selling the first 1,111 NFTs. With the €1.4 million seed financing the company plans to continue expanding—notably into the Korean market—and to further develop the Monuverse project. The founders aim for Monuverse to become a participatory ecosystem and a benchmark for future humanities education. Reasoned Art is the first Italian gallery dedicated to CryptoArt, selecting digital artists worldwide, curating physical and virtual exhibitions, and certifying authenticity to enable NFT sales. Launched last June at the MEET – Digital Culture Center in Milan, the startup combines on‑chain provenance with real‑world displays. The founders, Giulio Bozzo (CEO) and Andrea Marec (CFO), led a team that staged Italy’s first decentralized CryptoArt exhibition on June 10, displaying works on 30 newsstands in Milan and selling them at the country’s first CryptoArt auction. The company plans to use its fresh capital to plan next steps and scale up its operations. Reasoned Art was also selected for LVenture Group’s LUISS EnLabs Acceleration Program, signaling accelerator support as it grows. The articles do not disclose revenue or user metrics.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2021

Nifty Games develops quick-session competitive mobile sports games, holding licenses from the NFL, NFLPA, NBA and NBPA. Its premier title, NFL Clash, is available in select markets worldwide and is slated to launch in the United States this year. The company plans to use new funding to expand its sports games lineup and to invest in top-tier development staff. Financially, Nifty Games has raised over $50M since 2018 and completed a new financing in 2021. Founded by gaming veterans Jon Middleton and Pete Wanat in 2018, the company operates from Lafayette, California. The new capital and debt facility are intended to accelerate product development for global sports fans. Nifty Games is a Bay Area games publisher focused on developing officially licensed mobile sports titles in partnership with national leagues. The studio emphasizes quick, head-to-head mobile experiences rather than full-console simulations, aiming for short sessions and modern mobile monetization. It has partnerships with the NFL and NBA and plans to release an NFL Clash football title and an NBA head-to-head mobile game later this year. The company closed a $12M Series A earlier this year and previously raised a $3M seed in late 2018. Co-founders Jon Middleton and Pete Wanat leverage decades of games industry experience and extensive networks to secure league and development partnerships. Early investors reportedly include owners from MLB, MLS, NHL and eSports leagues, and the team aims to offer more varied official mobile experiences for fans during the pandemic. Nifty Games is a brand-new video game publisher based in San Francisco, CA. It was formed to deliver head-to-head free-to-play sports games on mobile and digital platforms for a large global audience. The company raised $3M in seed funding from aXiomatic Gaming, Defy.VC and March Capital Partners. Founders are Jon Middleton and Pete Wanat. The early team includes Dan Wasson (Head of Production), Jenny Lin (Head of Marketing) and Kathy McElwee (Interim CFO). The company is hiring.

Participated · Equity · Oct 2020

Survios builds consumer virtual-reality games and has shipped notable titles including Raw Data, Creed: Rise to Glory, Battlewake, and Westworld Awakening. The studio recently released The Walking Dead: Onslaught on Steam and is debuting it on PlayStation VR, with an original story co-written by TV show writers and featuring Norman Reedus. Survios has expanded into VR game publishing and deliberately chose not to pursue proprietary hardware, focusing instead on software and cross-platform play. The company is investing in cross-play and locomotion techniques to improve immersion and reduce VR nausea, and it delivers haptic sensations to increase presence. Leadership has been strengthened with new hires in marketing, product, and art to support growth and franchise work. The company views the upcoming hardware cycle (e.g., Oculus Quest 2) and increased consumer interest during the pandemic as tailwinds for larger-scale game distribution. Survios is a VR game studio best known for Raw Data, a title that runs on the HTC Vive. The studio says Raw Data grossed more than $1 million in revenue in the month after its Steam launch. Survios plans to use the new funding to bring Raw Data to more platforms and to expand the broader universe around the title. The company has emphasized location-based entertainment as an important channel to introduce people to VR and generate additional revenue beyond retail releases. Consumer headset adoption has been slower than expected due to high hardware prices, which informs Survios’s focus on theater- and arcade-style experiences. The funding and studio partnerships are intended to support Survios’s goal of becoming a leading publisher and content creator in virtual reality. Survios develops an immersive VR platform that combines body-tracking input with headset-based 3D worlds, described in the article as a "Kinect-meets-Oculus-Rift." The company's technology maps users' physical movements into virtual environments and is currently focused on gaming applications. Survios originated from the University of Southern California Mixed Reality Lab, the same lab that counts Oculus founder Palmer Luckey as an alum. The company recently received external validation and funding momentum following Facebook's acquisition of Oculus. With the new capital, Survios plans to scale its technology and operations to expand its VR offerings. The article highlights hands-on demos at the company's San Francisco headquarters, indicating a working product and active development pipeline.