Shepherd Ventures
Venture capitalSan Diego · Series A–Late Stage · 6 people tracked
Investment thesis
Shepherd Ventures focuses its investment activity primarily on the San Diego region within Southern California's Tech Coast, an area it views as rich in information technology and life science industries yet underserved by venture capital relative to its market potential. The firm believes its local presence, plus the collective operating experience and personal networks of its team of managing directors, venture partners and advisors, gives it a competitive edge in this geography. It adds value through hands-on 'shepherding,' offering extensive operating expertise, advisory connections and strategic partnerships to help its portfolio companies succeed.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 7 of 20 portfolio companiesHardware ×4Biotech ×2Deep Tech ×2Digital Health ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1Construction Tech ×1Cybersecurity ×1Defense Tech ×1
HQs:United States×5
Investments · 20 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 12021 · 12014 · 13 dated
DiaMedica Therapeutics develops therapies aimed at reducing ischemia in patients with serious vascular diseases, with an initial focus on preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and acute ischemic stroke.
BiotechDigital HealthMinneapolis, US
David J. Wambeke(Executive Officer)Lorianne Masuoka(Executive Officer)Rick Pauls(Executive Officer, Director)Scott Kellen(Executive Officer)Todd Verdoorn(Executive Officer)Paul Papi(Executive Officer)
Board seatRichard P. Kuntz· per SEC Form D · $37.5M raise · filed Jun 2023
Co-investorsCentreStone Ventures
AmplifiDx develops point-of-care molecular diagnostic tests and its DX 100 platform for family, women's, and sexual health, targeting infectious disease detection for healthcare professionals and patients.
BiotechDigital HealthFemTechHealthtechMedical DevicesPleasanton, US
Nancy Schoenbrunner(Chief Executive Officer)Shoulian Dong(Chief Scientific Officer)Daniel Schoener(Chief Product Officer)Chris Meda(Chief Commercial Officer)Ming Tan(Director)Sammy Datwani(Director)
Co-investorsBeacon AngelsSocial Starts
Lucix designs, manufactures, and tests active and passive RF payload hardware and integrated subsystems for satellite communications across GEO, MEO, and LEO orbits, serving space and defense/commercial customers.
Defense TechHardwareSpace TechCamarillo, US
NP Photonics is a manufacturer of single-frequency fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, multi-laser systems, high-energy lasers, and specialty glass and mid-IR transport fiber, offered as OEM, R&D, or custom laser solutions.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareTucson, US
Co-investorsResearch Corporation Technologies
Sendio provides email security software that filters spam, phishing, and ransomware threats to give organizations control over their inboxes.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Co-investorsVicente Capital Partners
Skylight offers advanced skylight systems with pre-installed shades and controls to bring natural light and fresh air into homes.
Construction TechHardware
WiSpry is a fabless RF semiconductor company that develops RF-MEMS antenna tuning and tunable RF technology for wireless devices, enabling smaller devices with longer battery life and better connectivity.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsIrvine, US
EDMUND HEALY(Director)K.P. WILSKA(Director)JEFFREY HILBERT(Executive Officer)PAUL CONLEY(Director)RUSSELL JOHNSEN(Executive Officer)JEFFREY SAMBERG(Director)
Co-investorsCedar Mundi Ventures
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.
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioDiaMedica TherapeuticsNASDAQ: DMAC
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesDiaMedica Therapeutics · finance.yahoo.com · Aug 3, 2026
AmplifiDx · beaconjournal.com · Apr 16, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Shepherd Ventures made?
- Shepherd Ventures has 18 tracked investments.
- What stage does Shepherd Ventures invest at?
- Shepherd Ventures invests at the Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Shepherd Ventures's typical check size?
- Shepherd Ventures typically writes checks of $750K – $3M.
- What sectors does Shepherd Ventures focus on?
- Shepherd Ventures focuses on Biotech, Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Enterprise Software, Hardware, Healthtech, Media & Entertainment, Medical Devices, SaaS.
- Where is Shepherd Ventures located?
- Shepherd Ventures is headquartered in San Diego, US.
- Does Shepherd Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Shepherd Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does Shepherd Ventures co-invest with?
- Shepherd Ventures most often shares deals with Cedar Mundi Ventures, Research Corporation Technologies, Vicente Capital Partners, among 3 tracked co-investors.
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