Ponderosa Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Series A · 1 people tracked
Find your way into Ponderosa Ventures
Investment thesis
Ponderosa Ventures invests $100,000 to $750,000 in pre-seed and seed stage companies focused on food, agriculture, and ocean industries. The firm targets businesses addressing climate, biodiversity, water, and human health challenges.
Team · 1 people
from public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 6 of 7 portfolio companiesClimate Tech ×5AI & Machine Learning ×2Cleantech ×2Hardware ×2New Materials ×2AgTech ×1Biotech ×1Circular Economy ×1
HQs:United States×4United Kingdom×1
Investments · showing 6 of 7
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 32023 · 14 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-investorsArtesianExtantia CapitalAcequia Capital (AceCap)AgFunderCollaborative FundIMO Ventures+3 more
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+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-investorsIDEA NCOval Park CapitalSilverstrand CapitalWolfpack Investor NetworkFulcrum Financial Partners
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
Co-investorsCongruent VenturesGoAhead VenturesOutlander
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 CapitalEcho River CapitalRareBreed VenturesCyan VenturesDangerous VenturesJetstream+4 more
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesTerranova · cnbc.com · Jun 2, 2026
Crew Carbon · esgtoday.com · May 18, 2026
Mondra · eu-startups.com · Feb 18, 2026
Verdi · bctechnology.com · May 16, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Ponderosa Ventures made?
- Ponderosa Ventures has 7 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, Series A 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, FoodTech, IoT.
- Where is Ponderosa Ventures located?
- Ponderosa Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Images
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