Compound
Venture capitalActively deployingNew York · Series A · 9 people tracked
Also known as COMPOUND ADVISORS, LLC
Investment thesis
Compound is a thesis-driven, research-centric investment firm. It grounds its investing in in-depth research across areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, crypto and decentralized science, biology and biomanufacturing, biosecurity, and broader deep tech. The firm regularly publishes detailed theses and writing exploring emerging scientific and technological trends, funding coordination models, and company-building strategy in these frontier domains, reflecting a focus on early technical breakthroughs and category-creating companies.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 9 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 53 of 68 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×26Biotech ×12Deep Tech ×12Crypto & Web3 ×10Healthtech ×10Enterprise Software ×9Developer Tools ×7Cloud Computing ×6
HQs:United States×25
Investments · 68 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathTalkspace is an online mental health care platform that provides research-backed therapy and psychiatric services covered by insurance, allowing users to connect with licensed therapists and psychiatrists through text, audio, or video.
Digital HealthHealthtechMental Health
Achira builds molecular world models that blend geometric deep learning, physics, and quantum chemistry to advance drug discovery and materials design.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
John Chodera(President / CEO)Theofanis Karaletsos
BoardZavain Dar(Board)
Zindi is a platform where data scientists and machine learning practitioners compete in AI challenges to build skills, win prizes, and connect with employers.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesEdTechEbene
Dan Zigmond(Director)Ekow Duker(Executive Officer, Director)Karim Beguir(Director)Celina Lee(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatDan Zigmond· per SEC Form D · $1000K raise · filed Nov 2021
aifleet is a tech-driven trucking company that uses proprietary AI algorithms and route optimization tools to improve driver satisfaction, vehicle utilization, and operational efficiency for freight transport.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkLogistics & Supply ChainTexas, US
Marc El Khoury(Executive Officer, Director)Nan Li(Director)
Alljoined develops neural decoding technology using machine learning to enable computers to interpret human brain activity, aiming to enhance human capability, mental health, and interpersonal understanding.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDigital HealthHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Jonathan(CEO)Anthony(Chief Scientific Officer)
Antimatter Systems provides personalized learning experiences and formative assessment tools for educators and students, offering games, activities, and professional development resources to support differentiated instruction.
AI & Machine LearningEdTech
Advanced ManufacturingAgTechBrisbane, US
Jamie Bacher(Founder)inAdam Paul Arkin(Founder)inErkki Aaltonen(Director)
CellVoyant is an AI-first company that develops predictive analytics and optimization tools for cell-based therapeutic development, helping researchers accelerate process development and reduce costs through label-free imaging analysis and data-driven process optimization.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
Rafael Carazo Salas(CEO & Founder)in
Conception develops stem cell technology to create functional reproductive cells in the laboratory, enabling in-vitro gametogenesis as a solution for individuals facing biological and medical fertility barriers.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtech
Matt Krisiloff(CEO)Bianka Seres(President)
CrowdAI provides a no-code platform that enables organizations to build and deploy computer vision applications without requiring deep technical expertise.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Devaki Raj(Founder/CEO)inNic Borensztein(Founder/CTO)inPablo Garcia(Founder)inMohammad Islam(Director)
Culture Biosciences provides software and bioreactor hardware solutions for bioprocess development, enabling researchers to design, monitor, and analyze experiments remotely with cloud-native analytics and AI/ML insights.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechCloud ComputingHealthtechSan Francisco, US
Dapper Labs is a venture studio building products and communities at the intersection of culture and emerging technology, focused on digital ownership, data control, and decentralized platforms for creators and collectors.
ConsumerCreator EconomyCrypto & Web3Sector AgnosticVancouver
Roham Gharegozlou(Founder)Dieter Shirley(Founder)Dietrich Shirley(Executive Officer)Jody Rebak(Executive Officer)Alex Shih(Director)Hamilton Helmer(Director)
Deepgram builds foundational voice AI technology that enables speech-to-text, audio intelligence, text-to-speech, and voice agent APIs for businesses to create natural voice interactions.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Scott Stephenson(CEO and Co-founder)Dave Wilner(Director)Adam Sypniewski(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardZach DeWitt(Director)Elizabeth de Saint-Aignan(Director)
FORT provides a distributed control platform that enables autonomous systems and robots to operate safely and securely alongside people across industries including warehousing, construction, defense, agriculture, and transportation.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareIoTRobotics
Samuel Reeves
Notion is an AI-powered workspace platform that enables teams to capture context, find answers, and automate tasks through collaborative tools.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
Cofounder is an AI-powered platform that provides agentic departments for early-stage founders, automating engineering, sales, marketing, design, finance, and operations tasks.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
Juvena Therapeutics develops biologics derived from human secreted proteins to treat aging-related diseases, using AI-enabled drug discovery to identify tissue-restorative therapeutics for muscle and metabolic disorders.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechLongevityMedical DevicesRedwood City, US
Jeremy O'Connell, PhD(Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder)Hanadie Yousef, PhD(Executive Advisor and Co-Founder)Steven James(Director)inStephen Juelsgaard(Director)inHanadie Yousef(Executive Officer, Director)Laura Lande-Diner(Director)in
New York, US
Xiao Tang(Director, Promoter)Douglas Petkanics(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Livepeer is a permissionless GPU network that enables real-time video inference, allowing developers to generate, transform, and analyze live video streams through AI-powered processing without pre-rendering or pre-recording.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingCreator Economy
Building.life uses genetic engineering, genomic analysis, and AI to design novel organisms, beginning with engineering the world's first true unicorn through precision gene editing and embryonic development.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechAustin, US
Josie Zayner PhD(Founder)Josette Zayner(Executive Officer, Director)
Magrathea develops a new electrolytic process to produce magnesium metal from seawater and brines, aiming to establish American and Western supply of this defense-critical material currently dominated by China.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechDefense TechNew MaterialsArkansas, US
Alexander Grant(CEO)
Nowsta is an AI-powered workforce management platform that enables organizations to source, schedule, manage, and pay hourly and contingent workers from a unified interface with advanced scheduling, payroll integration, and compliance features.
Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSBrooklyn, US
Lou Forster(Director)Moo Kim(Director)Nicholas Lillios(Executive Officer, Director)
Threshold Network is a decentralized protocol that enables Bitcoin to be used across multiple blockchain networks and financial markets through its tBTC token, facilitating lending, staking, trading, and yield-generation activities.
Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechAustin, US
MacLane Wilkison(Founder/CEO)in
Panthalassa is building a planetary-scale clean energy platform designed to meet global energy demand through offshore deployment with zero emissions at ultra-low cost.
CleantechDeep TechEnergy
PayJoy provides financial services and credit access to unbanked and underbanked populations in emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
B2B MarketplacesFintechImpact & Social GoodRetail TechSan Francisco, US
Douglas Ricket(Executive Officer, Director)Gilberto Lopez(Executive Officer)Mark Heynen(Executive Officer)
BoardJohn ButtrickJosh McFarlandTodd Schell
Wilmington, US
Thore Buergel(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Jakob Steinfeldt(Executive Officer, Director)
Plural Energy provides private capital market infrastructure and investment management solutions for broker-dealers, investment banks, family offices, and wealth managers seeking to invest in distributed energy resources.
Climate TechEnergyFintech
Spencer Marr(President & Co-founder)
Polyphron is using AI and automation to produce human tissue at scale, providing ground-truth data for AI biology and developing therapeutics based on immune-compatible iPSC-derived grafts.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
Prime Intellect provides an integrated platform for training, deploying, and continuously improving custom AI models, combining compute resources, reinforcement learning tools, evaluations, and inference services.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Vincent Weisser(Executive Officer, Director)Johannes Hagemann(Director)
BoardDavid Katz(Director)
Red Queen Bio builds an AI-powered biodefense system that rapidly designs and manufactures countermeasures against emerging biological threats, enabling faster defensive responses to evolving pathogenic risks.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDefense Tech
Hannu Rajaniemi(Executive Director)Nikolai Eroshenko(CEO)
Runway builds AI models that simulate the world by merging art and science, pioneering general-purpose multimodal simulators focused on applications in robotics, scientific discovery, and disease modeling.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyDeep TechMedia & EntertainmentNew York, US
Spark Automation provides 5-axis CNC milling, precision fabrication, automation integration, and test development services across multiple industries including automotive.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDeveloper ToolsWhite Plains, US
Michael Kohen(Executive Officer, Director)Eyal Cohen(Director)
Stacks is a blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to leverage Bitcoin as a secure base layer through a Layer 2 solution, offering developer tools and a programming language called Clarity.
Crypto & Web3Developer Tools
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Compound invest at?
- Compound invests at the Series A stage.
- What is Compound's typical check size?
- Compound typically writes checks of $400K – $1.5M.
- What sectors does Compound focus on?
- Compound focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Crypto & Web3, Deep Tech, Robotics.
- Where is Compound located?
- Compound is headquartered in New York, US.
- Does Compound lead rounds?
- Yes, Compound leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamThe Past, Present, and Future of AI, Robotics, Venture Capital, Crypto | Michael Dempsey @ Compound - YouTube
The Peel with Turner Novak · Michael Dempsey
If you’re not too early, you’re too late | Shelby Newsad, Partner at Compound VC - YouTube
Nucleate · Shelby Newsad
Compound’s Michael Dempsey on Thesis-Driven vs Founder-Driven Investing - YouTube
Turpentine VC · Michael Dempsey
Future of AI&ML in Creative Tech w/ Michael Dempsey @ Compound (Live from the Future 0004) - YouTube
Future Fridays · Michael Dempsey
Images
Co-investors · 24
Andreessen Horowitz's Strategic Partnerships page describes collaborations that connect its portfolio companies with established institutions to help scale and deploy their technology.
Craft Ventures is a venture capital firm founded and run by former founders, operators, and investors who provide startups with hands-on support, senior talent access, and proven scaling playbooks.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm known for backing bold, contrarian bets in world-class teams that can reshape entire industries.
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that backs founders across technology and life sciences, with a portfolio of companies from early stage through growth.
Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City that invests in companies at the edge of large markets being transformed by technological and societal pressures.
Caffeinated Capital is a venture firm based in San Francisco and New York that leads seed and Series A rounds and continues investing throughout the life of technology companies.
Amplify Partners is an early-stage venture firm that has invested in technical founders — engineers, researchers, and scientists — building applications, AI models, developer tools, and infrastructure since 2012.
Resolute Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that leads pre-seed and seed rounds, backing founders with grit, energy and conviction.
Electric Capital is an early-stage venture firm founded in 2018 that backs founders building trust-minimized technologies across AI, crypto, fintech, and related sectors.
Paradigm is a frontier technology investment firm that builds and invests in early-stage companies across crypto, AI, robotics, and other emerging technology areas.
Blockchain Capital is a venture firm that has partnered with crypto builders since 2013, investing across the blockchain and digital asset ecosystem.
HOF Capital is a New York-based venture capital firm investing in companies transforming foundational industries through advanced software and AI.
▶12 more co-investors
Yes VCGraph VenturesNotation CapitalRefactor CapitalFlucas VenturesDimension CapitalCharge VCTencent HoldingsCreative VenturesGreat Wave VenturesMubadala CapitalTeam Builder Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Compound, from public investor directories.
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