Gen Capital
Venture capitalChicago · Pre-Seed–Series A · 24 people tracked
Find your way into Gen Capital
5,026 people in our graph share verified history with the Gen Capital team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
The firm invests at the early stage in what it calls 'Gen 1 Products' — original, transformative, and technically disruptive innovations. It prioritizes founders first, seeking deeply technical, humble, and high-integrity entrepreneurs it can support through good and bad times. Drawing on experience leading product and engineering at large hardware and software enterprises, building startups, and running corporate venture capital, the team leverages ties to local technology ecosystems, corporate partners, and universities to help incubate and commercialize new technologies. It targets complex opportunities such as digital and industrial automation, geospatial, manufacturing, autonomous transportation, digital health, distributed ledgers, environmental technology, and education.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 24 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 39 of 55 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×19Enterprise Software ×17Fintech ×9Hardware ×9SaaS ×9Data & Infrastructure ×7Consumer ×4Deep Tech ×4
HQs:United States×23United Kingdom×1Israel×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 28 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×152 founders×73 founders×54+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 25 founders with education data
Stanford University ×5University of Tennessee, Knoxville ×3Harvard University ×2University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ×2University of Waterloo ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 29 founders with career history
Georgia Institute of Technology ×2University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
6 founders hold a PhD · 3 hold an MBA (of 27 with degree data)
Investments · 55 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2018 · 22017 · 12016 · 12015 · 15 dated
Intel designs and manufactures semiconductor processors for data center, consumer, and embedded applications, including Xeon server processors, Arc graphics processors, and mobile processors.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareSemiconductorsSanta Clara, US
April Miller Boise(Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer)inMichelle Johnston Holthaus(Chief Executive Officer of Intel Products)inChristoph Schell(Executive Officer)inDavid A. Zinsner(Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer)inLip-Bu Tan(Chief Executive Officer & Director)in
BoardJames J. Goetz(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAccess Venture PartnersCeltic House Venture PartnersKluz VenturesNorwest Venture PartnersPlayground GlobalPrefix Capital+5 more
1QBit develops computational tools that enable organizations to reimagine and solve complex, previously intractable problems across industries.
Deep TechEnterprise SoftwareQuantum Computing
Andrew Fursman(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsInnovative Solutions CanadaSCB 10X
Develops AI tools for tax and accounting professionals to improve compliance, financial planning, and decision-making capabilities.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechLegalTechSan Francisco, US
David Yue(Co-founder)inFinsam Samson(Co-founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsKhosla VenturesAlumni VenturesBasecamp FundCarya Venture PartnersDcode CapitalGeneral Catalyst+3 more
Amber produces wireless, solar-powered automation kits for grain bin monitoring and fan control that replace traditional cable systems.
AgTechHardwareIoTChicago, US
Lucas Frye(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inJoseph Varikooty(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)in
BoardCyril Ebersweiler(Incoming Series Seed Director.)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsHAXIllinois Ventures1517SOSV
Ambition provides a unified revenue execution platform that integrates coaching, data intelligence, and activation tools for sales teams.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSales TechChattanooga, US
Travis Truett(Founder/CEO)inJared Houghton(Founder)inBrian Trautschold(Founder/COO)in
BoardClint Smith(Director)Sid Chambless(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsChattanooga Renaissance FundY Combinator
Artisight builds an AI platform that uses computer vision and operational intelligence to improve hospital workflows and clinician efficiency.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtech
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsNVIDIAEpsilon Health InvestorsGFT Ventures
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Behavox provides an AI-native compliance platform that unifies surveillance, archiving, policy management and compliance operations for large financial institutions, asset managers, and other regulated enterprises.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechLondon, GB
Erkin Adylov(Founder & CEO)inKiryl Trembovolski(Founder)inAlexander Glasman(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsHoxton VenturesIndex VenturesSoftBank Vision FundBlackRockHPS Investment Partners, LLC
Bellabeat develops AI-powered wearable devices and a health intelligence platform designed to help women track wellness metrics, understand hormonal cycles, and receive personalized health insights.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFemTechHardwareWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Urska Srsen(Founder/CCO)inSandro Mur(Founder)Urška Sršen(Founder)in
BoardPeter Warnoe(Director)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCherubic VenturesCrunchFundFundersClubPromus VenturesTuesday CapitalY Combinator+3 more
Cape Analytics provides CAPE Property Intelligence, using geospatial imagery analytics and computer vision to generate predictive property risk insights.
AI & Machine LearningInsurTechPropTech
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBrewer Lane VenturesDCVC (Data Collective)In-Q-TelLux CapitalThompson Hutton, LLC10x Founders+1 more
Personal site of Charlie Kemp, a roboticist and cofounder/CTO of Hello Robot Inc., which builds Stretch, a compact, lightweight, force-sensitive mobile manipulator robot.
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Cobalt Robotics provides an AI-powered physical security monitoring platform that connects access control systems, video feeds, and edge devices to automate incident investigation and response for enterprise security operations centers.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwarePalo Alto, US
Erik Schluntz(Director)inTravis Deyle(Executive Officer, Director)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCoatue ManagementComet LabsFlucas VenturesHemisphere Ventures LLCStorm VenturesBloomberg Beta+3 more
CrossLend provides portfolio management and securitisation technology for private debt and digital lending.
Data & InfrastructureFintechSaaS
Oliver Schimek(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsEarlybird Venture CapitalMouro CapitalNorthzone
Custom Ink is an online provider of customizable apparel and merchandise for organizations, groups, and businesses, offering design tools and customer service to help teams build culture and brand awareness.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAurumBAM VenturesSWaN & Legend Venture PartnersTensility Venture Partners
Darklang is a programming language and development platform designed to build CLIs and cloud applications with minimal complexity.
Cloud ComputingDeveloper Tools
Paul Biggarin
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalNextView Ventures
Deako manufactures smart home electrical switches and controls that enable wireless dimming, scheduling, and automation for residential applications.
ConsumerHardwareIoTSeattle, US
Derek Richardson(Founder/CEO)in
BoardDoug Renert(Director)inBrian Weeks(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsTandem CapitalY Combinator
Digital Asset (DA) is the creator of the Canton Network, a privacy-enabled blockchain for global financial markets that supports tokenization of real-world assets and connects traditional and decentralized finance.
Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechNew York, US
Yuval Rooz(Co-Founder & CEO)inEric Saraniecki(Co-Founder & Head of Network Strategy)Shaul Kfir(Co-Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsR136 Venturesa16z cryptoAlumni VenturesBNP ParibasBroadridgeCME Ventures+8 more
DCG is an investment and operating firm focused on the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, managing over 200 equity investments, 50 fund investments, and 30+ token and digital asset holdings across 25+ countries.
Crypto & Web3Fintech
Barry Silbert(Founder & CEO)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCapitalGFirstMark CapitalK2 GlobalNew York Life VenturesOMERS VenturesRRE Ventures+3 more
Dispatch provides a service orchestration platform that connects businesses with independent service providers and customers to deliver coordinated, high-quality service experiences.
AgTechB2B MarketplacesData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechFuture of WorkSaaSNew York City, US
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsGrandBanks CapitalKima VenturesLaunchCapitalTechstars
EarthSense develops AI and robotics solutions for agriculture to address sustainability and productivity challenges.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningRobotics
Chinmay Soman(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsADB VenturesAg Ventures AllianceAgLaunch AcceleratorAurum Venture PartnersBread And Butter Ventures, LlcIllinois Ventures+2 more
San Francisco, US
San Gunawardana(Executive Officer, Director)inHelen Boniske(Director)Krassimir Piperkov(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMatt Bigge(Director)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCrosslink CapitalBrightCap Investment Advisor ADPromus Ventures
Machine learning software platform that transforms unlabeled data into high-quality AI training data.
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCanvas VenturesCheyenne VenturesK9 VenturesPromus VenturesThe Perkins FundTrinity Ventures
An industrial IoT company enabling secure communications and private exchanges between devices through distributed network technology.
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalPantera CapitalVTF CapitalZenStone Venture CapitalFINTOP CapitalWillow Growth Partners+1 more
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Gigster connects companies with a global network of software developers and digital talent to build custom products and develop digital capabilities.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSAustin, US
Debo Olaosebikan(Founder)inRoger Dickey(Co-Founder & CEO)inChristopher Keene(Chief Executive Officer)inJennifer Pockell Dimas(Chief Marketing Officer)inEllis Ishaya(WW Vice President, Customer Success & Network Operations)inShawn Mohr(Chief Revenue Officer (joined May 2023))in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsEmmett ShearFelicis VenturesJustin WaldronMarc BenioffNaval RavikantTransmedia Capital+5 more
Hello Robot develops mobile manipulator robots designed to assist and enhance life for people of all ages, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareRoboticsAtlanta, US
Dr. Aaron Edsinger(Co-founder)Dr. Charlie Kemp(Co-founder and CTO)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Aaron Ward(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCrosslink CapitalJam Fund
Iguazio builds a platform for deploying machine learning and generative AI models into production business applications, helping data science and engineering teams move models from development to real-world use.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise Software
Eran Duchan(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsINcapital VenturesKensington Capital Partners LimitedPlaza VenturesVerizon VenturesCME VenturesPitango+1 more
Inventables manufactures and sells desktop CNC machines, parts, and accessories for makers, creative professionals, and small manufacturers.
Advanced ManufacturingCreator EconomyHardwareChicago, US
BoardZach Kaplan(Executive Officer, Director)inPhil Black(Director)inSue Khim(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCorazon CapitalDundee Venture CapitalGreycroftIllinois VenturesTrue VenturesDraper Associates
June makes a countertop smart oven that combines functions like convection, air frying, grilling, and slow cooking, using an internal HD camera and a "Food ID" recognition system to identify food and auto-select cooking programs.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerHardware
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAurumRSE VenturesMarc BenioffRainfall Ventures
Kensho is an AI innovation division within S&P Global that develops generative and agentic AI systems for financial intelligence and enterprise platforms.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechCambridge, US
Daniel Nadler(Executive Officer, Director)inPeter Kruskall(Executive Officer, Director)Bhavesh Dayalji(CEO & S&P Global Chief AI Officer)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBreyer CapitalComcast VenturesF-Prime CapitalGoldman SachsXfund
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Adobe is a multinational software company that develops creative, design, and business productivity applications.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyEnterprise Software
Phil Fernandez(CEO)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAsia GreenTech FundBattery VenturesCrosslink CapitalEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)fronttrail Equity Partners GmbHFuel Ventures+16 more
Palo Alto geospatial analytics company applying AI and computer vision to satellite, aerial and mobile location data; acquired by Privateer in 2024.
James Crawford(Founder)Kevin O'Brien(CEO)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAnsa CapitalBrighter CapitalGeodesic CapitalGV (Google Ventures)Hemisphere Ventures LLCKrillion Ventures+6 more
Poppy optimizes ventilation in large commercial buildings by using aerosol tracer testing to measure actual outdoor air rates and adjusting existing damper setpoints to cut HVAC energy waste, with customers paying only from verified utility savings.
CleantechEnergyPropTechSilicon Valley, US
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsf7 VenturesPanache VenturesTop Corner Capital
Powerlytics provides investable asset data derived from U.S. tax returns, enabling wealth managers and financial services firms to identify client capacity to invest at granular geographic levels.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintech
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBrewer Lane VenturesBroad Street AngelsCurql Collective, LLCTribeca Early Stage Partners
London
Nick Pointon(Executive Officer)Cary Davis(Director)Gerard Buggy(Director)Jason McFall(Executive Officer)Jason du Preez(Executive Officer, Director)Seth Pierrepoint(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investors24 HaymarketAccelIlluminate FinancialPartech Ventures
Daniel Rosenbergin
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCredo VenturesFundersClub
Return Path (now part of Validity) offers email deliverability tools that provide real-time inbox placement testing, sender reputation and authentication monitoring, blocklist alerts, and pre-send deliverability checks.
Data & InfrastructureMarketing TechSaaSNew York, US
Matthew Y. Blumberg(Executive Officer, Director)George Bilbrey(Co-Founder & President)Anita Absey(Chief Revenue Officer)JOHN T. SINCLAIR(Chief Financial Officer)Lisa T. Mogensen(Executive Officer)
BoardFred Wilson(Board Director (Union Square Ventures))in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsSapphire VenturesUnion Square Ventures (USV)Costanoa Venture CapitalCostanoa VenturesFoundryVista Equity Partners
Ripple builds blockchain-based financial infrastructure to enable cross-border value transfer and payment solutions for enterprises, governments, and financial institutions.
Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechSan Francisco, US
Ryan Fugger(Founder)Christian Larsen(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)David Schwartz(Director)inBradley Garlinghouse(Executive Officer)
BoardYoung Guo(Director)Doug Chertok(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investors500 GlobalAbstract VenturesAurum Venture PartnersAvant Global LLCCamp One VenturesCastle Island Ventures+19 more
Mapbox operates a developer cloud platform that provides maps, navigation, search, and geospatial data services built from continuously updated location data drawn from telemetry, aerial imagery, computer vision, and user contributions.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsMobility & TransportationSaaS
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsDBL PartnersEnergize CapitalFelicis VenturesFoundryGFR FundPremji Invest+7 more
RSA provides an AI-powered unified identity platform for organizations to manage authentication, access control, identity governance, and lifecycle management.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBurlington, US
Rohit Ghaiin
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzCiti VenturesIn-Q-Tel
Skyryse develops SkyOS, a flight-control operating system that simplifies aircraft operation through automated maneuvers, emergency management, and optionally piloted or autonomous flight.
Deep TechDefense TechMobility & TransportationEl Segundo, US
Mark Groden(Founder & CEO)inStephen Koo(Executive Officer, Director)inBlake Bilstad(Executive Officer)in
BoardLior Susan(Director)Will Summerlin(Director)Ethan Batraski(Director)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsCantos VenturesCity LightDas & Co.Embedded VenturesFlucas VenturesFontinalis Partners+18 more
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBoeing HorizonX VenturesMillennium New HorizonsMillennium Technology Value Partners
Swift Navigation provides low-cost, high-accuracy GPS and GNSS positioning solutions for autonomous vehicles, mobility applications, and mass-market uses.
Deep TechHardwareMobility & TransportationCalifornia, US
Timothy Harris(CEO and Co-Founder)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsClear VenturesEnerTech CapitalEvolution VenturesFraser McCombs CapitalGlobal BrainKDDI Open Innovation Fund+12 more
Steven Cox(Founder)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBaroda VenturesCrosslink CapitalLightbankMoore Venture PartnersSpider CapitalUncork Capital+1 more
The Health Care Blog is an online publication covering the business of healthcare, health policy, medical practice, and health technology innovations.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedia & Entertainment
Matthew Holt(Publisher)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Revolution Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing medicines using its proprietary Tri-Complex Platform and RAS(ON) Biology research approach.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsIllinois VenturesNextech InvestThe Column Group
True Fit provides an AI personal shopping agent and "fit intelligence layer" that gives apparel and footwear shoppers size and fit guidance based on real purchase, return, and keep data.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceRetail TechWoburn, US
Joseph Romney Evans(Executive Officer)William R. Adler(Executive Officer, Director)inRomney Evans(Founder)inLen Nannarone(Executive Officer)inCharles Badavas(Executive Officer)Jessica Arredondo Murphy(CEO)in
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsBYU Cougar CapitalCross Creek AdvisorsFounder CollectiveGeorgianIntel CapitalJump Capital+1 more
Tulip provides software for retail sales associates and stores to deliver personalized, omnichannel shopping experiences.
Enterprise SoftwareRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsArrowroot CapitalCommerce VenturesHigh AlphaKleiner PerkinsRadian CapitalBoxGroup+5 more
AWS Wickr is an enterprise-grade secure communication platform offering end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, and video collaboration for organizations handling sensitive information, with compliance certifications including FedRAMP High and DoD IL4/5.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSChicago, US
Christopher Howell(Executive Officer)inJennifer DeTrani(Executive Officer)Nico Sell(Co-Founder & Chairman)Kara Coppa(Executive Officer)Braden Seely(Executive Officer)York Sell(Executive Officer)
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Co-investorsAlsop Louie PartnersBreyer CapitalIronGate Capital AdvisorsDolby Family VenturesLytical Ventures
Zippedi provides a store digitization platform that creates digital twins of physical retail locations, enabling retailers to manage their stores with the operational precision typically associated with e-commerce channels.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareRetail TechRobotics
PartnerJ Cheng· solo GP
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioPortfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesJune · finsmes.com · Aug 3, 2026
Ripple Labs · cryptonews.net · Jul 18, 2026
Marketo · fortuneindia.com · Jul 17, 2026
Behavox · financialit.net · Jul 17, 2026
Ambition · digitaleurope.org · Jul 14, 2026
Skyryse · techcrunch.com · Jul 5, 2026
Digital Asset · wealtii.com · Jun 29, 2026
Orbital Insight · observationdata.com · Jun 18, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Gen Capital made?
- Gen Capital has 55 tracked investments, 8 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO.
- What stage does Gen Capital invest at?
- Gen Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Gen Capital focus on?
- Gen Capital focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Crypto & Web3, Deep Tech, Digital Health, EdTech, Future of Work, Hardware, Healthtech, Mobility & Transportation, Robotics, Space Tech.
- Where is Gen Capital located?
- Gen Capital is headquartered in Chicago, US.
- Does Gen Capital lead rounds?
- Gen Capital typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Gen Capital co-invest with?
- Gen Capital most often shares deals with Illinois Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Promus Ventures, among 207 tracked co-investors.
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