Participated · Series A · Nov 2023

Princeton NuEnergy is an advanced manufacturing leader in lithium-ion battery direct recycling, founded out of Princeton University and led by CEO Dr. Chao Yan. Its patented low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process (LPAS™) produces battery-grade cathode and anode materials suitable for direct reintroduction into cell manufacturing. The company says the process operates at roughly half the cost and with a much lower environmental footprint than conventional methods. PNE closed a $30M Series A and intends to use the funds to support construction of its first standalone, full-scale direct battery recycling advanced manufacturing facility, to be announced later this month. To date the company has raised over $55M, including multiple U.S. Department of Energy grants totaling $18M and a $7.9M seed & angel round. Strategic and corporate backers include Samsung Venture Investment Corporation and Helium-3, alongside previous investors such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd., LKQ Corporation, SCG Group, Traxys Group, and Wistron Corporation. Princenton NuEnergy develops a patented low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process (LPAS™) to perform direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries. The LPAS process is designed to reduce costs, environmental waste, and carbon emissions and to enable higher critical-material recovery rates and superior material performance versus traditional recycling methods. The company is led by CEO Dr. Chao Yan and is based in Bordentown, New Jersey. PNE intends to use recent funding to support construction of an Advanced Black Mass and Cathode Manufacturing Center in the southeastern U.S. 'battery belt'. Financially, the firm completed a Seed round of $7M and has secured multiple U.S. Department of Energy grants totaling $18M for battery recycling research. Over the past six months it has raised $26.4M in Series A funding in total, including an additional $10.3M announced in May 2024. Princeton NuEnergy is a Bordentown, New Jersey–based clean‑tech company founded out of Princeton University that develops direct recycling technology for lithium‑ion batteries. Its patented low‑temperature plasma‑assisted separation process (LPAS™) produces battery‑grade cathode and anode materials suitable for direct reintroduction into cell manufacturing. The company reports recycling efficiency rates of over 95% and claims exceptional ESG performance at roughly half the cost and with a lower environmental footprint versus conventional methods. In 2022 PNE launched an end‑to‑end production‑scale lithium‑ion battery direct recycling line in the U.S. The company raised $16M in a Series A and intends to use the funds to construct a new recycling facility and procure equipment to increase processing capacity and support operations. PNE has also received multiple U.S. Department of Energy research grants (most recently $12M and $4.375M) and previously completed seed rounds totaling $7M. Princeton NuEnergy develops a patented Direct Battery Recycling technology that converts spent lithium‑ion batteries from electric vehicles and consumer electronics into high‑quality, high value‑added cathode active materials. The company says its process lowers operating costs while delivering sustainable energy and environmental solutions. Led by CEO Dr. Yan Chao, the team includes co‑founder and CTO Dr. Yang Xiaofang and technical advisors Prof. Yiguang Ju and Prof. Bruce E. Koel. Princeton NuEnergy was spun out from Princeton University in 2019 and is based in Bordentown, New Jersey. The company intends to use the newly raised funds to scale development and accelerate growth. No operating metrics (revenue/users) were disclosed in the article. Princeton NuEnergy of Bordentown, New Jersey is developing a novel lithium‑ion battery recycling process to directly recover and regenerate used battery materials. The company says its process is simpler, more cost‑effective, and more environmentally friendly than current industrial recycling methods. With the process, critical battery materials such as the cathode and anode can be recycled, restored, and reused in new batteries without breaking materials down into raw elements. Princeton NuEnergy completed Cleantech Open’s six‑month accelerator program of mentorship, business training, and investor and partner networking. The company won Cleantech Open’s 2021 U.S. National Grand Prize, which includes a $50,000 SAFE note plus consulting and legal support. CEO Chao Yan said the award will help execute a pilot production line in Q1 2022 and strengthen intellectual property, business strategy, and marketing.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2022

Tartan is an India-based SaaS startup offering an employee consent-driven data exchange and single-API platform for real-time work and income verification. Founded in 2021, the platform supports verification for employees, salaried workers, gig workers, and creators and enables employers to provision perks like loans, credit cards, and rewards in a single click. The company launched Batik, an employee benefits marketplace that lets employers and HR software providers offer earned wage access, salary-linked loans, credit card limit management, and emergency funds. In Aug 2022 Tartan raised $4.5M in a pre-Series A round. The startup plans to use the proceeds to improve operations, build its in-house engineering and product capabilities, and hire new talent. No operating metrics such as revenue or user counts were disclosed in the article.

Led · Seed · Oct 2021

Spaced Ventures operates an equity crowdfunding platform that enables everyday people to invest in space startups with minimum investments as low as $100. The company was co-founded in 2020 by Aaron Burnett and Wall Street veteran J. Brant Arseneau and is based in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Since opening the platform to the public in September 2021, three space companies on the site have received over $600,000 in commitments, with an average individual investment of over $2,300. The platform has received more than 100 applications from space startups and has 1,700 potential investors registered. Spaced Ventures raised a $1.2M seed round to fund growth initiatives. The company plans to use the capital to double its team and to launch new financial products for its investor base and its portfolio of space companies.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

Founded in 2018, Washington-DC–based Sorcero offers an Agentic AI platform—comprising Sorcero Medical, SciComms, Safety and Medtech—that is specifically trained on life-science data and built to meet stringent regulatory and privacy requirements. The system unifies hundreds of global data sources to create a 360° view of more than 40 million healthcare professionals and 100 million scientists, enabling customers to analyze 263 million publications and 1.3 billion citations for real-time insights. One-third of the top 30 global pharmaceutical firms use Sorcero, achieving up to 92 % productivity gains in evidence generation, 72 % faster insight discovery, and publication timelines shortened by two to five months. The platform delivers 96.1 % clinical inclusion accuracy—exceeding FDA regulatory thresholds and PhD-level human performance. Sorcero’s offerings support medical affairs, safety, scientific communications, and medical devices, and are available directly and through channels such as the Google Cloud Marketplace and NIH STRIDES. Recent strategic moves include the acquisition of Axiom Health to bolster its med-device capabilities and partnerships with Google Cloud, Springer Nature, ServiceNow, USDM Life Sciences, and Snowflake. With a cumulative $59 million raised, the company plans to scale globally and further develop its insight-driven engagement model for precision medicine.

Led · Series A · Sep 2021

COGOS Technologies is an artificial intelligence-led enterprise logistics company offering an AI-driven intra-city logistics SaaS platform. The platform integrates advanced sensors, IoT technology and third-party applications to serve intra-city link-supply chains and commercial transportation. Founded in 2016 by Prasad Sreeram and Rama Mohan Katta, the company is Bengaluru-based and positions itself as a fast-growing intra-city logistics player. COGOS raised $2.0M in a pre-Series A round in September 2021. The company says it will use the funds to develop its technology platform and to expand outside of India.