🦊/Investors

Stage 1 Ventures

Venture capital

Coconut Grove · Seed–Growth · 19 people tracked

Also known as STAGE 1 MANAGERS LLC

Find your way into Stage 1 Ventures

1,958 people in our graph share verified history with the Stage 1 Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Javier Solterounlockedknows Les Yetton · together at VMware (overlapped)
knows the team · via Webline Communications
knows the team · via Nokia Mobile Phones
×2knows the team · via VMware
×2knows the team · via University of Houston
×2knows the team · via Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business
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Investment thesis

Stage 1 Ventures backs innovative entrepreneurs regardless of location or prior venture backing, prioritizing vision, persistence and strong execution. Its strategy follows a staged 'SSVSS' framework: scanning opportunities, seeding small option bets through a seed fund and SPVs, validating by developing business and IP, then leading or co-leading growth equity investments to double down on breakout winners. The firm supports companies through a milestone-based approach aimed at long-term value creation and liquidity. It emphasizes deep venture and operating experience, hands-on partner involvement, and access to the team's broad network, contacts and resources across a company's full development lifecycle.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 15, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Growth
HQ
Coconut Grove, Florida, US
Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2006
Last 12 months
1 investment
Private fund assets
$181.2M
VC funds
11
Tracked investments
55
IPOs
2
Acquisitions
3

Team · 19 people

from the firm's website & public directories
Larry Paulson· Advisorin
Lawrence King· Advisorin
Mark Leidy· Advisorin
Scott Carmel· Operating Partnerin

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Stage 1 Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 43 of 55 portfolio companies

SaaS ×22AI & Machine Learning ×12Enterprise Software ×12Hardware ×8Marketing Tech ×8Cloud Computing ×5Deep Tech ×5Defense Tech ×5

HQs:United States×30United Kingdom×1Israel×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 23 portfolio companies
65%
solo founders
15 of 23 mapped founding teams
48%
repeat founders
of 23 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×152 founders×74+ founders×1

Where their founders studiedfrom 22 founders with education data

Arizona State University ×2Purdue University ×2

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

Engineering ×6Business & Management ×4Computer Science ×2Mathematics & Statistics ×2Physics ×2Politics & Policy ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 23 founders with career history

Deep Isolation ×2United States Air Force ×2

2 founders hold a PhD · 2 hold an MBA (of 20 with degree data)

Investments · 55 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 12022 · 22020 · 12019 · 12015 · 22013 · 18 dated

Deep Fissiondeepfission.comin𝕏NASDAQ: FISN

Deep Fission develops a nuclear reactor deployment system that places a pressurized water reactor about a mile underground in a deep borehole, using hydrostatic pressure for operating conditions and geothermal-style energy transfer to surface turbines.

CleantechDeep TechEnergyBerkeley, US

Richard Muller(Executive Officer, Director)inElizabeth A. Muller(Executive Officer, Director)inRichard A. Muller(Chief Technology Officer)inWilliam Mark Schmitz(Chief Financial Officer)Michael Brasel(Chief Operating Officer)inMark Pérès(Chief Nuclear Officer)in

Co-investorsCapital Factory8VCBlue Owl CapitalDeep Future

Ondas Holdingsondas.comin𝕏NASDAQ: ONDS

Ondas Inc.

AI & Machine LearningDefense TechRoboticsBoston, US

Stewart Kantor(Executive Officer, Director)Meir Kliner(President of Ondas Autonomous Systems; CEO and Founder of Airobotics)inNeil Laird(Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary)inEric Brock(Chairman and CEO, Founder of Ondas Inc.)inPatrick Huston(Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and Secretary)inOshri Lugassy(Co-CEO of Ondas Autonomous Systems)

Co-investorsKluz Ventures

OnePINonepin.com✓ verified

OnePIN provides digital engagement and communication services for mobile network operators and brands, enabling digital business card exchange, interactive messaging, and mobile analytics.

AdTechEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSWestborough, US

Feyzi Çelik(Founder)in

BoardDavid Baum(Director)inKenneth Mabbs(Director)Joseph L. Winn(Director)

Co-investorsGreycroft Partners

3D Cloud3dcloud.comin𝕏

3D Cloud provides a platform for furniture, office, and home improvement retailers to create and deploy 3D product visualizations, room planning tools, and augmented reality experiences across e-commerce and in-store channels.

AI & Machine LearningE-commerceRetail TechSaaS

Beck Besecker(Founder, CEO, Chairman)inBarry Besecker(Founder, CTO)in

Co-investorsDetroit Venture PartnersFlorida Funders

Actasysactasysinc.comin

Actasys develops ActaJet air-jet cooling technology that provides spot-on thermal management for high-density data center server racks and components such as Network Interface Cards, Data Processing Units, and Switches.

CleantechDeep TechHardware

Co-investorsIneffable VenturesNext Gear VenturesVolvo Cars Tech Fund

Aiai.ioin𝕏Acquired

ai.io builds AI, machine learning, and deep learning tools for analysing and enhancing human performance, including 3D markerless athlete tracking and mobile-phone-based talent analysis.

AI & Machine LearningSports Tech

Co-investorsCartan CapitalRaptor Group

Aimiaimi.fm

Aimi offers a browser-based music studio where an AI producer builds editable multi-track sessions from text prompts.

Co-investorsEthos VC

Akuminaakumina.comin𝕏

Akumina builds a digital workplace and intranet platform that connects employees to company information, the business, and each other, integrating with hundreds of other platforms.

Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSNashua

Edward Rogers(Executive Officer, Director)Ali Diaz(Director)Steven Sherkanowski(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardRuben Melendez(Director)

AliasWirealiaswire.comin

Aliaswire provides payments and receivables solutions for financial institutions and enterprises, including DirectBiller for integrated billing management and DirectEmbed for vertical SaaS platform providers seeking growth and revenue acceleration.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Co-investorsFlow CapitalPartners for GrowthPartners for Growth (PFG)Bigfoot Capital

ArtLiftingartlifting.comin

ArtLifting represents and sells artwork by artists with disabilities, partnering with businesses to design inclusive corporate environments and provide licensing and gifting solutions.

E-commerceImpact & Social GoodMarketplaces

Liz Powers(CEO & Co-founder)in

Chaos Searchchaossearch.ioin𝕏Dec 2020

ChaosSearch is a data platform that indexes and analyzes large-scale data using a novel compression-optimized format designed for cloud object storage.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareBoston, US

Thomas Hazel(Director)inEd Walsh(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardLes Yetton(Director)inRudina Seseri(Director)inDavid Baum(Director)inGraham Brooks(Director)in

Co-investors.406 VenturesStripesGlasswing Ventures

Cibo Technologiescibotechnologies.comin𝕏

CIBO provides a software platform for designing, deploying, and measuring regenerative agriculture and conservation programs, including workflow automation, scientific modeling, impact reporting, and a network of advisors managing grower engagement.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningClimate TechSaaSCambridge, US

Bruno Basso(Co-Founder and Special Advisor)David Worn(Executive Officer, Director)inBarry Martin(Executive Officer)inRyan Richt(Executive Officer)inDale Sorensen(Executive Officer)Sunand Menon(Executive Chairman & CEO)in

Co-investorsFlagship PioneeringGeneration Investment Management

CLIPRclipr.aiin𝕏

CLIPr provides AI-powered police reporting software and grant programs to help law enforcement agencies automate report generation from bodycam and dashcam footage.

AI & Machine LearningGovTechSaaS

Co-investorsSand Hill AngelsTBD Angels

Cloudtruthcloudtruth.comin𝕏

CloudTruth is a configuration data platform that centralizes management of application and infrastructure configuration variables and secrets across development, operations, and security teams.

Cloud ComputingCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise Software

Co-investorsGlasswing Ventures

Coherent PathinJun 2019acquired by Movable Ink · Feb 2022

Movable Ink offers AI-driven personalization software, including its Studio and Da Vinci products, that automatically generates and curates content, send times, and frequency to personalize customer messages such as email at the moment of engagement.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSWaltham, US

Gregory Leibon(Executive Officer, Director)inKen MacAskill(Executive Officer)James Glover(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsCeltic House Venture PartnersContour Venture PartnersEscalate Capital Partnersm]x[v CapitalMI VenturesRunway Venture Partners+4 more

EcoSmart Solutionecosmartsolution.comin𝕏

EcoSmart Solution provides sustainable energy infrastructure and retrofit services for real estate developers and building owners, combining geothermal systems with distributed energy resources for new construction and carbon reduction retrofits for existing buildings.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyPropTechBoston, US

Evolve Wirelessevolvebroadband.com

Evolve Broadband operates a licensed LTE/5G wireless network providing high-speed internet service to 13 counties in Central and South Texas.

Cloud ComputingConsumerTexas, US

FarmTracefarmtrace.comin

FarmTrace provides a data platform that integrates with on-farm systems, robots, and farm management solutions to deliver insights for animal farming operations.

AgTechData & InfrastructureSaaS

Co-investorsCNBB Equity PartnersFulcrum Global CapitalSecha Capital

Four Growersfourgrowers.comin

Four Growers develops automated solutions for greenhouse crop management to support the agricultural technology sector.

Advanced ManufacturingAgTechHardwareRoboticsPittsburgh, US

Brandon Contino(Founder/CEO)inDan Chi(Founder/CTO)inJohn P. Quayle(Chief of Staff)in

BoardChris Papouras(Director)Aldo Zini(Director)John Overbeck(Director)

Co-investorsAmritam HoldingsTaver CapitalXplorer CapitalY CombinatorOspraie Ag Science

JumpCloudjumpcloud.comin𝕏

JumpCloud is an AI-powered unified IT management platform that provides identity, access, and device management for organizations managing both human users and non-human AI identities.

Cloud ComputingCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBoulder, US

Greg Keller(Chief Technology Officer, Co-founder)inRajat Bhargava(CEO)inLarry Middle(Executive Officer)in

BoardWill Herman(Director)inBrad Feld(Director)in

Co-investorsGeneral AtlanticAtlassian VenturesBY Venture PartnersFoundryH.I.G. CapitalH.I.G. Growth Partners+12 more

Klearklearbusiness.com

Klear provides financing solutions for small and medium-sized manufacturers in aerospace, defense, energy, robotics, and related industries to support rapid scaling and supply chain operations.

Advanced ManufacturingFintechSaaS

Christopher Hale(Founder)in

Klikenkliken.comin

Kliken provides advertising automation software for e-commerce retailers to reach customers via shopping ads, search, and retargeting across Google and other channels.

AdTechAI & Machine LearningE-commerceMarketing TechSaaS

Co-investorsFlorida Funders

LandTrustlandtrust.com

LandTrust is an online marketplace that connects people seeking outdoor recreation, primarily hunting, with private landowners offering paid access to their land.

ConsumerMarketplacesSports TechBozeman, US

Nicolas De Castro(Executive Officer, Director)Eric Olden(Director)

BoardGregg Williams(Director)Robert Schultz(Director)inPat LaPointe(Director)Colin Gardiner(Director)

Co-investorsReno Seed FundSerra Ventures

MagLev Aeromaglevaero.comin

Boston, US

Ian Randall(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardRoderick Randall(Director)Carmichael Roberts(Director)inRod Randall(Director)inChristian Garcia(Director)in

Co-investorsBreakthrough Energy VenturesGrit Capital PartnersMaterial ImpactMoai Capital

Magnetic Mobilemagneticmobile.comin𝕏

Magnetic is a software development and design firm that helps businesses modernize legacy systems, build custom applications, and deploy advanced technical solutions.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

More Templatesgola.io𝕏

Sells premium website templates for Framer and Webflow that let agencies, startups, and creators launch sites without coding by customizing text, images, and colors in the editor.

Creator EconomyDeveloper ToolsSaaS

Performance Drone Workspdw.aiin𝕏

PDW is an American drone company that designs, engineers, and manufactures unmanned aerial systems and related software for defense and public safety customers, including the U.S. military and federal, local, and international public safety entities.

Defense TechHardwareRoboticsHuntsville, US

Ryan Gury(Founder)inMatt Higgins(Co-founder)inJames Slider(CEO)

Co-investorsRSE VenturesHanwha Asset ManagementBooz Allen VenturesCRESCENT COVE CAPITALLux CapitalSQUADRA VENTURES

Prpr.report

PR.Report is a press release engagement analytics tool from the Accesswire News Platform that tracks click-through statistics, including hour-by-hour open tracking, referral sources, and audience location by country.

Data & InfrastructureMarketing TechSaaSRaleigh, US

Psionicpsionic.ai

Hampton, US

Sean Kish(Executive Officer, Director)Robert Fleishauer(Executive Officer)Michael Gilbert(Executive Officer)Diego Pierrottet(Executive Officer)inSean McCormack(Executive Officer)inMark Christman(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsNew North VenturesNEW VISTA CAPITAL

PureCarspurecars.comin𝕏

PureCars provides a data platform and omnichannel advertising technology for automotive dealers, manufacturers, and agencies.

AdTechMarketing TechRetail Tech

Jeremy Anspach(Founder)in

Co-investorsDiversisFraser McCombs Capital

Qwickqwick.comin

Qwick operates a platform for hospitality businesses to post shifts, find and vet workers, and manage payroll and compliance.

B2B MarketplacesHR TechSaaS

Co-investorsFoundryKickstartAlbum VC

Resolute Gridresolutegrid.comJun 2026

Resolute Grid manufactures hardware and software for electricity transmission and distribution, aiming to address aging U.S. grid infrastructure and long transformer lead times.

CleantechEnergyHardwareRockwall, US

Clifford Marcus Owenby(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)John Erford(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardMegan Moreland(Director)Philip Carson(Director)

Reticarereticare.comMar 2015

Reticare develops patented optical filters (RetiNaut) that selectively reduce blue light (380–500 nm) and high-energy green light (500–590 nm) emitted by phone, tablet and computer screens to lessen eye strain.

Advanced ManufacturingConsumerHardwareHealthtechCambridge, US

Celia Sánchez-Ramos(Scientific Director)Roque Garcia(Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of Issuer)Nilo Garcia(Chief Executive Officer and President of Issuer)

Shop singleskold-template.webflow.io

A branding studio offering brand identity and visual design services, including logo development, brand strategy, and brand guidelines.

Marketing Tech

Six Minute Milesixminutemile.com

Six Minute Mile publishes reviews of running shoes and related running gear, such as daily trainers.

Media & EntertainmentSports TechBoston, US

Skyhookskyhook.ioin

Skyhook provides a developer-focused DevOps platform built on Kubernetes that simplifies infrastructure management without vendor lock-in.

Cloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSTel Aviv-Yafo, IL

Nadav Erell(CEO)inEyal Dulberg(CTO)Roy Libman(CPO)in

Co-investors91 VenturesY Combinator

Sworkitsworkit.comin

Sworkit is a digital wellbeing platform offering guided movement, musculoskeletal health programs, mindfulness, and lifestyle resources for individuals and organizations.

HealthtechHR TechSaaSWellness & FitnessBethesda, US

Co-investorsMaryland TEDCOTechstarsTEDCO

Syndicate Veteran-Led Tiberiustiberius.com

Tiberius develops defense weapon systems and munitions that improve through operational feedback and AI-driven analysis of live field data.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechLondon, GB

Andy Baynes(Founder)

Co-investorsIceNineMoonshots Capital

Talkmaptalkmap.comin𝕏Feb 2022 · $8M

A platform that monitors agent satisfaction and burnout indicators to help management improve workplace conditions and reduce employee turnover in contact center or customer service environments.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechMarketing TechSaaS

Co-investorsBootstrapLabs

Thrive Agrifoodthriveagrifood.comin𝕏

THRIVE Navigator is an open innovation platform that connects corporate partners with emerging agri-food technology startups to accelerate innovation pipelines.

AgTechEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechImpact & Social GoodSaaS

Co-investorsSaxovent

TriLuminain𝕏acquired by Lumentum Holdings Inc. · Nov 2020

Lumentum designs and manufactures optical and photonic technologies for AI, data centers, telecommunications, industrial manufacturing, and sensing applications.

Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsSan Jose, US

DAVID J ABELL(SECRETARY/TREASURER)inKIRK OTIS(CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/PRESIDENT)

Co-investorsCottonwood Technology FundSun Mountain Capital

True Anomalytrueanomaly.spacein𝕏

True Anomaly designs and builds hardware and software systems for space security and defense.

Defense TechHardwareSpace TechCentennial, US

Even Rogers(CEO and Co-Founder)inKyle Zakrzewski(Chief Engineer and Co-Founder)inThomas Nichols(Executive Officer, Director)Daniel Brunski(Director)in

BoardJesse Michaels(Director)Austin Bishop(Director)

Co-investors645 VenturesAccelACME CapitalBlack FlagChampion Hill VenturesCortado Ventures+14 more

ViralGainsviralgains.comin𝕏Dec 2015

ViralGains is an advertising platform that collects zero-party consumer data by gathering real-time feedback within ads, using it to build more personalized ad experiences.

AdTechData & InfrastructureMarketing TechSaaSBoston, US

Dan Levin(President, COO, and Co-Founder)inJay Singh(Executive Officer, Director)Kate Willett(Executive Officer, Director)Tod Loofbourrow(Chairman and CEO)inCindy Brown(CRO)inSafaa Lafnoune(VP of Product)in

Co-investors500 GlobalBantam GroupLaunchCapitalMontage CapitalOrigin VenturesPallasite Ventures+4 more

Wealththrampwealthramp.com

Wealthramp is a referral service that matches consumers with vetted fee-only fiduciary financial advisors.

Pam Krueger(Founder)in

Co-investorsCityPark Investments

Wyebotwyebot.comin𝕏May 2022 · $8M

Wyebot offers the Wireless Intelligence Platform, an AI-based, vendor-agnostic sensor and software that monitors, analyzes, and automatically identifies problems and solutions for Wi-Fi networks.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareIoTSaaSMarlboro, US

Roger Sands(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardMatthew Rhodes-Kropf(Director)inDavid Baum(Director)inAnil Gupta(Director)Deepak Verma(Director)inSatish Tadikonda(Director)

Co-investorsLaunchCapitalTamiami AngelTectonic VenturesWalnut Venture AssociatesInnospark VenturesLaunch Capital

XY Retailxyretail.comin𝕏

XY provides a cloud-based point-of-sale platform designed for omnichannel retail operations, featuring real-time inventory management, mobile-native checkout, and integration with order management, CRM, and ERP systems.

E-commerceEnterprise SoftwareRetail TechSaaS

Susan Jeffers(CEO & Founder)in

Co-investorsMonta Vista Capital

Zeno Powerzenopower.comin𝕏

Zeno develops nuclear batteries that convert heat from decaying radioisotopes into electricity for extended-duration applications in space and deep-sea environments where conventional power sources are inadequate.

Deep TechDefense TechEnergyHardwareSpace Tech

Tyler Bernstein(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investors7percent VenturesAIN VenturesBalerion Space VenturesBeyond Earth VenturesDCVC (Data Collective)Evolution VC Partners+9 more

Other

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

AAI SolutionsCommerce SignalsFlashnotesInvaioMarxent LabsNewmetrixSenda Biosciences

Exits · 5

2 IPOs · 3 acquisitions · showing 4

Deep FissionNASDAQ: FISNOndas HoldingsNASDAQ: ONDSCoherent Pathacq. by Movable InkTriLuminaacq. by Lumentum Holdings Inc.

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Stage 1 Ventures made?
Stage 1 Ventures has 55 tracked investments, 5 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Stage 1 Ventures invest at?
Stage 1 Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth stages.
What sectors does Stage 1 Ventures focus on?
Stage 1 Ventures focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Stage 1 Ventures located?
Stage 1 Ventures is headquartered in Coconut Grove, US.
Does Stage 1 Ventures lead rounds?
Yes, Stage 1 Ventures leads investment rounds.
Who does Stage 1 Ventures co-invest with?
Stage 1 Ventures most often shares deals with Bantam Group, Florida Funders, Foundry, among 107 tracked co-investors.

From the blog

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Stage 1 Ventures has recently covered government-backed industrial expansion in drone manufacturing, pharmaceutical collaboration in cell therapy, and private sector advances in military space reconnaissance capabilities. AI summary

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