1855 Capital Partners
Venture capitalState College · Seed–Series A · 2 people tracked
Investment thesis
1855 Capital Partners is a seed and early-stage venture capital fund that invests in companies affiliated with Penn State University, its campuses, medical center, and alumni across the United States.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 11 of 17 portfolio companiesAgTech ×4AI & Machine Learning ×3SaaS ×3Advanced Manufacturing ×2Cleantech ×2Deep Tech ×2Hardware ×2New Materials ×2
HQs:United States×7
Investments · 17 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 12019 · 12 dated
5Metis is a discovery-stage company developing boron-based molecules for crop protection, running medicinal/discovery chemistry and toxicity testing programs to invent new agricultural active ingredients.
AgTechBiotechNew MaterialsResearch Triangle Park, US
Cindy Smith(Director)Roger Kemble(Director)Yogesh Mago(Director)Steven L.K. Tuttle(Executive Officer, Director)Brian Green(Co-founder, CEO & CSO)Lucy Dr. Shapiro(Director)
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Benefix is a digital platform that connects carriers, brokers, small businesses and individuals to simplify benefits enrollment and access.
Enterprise SoftwareHR TechInsurTechSaaSLancaster, US
Matt Ranauro(Co-founder)Lee Shand Snyder(Co-founder)
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Designs and manufactures low-noise frequency control products for military, aerospace, and defense markets; acquired by KYOCERA AVX in 2023.
Erie, US
F. Matthew Rhodes(Director)Ralph Ford(Director)Keith Szewczyk(Executive Officer, Director)
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Cove Fund is a seed-stage venture capital fund that provides startup funding to early-stage technology and life science companies in Southern California.
Irvine, US
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Croptix develops in-field optical sensor technology for detecting plant health and crop disease, aiming to replace traditional laboratory-based diagnostic practices.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareState College, US
Perry Edwards(CEO and Co-Founder)Zhiwen Liu(CTO and Co-Founder)
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Daasity is an analytics and data platform for consumer brands that connects ecommerce, retail sales, marketing, and inventory data into a unified view without requiring data engineering.
Data & InfrastructureE-commerceRetail Tech
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Offered Alora platform for mid-size manufacturers to transform shop floor data into business intelligence; acquired by ECI Software Solutions in 2022.
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
ECI provides ERP software for manufacturers, offering three products—JobBOSS² for job shops and make-to-order operations, M1 for discrete manufacturers, and Deacom for batch and process manufacturers—with embedded AI, quality control, inventory management, and government compliance features (ITAR, CMMC, FDA).
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningSaaS
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Creates benchtop transient absorption spectrometers enabling nano-to-millisecond spectroscopy with advanced sensitivity for material characterization research.
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Maumee Ventures is the venture capital arm of The Andersons, investing in agricultural innovation across areas such as crop nutrients and protection, the grain supply chain, freight logistics, precision science, food safety and traceability, and renewable energy.
AgTech
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Phospholutions develops fertilizer technologies that improve phosphorus efficiency for agricultural use.
AgTechCleantechClimate TechState College, US
RICHARD DEFLURI(Director)CHRIS ABBOTT(Director)HUNTER SWISHER(Executive Officer, Director)MATTHEW RHODES(Director)ANDREW SPAHR(Director)
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Pledge It is an online fundraising platform for nonprofits, offering tools for peer-to-peer campaigns, auctions, signature events, and donation buttons along with participant messaging, community features, and year-over-year performance tracking.
Impact & Social GoodSaaS
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Reflexion offers a cognitive sports training service using touchscreen lightboards and mixed reality headsets powered by an AI Virtual Coach to train visual and cognitive skills such as reaction time and eye-hand coordination.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareSports Tech
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
spotLESS Materials develops nature-inspired liquid-entrenched smooth surface (LESS) coatings that repel liquids, sludge, and contaminants while enabling self-cleaning properties for industrial applications including sanitation, automotive, and medical sectors.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechConsumerDeep TechNew MaterialsState College, US
Birgitt Boschitsch(Founder)inTak-Sing Wong(Founder)in
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Develops TEAMtalk, an interactive platform for schools to assess and report on students' social, emotional and mental well-being.
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
TEAMology provides emotional wellness and mental fitness tools for K-12 schools, including an AI-and-human check-in product (TEAMTalk), research-based social-emotional learning curriculum aligned with MTSS and PBIS frameworks, and professional development for educators.
EdTechMental HealthWellness & Fitness
PartnerMatt Rhodes· solo GP
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioBliley Technologiesacq. by KYOCERA AVXData Inventionsacq. by ECI Software Solutions
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does 1855 Capital Partners invest at?
- 1855 Capital Partners invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is 1855 Capital Partners's typical check size?
- 1855 Capital Partners typically writes checks of $100K – $500K.
- What sectors does 1855 Capital Partners focus on?
- 1855 Capital Partners focuses on EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, Medical Devices, New Materials.
- Where is 1855 Capital Partners located?
- 1855 Capital Partners is headquartered in State College, US.
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