Deep tech — companies built on hard science, novel engineering, or significant technical risk — requires investors with the patience and technical fluency to underwrite long development timelines. Below is a look at nine active US deep tech investors founders should know heading into 2026.
What Sets Deep Tech Investors Apart
Deep tech investments often involve hardware, materials science, or physics-based risk that doesn't resolve on the same timeline as typical software products. The strongest deep tech investors employ technical diligence teams and are comfortable underwriting multi-year paths to commercialization. If you're raising in this category, your pitch deck needs to clearly separate scientific risk from commercial risk, since investors will diligence both independently. Many of these firms also staff partners with PhDs or prior operating experience in the relevant field, so expect diligence conversations that go deeper into the underlying science than a typical software round.
Leading US Deep Tech VCs
Lux Capital — New York and Menlo Park. Founded in 2000 by Peter Hébert, Robert Paull, and Josh Wolfe, Lux Capital is a premier venture firm headquartered in New York City that focuses on investments in emerging technologies. Lux distinguishes itself by its mission to turn "sci-fi into sci-fact," backing founders who tackle hard science and deep technology challenges across aerospace, robotics, and biotechnology. The firm invests at all stages, from inception and early incubation to expansion and exit, often writing initial checks as small as $100,000 or leading $100 million growth rounds. Lux is known for its "Risk Gaming" scenarios and deep intellectual curiosity, employing a team that includes retired generals and former technical operators. Notable portfolio companies include Anduril Industries, where Lux was an early seed-round backer in 2017, supporting the defense tech leader through its massive scaling; Varda Space Industries, a pioneer in space-based manufacturing; and Applied Intuition, where the firm provided critical early capital for the autonomy software platform. Their successful exits include Kurion, a nuclear waste cleanup company acquired by Veolia for $350 million. Lux continues to be a high-conviction partner for companies solving the world's most pressing physical and scientific problems.
Founders Fund — San Francisco. Founders Fund was established in 2005 by Peter Thiel, Ken Howery, and Luke Nosek, a team of founders and early employees from companies like PayPal and Palantir. Based in San Francisco, the firm is renowned for its contrarian investment philosophy and its willingness to back highly ambitious, technically complex projects that others might deem impossible. Founders Fund distinguishes itself by its "What Happened to the Future?" manifesto, which critiques the venture industry's shift toward low-risk software and advocates for revolutionary breakthroughs in energy, space, and biology. The firm manages approximately $17 billion in assets and typically leads large, high-conviction rounds across all stages. Notable portfolio companies include SpaceX, where Founders Fund was the first institutional investor in 2008, supporting Elon Musk's vision for Mars; Palantir Technologies, which the firm backed from its early days through its public listing; and Anduril Industries, the defense technology leader co-founded by firm partner Trae Stephens. They were also early backers of Facebook, Stripe, and Airbnb. The firm’s partners, including Peter Thiel and Trae Stephens, are known for their deep involvement in policy and strategy for national security and frontier technologies.
8VC — Austin, Texas. Founded in 2015 by Joe Lonsdale and Jake Medwell, 8VC is a technology investment firm that relocated its headquarters from San Francisco to Austin in 2020. The firm distinguishes itself with a thesis-driven approach that combines engineering expertise with a focus on fixing "broken" legacy industries such as logistics, healthcare, and government. 8VC operates a unique "Build Program" where it identifies market whitespaces and partners with entrepreneurs to launch new companies from the ground up, providing internal talent networks and strategic guidance. Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir and Addepar, brings a serial entrepreneur’s perspective to the firm's leadership. The firm manages over $6 billion in assets and typically leads Series A and B rounds. Notable portfolio companies include Addepar, the wealth management platform co-founded by Lonsdale; Anduril Industries, where 8VC has been a consistent participant in major rounds; and Epirus, a high-power microwave defense system provider. The firm also has a strong track record in logistics and supply chain tech, backing market leaders like Project44 and Flexport. 8VC continues to champion "principled contrarianism" and a patriotic focus on strengthening American institutions through technical innovation.
DCVC — San Francisco and Palo Alto. DCVC, formerly known as Data Collective, was founded in 2010 by Matt Ocko and Zachary Bogue. Headquartered in Palo Alto, the firm is a pioneer in deep tech venture capital, focusing on companies that use AI, exascale computing, and hard science to solve trillion-dollar problems. DCVC distinguishes itself by having a team that includes "more published scientists than MBAs," providing a level of technical depth that is rare in the venture industry. The firm manages 13 funds to date and invests across climate tech, biology, defense, and space. Their investment approach involves backing founders who are tackling the world's highest-stakes problems, from curing diseases to decarbonizing industry. Notable portfolio companies include AbCellera, an antibody discovery engine that the firm supported through its successful Nasdaq IPO; Pivot Bio, which uses soil microbes to replace chemical fertilizers and where DCVC was the first investor in 2014; and Rocket Lab, a leader in small-satellite launch services. They were also early backers of Airtable and Amplitude. The firm's dedicated life sciences arm, DCVC Bio, focuses specifically on the intersection of biology and AI to accelerate drug discovery and agricultural innovation.
Innovation Endeavors — Palo Alto, CA. Innovation Endeavors was founded in 2010 by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, along with Dror Berman, Scott Brady, and Rick Scanlon. Based in Palo Alto, the firm invests at the intersection of science and technology, focusing on "technical breakthroughs that make us question what is possible." They distinguish themselves with a deep focus on intelligent software, computing infrastructure, and the "physical economy"—industries like manufacturing and supply chain that are ripe for technical transformation. Innovation Endeavors often partners with founders who have strong academic backgrounds or have pioneered new research in fields like AI and synthetic biology. The firm manages over $630 million in its most recent fund and typically leads seed through early-growth rounds. Notable portfolio companies include Planet Labs, where the firm backed the vision of a global Earth-imaging constellation built from smartphone parts; SoFi, the fintech leader where Innovation Endeavors was an early investor; and Formlabs, which brought professional-grade 3D printing to the desktop. Other successful investments include Uber, Astra, and Gatik, a leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics. The firm continues to leverage Eric Schmidt's global network and technical vision to back the next generation of frontier companies.
Eclipse Ventures — Palo Alto, CA. Founded in 2015 by Lior Susan, Eclipse Ventures is a Palo Alto-based firm dedicated to powering the "Industrial Evolution." The firm distinguishes itself by focusing exclusively on the physical economy—industries like manufacturing, energy, and supply chain that represent 45% of global GDP but have been underserved by traditional technology. Eclipse partners are known for their deep operating experience at companies like Apple, Tesla, and Flex, bringing a hands-on approach to scaling hardware and supply chain operations. The firm manages $4 billion in assets and operates a unique "Venture Equity" program to catalyze and accelerate new businesses from zero to one. Notable portfolio companies include Bright Machines, an industrial automation platform that helps factories digitize their operations; Peak Energy, which is developing low-cost sodium-ion batteries for utility-scale storage; and Enovix, a silicon-anode lithium-ion battery company that went public via SPAC. Eclipse also incubated Mytra, an automated warehouse robotics company led by a former Tesla Bot manager. The firm continues to believe that the next decade's most valuable companies will be built by those who can master the intersection of atoms and bits to solve infrastructure and climate challenges.
Playground Global — Palo Alto, CA. Established in 2015 by Bruce Leak, Matt Hershenson, Peter Barrett, and Andy Rubin (the creator of Android), Playground Global is an early-stage deep tech venture firm headquartered in Palo Alto. The firm distinguishes itself by providing technical founders with access to a deeply resourced lab and a collaborative environment where they can take large technology risks. Playground focuses on next-generation computing, automation, energy transition, and engineered biology. The firm is known for its first-hand understanding of the intricacies of deep tech and its willingness to back companies years before they reach commercialization. Their mission is to transform ambitious ideas into high-impact businesses that benefit humanity and the planet. Notable portfolio companies include PsiQuantum, which is building the world's first useful quantum computer; Relativity Space, a pioneer in 3D-printed rockets; and MosaicML, an AI infrastructure company that was acquired by Databricks for $1.3 billion. Other key investments include Agility Robotics, the creator of the bipedal robot Digit, and d-Matrix, a leader in AI compute. Playground continues to be a destination for scientific founders who need more than just capital to bridge the gap from research to reality.
Root Ventures — San Francisco, CA. Root Ventures was founded in 2013 by Avidan Ross and is headquartered in San Francisco. The firm is a seed-stage deep tech specialist that distinguishes itself by having an investment team comprised entirely of engineers. They focus on two major themes: "Founders building at the frontier of what's possible" and "Founders building the tools to make it all possible." Root typically writes initial checks between $1 million and $3 million and is known for its high-conviction, unconditional willingness to lead in all its investments. The firm manages approximately $325 million in assets and prides itself on being a long-term partner for technical teams tackling complex hardware, robotics, and manufacturing challenges. Notable portfolio companies include Esper, a DevOps platform for managing edge hardware; nTopology, which develops advanced engineering software for additive manufacturing; and Tortuga AgTech, a leader in autonomous harvesting robots for high-value produce. They were also early backers of Daily, a developer platform for video calls, and Okteto, which provides ephemeral development environments. Root continues to source deals from under-covered geographies and technical communities, often being the first to identify new technical opportunities in legacy markets.
SOSV — Princeton, NJ and San Francisco, CA. Founded in 1995 by Sean O'Sullivan after the successful IPO of his street-mapping company MapInfo, SOSV is one of the world's most active deep tech, pre-seed venture capital firms. Headquartered in Princeton with major hubs in San Francisco, New York, and Newark, SOSV distinguishes itself by providing founders with deeply resourced labs and office spaces. The firm operates several world-renowned startup development programs, including IndieBio for life sciences and HAX for hard tech and manufacturing. SOSV is often the "first check" in deep tech, investing up to $550,000 at the pre-seed stage and continuing to support companies through Series A and beyond. The firm focuses on companies solving problems in human and planetary health, with a portfolio of over 800 active companies. Notable portfolio companies include Moderna, which participated in an SOSV-related incubator in its early days; Formlabs, a global leader in 3D printing; and NotCo, a plant-based food company that uses AI to replicate animal products. Other key investments include Opentrons, an automated lab robotics company, and Upside Foods, a pioneer in cultivated meat. SOSV's global presence extends to Cork, Shenzhen, and Tokyo, making it a uniquely international partner for scientific entrepreneurs.
Why Deep Tech Matters More Than Ever
The next decade of global competitiveness will be defined by breakthroughs in the physical world. While software-only startups have dominated the last twenty years, the challenges of climate change, national security, and healthcare require innovations in atoms, not just bits. Deep tech investors are the primary financiers of this transition, underwriting the long development cycles and high capital requirements that generalist VCs often avoid.
For founders, this means that selecting the right partner is about more than just valuation. Deep tech VCs bring specialized knowledge in IP strategy, regulatory navigating, and supply chain scaling that can make the difference between a failed lab experiment and a generational business. As compute costs continue to rise and global supply chains remain fragile, the role of these specialist investors as both capital providers and strategic advisors will only grow.
Preparing to Raise
Raising for a deep tech company requires a different narrative than a traditional SaaS pitch. You must be able to articulate your technical milestones and de-risking strategy as clearly as your go-to-market plan. Investors will look for a "moat" that is based on defensible IP and hard-to-replicate engineering rather than just network effects. See our fundraising for deep tech guide for a detailed breakdown of the metrics and milestones that matter most in this category.
If you're building a deep tech company and ready to scale, book a free consult with Quantum Growth Advisors. We help technical founders build the financial frameworks and investor relationships to take their breakthroughs from the lab to the global market.