Fundraising Fox
Menlo Park · Pre-Seed–Series A · 11 people tracked
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Investment thesis
First Spark Ventures is a Deep Tech venture capital fund that backs startups built on fundamental technological insights across three areas: Advanced Compute, Digital Biology & Biotech, and CyberPhysical Systems. It targets companies raising Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A rounds, seeking strong teams, large addressable markets, and durable differentiation. The firm views advanced computation as a productivity driver, AI-based computational biology as a major source of improvements to human health, and physical systems with software-like scalability as transformative for traditional industries. Backed by an interdisciplinary team, it supports founders throughout their journey and partners with SRI International, a long-standing scientific research institute.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 5, 2026.
Team · 11 people
from the firm's website & public directories
Founder mafia
2 people who came through First Spark Ventures, Llc went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 26 of 29 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×19Deep Tech ×11Biotech ×8Medical Devices ×7Hardware ×5Healthtech ×5Digital Health ×4Enterprise Software ×4
HQs:United States×15United Kingdom×2Germany×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 17 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×62 founders×73 founders×34+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 20 founders with education data
Stanford University ×3Cornell ×2Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×2Novosibirsk State University (NSU) ×2University of California, Berkeley ×2University of Cambridge ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 24 founders with field-of-study data
Computer Science ×8Engineering ×8Business & Management ×3Chemistry ×3Physics ×3Life Sciences ×2Medicine ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 26 founders with career history
Google ×8Microsoft ×4Stanford University ×4Google Deepmind ×2IBM ×2MIT Media Lab ×2Natera ×2Speaktoit ×2
16 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 25 with degree data)
Investments · 29 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12025 · 22023 · 42022 · 22019 · 110 dated
FIGUR8 is an FDA-registered platform that provides objective, actionable insights for musculoskeletal health diagnosis and treatment.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesBoston, US
Nan-Wei Gong(Founder and Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsPhoenix Venture PartnersChloe CapitalConvergent VenturesDigiTx Partners LLCEvolution VC PartnersGRIDS Capital+4 more
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)
Co-investorsAngel Collective Opportunity FundCompoundCrosscourt VenturesEvolution VC PartnersMana VenturesTranspose Platform Management
ARIA (Advanced Research + Invention Agency) is a UK government R&D funding agency that provides grants and resources to scientists and engineers pursuing high-risk, high-reward scientific and technological breakthroughs.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechGovTech
Confidencial provides data-centric security technology that protects sensitive information automatically at the point of creation or ingestion, for organizations across industries handling confidential documents and data.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Karim Eldefrawy(CTO & Co-Founder)in
Co-investorsPerot Jain
Curve Pay is a digital wallet that combines multiple bank cards into one, letting users switch which card paid for a purchase after the fact, avoid foreign exchange fees, and earn cashback on top of existing card rewards.
ConsumerFintech
Shachar Bialick(Founder)inAnna Mostyn-Williams(Founder)Frances "Franco" Stevens(Founder)Tom Foster-Carter(Founder)
Co-investorsCathay InnovationCohen CircleFuel Venture CapitalHanaco Venture CapitalLifeX VenturesMouro Capital+11 more
Curve Bio builds Whole-Body Intelligence models from its Whole-Body Atlas, a molecular map of the body, to power blood tests that monitor organ health in chronic disease patients.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthDallas, US
Nathan Hunkapiller(Founder)inProf. Shan Wang, PhD(Chief Innovation Officer and Scientific Founder)Ritish Patnaik, PhD(Chief Executive Officer)CHUBA OYOLU(Executive Officer)SHAN XIANG WANG(Executive Officer, Director)RITISH PATNAIK(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsLifeX VenturesLuma GroupNZVCCivilization Ventures Management, LlcMintaka
Endometrics is a molecular diagnostics company developing non-invasive tests for women's health that use menstrual blood as an organ-proximal liquid biopsy, with an initial focus on endometriosis.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthFemTechMedical DevicesSanta Clara, US
Dr. Aznavour(CEO & Founder)Yana Aznavour(CEO & Founder)in
Co-investorsGranatus VenturesSupernode Ventures
Flower develops collaborative AI infrastructure and tools, including federated learning platforms, AI agents, and language models that enable organizations to build and deploy AI networks while maintaining data privacy and control.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareHamburg, DE
Daniel J. Beutel(Founder)inNic Lane(Founder)inTaner Topal(Founder)inJohn Diklev(Founder)Nicholas Lane(Founder)Marcel Roesberg(Vice President, Finance \u0026 Operations)
Co-investorsBetaworksFelicis VenturesMozilla VenturesPioneerY CombinatorBetaworks Ventures Management, Llc+5 more
Fundamental Research Labs builds autonomous, socially intelligent AI agents capable of reasoning and multi-agent collaboration.
AI & Machine Learning
Nico Christie(Founder)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzA16Z SpeedrunAlumni VenturesCastor VenturesFactorial FundsPatron+3 more
Inlyte Energy manufactures iron-sodium battery energy storage systems for utility-scale and industrial applications.
CleantechEnergyHardwareBerkeley, US
Antonio Baclig(Founder & CEO)Will Gent(Cofounder & VP of Engineering)in
BoardRichard Wang(Director)inLaurie Menoud(Director)in
Co-investorsAt One VenturesCollaborative FundTechEnergy VenturesValo VenturesClimate Capital
Inworld AI provides a full-duplex audio streaming platform that enables real-time conversational AI interactions with intelligent turn-taking, function calling, and multi-model routing capabilities for developers building conversational applications.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsMountain View, US
Ilya Gelfenbeyn(Founder)inKylan Gibbs(Founder)inMichael Ermolenko(Founder)in
Co-investorsA-Force VenturesBitkraft Esports VenturesBrave CapitalCRV (Charles River Ventures)Dentsu VenturesDisney Accelerator+15 more
Latent AI builds tools and services for deploying, optimizing, and updating machine learning models at the edge, including in disconnected real-world environments across varied hardware and device fleets.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechEnterprise Software
Co-investorsAUM VenturesBlackhorn VenturesBooz Allen VenturesDoon CapitalFuture VenturesGrit Ventures+2 more
Nimble Science develops SIMBA Capsule Kits that enable researchers and commercial partners to study the small intestinal microenvironment; the company offers discounted access to these kits in exchange for research data and provides regulatory and clinical support services.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesFusionJoyance PartnersSeventure PartnersStartup TNTThin Air Labs+3 more
Normal is an applied research lab focused on AI for hardware design, providing data and evaluation methods to advance AI capabilities.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareSan Francisco, US
Anson Yu(CEO)inHudhayfa Nazoordeen(Founder)inAntonio Martinez(Founder)Faris Sbahi(Founder)Matthias Tan(Founder)
Co-investorsY CombinatorArcTern VenturesBase Case CapitalDrive CapitalGolden VenturesMichael Chen+3 more
Normal builds open, AI-powered building automation software for portfolio managers, replacing siloed legacy systems with unified dashboards and centralized control across multiple properties.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareIoTPropTechSaaS
Co-investorsArcTern VenturesZigg CapitalDrive CapitalLaude VenturesMicron VenturesSamsung Catalyst Fund
Normal Computing develops software and hardware infrastructure optimizing AI models for physical systems through custom silicon design and advanced EDA tools.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsHardwareSemiconductorsSan Francisco, US
Faris Sbahi(Executive Officer, Director)inAntonio Martinez(Founder)inMatthias Tan(Founder)inAaron Sisto(Director)inYui-Hong Matthias Tan(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsCelesta CapitalDrive CapitalMicron VenturesSamsung Catalyst FundSamsung NextView Different
High quality outpatient surgical care.
Co-investorsMcKesson VenturesStar51 CapitalTau Ventures
Radical Numerics develops AI models and architectures built for biology, including multimodal generative models trained on biological data to support genomic discovery and gene-editing.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
Eric Nguyen(Founder)inMichael Poli(Founder)in
Co-investorsObvious VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementEmergence Capital PartnersTriatomic Capital
Simulon builds an iPhone-based visual effects app that composites photorealistic 3D assets into live-action footage.
Co-investorsGMG VenturesMercuri.vc
SoloPulse develops advanced physics-based and AI-powered systems for threat detection and intelligence gathering, offering SIGMA™ for payload-based situational awareness and NOVA™ for synthetic aperture radar processing across unmanned and satellite platforms.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense Tech
Co-investorsCantos VenturesCollaborative FundCrosscut Ventures
SynthLabs develops reinforcement learning methods for large reasoning models, such as Adaptive Length Penalty (ALP), which adjusts generation length to problem difficulty to reduce token usage.
AI & Machine LearningDeep Tech
Nathan Lile(Founder)inFrancis deSouza(Founder)in
Co-investorsM12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund)
Thales develops products and solutions in defence, security, cybersecurity, digital identity, and aerospace for businesses, organisations, and governments.
CybersecurityDefense TechSpace Tech
Co-investorsStageOne Ventures
Tidal Metals uses patented electrochemical technology to produce primary magnesium from seawater or desalination brine using clean electricity, aiming to re-establish domestic magnesium production in the United States.
CleantechDeep TechNew Materials
Howard Yuh(Founder)in
Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)
Unnatural Products is a drug discovery platform company that develops synthetic macrocycles to target previously undruggable disease targets.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesSanta Cruz, US
Cameron Pye(Co-Founder & CEO)inJoshua Schwochert(Co-Founder & CSO)in
BoardVasudev Bailey(Director)in
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesArtis VenturesAsset Management CompanyBetter Ventures Central LlcBlue Bear VenturesColorcon Ventures+8 more
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Valitor develops bioactive molecule therapies using a multivalent biopolymer technology platform to create long-acting treatments for ophthalmologic diseases, with its lead candidate VLTR-559 targeting wet age-related macular degeneration.
BiotechMedical DevicesBerkeley, US
Wesley Jackson(President, Chief Scientific Officer & Member of the Board)inGregory D. Kunst(Chief Executive Officer)Carole H Bellis(Executive Officer)Kevin E Healy(Director)Jackson M Wesley(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDrew Lanza(Director)in
Co-investorsAngel Physicians FundBerkeley CatalystExSight VenturesPandect BioventuresTaihill Venture
Vitara Biomedical develops medical technology for the care of extremely premature newborns.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesPhiladelphia, US
Bernard Lyons(Executive Officer, Director)inJames McGlone(Executive Officer, Director)inJeffrey Kahn(Executive Officer)Jim McGlone(Founder)
BoardThomas Todorow(Director)Ian Ratcliffe(Director)
Co-investorsGV (Google Ventures)Jazzya InvestmentsKhosla VenturesMyelin VC
Walking Fish Therapeutics develops cell therapies aimed at restoring health and function in patients.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesSouth San Francisco, US
Lewis Williams(Co-founder & CEO)inRusty Williams(Founder)Antonin de Fougerolles(Director)Momo Wu(Director)Stella Xu(Director)Alexis Ji(Director)
Co-investorsPandect BioventuresIllumina VenturesNorthpond Ventures
Xona Space Systems operates Pulsar, a positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service delivered from a constellation of small satellites in Low Earth Orbit that broadcasts a new signal to augment or replace GPS.
Deep TechHardwareSpace TechBurlingame, US
Brian Manning(Founder)inTyler Reid(Founder)inAdrien Perkins(Director)Paul Tarantino(Founder)
BoardSky Dayton(Director)inLewis Jones(Director)in
Co-investorsAloniqArmada Investment AGBeyond Earth VenturesCapital InnovatorsCraft VenturesCross Culture Ventures+18 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Fairies
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesRadical Numerics · finsmes.com · Jun 15, 2026
Normal Computing · finsmes.com · Mar 25, 2026
Unnatural Products · finance.yahoo.com · Mar 16, 2026
Fundamental Research Labs · techcrunch.com · Aug 1, 2025
Xona Space Systems · finance.yahoo.com · Jul 17, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has First Spark Ventures, Llc made?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc has 29 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does First Spark Ventures, Llc invest at?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does First Spark Ventures, Llc focus on?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cybersecurity, Deep Tech, Digital Health, Energy, Hardware, Healthtech, Robotics.
- Where is First Spark Ventures, Llc located?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc is headquartered in Menlo Park, US.
- Does First Spark Ventures, Llc lead rounds?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does First Spark Ventures, Llc co-invest with?
- First Spark Ventures, Llc most often shares deals with Samsung Next, Collaborative Fund, Gaingels, among 119 tracked co-investors.
- What size deals does First Spark Ventures, Llc back?
- Across 5 deals with disclosed amounts, First Spark Ventures, Llc has joined rounds of $8M – $50M (median $9M).
Images
Co-investors · 3
Benchmark is a venture capital firm with offices in San Francisco and Woodside that invests in early-stage startups.
Patron is a seed-stage venture fund backing consumer founders building culture-defining companies, partnering early with startups that have already launched.
Unknown Ventures is a venture studio based in Austin that provides funding and operational support to early-stage startups at the pre-seed to Series A stage. The firm backs founders seeking to create innovative solutions that improve human experience.
Firms observed investing alongside First Spark Ventures, Llc, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with First Spark Ventures, Llc's recorded portfolio.
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