NPU Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingBerkeley · Pre-Seed–Seed · 2 people tracked
Find your way into NPU Ventures
Sign up to see every warm intro you have to NPU Ventures
- Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the NPU Ventures 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
NPU Ventures backs founders at the earliest stage, writing pre-seed and seed checks based on grit, judgment, and a founder's obsession with the problem. The firm focuses on applied AI that compounds on proprietary data earned in the real world, spanning sectors such as biotech, deeptech, defense, AI, and infrastructure. Founded by two operators who built and scaled a company through Y Combinator, NPU offers hands-on support from the first check, helping with first customers, go-to-market, product and technical scaling, and introductions to a network of operators and advisors.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 3, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 2 of 5 portfolio companiesAdvanced Manufacturing ×1Energy ×1IoT ×1PropTech ×1
HQs:United States×2
Investments · 5 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathAquaShield provides non-invasive water leak detection sensors that install on existing building pipes to monitor flow patterns in real-time and identify leaks before they cause damage.
IoTPropTechSan Francisco, US
Paul Beckers(CEO)inMarguerite Benoist(CTO)in
Co-investorsY Combinator12X VCS2S Ventures20VCBlast.ClubFounderful+5 more
RoboDock builds autonomous robotics systems for electric and autonomous vehicle depot operations, automating charging, plug insertion, and vehicle inspections.
Advanced ManufacturingEnergySan Francisco, US
Zinny Weli(CEO)inCeline Wang(CTO)in
Co-investorsEight CapitalGolden Gate VenturesY CombinatorBlast.ClubDragon CapitalFounders Factory+6 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
InvariantOrukSaveware
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesAquaShield · ycombinator.com · May 20, 2026
RoboDock · ycombinator.com · Feb 19, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has NPU Ventures made?
- NPU Ventures has 5 tracked investments.
- What stage does NPU Ventures invest at?
- NPU Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does NPU Ventures focus on?
- NPU Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Defense Tech.
- Where is NPU Ventures located?
- NPU Ventures is headquartered in Berkeley, US.
- Who does NPU Ventures co-invest with?
- NPU Ventures most often shares deals with Y Combinator, 12X VC, Eight Capital, among 5 tracked co-investors.
Similar investors
B Capital is a global investment firm backing early to late-stage technology innovators across technology, healthcare, and energy & resilience sectors.
Blueyard is a small equal partnership with offices in the US and Europe, investing in early-stage companies.
DCVC (Data Collective) is a deep tech venture capital firm that backs entrepreneurs using computational approaches to solve large-scale real-world problems across many industries.
Hyderabad Angels is an angel investment network founded in 2010, comprising entrepreneurs, industrialists, and family offices that back early-stage startups across India with capital and mentorship.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs bold, early-stage, technology-driven companies across deep tech and other sectors, providing hands-on 'venture assistance' to help founders build category-defining businesses.










.jpeg)