Cambridge · Pre-Seed–Seed · 4 people tracked
Also known as BAUKUNST MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC
Investment thesis
Baukunst operates a $100M venture fund dedicated to leading pre-seed investments in companies working at the intersection of technology and design. The firm positions itself as a collective of creative technologists in pursuit of the 'art of building,' backing founders at the earliest frontiers of technology.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 29 of 37 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×13SaaS ×9Advanced Manufacturing ×6Consumer ×6Hardware ×5Cleantech ×4IoT ×4Direct to Consumer ×3
HQs:United States×16
Who they back
founder profiles across 19 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×112 founders×63 founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 10 founders with education data
Stanford University ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 37 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 52024 · 12022 · 12021 · 12017 · 210 dated
Boston, US
JACK MOLDAVE(Executive Officer, Director)MATTHIAS HOFMANN(Executive Officer, Director)Matthias Hofmann(Executive Officer, Director)Jack Moldave(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardCAITLIN DONOVAN(Director)
Board seatAxel Bichara· per SEC Form D · $22.1M raise · filed Jul 2025
Somerville, US
Johanna Pascale Hartzheim(Director)Ismail Salhi(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatAxel Bichara· per SEC Form D · $10M raise · filed Aug 2025
Middletown, US
Jeffrey McAlvay(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatAxel Bichara· per SEC Form D · $4M raise · filed Nov 2025
Software Defined Automation provides a platform for industrial operations that manages factory automation and control systems with AI-driven insights and built-in OT (operational technology) security.
Advanced ManufacturingCloud ComputingCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsIoTBoston, US
Josef Waltl(Executive Officer, Director)inJon Rosenbaum(Director)Axel Scheurer(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatAxel Bichara· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsFly VenturesTechFoundersFirst Momentum
Bindery is a publishing company that partners with book influencers ("tastemakers") to run digital book clubs and launch small publishing imprints, handling production, distribution, marketing, and publicity of titles.
Creator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Matt Kaye(Co-founder)Meghan Harvey(Co-founder)
Co-investorsBloomberg Beta
Bobbie manufactures baby formula and builds workplace support for parents.
ConsumerFoodTechHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Laura Modi(Founder)in
BoardSarah Hardy(Director)Sara Adler(Director)
Co-investors1st Course CapitalGroundForce CapitalIngeborg InvestmentsLakehouse Venture PartnersNextView VenturesPrecursor Ventures+5 more
BRUNT Workwear is a direct-to-consumer brand that designs and sells work boots and workwear apparel—including comp toe and slip-resistant boots, work pants, utility shorts, jackets, hoodies, and performance shirts—for tradesmen and jobsite workers.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Eric Girouard(Founder & CEO)
Co-investorsStripesSuffolk Technologies
Desktop Metal develops additive manufacturing (3D printing) platforms and materials for production-volume manufacturing, targeting engineers, designers, manufacturers, and medical professionals.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareBurlington, US
Ric Fulop(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDayna Grayson(Director)in
Co-investorsBMW i VenturesConductive VenturesConstruct CapitalDCVC (Data Collective)Founder CollectiveLux Capital+7 more
Acquired by Palo Alto Networks
Dan Benjamin(Founder)in
Co-investorsSelah VenturesSignalFireAvilaAzolla VenturesKoa LabsSuffolk Technologies
Dig Energy develops technology to lower the cost of drilling for distributed geothermal energy, aiming to make geothermal heating and cooling cost-competitive for buildings.
CleantechClimate TechEnergy
Dulcie Madden(Co-Founder & CEO)Thomas Lipoma(Co-Founder & CTO)Dan Jepeal(VP Engineering)
Co-investorsAvilaAzolla VenturesSunna Ventures
DirectBooker is an AI-native aggregation service that collects hotels' direct rates, availability and booking links and delivers them via a Model Context Protocol server to AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSTravel & Hospitality
Sanjay Vakil(Co-founder & CEO)George Madrid(Co-founder & CTO)Theresa Meyer(Co-founder, CPO & COO)
Dobby is an AI tool that automates freight forwarding operations by analyzing team inboxes, tracking shipment status, drafting emails, and moving data into TMS and other systems.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS
Estes Energy Solutions builds Magnus, a magnesium-alloy battery platform delivering 225 Wh/kg using commercially available lithium-ion cells, designed for transport sectors including rail, marine, aviation, and on/off-highway vehicles.
CleantechEnergyMobility & Transportation
Co-investorsBMW i VenturesGigascale CapitalTrucks VC
Eyebot develops technology solutions for vision care, serving retailers, patients, and eye doctors to improve vision care delivery and access.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesRetail Tech
Matthias Hofmann(Co-founder, CEO)inJack Moldave(Co-founder, CTO)
Co-investorsAlleyCorpHumba VenturesRavelin CapitalSpacecadet VenturesUbiquity VenturesVillage Global+2 more
Fi develops smart collars and wearable technology for dogs that track location, safety, and health metrics to help dog owners monitor their pets' wellbeing.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHealthtechIoT
Jonathan(Founder & CEO)
Co-investorsAdvance Venture PartnersBatshit Crazy VenturesBlack Jays VenturesLerer HippeauNew York Venture PartnersV1 VC+1 more
Fyto builds automated cropping systems that cultivate the aquatic plant lemna to recover farm nutrients and produce protein and starch, serving dairy and other farm operations.
AgTechClimate TechRobotics
Co-investorsCity LightFirst Star VenturesRefactor Capital
Co-investorsCool Climate Collective
Kaavio provides AI-powered product content management for distributors and manufacturers, automating the creation, validation, and deployment of product data across e-commerce and catalog systems.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareSaaSDanville, US
DerekSam
Co-investorsTechstars
Motif is a browser-based workspace for architecture and design teams that combines 2D/3D content, sheet review, markups, and AI visualization, with live model streaming from Revit and Rhino.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechSaaS
Co-investorsCapitalGRedpoint Ventures
Obello is an AI-powered creative platform that converts AI-generated outputs into fully editable, on-brand ads, images, and videos that design and marketing teams can refine, animate, resize, and customize.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Ben Pham(Founder)in
Co-investorsAVVCapria VenturesObvious Ventures
Offe.market is a marketplace that sells overstock, past-season, and sample sale fashion items at discounts.
Circular EconomyCleantechMarketplacesLos Angeles, US
Rachel Gannon(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsTechstars
Onshape is a cloud-native CAD and product data management (PDM) system that runs on any device without requiring local installation.
Advanced ManufacturingCloud ComputingSaaSCambridge, US
John McEleney(Executive Officer, Director)David Corcoran(Executive Officer)Jon Hirschtick(Executive Officer, Director)inDaniel Shore(Executive Officer)Ilya Mirman(Executive Officer)
BoardAxel Bichara(Director)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzConstruct CapitalNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)
Orange builds Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging outlets and EVSE hardware paired with its OrangeOS software, designed for multifamily properties.
CleantechEnergyHardwareRedwood City, US
Neil Joseph(Executive Officer, Director)Nicholas Johnson(Executive Officer, Director)Matt Thoms(Director)Matthew McElhattan(Director)Jack McFarland(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsClimacticIntelis CapitalQuorum Capital PartnersSpacecadet VenturesCrow HoldingsMunich Re Ventures
Pair Eyewear designs and sells prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses with swappable frame tops that allow customers to change styles.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerHardwareCalifornia, US
Sophia Edelstein(Executive Officer, Director)inNathan Kondamuri(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardRick Yang(Director)inAlex Gurevich(Director)in
Co-investorsAdvancit Capitalblue 9 capitalBreak Trail VenturesEvolution VC PartnersHelium-3 VenturesJavelin Venture Partners+11 more
PictureStudio is an AI image studio for creating, editing, managing, and sharing generated images.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomySaaS
Point One develops precision navigation technology for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and mobile systems.
AI & Machine LearningIoTMobility & TransportationRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Aaron Nathan(Co-founder/CTO)inMike KurdzielinKaren LeineweberinRyan DoughertyinBryan Galusha(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJesse Beyroutey(Director)in
Co-investorsComet LabsCoral CapitalHemi Ventures, LlcKhosla VenturesLudlow VenturesRuvento Ventures Pte Ltd.+2 more
Recess is a platform for discovering, comparing, and booking afterschool programs, classes, and camps for children, aimed at parents.
ConsumerEdTechMarketplaces
Molly(Co-founder)Amy(Co-founder)
Co-investorsSwizzle Ventures
Recorded Future provides cyberthreat intelligence and AI-powered cyber defense capabilities to help organizations identify and neutralize critical threats.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSomerville, US
Christopher Ahlberg(Executive Officer, Director)Staffan Truve(Director)
BoardLiautaud Bernard(Director)Rich Miner(Director)Jeff Fagnan(Director)Kevin Brown(Director)in
Co-investorsAccompliceBalderton CapitalGula Tech AdventuresInsight PartnersMassMutual VenturesREV Venture Partners+1 more
Sylvie sources rare and antique home goods from around the world, prepares and catalogs each piece, and sells them through timed 24-hour online collection "drops." The company operates as a curated e-commerce estate for vintage and one-of-a-kind home items sold directly to consumers.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Threaded is a manufacturing-native AI platform that connects data from ERP, MES, and spreadsheets to model a factory's value stream as an interactive graph, giving manufacturers unified visibility and automated analytics.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningSaaS
Tive provides visibility solutions for supply chain and shipment operations, helping stakeholders track and manage shipments to ensure on-time and complete delivery.
IoTLogistics & Supply ChainBoston, US
Krenar Komoni(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsBroom VenturesBVVCFloating PointOne Way VenturesQualcomm VenturesSageview Capital+10 more
Tonal manufactures an AI-powered smart home gym system that uses digital weight resistance and personalized coaching to enable strength training at home.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareWellness & Fitness
Co-investors359 CapitalDreamers VCFlucas VenturesKindred VenturesNew Ground VenturesNext Legacy Partners+2 more
Vention offers an integrated platform combining modular hardware, cloud-based CAD/programming software, and AI-powered tools that lets manufacturers design, deploy, and operate factory-floor automation such as robot cells, palletizers, and conveyors.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningRobotics
Etienne Lacroix(Founder)in
Co-investorsNVenturesWhite Star CapitalDesjardins CapitalFidelity InvestmentsMaRS
Co-investorsTouch Capital
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesDig · northernvirginiamag.com · Aug 27, 2026
Motif · startupfortune.com · Aug 18, 2026
Dobby · vulture.com · Aug 11, 2026
Estes · eptrail.com · Aug 3, 2026
Bobbie · foodengineeringmag.com · Jun 24, 2026
Desktop Metal · elevenflo.com · Mar 19, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Baukunst made?
- Baukunst has 32 tracked investments, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Baukunst invest at?
- Baukunst invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Baukunst's typical check size?
- Baukunst typically writes checks of $500K – $3M.
- What sectors does Baukunst focus on?
- Baukunst focuses on Deep Tech, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Baukunst located?
- Baukunst is headquartered in Cambridge, US.
- Does Baukunst lead rounds?
- Yes, Baukunst leads investment rounds.
- Who does Baukunst co-invest with?
- Baukunst most often shares deals with New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Techstars, BMW i Ventures, among 95 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamErica Wenger on X: "My conversation with Kate McAndrew (@katepmcandrew). Kate McAndrew is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Baukunst, a $100 million pre-seed venture fund that backs founders at the earliest stages of company building. Over the past decade, she has invested in more than 100 https
Kate McAndrew · x.com
30 Jahre Erfahrung als Early-Stage VC: Learnings aus 100+ Investments - mit Axel Bichara, Baukunst
Unicorn Bakery by Fabian Tausch · Axel Bichara
Kate McAndrew from Baukunst on Pre-Seed Investing and Empowering Founders
Life Self Mastery · Kate McAndrew
Matt Thoms, Co-Founder & General Partner at Baukunst
MGMT Boston - The Lantern · Matt Thoms
The Startup Building the Future of Domestic Battery Production: Dustin Grace of Estes Energy
Baukunst
The Startup Building the Future of Architectural Design: Amar Hanspal of Motif
Baukunst
Images
Co-investors · 23
RRE Ventures is a boutique early-stage venture capital firm that backs founders across sectors, combining decades of experience with AI-driven analysis throughout the investment lifecycle.
Insight Partners is an investment firm focused on accelerating revenue and profit growth in software companies, providing capital and operational support through its Insight Onsite team.
Lerer Hippeau is an early-stage venture capital firm that backs founders across sectors, emphasizing investing in companies before they gain wider recognition.
Village Global is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage founders and connects them with a network of experienced operators, angels, and prominent tech LPs.
AlleyCorp is an early-stage investor and incubator based in New York that builds and backs companies across enterprise, consumer, healthcare, and deep tech sectors.
Ravelin Capital is an early-stage technology investment firm focused on critical industries.
Ubiquity Ventures is a seed-stage institutional venture capital firm investing in 'software beyond the screen' — B2B startups applying AI and software to physical, real-world problems.
Black Jays Ventures is an early-stage investor backing founders building products and services that address the modern needs of families across health, care, personal finance, and education.
New York Venture Partners is a founder-run family office that makes direct investments in pre-seed and seed startups, having backed over 60 companies. It offers financing along with mentorship and strategic marketing consulting.
An early-stage venture capital firm based in Boulder, Colorado that focuses on pre-revenue and pre-seed companies across all sectors and geographies.
Bessemer Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs across enterprise, consumer, and healthcare sectors from early stages through growth.
Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City that invests at the edge of large markets undergoing transformation from technological and societal pressures.
▶11 more co-investors
Susa VenturesFreestyle CapitalTenaya CapitalGlobal Innovation FundG20 VenturesStrata Capital PartnersSpace CapitalShield CapitalBuilding VenturesRazor's Edge VenturesNew North Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Baukunst, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Baukunst's recorded portfolio.
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