/Investor DB

NYU Innovation Venture Fund

Venture capital

New York City · Pre-Seed–Series A · 33 people tracked

Find your way into NYU Innovation Venture Fund

Each arrow is one introduction. Sign up to fill in the first one.

2,989 people can intro you to Frank

Ask Anton Arts to introduce you to Frank Rimalovski

You →Anton · together at New Venture Partners →Frank

2,914 people can intro you to David

Ask Jamie Chen to introduce you to David Tisch

You →Jamie · together at knowmore →David

2,035 people can intro you to Alex

Ask Sam Okafor to introduce you to Alex Iskold

You →Sam · together at Read/WriteWeb →Alex

Sign up to find every way you can get introduced to NYU Innovation Venture Fund

  • Your email: who you already know at NYU Innovation Venture Fund, and who your contacts know
  • 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: people you know who worked, studied or invested with the NYU Innovation Venture Fund team
  • Your LinkedIn: the connections who can make the intro for you

We rank every route by how warm it is, so you raise on warm intros instead of cold emails.

✨ Fox Verdict
Sign up to see your fit

Investment thesis

The NYU Innovation Venture Fund is a philanthropic evergreen, pre/seed-stage venture fund that invests exclusively in startups founded by or commercializing IP developed by current NYU students, faculty, and researchers. It typically makes three to four investments per year alongside angel and venture co-investors, and recycles returns from exits back into the university to fund future ventures. The fund targets early-stage businesses that have reached proof of concept or prototype and are ready to scale commercial product development or customer acquisition; it does not fund projects needing further basic research. Evaluation criteria include sustainable differentiation, validated target customers, viable regulatory strategy, markets capable of $50M/yr revenue within five years, and potential for venture-scale returns.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Series A
Check
$100K – $500K
HQ
New York City, New York, US
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2010
Last 12 months
1 investment
AUM
$20M
Tracked investments
43
Unicorns
1
Acquisitions
3

Team · 33 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories
Dee Dao· Venture Associate

14 people who came through NYU Innovation Venture Fund went on to found or lead other companies.

+ 2 more →

What they invest in

from 39 of 43 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×16Healthtech ×11Biotech ×10Medical Devices ×8SaaS ×7Data & Infrastructure ×6Media & Entertainment ×6Consumer ×5

HQs:United States×28

Who they back

founder profiles across 27 portfolio companies
44%
solo founders
12 of 27 mapped founding teams
36%
repeat founders
of 25 founders with career history
~3 yrs
old at investment
median across 12 dated deals

Founding team size:solo founder×122 founders×93 founders×34+ founders×3

Where their founders studiedfrom 25 founders with education data

New York University ×5NYU Stern School of Business ×4Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×3University of California, Berkeley ×3NYU Shanghai ×2University of Washington ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 20 founders with field-of-study data

Computer Science ×6Finance & Accounting ×4Engineering ×3Business & Management ×2Design & Architecture ×2Economics ×2Social Sciences ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 25 founders with career history

Google ×4New York University ×3NYU Tandon Future Labs ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Techstars ×7Y Combinator ×3

3 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 25 with degree data)

Investments · 43 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2025 · 22023 · 22022 · 12021 · 22019 · 12018 · 12017 · 12014 · 32013 · 22012 · 12011 · 117 dated

Baton Mediabaton.mediain𝕏Sep 2023

Baton is a mobile app and web platform that provides music production tools, sample libraries, and a marketplace connecting music creators and producers to collaborate and discover new talent.

Creator EconomyMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentNew York City, US

Gabe Warshaw(Founder)inGabriel Warshaw(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsDorm RoomTechstarsBitkraft Esports VenturesBITKRAFT Ventures

BioDigitalbiodigital.comin𝕏Series A · Sep 2013 · $4MAcquired

BioDigital provides an interactive 3D visualization platform for anatomy, disease, and treatment education that enables educators, clinicians, and patient engagement teams to create and embed customizable health visualizations across digital platforms.

Digital HealthEdTechHealthtechMedical Devices

Aaron Oliker(Founder)Frank Sculli(Founder)John Qualter(Founder)

Co-investorsFirstMark Capital

Brooklinenbrooklinen.comin𝕏Feb 2017

Brooklinen sells bedding products such as sheets, bed bundles, and related home goods directly to consumers online and through physical stores.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceNew York, US

Rich Fulop(Founder)inVicki Fulop(Founder)

BoardAmish Jain(Director)

Co-investorsDorm RoomFirstMark CapitalFreeman SpogliSummit Partners

Canaerycanaery.comin

Canaery develops a nose-computer interface that combines animal olfaction with neurotechnology and AI to detect substances and diagnose diseases.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHardwareMedical Devices

Gabriel(Chief Executive Officer)Peter(Chief Technology Officer)

BoardDmitry(Chief Science Advisor)

Co-investors15th RockFlorida Opportunity FundGood News VenturesBreakout VenturesDolby Family VenturesKdT Ventures

Clarifaiclarifai.comin𝕏Oct 2021 · $60M

Clarifai developed AI inference technology and compute orchestration software for running and optimizing machine learning models at scale.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureNew York, US

Matthew Zeiler(Founder)in

BoardAlbert Wenger(Director)in

Co-investorsBright Pixel CapitalCorazon CapitalGV (Google Ventures)Lux CapitalMenlo VenturesNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)+11 more

CytoDelcytodel.com

Biopharmaceutical company using molecular biology to produce recombinant derivatives of botulinum neurotoxin for customized applications.

BiotechNew York, US

Charles Weiss(Director)Andre Gudger(Director)Philip A. Band(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardMargery Fischbein(Director)

Co-investorsKairos Venture Investments, Llc

Dathicdathic.comin

Dathic uses data science and machine learning to help consumer packaged goods brands understand and engage with the diverse population of US shoppers.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMarketing TechRetail Tech

Laura Rocha(Founder)inJosé Daniel Ramirez(Co-founder & CTO)in

Co-investorsFirst Row PartnersThe Fund

Flora Faunaflorafauna.aiin𝕏

FLORA is an AI creative platform that brings text, image, and video generation models together on a single canvas, letting creative teams ideate, iterate, and scale production-grade assets in one workflow.

AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomySaaS

Alex Li(Founder)Weber Wong(Founder)

Co-investorsHanabi CapitalLong Journey VenturesRedpoint VenturesAndreessen HorowitzCompany VenturesDipalo Ventures+2 more

Fondufondu.com

Fondu was a food review community where users wrote and shared restaurant reviews, with a focus on the New York City dining scene.

ConsumerFoodTechSocialNew York, US

Gauri ManglikMike Lewis

Co-investorsEniac Ventures

Framed Dataframed.ioinSeed · Dec 2014 · $2MAcquired

Framed Data offers machine learning software that identifies customer churn patterns and reasons for user attrition, serving enterprises that want predictive analytics capabilities without hiring specialized staff.

Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US

Thomson Nguyen(Founder)inElliot Block(Founder)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorAgrolimen VenturesFundamental VenturesGV (Google Ventures)Initialized CapitalInnovation Works+1 more

GigFinessegigfinesse.comin

GigFinesse operates a booking platform that connects live entertainment performers with venues such as restaurants, bars, and clubs.

B2B MarketplacesCreator EconomySaaSNew York, US

Mir Hwang(Founder)inRyan Kim(Founder)inJong Wook Kim(Director)

BoardJohn Mass(Director)

Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersCosmic Venture Partners

Kaizntreekaizntree.comin

Kaizntree provides operational infrastructure and automation software for consumer brands, centralizing inventory, purchasing, fulfillment, and reporting workflows.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Benoît Van KeerinEricMarcos Brissonin

Co-investors500 Global

keen homekeenhome.ioin𝕏Seed · Oct 2014 · $2M

Keen Home develops smart home products and automation systems that enhance comfort and efficiency in residential spaces.

ConsumerEnergyHardwareIoTNew York City, US

Will McLeod(Cofounder)in

Co-investorsAmerican Family VenturesFundersClubMetaPropMetaProp VenturesR/GA VenturesTechstars

Kinvolvedkinvolved.cominDec 2019

New York, US

BoardALEXANDRA MEIS(Executive Officer, Director)inMIRIAM ALTMAN(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsConnectivity VenturesNotation CapitalGingerbread Capital

Kitsplit_NO BETAkitsplit.comFeb 2018 · $2.1M

Brooklyn, US

Kristina Budelis(President and Chief Creative Officer)Lisbeth Kaufman(Chief Executive Officer and Secretary)Ken Amarit(Chief Technology Officer)in

Co-investorsDorm RoomEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Gotham Gal VenturesHearstLabWTI

Microstructure Imagingmicsi.cominAug 2023

The page promotes GARUDA4D, an online gambling platform offering slot games, live casino, digital table games, cockfighting, and fish shooting games.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechGamingHealthtechMedical DevicesNew York, US

Benjamin Ades-aron(Executive Officer, Director)Gregory Lemberskiy Lemberskiy(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsPioneer

MICSImicsi.coSeed

MICSI develops AI software that improves MRI image resolution and reduces scanning duration, enabling imaging centers to increase patient capacity.

HealthtechMedical DevicesNew York City, US

Gregory Lemberskiy(Founder)inBenjamin Ades-Aron(Founder)in

Co-investorsY Combinator0 To 1 VenturesAndreessen HorowitzGraphene VenturesNew OrderOrange Collective+3 more

Muse Taxmusetax.comin𝕏

Muse provides AI-driven tax advisory and financial insights to individuals and financial institutions.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintechSaaSNew York City, US

Co-investorsTechstarsEverywhere VenturesPlug and Play Ventures

MyWellbeingmywellbeing.com

MyWellbeing matches individuals with therapists through a brief questionnaire that produces personalized provider recommendations based on specific needs such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma.

Digital HealthMarketplacesMental Health

Alyssa Petersel(Founder)in

Co-investorsChloe CapitalEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)

Numberfirenumberfire.comin𝕏Seed · Jan 2012 · $750K

numberFire provides sports analytics, predictions, and betting content covering leagues such as the NFL, MLB, and NCAA basketball, including odds, best bets, player props, and fantasy sports advice for bettors and fantasy players.

Media & EntertainmentSports TechNew York, US

Sean Weinstock(Executive Officer)in

BoardNik Bonaddio(Founder)inEliot Durbin(Director)

Co-investorsCorrelation VenturesEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Remarkable VenturesBoxGroup

Omios Biologicsomiosbio.com

Omios Biologics runs a computational drug discovery platform that analyzes viral-host interactions across more than 270 human viruses to identify disease targets and engineer precision therapeutics.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech

Co-investorsFuturePlay

Opentronsopentrons.comin𝕏

Opentrons develops laboratory robots that automate scientific research tasks for scientists and research institutions.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsNew York City, US

Nicholas Wagner(Founder)inWill Canine(Founder)inChiu Chau(Founder)inLeslie Mitchell(Director)inJames Atwood(Executive Officer, Director)inJonathon Badal(Founder)

Co-investorsKhosla VenturesLerer HippeauEQUIAMFifty YearsFuture VenturesJacket River Capital Partners+14 more

OraLivaoraliva.cominFeb 2025

OraLiva develops an AI-powered, non-invasive oral cancer test designed to detect cancer early during routine dental visits, using single-cell analysis and microfluidic technologies.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesDurham, US

John T. McDevitt(Founder)inAnna Grassini(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)

Orca Pharmaceuticalsorcapharmaceuticals.comApr 2014 · $1M

BiotechCleveland, US

Roy Pettipher(Manager)

BoardBaiju Shah(Manager)David U'Prichard(Manager)Theodore Torphy(Manager)Michael Hunter(Manager)

Painqxpainqx.comApr 2021

BiotechKennett Square, US

Frank Minella(Executive Officer, Director)inAlexander Ruckdaeschel(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohn H. Stewart(Director)Andrew Koopman(Director)

Co-investorsDelaware Crossing Investor GroupItalian Angels for Growth

Ponderponder.aiin𝕏

Ponder is an AI-powered video editing tool that analyzes raw footage—reading pacing, composition, tone, and dialogue—and assembles a rough first cut from a single natural-language prompt.

AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment

Timothy Wang(Founder)in

Co-investorsAvid Ventures

Prime Discoveries Biotechnologyprimediscoveries.com

Prime Discoveries develops multiplex PCR diagnostic panels that detect pathogens and antimicrobial-resistance genes across areas such as respiratory infection, sepsis, gastrointestinal illness, STIs, tropical fevers, and biosurveillance.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsBeresford VenturesBroad Street AngelsJude Gomila

Quit With Jonesquitwithjones.comin

Quit with Jones is a nicotine replacement therapy brand offering science-backed mints and digital support to help people quit smoking and vaping.

HealthtechWellness & Fitness

Co-investorsDivergent CapitalDorm RoomFELIX CAPITALFounder CollectiveFoundryGood Friends+2 more

Regenosineregenosine.comin

Regenosine develops regenerative medicine therapies for musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Dr. Siddhesh Angle(Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer)Dr. Bruce Cronstein(Co-founder & Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board)

Co-investorsBeresford VenturesTech Council Ventures

Revelio Labsreveliolabs.comin𝕏

Revelio Labs provides a company discovery platform that helps investors identify and evaluate private companies for investment opportunities.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechHR TechNew York City, US

Ben Zweig(Founder)in

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesK20 FundMarubeni Ventures Inc.TechstarsVillage GlobalBDMI+2 more

Rillarilla.cominDec 2022 · $3.7M

Rilla is an AI-powered sales coaching platform that analyzes recorded customer conversations to provide personalized coaching for sales teams.

AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales TechNew York City, US

Christopher Martin(Founder)inMichael Castellanos(Founder)inSebastian Jimenez(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsBroom VenturesCrew CapitalDraper DragonEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)GV (Google Ventures)HubSpot Ventures+8 more

Sabai Designsabai.design

Sabai designs and sells sustainable home furniture and decor, including sofas, tables, rugs, pillows, and slipcovers, with a focus on eco-friendly materials, repairability, and a take-back/resale program.

Circular EconomyDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

She Mattersshematters.healthin𝕏

The She Matters Alliance collects insights from pregnant and postpartum mothers to improve maternal health outcomes through partnerships with hospitals and healthcare organizations.

FemTechHealthtechHR TechWellness & FitnessNew York City, US

Co-investorsEmmeline VenturesTechstarsTwo RavensAlmi InvestChingona VenturesThe Fund

Steg AI Corporationsteg.aiin

Steg.AI trains deep learning models for watermarking and data poisoning, offering access through APIs, web applications, and integrations with creative software and document storage platforms.

AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyCybersecurityDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareMedia & Entertainment

Co-investorsPaladin Capital Group

StepWisegetstepwise.comin

Stepwise develops smart load management technology that enables homeowners to add electric appliances like EV chargers, heat pumps, and hot tubs without panel upgrades.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyHardwareIoTLos Angeles, US

Co-investorsNextFab VenturesTechstars

Tagasauristagasauris.comSeed · Dec 2011

Tagasauris offers a platform for metadata creation that combines human and machine intelligence to improve the quality, speed, and ROI of tagging digital content.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMedia & EntertainmentNew York, US

Todd Carter(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardMichael Solomon(Director)

Co-investorsDrummond Road Capital

TransparentHealthCaretransparenthg.com

Transparent Health Group offers technology and concierge services to health insurance companies, including benefits management and billing solutions.

HealthtechInsurTechSaaS

Betty Heiman(CEO)Andy Rieger(President)

Co-investorsLaunchCapital

Vengovengolabs.comin

Digital out-of-home advertising and next generation retail network (Exited 2019)

Long Island City, US

Brian Shimmerlik(Executive Officer, Director)inSteven Felsher(Director)Dan Gay(Director)David olk(Director)

BoardJens Molbak(Director)

Co-investorsColle Capital PartnersElizabeth Street VenturesGotham Gal VenturesGrace Beauty CapitalScout VenturesScout Ventures+5 more

Vidcodevidcode.comSeedAcquired

An online coding platform offering self-paced lessons and project-based courses for middle and high school students to learn web development and programming through hands-on creative applications like video filters and augmented reality.

EdTechSan Francisco, US

Alexandra Diracles(Founder/CEO)inMelissa Halfon(Founder/CTO)inLeandra Tejedor(Cofounder)Leandra T.(Founder)in

Co-investorsY CombinatorCherry VenturesCoVentureIntel CapitalPipeline AngelsRethink Capital Partners+2 more

Vital Audiovitalaudio.ioin𝕏Dec 2025

Vital Audio develops an AI-powered voice technology platform that captures cardiovascular and respiratory metrics from phone calls without requiring wearable devices or additional hardware.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDigital HealthHealthtechMedia & EntertainmentWellness & FitnessBrooklyn, US

Harsh S.(Founder)in

Co-investorsLoftyInc CapitalTechstars

Wearpepperwearpepper.com

Pepper designs and sells bras tailored for AA, A, and B cup sizes, manufactured sustainably in Colombia and Sri Lanka with ethical labor practices.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFemTech

Jaclyn Fu(Founder)in

Co-investorsBreak Trail VenturesDenver Ventures

Wrapbookwrapbook.comin𝕏

Wrapbook provides production payroll and accounting software for film, television, and commercial production teams.

Enterprise SoftwareSaaS

Cameron Woodward(Founder)inAli Javid(Founder)inHesham El-Nahhas(Founder)Naysawn Naji(Founder)

Co-investorsA*Andreessen HorowitzBessemer Venture PartnersChemistryEqual VenturesField Ventures+5 more

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

TB Biosciences

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has NYU Innovation Venture Fund made?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund has 43 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does NYU Innovation Venture Fund invest at?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
What is NYU Innovation Venture Fund's typical check size?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund typically writes checks of $100K – $500K.
What sectors does NYU Innovation Venture Fund focus on?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund focuses on Biotech, Cleantech, Deep Tech, Energy, Enterprise Software, Medical Devices, New Materials, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
Where is NYU Innovation Venture Fund located?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund is headquartered in New York City, US.
Who does NYU Innovation Venture Fund co-invest with?
NYU Innovation Venture Fund most often shares deals with Techstars, Dorm Room, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA), among 104 tracked co-investors.

Images

NYU Innovation Venture Fund photoNYU Innovation Venture Fund photoNYU Innovation Venture Fund photo

Co-investors · 21

Techstars

Techstars is a global startup accelerator and early-stage investor that funds and mentors ambitious founders, providing $220K in capital, a three-month program, and access to a worldwide network of mentors, investors, and corporate partners.

$220K
Khosla Ventures

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.

Both backed · 1
$100K – $20M
Redpoint Ventures

Since 1999, Redpoint Ventures has partnered with visionary founders to create new markets and redefine existing ones. The firm invests early in startups building category-defining companies, from AI and infrastructure to security. Redpoint has backed hundreds of companies, including Netflix, Snowflake, Stripe, Ramp, Twilio, Ramp, and Hims, and today backs the next generation of AI leaders like OpenAI, Legora, Modal, Abridge and Physical Intelligence. Redpoint is based in San Francisco and has offices in New York City and Woodside. For more information visit: http://www.redpoint.com/

Both backed · 1
$100K – $10M
Founder Collective

Founder Collective is a seed and pre-seed stage venture capital firm that invests across sectors, describing itself as sector agnostic and anti-thematic.

Both backed · 1
Sequoia Capital

Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies.

$100K – $50M
Founders Fund

Founders Fund is a venture capital firm that backs technology companies building transformative products.

$500K – $5M
Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm that backs founders from Seed through Series F and beyond, emphasizing deep, immersive partnerships with the companies it invests in.

$1M – $5M
Kleiner Perkins

Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that backs founders across technology and life sciences, from early stage through growth.

$500K – $15M
Foundation Capital

Foundation Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that commits to founders at the idea stage and maintains long-term relationships with portfolio companies through their growth journey.

$250K – $15M
Lookout Ventures

Lookout Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm backing B2B SaaS startups located outside the major coastal tech hubs across the United States.

$250K – $2M
Flybridge Capital Partners

Flybridge Capital Partners is an East Coast venture capital firm backing early-stage, AI-focused startups. Founded in 2002, it invests at the pre-seed and seed stages across AI applications, infrastructure, and related sectors.

$250K – $10M
Stellar Capital

Stellar Capital is a finance services firm describing itself as a team with diverse experience across a range of finance disciplines.

▶9 more co-investors

Bowery CapitalKindred VenturesEntrepreneur FirstArray Ventures Management LlcSaga VenturesEarl Grey CapitalEXPONENT FOUNDERS CAPITALS28 CapitalPlaid

Firms observed investing alongside NYU Innovation Venture Fund, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with NYU Innovation Venture Fund's recorded portfolio.

Similar investors

Featured in lists