First Star Ventures
Venture capitalCambridge · Pre-Seed–Seed · 5 people tracked
Investment thesis
First Star invests at pre-seed in visionary, technically deep founders riding emerging computing waves. Its thesis centers on the idea that computing continues to expand into more of the world: robots developing spatial intelligence for complex real-world tasks, the merging of software and biology through genomics, CRISPR, and generative AI, and AI enabling creative reasoning beyond simple automation. The firm backs engineers and researchers transforming large industries from the ground up, positioning itself as a hands-on partner from zero through Series A and beyond, offering network, expertise, and complementary skills.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 21 of 46 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×11Enterprise Software ×5Data & Infrastructure ×4AgTech ×3Biotech ×3Cloud Computing ×3Deep Tech ×3Developer Tools ×3
HQs:United States×17Canada×1
Investments · 46 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathGenialis develops artificial intelligence models trained on ethnically diverse cancer datasets to predict patient responses to targeted therapies and immunotherapies, supporting treatment decisions for pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechMedical DevicesBoston, US
Ita Lu(Director)Cedric Hermann Odje(Director)Elia Stupka(Director)Krista McKerracher(Director)Miha Štajdohar(Executive Officer, Director)Rafael Rosengarten(Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder)
Board seatDrew Volpe· per SEC Form D
EnergyLos Angeles, US
Joel Wishkovsky(Executive Officer, Director)Silviu Livescu(Executive Officer)Paul Straub(Director)Joselyn Lai(Executive Officer, Director)
Cisco provides networking devices and infrastructure software for data centers, workplaces, and security operations.
Cloud ComputingCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSan Jose, US
Extellis is developing a technology product referred to as Pathfinder, with a development history including patents and a DARPA-funded program.
Deep TechDefense TechDurham, US
Jeffrey Ludwig(Executive Officer)David Smith(Director)Michael Boyarsky(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJustin Wright-Eakes(Director)
Cambridge, US
Akash Bhatia(Executive Officer, Director)Purushotham Botla(Director)Harish Bhatia(Director)
MotionHall provides a software platform combined with strategy consulting for senior biopharma executives, supporting IP portfolio management and business development transactions.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechSaaS
Parallel Wireless develops open radio access network (RAN) software and solutions for telecommunications operators.
Cloud ComputingDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareHardwareBoston, US
Sridhar(Co-founder)Kaitki(Co-founder, Chief Product Officer)Steve Papa(Executive Officer, Director)Rajesh Mishra(Executive Officer, Director)
Plus One Robotics develops intelligent parcel handling robotics systems that combine computer vision, AI, and supervised autonomy for logistics and ecommerce organizations.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSan Antonio, US
Erik Nieves(CEO & Co-founder)Shaun Edwards(CTO & Co-founder)Whitney Rockley(Director)Chris Cole(Director)Chris Girgenti(Director)Paul Hvass(Executive Officer, Director)
Robotics company (Plus One Robotics).
Resilinc provides agentic AI software for supply chain risk management that detects disruptions in real time and recommends mitigation actions.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainMilpitas, US
Sumit Vakil(Executive Officer)Ravi Mohan(Director)Gregory Silich(Director)Bindiya Vakil(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJohn Dougery(Director)
Fyto builds automated cropping systems that cultivate the aquatic plant lemna to recover farm nutrients and produce protein and starch, serving dairy and other farm operations.
AgTechClimate TechRobotics
Salient provides AI-powered weather and climate forecasts spanning from 1 day to 1 year using deep learning models trained on ocean and land-surface data.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechData & InfrastructureFalmouth, US
Paul Straub(Director)Matthew Stein(Executive Officer, Director)Raymond Schmitt(Executive Officer, Director)
SaolaAI is an autonomous software quality platform that analyzes real user sessions to automatically generate, run, and monitor end-to-end tests without manual scripting or maintenance.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Scoot Science provides data-driven operational intelligence for commercial fishing and aquaculture operations through real-time ocean forecasts, catch logging, and environmental monitoring.
AgTechData & Infrastructure
Swiftly operates a retail media platform that integrates digital-out-of-home advertising and point-of-sale data to enable retailers and brands to target shoppers across physical and digital channels and measure real-world sales impact.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningMarketing TechRetail Tech
Sean Turner(CTO and Co-founder)in
Throne makes a smart toilet sensor that automatically tracks gut health, hydration, and urinary function by analyzing flush patterns, providing users with daily insights about how diet, medications, stress, and other factors affect digestion.
Digital HealthHealthtechIoTAustin, US
Timothy Blumberg(Director)Ben Gardner(Director)Randall Scott Hickle II(Executive Officer, Director)
Arlington, US
Vivjan Myrto(Director)Seth Proctor(Executive Officer, Director)Peter Shah(Director)
Vistapath develops technology solutions to modernize pathology lab operations, helping pathology laboratories improve quality, efficiency, and consistency in critical lab processes.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesCambridge, US
Timothy Spong(CEO & Founder)Ben Burley(COO & Founder)inJacob Guggenheim(CTO)inBurley Benjamin(Executive Officer, Director)Spong Timothy(Executive Officer, Director)
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does First Star Ventures invest at?
- First Star Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is First Star Ventures's typical check size?
- First Star Ventures typically writes checks of $100K – $1M.
- What sectors does First Star Ventures focus on?
- First Star Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cybersecurity, Deep Tech, Energy, Robotics.
- Where is First Star Ventures located?
- First Star Ventures is headquartered in Cambridge, US.
- Does First Star Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, First Star Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamDrew Volpe, Founder & Managing Partner at First Star Ventures
MGMT Boston - The Lantern · Drew Volpe
Co-investors · 26
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▶14 more co-investors
Caffeinated CapitalFlybridge Capital PartnersStellar CapitalHustle FundUncorrelated VenturesLocus VenturesOyster VenturesLocalGlobecLabsNeu Venture CapitalPillar VCNKM CapitalSeventure PartnersInBlockchain
Firms observed investing alongside First Star Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with First Star Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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