Fundraising FoxPonderosa Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Seed · 5 people tracked
Also known as Ponderosa
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Investment thesis
Ponderosa Ventures backs pre-seed and seed stage climate technology companies driving reinvention, reuse, and resilience across agriculture systems, food and supply chain, oceans and water, and forestry and land. The firm writes checks of $100k–$750k and positions itself as a founder's partner from day one, frequently serving as the first institutional commitment. It invests globally with a focus on the US and Europe, and emphasizes a fast, targeted decision process averaging around 18 days so founders can quickly return to building.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 1, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 17 of 19 portfolio companiesClimate Tech ×11AgTech ×7AI & Machine Learning ×5Biotech ×5Advanced Manufacturing ×4Cleantech ×4New Materials ×4Circular Economy ×3
HQs:United States×11United Kingdom×2Brazil×1France×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 8 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×42 founders×23 founders×2
Investments · 19 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 32024 · 12023 · 22022 · 22021 · 19 dated
Modern Synthesis is a biotechnology company that grows microbially-derived biomaterials from bacterial nanocellulose to replace animal leather and plastic-based synthetic textiles.
BiotechCircular EconomyNew MaterialsLondon, GB
Jen Keane(Co-founder & CEO)inBen Reeve(Co-founder & CTO)inLouis Graham(Founder)in
Co-investorsArtesianCollaborative FundExtantia CapitalAcequia Capital (AceCap)AgFunderIMO Ventures+3 more
Modern Synthesis is a biotechnology company that uses bacteria to produce nanocellulose-based biomaterials, creating bio-based coated textiles as plastic- and petrochemical-free alternatives to materials like leather.
BiotechCircular EconomyNew MaterialsLondon, GB
Jen Keane(Co-founder & CEO)Ben Reeve(Co-founder & CTO)
Co-investorsTaihill VentureAcequia Capital (AceCap)AgFunderArtesianCollaborative FundExtantia Capital+2 more
Allus.ai provides an AI-powered solution for industrial quality inspection, process monitoring, and anomaly detection across manufacturing sectors.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechRoboticsSaaSAtlanta, US
Zhisen An(COO)inChris Kai Cui(Founder)inShijie Wang(CTO)inKai Cui(CEO)in
Co-investorsPioneerTranspose Platform ManagementY Combinator007 Venture PartnersBlast.ClubDecacorn Capital+10 more
AgTechIthaca, US
Frank Schroeder(Director)Jay Farmer(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardAlex Bondar(Director)inKyle Welborn(Director)in
Co-investorsAcre Venture PartnersCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Cultivation Capital
Boomitra develops large-scale soil carbon removal projects, using satellites and AI (dMRV) to measure and verify carbon sequestration from regenerative land management practices.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate Tech
Aadith Moorthy(Founder)in
Co-investorsYara Growth VenturesChevron Technology VenturesGlobal Innovation Fund
CarbonFarm uses satellite imagery and AI to monitor, verify, and certify methane-reduction and decarbonisation projects in rice farming, quantifying emissions and additionality at the paddy level.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate TechParis, FR
Vassily Carantino(CEO)inJames Hastwell(CTO)in
Co-investorsAgFunderCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Entrepreneur Firstr24SerenaClimate Capital+1 more
Circe develops a biotechnology platform that uses advanced gas transformation to produce carbon-negative molecules at scale for manufacturing.
Advanced ManufacturingBiotechCleantechClimate TechBoston, US
Marika Ziesack(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Shannon Nangle(Founder)inCiaran Dunn(Founder)
Co-investorsBee PartnersE8 AngelsElementum VenturesExceptional VenturesJuniperSilicon Valley+4 more
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CREW is a Yale spinout that adds calcium carbonate (ground limestone) to wastewater treatment plants to intensify biological treatment, cut chemical costs, and permanently remove carbon dioxide.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechNew Haven, US
Joachim Katchinoff(Co-founder & CEO)inNoah Planavsky(Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor)in
Co-investorsAP VenturesBURNT ISLAND VENTURESConnecticut InnovationsCounteract OneEcho River CapitalEmerald Technology Ventures Ag+4 more
Hoofprint Biome develops probiotics and natural enzymes based on microbiome engineering to reduce methane emissions from cattle while improving animal health and feed yield.
AgTechBiotechClimate TechCary, US
Kathryn Polkoff(Executive Officer, Director)inScott Collins(Founder)inEvan Savell(COO)in
BoardRodolphe Barrangou(Director)in
Co-investorsGood Growth CapitalSOSVAlexandriaIndieBio
Solution for food companies transforming agricultural supply chains
Nina Mannheimer(Founder)Robert Gerlach(Founder)
Co-investorsFoodLabsGGFGreen Generation FundRabo Corporate VenturingAgFunderAnanda Impact Ventures+2 more
Mondra creates digital twins of food products and supply chains to help retailers and suppliers predict risks, optimize sourcing, and reduce environmental impact across their operations from farm to consumer.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechFoodTech
Jason Barret(CEO & Founder)Tom Holden(Chief Product Officer)in
Co-investorsAlbionVCGreen Circle Foodtech VenturesPlanet A VenturesPeakBridge VCSwisscom Ventures
Natrx builds nature-based coastal resilience infrastructure through a technology platform that helps asset owners and practitioners identify, address, and monitor coastal protection challenges.
CleantechClimate TechNew MaterialsRaleigh, US
Evi Steyer(Director)Matthew Campbell(Executive Officer, Director)Leonard Nelson(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsCharlotte Angel FundNC IDEAOval Park CapitalSilverstrand CapitalWolfpack Investor NetworkFulcrum Financial Partners
Offstream provides compliance software to help organizations efficiently manage carbon reduction efforts and fund allocation within the energy transition sector.
Climate TechData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaSDenver, US
Varsha Ramesh Walsh(CEO)inZach Janicki(CTO)in
Co-investorsCollaborative FundCool Climate CollectiveEight CapitalFundersClubMission One CapitalY Combinator+3 more
Red Barn Robotics develops autonomous weeding robots for farms to eliminate intra-row weeds without human intervention, reducing labor costs and protecting soil health.
Advanced ManufacturingAgTechHardwareRoboticsSeattle, US
Adam Iseman(CEO)inIlya Kelner(CTO)inAlex Neff(COO)in
Co-investorsPioneerRegion CuatroVermilion Cliffs VenturesY CombinatorAgrolimen VenturesAliaksandr Hudzilin+5 more
Terradot develops Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) technology to accelerate natural carbon removal by combining rainwater with silicate rocks, permanently sequestering atmospheric CO₂ at scale.
AgTechCleantechClimate TechBrazil, BR
Sasankh Munukutla(Founder)inJames Kanoff(Founder)Scott Fendorf(Founder)
Co-investorsAcre Venture PartnersCapria VenturesFloodgateGigascale CapitalKyber Knight CapitalValor Capital Group+2 more
Terranova uses terraforming robots to raise and reshape land in flood-prone regions, enabling construction of housing, commercial, and industrial projects with rapid consolidation.
Climate TechConstruction TechHardware
Laurence Allen(Founder)
Co-investorsCongruent VenturesGoAhead VenturesGalvanize Climate SolutionsOutlanderOutlander VC
Transforming the food system using seaweed, a highly sustainable protein source.
Albany, US
Beth Zotter(Executive Officer, Director)inAmanda Stiles(Director)in
Co-investorsClear Current CapitalCollaborative FundISVJuniperSustainable Food VenturesAgFunder+2 more
Uncaged Innovations is a biomaterials company that makes grain- and plant-based leather alternatives using its proprietary BioFuze platform, which replicates the collagen structure of animal leather.
Advanced ManufacturingBiotechCircular EconomyNew MaterialsWhite Plains, US
Stephanie Downs(Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsAlwyn CapitalGreen Circle Foodtech VenturesStray Dog CapitalFall Line CapitalGolden SeedsInMotion Ventures+1 more
Verdi provides hardware controllers and sensors that add automation and remote control to existing farm irrigation systems, letting growers manage valves, pumps, and drip lines at the block, row, or plant level.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate TechHardwareIoTSaaS
Co-investorsBaker Hall CapitalDangerous VenturesEcho River CapitalRareBreed VenturesCyan VenturesJetstream+4 more
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesCrew Carbon · citybiz.co · May 18, 2026
Mondra · eu-startups.com · Feb 18, 2026
Allus AI · ycombinator.com · Nov 10, 2025
Hoofprint Biome · finsmes.com · May 2, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Ponderosa Ventures made?
- Ponderosa Ventures has 19 tracked investments, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Ponderosa Ventures invest at?
- Ponderosa Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Ponderosa Ventures's typical check size?
- Ponderosa Ventures typically writes checks of $100K – $750K.
- What sectors does Ponderosa Ventures focus on?
- Ponderosa Ventures focuses on AgTech, Biotech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, FoodTech, IoT, Logistics & Supply Chain.
- Where is Ponderosa Ventures located?
- Ponderosa Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Who does Ponderosa Ventures co-invest with?
- Ponderosa Ventures most often shares deals with Acre Venture Partners, Congruent Ventures, Floodgate, among 29 tracked co-investors.
Images
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