/Investor DB

Swell Partners

Venture capital

New York City · Pre-Seed–Seed · 5 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Swell backs pre-seed and seed founders with insider industry insight and an outsider perspective who move ahead of consensus and combine technical depth with commercial instincts. The fund invests across four frontiers: Enterprise AI (service-as-software and autonomous systems for the Fortune 500), Space & Defense (software-defined defense and orbital platforms), Bio (programmable, data-rich biology), and Industrial (energy, robotics, and embodied intelligence). Beyond capital, the operator-led partners help founders build teams, having made 75+ VP-level placements across their portfolio, and focus on getting companies to revenue faster.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 11, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
Check
$500K – $600K
HQ
New York City, New York, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2014
AUM
$19M
Tracked investments
30
Unicorns
1
Acquisitions
2

Team · 5 people

from public directories
James B. Ralston III· General Partner
Mrityunjay Patil· General Partner
Jay Patril· Partner

What they invest in

from 24 of 30 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×12SaaS ×8Enterprise Software ×7Deep Tech ×6Fintech ×5Advanced Manufacturing ×4Data & Infrastructure ×4Defense Tech ×4

HQs:United States×19

Who they back

founder profiles across 19 portfolio companies
26%
solo founders
5 of 19 mapped founding teams
46%
repeat founders
of 28 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×52 founders×93 founders×24+ founders×3

Where their founders studiedfrom 27 founders with education data

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×2Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) ×2San Diego State University ×2Stanford University ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with field-of-study data

Computer Science ×8Engineering ×8Economics ×6Business & Management ×5Life Sciences ×3

Where their founders worked beforefrom 28 founders with career history

Google ×4Apple ×3Air Force Research Laboratory ×2Berkeley Lab ×2Meta ×2Omniome ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Y Combinator ×7

2 founders hold a PhD · 2 hold an MBA (of 27 with degree data)

Investments · 30 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2021 · 32019 · 12016 · 12015 · 16 dated

ScienceIOscience.ioinOct 2021✓ verifiedAcquired

ScienceIO offers an AI platform for interpreting healthcare data, including a product that converts unstructured medical text into structured data via an API and maps it to millions of medical concepts.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtech

Will Manidis(Founder, CEO)Gaurav Kaushik(Founder, President)

Co-investorsEarl Grey CapitalToba CapitalAlt CapitalLachy GroomQuiet CapitalSection 32+11 more

Array Labsarraylabs.ioin𝕏

Array Labs develops radar technology for aerospace and other leading industries.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDefense TechHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US

Andrew Peterson(Founder)inJose Isaac Robledo(Founder)in

Co-investorsACVC PartnersAera VCBBQ CapitalClearance Venture PartnersDellin InvestmentsIn-Q-Tel+27 more

Credal.aicredal.aiin𝕏Seed

Credal provides a platform for managing AI agents with administrative visibility and team access controls.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkNew York City, US

Ravin Thambapillai(Founder)inJack Fischer(Founder)inJessica(COO)Ria Balli(Founding Software Engineer)Benjamin Auriemma(Founding Engineer)Thomas Mathew(Founding Engineer)

Co-investorsAdelineAlumni VenturesDrive CapitalPioneerY CombinatorAgrolimen Ventures+4 more

Crispgocrisp.comin

Crisp is an AI-powered platform that enables CPG brands, retailers, and distributors to integrate and share retail data for real-time visibility and optimization of sales and supply chain operations.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFoodTechRetail TechSaaSSpringdale, US

Are Traasdahl(Founder)inDag Liodden(Founder)in

Co-investorsDnx VenturesEvolution VenturesFirstMark CapitalWellington ManagementBlue Cloud VenturesKeen Venture Partners+6 more

CuraFicurafi.comin𝕏

CuraFi provides a drug risk and cost management solution aimed at expanding patient access to specialty medication.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechSaaS

Co-investorsAV8 VenturesBoutique Venture PartnersTau VenturesZelda VenturesHike VenturesLooking Glass Capital+1 more

Deeldeel.comin𝕏

Deel is a global HR platform that enables businesses to hire, onboard, and manage employees and contractors across borders.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechFuture of WorkHR TechSaaSSan Francisco, US

Alex Bouaziz(CEO)inShuo Wang(CRO)inAlexandre Bouaziz(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ofer Simon(Founder)Philippe Bouaziz(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inDan Westgarth(Founder)

Co-investors515 VenturesAdventure FundAlpha Square GroupAltaclub VCAltaIR CapitalAmplo Ventures+73 more

Deepnightdeepnight.aiin

Deepnight develops AI-powered night vision cameras that use edge AI processing to enable high-performance imaging in extremely low-light conditions, targeting defense, consumer electronics, drones, and autonomous vehicles.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechHardwareSan Francisco, US

Lucas Young(CEO)inThomas Li(Founder)inLucas Young Thomas Li(Founder)Albert Liao(Recruiter)Alison Baritot(Head of People)Karthik Jayakumar(Engineer)

Co-investorsFundamental VenturesInitialized CapitalNew Era Ventures ApSPioneerSugar Free CapitalVitalStage Ventures+4 more

Exodys Energyexodysenergy.comin𝕏

Exodys Energy develops UPCYCLE, a proprietary technology that recycles spent nuclear fuel into secure domestic feedstock for use in today's and next-generation reactors.

Circular EconomyCleantechEnergyNew York, US

Carl Perez(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardYasuhiro Yamakawa(Director)William Hilarides(Director)

Fiveablefiveable.me𝕏Sep 2021 · $10M

Fiveable provides AI-powered exam preparation for AP classes, offering practice questions with automated scoring and personalized study tools for high school students.

AI & Machine LearningEdTechMilwaukee, US

BoardAmanda DoAmaral(Founder)inCraig Schedler(Director)

Co-investorsBBG VenturesMatchstick VenturesOwl VenturesProgressionRezon8 CapitalSerena Ventures+5 more

Godelagodela.aiinSeed

Godela develops AI models that learn the laws of physics from simulation data to predict system behavior with solver-level accuracy in seconds.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareHardwareSan Francisco, US

Cinnamon Sipper(CEO)inAbhijit Pranav Pamarty(CTO)in

Co-investorsAera VCCLAI VenturesImagination CapitalMGV.VCPioneerY Combinator+7 more

Iron Gridgetirongrid.comin

IronGrid provides foundation model-based software for industrial teams to assess risk and quality, with a focus on battery and energy storage systems.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnergyRoboticsSan Francisco, US

Fern Morrison(CEO)inGabriele Pozzato(CTO)in

Co-investorsClimacticLightscape PartnersTranspose Platform ManagementY CombinatorClimate CapitalEcosphere Ventures+3 more

LegalPadlegalpad.ioinDec 2019

HR TechSeattle, US

Todd H.(Founder)inSara Itucas(Director)Joseph Davy(Director)Alexander Ross(Director)inTodd Heine(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsAmplo VenturesCommunity Access FundOne Way VenturesSinai Capital PartnersTechstarsStaenberg Venture Partners+1 more

Loft Orbitalloftorbital.comin𝕏

Loft Orbital operates space infrastructure, providing satellites equipped with sensing resources, onboard edge compute, and connectivity that let customers run missions without deploying their own hardware.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechHardwareSpace TechSan Francisco, US

Antoine Bellon de Chassy(Executive Officer, Director)Pierre-Damien Vaujour(Founder)inAlex Greenberg(Founder)inAntoine de Chassy(Founder)

Co-investors1809 CapitalAlumni VenturesBlast.ClubBlitzscaling VenturesChaos VenturesEQUIAM+22 more

Modern Intelligencemodernintelligence.aiin𝕏Jul 2021

Modern Intelligence builds artificial intelligence software for defense applications, providing target analysis and decision-making from small data samples.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechSan Jose, US

John Dulin(CEO)inJoseph Cieslik(Executive Officer, Director)Tristan Tager(Director)

Co-investors7percent VenturesAir Street CapitalAlumni VenturesChampion Hill VenturesContraryMyelin VC+3 more

mParticlemparticle.comAcquired

mParticle provides a customer data platform that consolidates first-party data across channels to help businesses scale operations.

Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechNew York, US

Andrew Katz(Founder)inMichael Katz(Founder)inDave Myers(Founder)

Co-investorsArrowroot CapitalBain Capital VenturesBowery CapitalBreakpoint CapitalCoelius CapitalEniac Ventures+12 more

Northstarnorthstarmoney.com

Financial services and risk analysis platform

Matt Matteson(Founder)William Peng(Founder)

Co-investorsCanvas VenturesEarl Grey CapitalM13Notable CapitalParade VenturesRRE Ventures+6 more

Parametricparametric.companyin𝕏Seed

Parametric builds software for physical businesses to operate autonomously.

Advanced ManufacturingEnterprise SoftwareRoboticsSaaSSan Francisco, US

Cody Swain(CEO)inJohn Newsom(CTO)inKiyana Okayasu(Executive Assistant)John Alvarez(Founding Software Engineer)Kyle Haynes(Staff Mechanical Engineer)Lucas Czajka(Operations)

Co-investorsY CombinatorMana VenturesMubadala CapitalOpera Tech VenturesOrange DAOSpace Capital

Pebble Postpebblepost.comin𝕏

PebblePost provides performance marketing technology that combines online and offline data to reach households through connected TV and direct mail campaigns.

AdTechDirect to ConsumerMarketing TechNew York, US

Lewis Gersh(Executive Officer, Director)inBrittany Wolf(Chief Executive Officer)inRobert Victor(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardJohn Frankel(Director)inJohn Elton(Director)in

Co-investorsRRE VenturesAdvance Venture PartnersAlpine MeridianEscalate Capital PartnersFf Venture CapitalGreycroft+5 more

Rybodynrybodyn.comin

RyboDyn develops breakthrough immunotherapies by identifying and targeting previously hidden disease markers through its proprietary RyboCypher™ technology platform.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtech

Imad Ajjawi(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)inCorey Dambacher(Founder, President, & Chief Technology Officer)inKerry Wilson(Co-Founder & VP, Platform Development)inAshley Woodfin(Co-Founder & Bioinformatics Lead - Target Discovery)in

Co-investorsHOF CapitalSOSV

Sharpeigosharpei.comin𝕏

Sharpei automates commercial lending intake and underwriting, using agents to collect and validate documents, prequalify applicants, communicate decisions, and update lenders' systems.

AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS

Maria Azofra(Founder)in

Spring in Africaspringinafrica.comin𝕏Seed

A payment platform that enables custom payment links for bank transfers and cryptocurrency transactions, allowing users to send funds to wallets and purchase airtime.

Crypto & Web3FintechSaaSSan Francisco, US

John Oke(Founder)inJoseph Benson - Aruna

Co-investorsY Combinator9Yards CapitalFrialeInovia CapitalMicrotractionOurCrowd+5 more

Stacksstacks.co𝕏Dec 2016

Stacks is a blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to leverage Bitcoin as a secure base layer through a Layer 2 solution, offering developer tools and a programming language called Clarity.

Crypto & Web3Developer ToolsNew York, US

Ryan Shea(Co-founder)inMuneeb Ali(Co-founder)in

BoardAlbert Wenger(Director)in

Co-investorsBig Brain HoldingsBitcoin FrontierBreyer CapitalCompoundContinue CapitalDigital Currency Group+26 more

Tapadtapad.cominMay 2015

Tapad operates a global cross-device digital identity graph that links a consumer or household across multiple devices.

AdTechData & InfrastructureMarketing TechNew York, US

Are Traasdahl(Founder)inDave Fall(Executive Officer)inReuben Regensberger(Executive Officer)Jeff Driskill(Executive Officer)inDag Liodden(Founder)

BoardRichard Heitzmann(Director)in

Co-investorsFirstMark CapitalLerer HippeauRunway Venture PartnersFirsthand Technology Value FundMetamorphic Ventures

Treasuretreasurefi.comin𝕏

Treasure offers a cash management and treasury investment service that lets companies invest and manage their idle cash through SEC-registered investment advisory and brokerage services.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Sam Strasser(Founder)in

Co-investorsFlucas VenturesKatalyst VenturesKatalyst.VenturesKube VCStonewater Ventures

Treasurefinancialtreasurefinancial.comin𝕏

Treasure Investment Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser offering brokerage services through Apex Clearing Corporation.

FintechSaaS

Other

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

AskariAskaridefenseExodysGetklerkKlerk

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies
Crisp Closes $26M Series B1 Funding

Crisp · finsmes.com · Dec 10, 2025

Parametric: RL for Robotics

Parametric · ycombinator.com · Nov 12, 2025

Deel Raises $300M Series E at $17.3B Valuation

Deel · thesaasnews.com · Oct 17, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Swell Partners made?
Swell Partners has 30 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited.
What stage does Swell Partners invest at?
Swell Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is Swell Partners's typical check size?
Swell Partners typically writes checks of $500K – $600K.
What sectors does Swell Partners focus on?
Swell Partners focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Energy, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, Robotics, SaaS, Space Tech.
Where is Swell Partners located?
Swell Partners is headquartered in New York City, US.
Does Swell Partners lead rounds?
Swell Partners typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does Swell Partners co-invest with?
Swell Partners most often shares deals with Y Combinator, Alumni Ventures, Jude Gomila, among 165 tracked co-investors.

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