Fundraising Fox

Ad Astra Ventures

Impact investor

5 people tracked

Fox Verdict
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Investment thesis

Ad Astra partners with visionary founders to unlock their authentic leadership potential and navigate business growth. The firm emphasizes pragmatism, creative thinking, and authenticity, helping founders move beyond traditional approaches. By backing diverse teams and removing barriers to entrepreneurial success, the firm seeks to support founders in building sustainable, impactful businesses.

Invests inSector AgnosticUnited States

Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.

Instruments
Equity
Founded
2018
Tracked investments
22

Team · 5 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Allison Long Pettine· Founding Partnerin
Courtney Burnett· AAV Fund Leadin

What they invest in

from 20 of 22 portfolio companies

FemTech ×6Consumer ×5Digital Health ×5Wellness & Fitness ×5Direct to Consumer ×4Healthtech ×4E-commerce ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2

HQs:United States×10

Who they back

founder profiles across 8 portfolio companies
50%
solo founders
4 of 8 mapped founding teams

Founding team size:solo founder×42 founders×33 founders×1

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Techstars ×2

Investments · 22 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2021 · 12020 · 12019 · 12018 · 25 dated

Aquaaiaquaai.comin𝕏

Aqua AI builds underwater robots designed to help address ocean and marine environmental problems.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechRobotics

SimeonLianeSimeon P.(Founder)in

Co-investorsBackstage CapitalCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Aquacyclaquacycl.comin𝕏Jul 2021

Aquacycl provides onsite industrial wastewater treatment using its patented technology to treat high-strength wastewater without dilution, offering energy-neutral operation, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and water reuse.

Circular EconomyCleantechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodEscondido, US

Orianna Bretschger(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Jones(Director)Anil Jha(Director)

Co-investorsCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Next Wave Impact8090 Industries

Cooler Headscoolerheads.comin

Cooler Heads develops scalp cooling technology to prevent hair loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

HealthtechMedical DevicesSan Diego, US

Kate Dilligan(Founder & CEO)in

BoardMaria Gonzalez-Blanch(Director)inMICHAEL SCHOTZINGER(Director)LIZ TODIA(Director)LIZ ZAMBORY(Director)inJASON PESTERFIELD(Director)

Co-investorsAloft VCAstiaCALIFORNIA INNOVATIONGolden SeedsMutual Capital PartnersRobin Hood Ventures+1 more

Courtroom5courtroom5.comin𝕏Mar 2019

Courtroom5 provides a litigation toolkit and guidance system for self-representing litigants (pro se parties) to navigate court procedures, interpret law, and prepare cases without hiring lawyers.

LegalTechDurham, US

Sonja Ebron(Executive Officer, Director)inDebra Slone(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsIDEA NCTechstars

Domaine Santedomaine-sante.com

Domaine Santé makes grape nectar sugar substitutes—low-sugar, low-glycemic sweeteners for use in food and beverages such as breakfast foods, desserts, sauces, and drinks.

ConsumerFoodTechWellness & FitnessSan Diego, US

Domaine Santé

Produces Grape Nectar, a California-grown sugar alternative that is healthier and better-tasting than traditional sugar.

Esasnycesasnyc.com

ESAS is a personal care brand selling natural, non-toxic body products, including its Hamam probiotic full-body deodorant spray in the company's signature scents.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness

Frameframeyourfuture.comin

Frame provides personalized fertility care coordination and guidance for individuals at various stages of their fertility journey, including evaluation, expert care teams, and access to vetted medical providers and products.

Digital HealthFemTech

Jessica Bell van der Wal(Founder & CEO)inCorey van der Wal(Founder)in

Co-investorsCake VenturesCity LightFlare Capital PartnersKli CapitalStone Mountain VenturesThe MBA Fund+5 more

Frame Health falseframefertility.comin

Frame is a virtual fertility care service that provides personalized evaluations, plans, and support from a dedicated team of medical providers, coaches, and care coordinators.

Digital HealthFemTechHealthtech

Co-investorsGreat Oaks Venture CapitalTop Corner Capital

Hydrostasishydrostasis.comin

Hydrostasis develops optical sensor hydration technology, marketed as Geca, that detects hydration changes and notifies users when they need to drink water.

HardwareHealthtechWellness & Fitness

Co-investorsigniteXL Venture

Keggkegg.tech

kegg is a medical-grade silicone fertility tracking device that measures changes in the vaginal environment and cervical mucus to identify a woman's most fertile days, paired with a companion app that provides daily fertility scores and ovulation probability.

Digital HealthFemTechHardware

Co-investorsQQ CapitalTexas HALO Fund

Kids Care Finderkidscarefinder.com

Childcare platform connecting parents with all child-related services from birth onwards, reducing costs and increasing access to quality care.

Liluwearlilu.comFeb 2020

Lilu develops an app to support breastfeeding mothers and runs beta programs to gather user feedback on the product.

Digital HealthFemTechHealthtechWellness & FitnessNew York, US

Sujay Suresh Kumar(Executive Officer, Director)Adriana Catalina Vazquez Ortiz(Executive Officer, Director)Adriana Catalina Vázquez Ortiz(Founder)

Co-investorsChloe CapitalLair East Labs

Onekinonekin.co

oneKIN operates a platform supporting a community of over 500 small businesses and entrepreneurs, offering site curation and retailer relationships.

E-commerceMarketplacesRetail Tech

Co-investorsCapital Innovators

Please Assist Mepleaseassistme.comin𝕏May 2018

Please Assist Me provides home management services through teams of W-2 employees called PAMs who help reduce household stress and tasks.

ConsumerFuture of WorkPropTechNashville, US

Stephanie Cummings(Executive Officer, Director)Seany Denson(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsBackstage CapitalBlack Tech Nation VenturesInnova Memphis, Inc.Techstars

Pumpspottingpumpspotting.comin𝕏

Pumpspotting offers software and tools that blend emotional and informational support with practical resources to help parents with breastfeeding, pumping, and baby-feeding at home, at work, and on the go.

Digital HealthFemTechSaaSEliot, US

Amy Van Haren(Executive Officer, Director)Caitlin Wege(Director)

Seaesta Surfseaestasurf.comin𝕏

Seaesta Surf sells swimwear and boardshorts, including children's surf and swim apparel.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Seam Social Labsseamsociallabs.comin𝕏

Seam Social Labs is an MWBE/DBE firm providing research studies, community engagement, and urban planning services across transportation, economic development, and public health.

AI & Machine LearningGovTechImpact & Social Good

Co-investorsNew Age Capital

The Sash Bagthesashbag.com

The Sash Bag is a wearable bag with a patented design featuring 10 stacked pockets and a built-in wallet meant to distribute weight evenly and keep everyday items organized.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Thecontrolistthecontrolist.com

TheControList is compliance software that manages audit preparation by assigning and tracking auditable items, storing documentation in a central repository, and giving auditors direct access to restricted materials.

Enterprise SoftwareSaaS

Uqorauqora.com𝕏Oct 2018

Uqora develops consumer supplements and drink mixes focused on urinary tract and bladder health, using ingredients such as cranberry and D-Mannose.

Direct to ConsumerFemTechWellness & FitnessSan Diego, US

Spencer Gordon(Executive Officer, Director)Jennifer Ryan(Executive Officer, Director)

Veritycaseveritycase.comin

VERITY manufactures reusable and recyclable beauty packaging using precision engineering and circular material selection.

Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyNew Materials

Co-investorsInterlock Capital

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Ad Astra Ventures made?
Ad Astra Ventures has 22 tracked investments.
What sectors does Ad Astra Ventures focus on?
Ad Astra Ventures focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Who does Ad Astra Ventures co-invest with?
Ad Astra Ventures most often shares deals with Backstage Capital, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Techstars, among 31 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Ep #271 Funding for Women with Silvia Mah, Founding Partner Ad Astra Ventures

She Angels Series - Invest In Her · Silvia Mah

Highlight video with Silvia Mah the Founding partner of Ad Astra Ventures

Startup Steroid · Silvia Mah

Images

Ad Astra Ventures photo

Co-investors · 1

Golden Seeds

Golden Seeds is an angel investment network founded in 2004 that focuses on funding women-led companies. It has invested more than $200 million in such companies since inception.

Both backed · 1
$250K – $2M

Firms observed investing alongside Ad Astra Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Ad Astra Ventures's recorded portfolio.

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