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Adrian Fortino

Investor

Partner at Mercury Fund · Board director at Buildforce · Board director at ABXR Labs · Board director at Sight Machine

Michigan

Writes $250K – $4M checks · typically $2.5M

Find your path to Adrian

353 people in our graph share verified history with Adrian — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Dug SongunlockedAdrian: together at Michigan Founders Fund (2022–2026)
Adrian: together at Michigan Founders Fund
×10Adrian: together at Mercury Fund

About

Leads Mercury's industrial transformation practice backing industrial and physical AI startups. He was previously Managing Director of Invest Detroit Ventures, co-founded three software companies, and teaches VC fundamentals at the University of Michigan.

Contact· self-published, not guessed

Board director at Buildforce

Intro paths

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In turn, Adrian can intro founders to Buildforce's investors below.

Buildforce's investors · 6

Chicago VenturesChicago · $250K – $1M checks · since 2025Frontera Technology VenturesTexasGrid CapitalWinnetka · since 2022Mercury FundHouston · $250K – $4M checks · since 2021S3 VenturesAustin · $500K – $15M checks · since 2021TDF VenturesChevy Chase · $500K – $5M checks · since 2021

Co-founders at Buildforce

VBVu Brown
Vu BrownFounder

Board director at ABXR Labs

Intro paths

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In turn, Adrian can intro founders to ABXR Labs's investors below.

ABXR Labs's investors · 2

Cortado VenturesOklahoma City · since 2025Mercury FundHouston · $250K – $4M checks · since 2018

Co-founders at ABXR Labs

BS
Brad ScogginExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter

Board director at Sight Machine

Intro paths

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In turn, Adrian can intro founders to Sight Machine's investors below.

Sight Machine's investors · 12

Asahi Kasei Corporate Venture CapitalMenlo Park · $200K – $5M checksDnx VenturesTokyo · $1M – $5M checkseLab VenturesAnn Arbor · $25K – $100K checksFundersClubSan Francisco · $290K – $5M checksFuture Energy VenturesBerlin · $1.1M – $11M checksHuron River VenturesAnn ArborMercury FundHouston · $250K – $4M checks · since 2015Momenta VenturesLucerneNextEquity PartnersMenlo ParkRealization Capital PartnersMenlo Park · $1M – $100M checksSony Ventures CorporationTokyoTekfen VenturesNew York · $1M – $3M checks · since 2017

Co-founders at Sight Machine

JS
Jon SobelChief Executive Officer and President
NO
Nathan OostendorpSecretary and Treasurer

Experience

  1. Mercury FundGeneral Partnercurrent2014 — presentDetroit, Michigan, United States
  2. University of Michigan College of EngineeringLecturercurrent2015 — presentAnn Arbor, MI
  3. Michigan Founders FundBoard Membercurrent2022 — presentMichigan, United States
  4. Great Lakes Venture Capital SummitCo-Foundercurrent2024 — presentDetroit, Michigan, United States
  5. Michigan Venture Capital AssociationDirectorcurrent2019 — presentAnn Arbor, MI
  6. ArborXRBoard Directorcurrent2024 — presentOKC
  7. KODE HealthBoard Directorcurrent2023 — presentHolland, Michigan, United States
  8. WizeHireBoard Directorcurrent2021 — presentHouston, Texas, United States
  9. Chain.ioBoard Directorcurrent2021 — presentPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  10. BuildforceBoard Directorcurrent2020 — presentHouston, Texas, United States
  11. AclaimantBoard Directorcurrent2020 — presentChicago, Illinois, United States
  12. AmbyintBoard Directorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Houston
  13. Sight MachineBoard Director2015 — 2023Ann Arbor, MI
  14. PactSafeBoard Director2018 — 2021Greater Indianapolis
  15. FlockTAGCo-Founder2012 — 2020Ann Arbor, MI
  16. CatapultCo-Chair2014 — 2019Detroit Metropolitan Area
  17. The University of Michigan Law SchoolIndustry Lead2014 — 2018Ann Arbor, MI
  18. DeepfieldBoard Director2016 — 2017Ann Arbor, MI
  19. Detroit InnovateManaging Director2013 — 2014Detroit Metropolitan Area
  20. First Step FundManaging Director2012 — 2014Detroit Metropolitan Area

Skills & more

EntrepreneurshipStart-upsProduct Development35Strategic Planning26Venture Capital62Program Management16Business Strategy54Automotive11Engineering9Management Consulting26Business Development33Business Planning20
+8 moreCross-functional Team LeadershipProduct ManagementProject ManagementNew Business DevelopmentCompetitive AnalysisEnergyProduct DesignManufacturing

From Adrian's professional profile.

Deals · 2

ABXR LabsBoard seat

via Mercury Fund · filed Jul 2025 · $2.2M raise

AclaimantBoard seat

via Mercury Fund · filed Mar 2020 · $8.3M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Other disclosed investments

Sources: SEC Form D filings · curated public sources.

Colleagues at Mercury Fund

Adrian Barwinski
General Partner at Mercury Fund
Aileen Allen
Partner at Mercury Fund
Alex Gras
Principal at Mercury Fund
Andreas Galliker
Chief Financial Officer at Mercury Fund
Andrew Clark
Director at Texas Ventures
Aziz Gilani
Associate at Mercury Fund
Blair Garrou
Co-founder & General Partner at Mercury Fund
Brad Van Otterloo
Venture Advisor at Mercury Fund

Network4

Alex Gras
Principal at Mercury Fund
Blair Garrou
Co-founder & General Partner at Mercury Fund
Craig Herron
Managing Principal at iSelect Fund
Peter Commons
Partner at Mercury Fund

Investors connected to Adrian in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Adrian Fortino?
Leads Mercury's industrial transformation practice backing industrial and physical AI startups. He was previously Managing Director of Invest Detroit Ventures, co-founded three software companies, and teaches VC fundamentals at the University of Michigan.
Where does Adrian Fortino work?
Adrian Fortino is Partner at Mercury Fund and Board director at Buildforce and Board director at ABXR Labs and Board director at Sight Machine.
What check size does Adrian Fortino write?
Adrian Fortino typically writes checks of $250K – $4M.
What boards does Adrian Fortino sit on?
Adrian Fortino holds tracked board seats at ABXR Labs, Aclaimant, Buildforce, Ironclad, Sight Machine.
What companies has Adrian Fortino invested in?
Investments tracked here include Aclaimant, Ambiq, Ambyint, ArborXR, Benson Hill Inc., Clean Chemistry, KODE Health, LISNR, Sight Machine, Voze.
Where did Adrian Fortino go to school?
Adrian Fortino studied at University of Michigan (BSME, Mechanical Engineering); University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business (MBA, Entrepreneurship and VC/PE).

Same school

Shared employers