HCVC
Venture capitalParis · Pre-Seed–Series A · 6 people tracked
Investment thesis
HCVC invests in founders on a mission to industrialize scientific and technological progress. The firm backs deep tech and hard science companies spanning robotics, advanced computing and semiconductors, autonomous systems and drones, defense, space and asteroid mining, fusion energy, and biotech including gene therapy and precision biologics. HCVC frequently leads or co-leads early rounds (pre-seed and seed) and doubles down on companies through follow-on investments, supporting founders tackling ambitious engineering and scientific challenges.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 30 of 94 portfolio companiesHardware ×12Deep Tech ×11AI & Machine Learning ×9Healthtech ×6Enterprise Software ×5Medical Devices ×5Robotics ×5SaaS ×5
HQs:United States×18Germany×1France×1
Investments · 94 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathNew York, US
Romain Afflelou(Director)Marc Menas?(Director)Alexis Houssou(Director)Jaclyn Pascocello(Executive Officer, Director)Alexandre Jais(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatAlexis Houssou· per SEC Form D · $1.5M raise · filed May 2021
Alcatraz develops facial recognition technology for access control systems.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareHardwareMountain View, US
Scott Macomber(Director)Raymond Stata(Director)Vince Gaydarzhiev(Executive Officer, Director)Tina DAgostin(Executive Officer, Director)
AmberBox develops gunshot detection systems that automatically identify and report shootings to first responders in real time.
CybersecurityDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareGovTechIoTSaaSSan Francisco, US
ANELLO Photonics develops silicon photonics-based inertial navigation systems, specifically its SiPhOG platform, which delivers optical gyroscope performance in a chip-scale form factor for GPS-denied environments.
Deep TechDefense TechHardwareSemiconductorsSanta Clara, US
Dr. Mario Paniccia(Co-Founder and CEO)
Arch Systems develops agentic AI software that analyzes factory floor data to provide real-time expert-level guidance to manufacturing teams.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwarePalo Alto, US
Michael Goguen(Director)Jean Francois Clavier(Director)Gus Shahin(Director)Timothy Burke(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Scheuermann(Executive Officer, Director)
Ark applies machine learning and AI to bioprocessing, replacing trial-and-error methods with hybrid predictive models to accelerate drug development and scale biotherapeutic manufacturing.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechSaaS
Zheng Huang(Co-Founder)Yossi Quint(Co-Founder & CEO)
Atmio provides hardware and software for emission monitoring across gas infrastructure including pipelines, distribution networks, and storage facilities.
Climate TechEnergyEnterprise SoftwareFrankfurt, DE
Automata provides lab automation and data management tools, enabling researchers and technicians to generate accurate data at scale through intuitive workflow creation.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareHealthtechLegalTechRoboticsSaaS
Mostafa ElSayed(CEO and Co-Founder)Suryansh Chandra(Co-Founder)
Kenneth Hood(Director)Rolph Decker(Director)Nathan Gilliland(President and Chief Executive Officer)Ricardo Lopez(Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary)
Food assembly robotics and AI platform for food production scaling
Chef Robotics builds robots and an AI operating system (ChefOS) for food preparation and meal assembly, addressing labor shortages in food manufacturing.
AI & Machine LearningFoodTechRobotics
Rajat Bhageria(Founder & CEO)
Cosmic Robotics develops autonomous construction equipment for critical infrastructure projects, starting with solar installations.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechConstruction TechRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Cowboy makes electric bikes featuring its AdaptivePower technology, which senses incline, wind, and weight to adjust motor power in real time for the rider.
ConsumerHardwareMobility & Transportation
Dyna develops general-purpose robots powered by foundation models that adapt across environments and learn new skills rapidly, with deployment across a fleet that continuously improves.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechRobotics
Eight Sleep manufactures a smart bed system called the Pod that provides personalized temperature control, elevation adjustment, and integrated sound for sleep optimization.
ConsumerHardwareIoTWellness & FitnessNew York City, US
Matteo Franceschetti(Founder/CEO)inMassimo Andreasi Bassi(Founder/CTO)inAlexandra Zatarain(Founder/CMO)inNG YiPin(Director)
Elroy Air develops autonomous hybrid-electric aircraft for heavy-payload cargo delivery, serving commercial logistics, defense, and humanitarian customers.
Deep TechHardwareLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsCalifornia, US
Dave Merrill(Executive Officer, Director)Clint Cope(Director)Andrew Clare(CEO)Darren Liccardo(Director)
Karman+ mines asteroids for raw materials to supply affordable resources for use in space and orbital manufacturing, eliminating the cost and environmental impact of launching materials from Earth.
CleantechDeep TechHardwareSpace Tech
Teun van den DriesDaynan Crull
Luko (now Allianz Direct) offers online insurance products including home and auto coverage for consumers in France, with transparent pricing and rapid digital subscriptions.
InsurTech
Agent-driven engineering platform automating CAD-to-simulation workflows
Navier provides cloud-based engineering agents that automate simulation setup and workflows for hardware engineers in aerospace and defense, enabling faster design iterations without manual configuration overhead.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US
Houston, US
David Eagleman(Executive Officer, Director)Scott Novich(Executive Officer, Director)Jon Callaghan(Director)
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 HCVC invest at?
- HCVC invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is HCVC's typical check size?
- HCVC typically writes checks of $100K – $1M.
- What sectors does HCVC focus on?
- HCVC focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cleantech, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Energy, Hardware, Medical Devices, Robotics, Semiconductors, Space Tech.
- Where is HCVC located?
- HCVC is headquartered in Paris, FR.
- Does HCVC lead rounds?
- Yes, HCVC leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the team#177 Chris Wade & Alexis Houssou, HCVC on doing co-investments with your LPs
The European VC · Alexis Houssou
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