Pre-Seed Β· 3 people tracked
Investment thesis
Carnegie Mellon VentureBridge is a pre-seed fund and accelerator program run by CMU's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, backing Carnegie Mellon founders who are working on their startups full-time. It sits within a broader set of university programs that also offer idea-stage grants, competitions, and later-stage investments to CMU-affiliated startups.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.
Team Β· 3 people
from the firm's websiteFounder mafia
The Carnegie Mellon University mafia β222 people who came through Carnegie Mellon University went on to found or lead other companies.
+ 210 more
What they invest in
from 1 of 1 portfolio companiesDeep Tech Γ1Hardware Γ1New Materials Γ1
HQs:United StatesΓ1
Portfolio companies Β· 1 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeNovoLINC develops nanocomposite thermal interface materials designed to lower thermal resistance and improve heat dissipation in electronic chipsets.
Deep TechHardwareNew MaterialsPittsburgh, US
Robert Wenner(Executive Officer)Sheng Shen(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardTina Tosukhowong(Director)inEric Rosenblum(Director)inNing Li(Executive Officer, Director)inPaul Sheng(Director)
Co-investorsFoothill VenturesHitachi VenturesM VenturesTDK VenturesFathom Fund
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesNovoLINC Β· technical.ly Β· Jan 8, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Carnegie Mellon University invest at?
- Carnegie Mellon University invests at the Pre-Seed stage.
Images
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