Fundraising Fox

Blue Tulip Ventures

Venture capitalActively deploying

Boston · Pre-Seed–Seed · 23 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Blue Tulip Ventures believes AI represents the most transformative innovation of the current era and focuses on startups building human-centric AI that enhances rather than replaces human capabilities. The firm targets three pillars: solutions good for people (supporting health, happiness, knowledge, productivity and connection), solutions good for the planet (food innovation, climate action, scientific discovery), and ethical AI with transparent governance and safety measures. Key technology areas include AI agents, companions, co-pilots, virtual humans, human-machine interfaces, sensing AI, and governance solutions. The investment thesis emphasizes that diversity of thought and lived experience foster innovation while mitigating bias, and that backing companies with human well-being and ethics at their core is both morally sound and economically sound business.

Invests inAI & Machine LearningBoston

Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
HQ
Boston, US
Instruments
Equity

Team · 23 people

from the firm's website
Gabi Zijderveld· Co-Founder and Operating Partner

Technology executive and AI innovator with over a decade of experience building and commercializing AI products across 7 startups and two public companies including IBM. Previously served as Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Product at Affectiva. Brings extensive expertise in product development, global team leadership, and go-to-market strategy.

Rana el Kaliouby· Co-Founder and General Partner

Renowned AI scientist and entrepreneur who founded and sold Affectiva (a MIT spin-out) in 2021. Previously raised and deployed a $12M fund across 40 early-stage AI companies. Currently serves as venture partner at BOLD Capital Partners and executive fellow at Harvard Business School. Holds a Ph.D. from University of Cambridge and completed a postdoc at MIT.

Amy Villeneuve

Director and Harvard Business School and MIT startup mentor. Former VP of Amazon Robotics (Kiva) and co-owner of Domaine Travelle.

Brent Sapiro

Senior Vice President of Revenue with 20+ years of experience scaling startups through IPO. Former early-stage executive at Affectiva.

Carla Brodley

Professor at Northeastern University and Dean of Inclusive Computing. Leads interdisciplinary machine learning research initiatives.

Claire Johnson

Former Chief Operating Officer of Stripe and author of 'Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building'.

Dune Thorne

Partner at Brown Advisory providing strategic investment solutions. Co-founder of Invest in Girls.

Eric Cohen

CEO of Livio Labs, leveraging AI for improved mental health outcomes. Serves as a Harvard startup mentor and is the inventor of the Reebok PUMP.

Eric Horvitz

Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft and member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Esther Dyson

Journalist, author, and business model analyst. Founder of Wellville and active as a board member and investor.

Julie Stuecken

Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Officer specializing in experiential consumer marketing. Farmtech startup entrepreneur with expertise in brand strategy.

Karim Lakhani

Professor at Harvard Business School specializing in technology management and innovation. Author of 'Competing in the Age of AI'.

Kathy Pham

VP of AI at Workday; Senior Advisor at Mozilla; Faculty member and fellow at Harvard. Advocates for responsible technology development.

Mohamed Amersi

Internationally renowned businessman and telecommunications dealmaker. Trustee of the Eisenhower Fellowships.

Natalie Monbiot

Virtual human pioneer and Head of Strategy at Hour One. Specializes in the virtual human economy.

Nick Thompson

CEO of The Atlantic; co-founder of SpeakEasy AI. Former editor-in-chief of WIRED magazine.

Pam Boiros

Experienced Chief Marketing Officer with expertise in building AI-forward marketing teams, HR tech, and edtech. Startup advisor.

Reid Hoffman

Co-founder of LinkedIn and Inflection AI; investor at Greylock. Focused on using AI to benefit humanity and protect US democracy.

Sasha Luccioni

AI and Climate Lead at Hugging Face; Chair of AI and Social Justice; Adjunct Professor at McGill University.

Sophie V. Vandebroek

Global innovation expert with extensive leadership experience as former COO of IBM Research and CTO of Xerox. Currently serves in advisory, trustee, director, and investor roles.

Taryn Southern

AI strategist, speaker, and creative technologist. Serves as Chief Storytelling Officer at Blackrock Neurotech.

Tim Peacock

General Manager and VP of AI Data at Smart Eye; former COO and Head of Engineering at Affectiva with 25+ years of startup experience.

Trina Van Pelt

Advisor and director with 25+ years of experience in disruptive technology investments and acquisitions. Former general partner at Intel Capital.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Blue Tulip Ventures invest at?
Blue Tulip Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What sectors does Blue Tulip Ventures focus on?
Blue Tulip Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning.
Where is Blue Tulip Ventures located?
Blue Tulip Ventures is headquartered in Boston, US.

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