Spero Ventures
Venture capitalBurlingame · Seed–Series A · 6 people tracked
Also known as SPERO · SPERO MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC
Investment thesis
Spero Ventures views a company's mission as a strategic advantage and accelerant, believing it gives talent, customers, and investors a compelling reason to choose the product. The firm looks to reach conviction in a business before investing, and once it does, it champions the founders and their teams by backing them with both capital and time. The emphasis is on partnering closely with mission-oriented teams rather than on a specific sector or stage focus stated on this page.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's websiteWhat they invest in
from 17 of 40 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×5Healthtech ×5Digital Health ×3Enterprise Software ×3Robotics ×3Advanced Manufacturing ×2AgTech ×2Biotech ×2
HQs:United States×20
Investments · 40 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBerkeley, US
Dengjun Lu(Executive Officer, Director)Johannes Schumm(Director)Paolo Micalizzi(Director)
Board seatMarc Tarpenning· per SEC Form D · $5.1M raise · filed Mar 2020
San Francisco, US
Shripriya Mahesh(Director)Sarah McDevitt(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D · $5.9M raise · filed May 2019
Corvus Robotics builds autonomous drones that perform warehouse inventory scanning and material handling automation for large enterprises across North America.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningIoTLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Jackie Wu(Founder/CEO)inKabir Mohammed(Director)inMohammed Kabir(Director)
BoardArthur Chow(Director)
Board seatShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D
Gencove provides direct-to-consumer genetic sequencing and polygenic risk scoring for health insights.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechNew York, US
Tomaz Berisa(Executive Officer, Director)Joseph Pickrell(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardSara Eshelman(Director)
Board seatSara EshelmanShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D
South San Francisco, US
Michael Florea(Executive Officer, Director)Pratomo Alimsijah(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardSara Eshelman(Director)
Board seatSara Eshelman· per SEC Form D · $7.4M raise · filed Mar 2026
Oakland, US
Don Hutchison(Director)Bill Woodcock(Director)Shripriya Mahesh(Director)Paul Hainsworth(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D · $50M raise · filed Mar 2018
San Francisco, US
Deepak Kamra(Director)Andre Haddad(Executive Officer, Director)Howard Hartenbaum(Director)Shelby Clark(Director)Anne Dorman(Executive Officer)Joe Kraus(Director)
Board seatShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D · $35.2M raise · filed Mar 2022
New York, US
Ryan Schulke(Director)Ari Kassman(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatShripriya Mahesh· per SEC Form D · $2M raise · filed Jul 2018
EnergyCambridge, US
Wenbo Shi(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMarc Tarpenning· per SEC Form D · $4.5M raise · filed Jan 2022
AgTechLakewood, US
Tim Brackbill(Director)Eric Adamson(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMarc Tarpenning· per SEC Form D · $20M raise · filed Nov 2021
Smyrna, US
Board seatMarc Tarpenning· per SEC Form D · $3.5M raise · filed Jan 2023
Base Operations provides a platform for corporate security teams to proactively identify and analyze threats using street-level intelligence and data-driven insights.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaSWashington, US
Canopy develops an IoT-based wearable safety platform for healthcare organizations to protect workers from safety risks and workplace violence.
Enterprise SoftwareHealthtechIoT
Shan Sinha(Co-founder & CEO)Vinay Pulim(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)Hemanth Meenakshisundaram(Co-founder & Chief Scientist)
Confirm is an AI-powered performance management platform that uses Organizational Network Analysis to map collaboration patterns and provide objective data for fairer employee reviews.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jeremy LernerJoshua Merrill(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Plug-and-play conversational AI platform enabling voice and chat interactions with information across digital channels.
Israel Krush(Founder & CEO)
Mast combines forest restoration with biomass burial to remove carbon and restore wildfire-affected landscapes.
AgTechCircular EconomyCleantechClimate TechFintechImpact & Social GoodSeattle, US
Mobius Materials operates a certified marketplace enabling contract manufacturers and OEMs to buy and sell excess electronic components directly, addressing annual waste of $15B in discarded components despite ongoing demand.
Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesCircular EconomyHardwareNew MaterialsRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Margaret Upshur(Founder)in
Persist AI provides AI-driven formulation development services for pharmaceutical compounds, combining robotic lab automation with machine learning models to accelerate drug formulation optimization and reduce time-to-market.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsSacramento, US
TELO designs and manufactures the MT1, an all-electric compact pickup truck combining the capability of a Toyota Tacoma with Tesla-like range and efficiency in a Mini Cooper-sized footprint.
CleantechHardwareMobility & Transportation
Tiny Health provides microbiome testing kits and personalized health reports for families from pregnancy through adulthood, focusing on gut health optimization to address conditions like eczema, allergies, IBS, and constipation.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Vistapath develops technology solutions to modernize pathology lab operations, helping pathology laboratories improve quality, efficiency, and consistency in critical lab processes.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesCambridge, US
Timothy Spong(CEO & Founder)Ben Burley(COO & Founder)inJacob Guggenheim(CTO)inBurley Benjamin(Executive Officer, Director)Spong Timothy(Executive Officer, Director)
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Spero Ventures invest at?
- Spero Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Spero Ventures's typical check size?
- Spero Ventures typically writes checks of $2M – $4M.
- What sectors does Spero Ventures focus on?
- Spero Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AgTech, Circular Economy, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Digital Health, Energy, FoodTech, Future of Work, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Longevity, Mobility & Transportation, Sector Agnostic, Wellness & Fitness.
- Where is Spero Ventures located?
- Spero Ventures is headquartered in Burlingame, US.
- Does Spero Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Spero Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamSpero Ventures, General Partner: Shripriya Mahesh’s Leadership Backstory
The Leadership Backstory · Shripriya Mahesh
#newtovc Interview Series with Andrew Parker of Spero Ventures
nextNYC · Andrew Parker
Conversation with Shripriya Mahesh, VC and Founding Partner at Spero Ventures.
Irina Gokh · Shripriya Mahesh
Inside the mind of Shripriya Mahesh, Founding Partner, Spero Ventures
The Neon Show · Shripriya Mahesh
498th 1Mby1M Roundtable August 13, 2020: With Shripriya Mahesh, Spero Ventures
1Mby1M Roundtables · Shripriya Mahesh
Barefoot in the Living Room with Shripriya Mahesh from Spero Ventures (clip)
Spero Ventures · Shripriya Mahesh
Co-investors · 54
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Mindset Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in and actively supports technology startups, providing capital as well as business development, strategy, and mentorship, with a notable focus on helping companies expand into markets such as Brazil.
Andreessen Horowitz's Strategic Partnerships page describes collaborations that connect its portfolio companies with established institutions to help scale and deploy their technology.
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Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm known for backing AI and technology founders, emphasizing deep, hands-on partnerships with the companies it funds.
Craft Ventures is a venture capital firm founded and run by former founders, operators, and investors who provide startups with hands-on support, senior talent access, and proven scaling playbooks.
Bessemer Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs from early stages through every stage of growth, publishing investment roadmaps across multiple technology sectors.
Index Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs founders across the globe, investing in the people behind ideas from early through later stages.
▶42 more co-investors
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Firms observed investing alongside Spero Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Spero Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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