Fundraising FoxCambridge · Pre-Seed · 1 people tracked
Find your way into DesignX
Sign up to see every warm intro you have to DesignX
- Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the DesignX team. We find them for you
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
- Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone
Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.
Investment thesis
MITdesignX is an MIT venture accelerator focused on innovation in design, cities, real estate, the built environment, and the human environment. Each year it selects a small cohort of teams that include MIT graduate students, researchers, staff, and faculty from the School of Architecture and Planning and across MIT. Teams progress through a January bootcamp and a 16-week spring accelerator, culminating in a pitch-out and demo event, and receive mentorship, workspace, and up to $10,000 in milestone-based grant funding per team. The program emphasizes ventures addressing societal needs and impact on cities and the human environment.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 3, 2026.
Team · 1 people
from public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 32 of 75 portfolio companiesMedia & Entertainment ×21Climate Tech ×6Construction Tech ×6Impact & Social Good ×5AI & Machine Learning ×3Consumer ×3Enterprise Software ×3Fintech ×3
HQs:United States×17Israel×2Mexico×2Colombia×1France×1United Kingdom×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 10 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×42 founders×43 founders×2
What their founders studiedfrom 10 founders with field-of-study data
Design & Architecture ×3Life Sciences ×3Business & Management ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 12 founders with career history
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×4EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) ×2junya.ishigami+associates ×2
Portfolio companies · 75 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBy year:2025 · 12018 · 12016 · 13 dated
AARP Services is the commercial arm of AARP that connects companies with the 50+ population through brand licensing, marketing, audience data, and innovation services.
ConsumerData & InfrastructureImpact & Social GoodLongevityMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSocialWellness & Fitness
Jo Ann Jenkinsin
Acelab provides a platform for architects and construction professionals to research, select, and document building materials.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBrooklyn, US
Vardhan Mehta(Executive Officer, Director)inDRIES CARMELIET(Executive Officer, Director)inDave Lemont(Executive Chairman)inEmily Farirbairn(Director)
BoardMatthew Hayes(Director)inParker McKee(Director)in
Co-investorsAlpaca VCCorigin VenturesDraper AssociatesJLL Spark Global VenturesNavitas CapitalPillar VC+2 more
Archipreneur is a digital platform and community for architects and AEC industry professionals that delivers educational content, case studies, and networking opportunities to support business innovation and sustainable design practices.
Construction TechEdTechFuture of WorkMedia & Entertainment
Autodesk is a publicly traded developer of design, engineering, and entertainment software, best known for AutoCAD.
San Rafael, US
Andrew Anagnost(Executive Officer, Director)inRichard Scott Herren(Executive Officer)Steven M. Blum(Executive Officer)Pascal W. Di Fronzo(Executive Officer)Carmel Galvin(Executive Officer)
BoardBetsy Rafael(Director)
Co-investorsAccess Venture PartnersAutodesk FoundationBaseline VenturesBuilding VenturesHomebrewKarista+9 more
Biobot pioneers wastewater epidemiology, monitoring pathogens and substances in sewage to provide real-time public health surveillance at the community level.
BiotechData & InfrastructureGovTechHealthtechBoston, US
Newsha Ghaeli(President)inMariana Matus(Founder)inMariana Guadalupe Matus Garcia(Executive Officer, Director)Ayo Omojola(Investor)in
BoardVivek Pattipati(Director)inAndrew Perlman(Director)in
Co-investorsAmerican Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social ImpactBlindspot Ventures Management CoDCVC (Data Collective)Dorm RoomHomebrewPathbreaker Ventures+22 more
No verifiable company matching this name and investor combination could be identified.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsAdvance Venture PartnersAltorBeyond CapitalCool Climate CollectiveFirstCheck AfricaFootPrint Coalition+2 more
Clearstory is a software platform that helps general contractors and specialty contractors manage change orders, track field work, and control project costs through AI-powered workflows and integrations with existing financial and project management systems.
Construction TechEnterprise SoftwareSaaSWalnut Creek, US
Cameron Page
Co-investorsBuilding VenturesCloud Apps Capital PartnersJackson Square VenturesPrudenceGS Futures
Cool Hunting is an independent design and culture publication that curates content on intersections of design, technology, and culture for creative professionals.
ConsumerMedia & Entertainment
Josh Rubin(Founder, Editor + Executive Creative Director)Evan Orensten(Founder + Executive Editor)
Calcalist Tech (CTech) is an English-language news outlet covering Israel's technology industry, reporting on startups, venture capital, funding, AI, and innovation.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investors10D91 VenturesDisruptive AIGandyr InvestmentsJibe VenturesMensch Capital Partners+3 more
Design Milk is a media publication covering architecture, interior design, automotive, fashion, technology, and art, with a focus on modern design and sustainable practices.
ConsumerCreator EconomyE-commerceMedia & EntertainmentPickerington, US
Co-investorsExpa
Dorm Room Fund is an investment fund that provides capital, mentorship, and investor network access to student-led startups.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechDeep TechFintechSector Agnostic
Josh Kopelman(Founder)in
Co-investorsChris DixonFirst Round CapitalGarry TanPlexo CapitalQuiet CapitalUnderscore VC+1 more
Elements is a software platform for financial advisors that visualizes client financial health through metrics and automated reporting, designed to simplify client communications and drive business growth.
FintechSaaSWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsFlyover CapitalForward Venture CapitalGrand VenturesNTT DOCOMO VenturesFusion
Finnovista organizes FINNOSUMMIT, a fintech industry conference and ecosystem event connecting startups, corporates, and investors in the financial innovation sector, with a focus on Latin America.
FintechMedia & EntertainmentCiudad de México, MX
Co-investorsIGNIARainmaking
Co-investorsLatin Leap
Revista Fortuna is a Mexican digital news outlet publishing articles on economics, finance, energy, business, and technology, with a focus on Mexico.
Media & Entertainment
Grist is a nonprofit news organization reporting on climate change and its intersections with health, food, energy, and environmental justice.
Climate TechImpact & Social GoodMedia & Entertainment
Co-investorsChris And Heidi StolteAmerican Journalism Project
HERA Materials (formerly Atacama Biomaterials) develops WoodPack (WPK), a wood-fiber-based, recyclable and compostable paper film that replaces single-use fossil-plastic packaging, using proprietary materials, AI-enabled formulation, and retrofit manufacturing systems.
Circular EconomyClimate TechNew MaterialsSomerville, US
Paloma Gonzalez-Rojas(Founder & CEO)inJose Tomas Dominguez(Founder & COO)Jose Antonio Gonzalez(Founder & CFO)
Co-investorsMilemark Capital Partners
ISRAEL21c is a content brand celebrating Israeli innovation, culture, and daily life through videos, podcasts, and learning resources.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsMediterranean Towers Ventures
Lamarr.AI provides automated building envelope diagnostics using drones, detecting thermal inefficiencies, water intrusion risks, and visual defects to inform retrofitting, new construction, and capital planning.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechPropTechAtlanta, US
Co-investorsGENIUS NYHazelview VenturesMilemark Capital PartnersNewLab
Le Figaro is a French news publisher producing journalism and analysis on topics including defense and politics for a general French-speaking audience.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsKarot CapitalMAIF Avenir
Out of the Box provides personalized learning resources and curriculum materials for children, including classroom tools, learning roadmaps, and digital content designed for different learning modalities.
EdTechCambridge, US
Co-investorsDorm RoomScaleGood Fund LP (powered by TELUS)Techstars
Scientific American is a media organization that publishes research and ideas across science, health, technology and society through multiple formats including print, web, video, and podcasts.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsBow Capital
Roofscapes designs rooftop developments that add vegetation and stormwater retention systems to urban roofs, reducing indoor temperatures during heat waves and mitigating urban heat island effects.
Climate TechConstruction TechPropTech
Eytan Levi(Founder)inTim Cousin(Founder)in
Startup Pill is a media and journalism platform that publishes news, analysis, and interviews about startups globally.
Media & Entertainment
Tech Policy Press is a nonprofit media organization that publishes independent journalism and analysis on technology's intersection with democracy and policy.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentTexas, US
Co-investorsJohn S. and James L. Knight FoundationOmidyar Network
Techs and the City is a blog that profiles startups (largely based in New York City) and occasionally venture capital firms, publishing articles about founders and their companies.
Media & EntertainmentNew York, US
Visible Hands is a venture capital firm or investment organization with a diverse board/advisory team spanning leadership from major corporations, startups, and financial institutions.
Impact & Social GoodSector Agnostic
BoardGreg Gottesman(Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs (Co-Chair))Samantha Simmons(Director, Special Projects at HubSpot (Co-Chair))
Co-investorsAtento Capital
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AfterStockAiRCADArchitectmagazineBBC News,BertzmanBosaiPlus+BrellaBuy-InCaptureChakula boraCivic AtlasCohabConstruct();CradleECHOFrolic CommunityGrain BoxHarness the HeatIngot AIJaneLa FirmeLoopaNews DetectiveNewsletterNprOwl SightsPlacefulPlaceIntPurifyxQuipuRE: StacksReFuserompsShare a ShelfSofDeskSomotoStarlings TechnologyT-SpaceTangibleterviTherealdealVertify Analytics
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesGBH · wgbh.org · Nov 6, 2025
Hera Materials · heramaterials.com · Jun 24, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has DesignX made?
- DesignX has 75 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does DesignX invest at?
- DesignX invests at the Pre-Seed stage.
- What is DesignX's typical check size?
- DesignX typically writes checks of $10K.
- What sectors does DesignX focus on?
- DesignX focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Construction Tech, Consumer, Hardware, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Media & Entertainment, PropTech.
- Where is DesignX located?
- DesignX is headquartered in Cambridge, US.
- Who does DesignX co-invest with?
- DesignX most often shares deals with Building Ventures, Dorm Room, Homebrew, among 78 tracked co-investors.
Images
Similar investors
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that writes pre-seed checks and is backed by a community of founder and operator LPs.
Simsan Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on backing overlooked and underrepresented founders, aiming to democratise access to entrepreneurship and support diverse emerging investors.
MPG Fund is an early-stage venture investor backing technology startups.
BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) is a Canadian financial institution that has supported small and medium-sized businesses across all industries and stages of growth for over 80 years, providing financing and advisory services.
Colle Capital Partners is an opportunistic, early-stage technology venture fund investing globally across a broad range of technology sectors.