Richard Swartwout
InvestorFounderAnalyst at Safar Partners · CTO & Co-Founder at Active Surfaces
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M
FoundedActive Surfaces
About
Richard Swartwout is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Active Surfaces. He brings nine years of cleantech research and development experience, along with two years in venture capital where he focused on investments in energy, electronics, and AI companies. He is a START.Nano Innovation Fellow supporting early-stage spinouts and holds a PhD from MIT.
CTO & Co-Founder at Active Surfaces
Intro paths
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In turn, Richard can intro founders to Active Surfaces's investors below.
Active Surfaces's investors · 5
Co-founders at Active Surfaces
SB
Shivam BhaktaExecutive Officer, Director
SB
Shiv BhaktaCEO & Co-Founder
Experience
- Active SurfacesChief Technology Officer and Foundercurrent2023 — presentCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPostdoctoral Researcher2021 — 2022Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- MIT.nanoSTART.Nano Innovation Fellow2021 — 2022Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Safar PartnersVenture Investor2019 — 2022Greater Boston
- MIT School of EngineeringGraduate Research Student2015 — 2021Greater Boston
- KebotixMaterials Science Intern2019Greater Boston
- Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteUndergraduate Researcher2014 — 2015Troy, New York
- ThermoAuraMaterials Engineering Intern2012 — 2015
- Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteUndergraduate Researcher2012Troy New York
Skills & more
Plasma PhysicsHardwareSemiconductor PhysicsTechnology DevelopmentThin Film DepositionManagementResearch and Development (R&D)Semiconductor ProcessSemiconductor EngineeringNanotechnologyChemical Engineering6Printed Electronics4
+12 more
Semiconductor FabricationScanning Electron MicroscopyMinitabMatlabSolidworksLabviewMathematicaPowder X-ray DiffractionPython (Programming Language)LabVIEWMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeFrom Richard's professional profile.
Colleagues at Safar Partners
Andy Cohen
Analyst at Safar Partners
Arda Kotikian
Associate at Safar Partners
Arunas A. Chesonis
Managing Partner at Safar Partners
Ayman Hindy
Senior Advisor at Safar Partners
Greg S. Feldman
Partner at Safar Partners
Hannah Jacobs
Analyst at Safar Partners
Leslie Hartford
Manager of Administration at Safar Partners
Nader Motamedy
Managing Partner at Safar Partners
Network1
Investors connected to Richard in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Richard Swartwout?
- Richard Swartwout is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Active Surfaces. He brings nine years of cleantech research and development experience, along with two years in venture capital where he focused on investments in energy, electronics, and AI companies. He is a START.Nano Innovation Fellow supporting early-stage spinouts and holds a PhD from MIT.
- Where does Richard Swartwout work?
- Richard Swartwout is CTO & Co-Founder of Active Surfaces and Analyst at Safar Partners.
- What check size does Richard Swartwout write?
- Richard Swartwout typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- What companies did Richard Swartwout found?
- Richard Swartwout founded Active Surfaces.
- Where did Richard Swartwout go to school?
- Richard Swartwout studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Electrical and Electronics Engineering); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Master of Science - MS, Electrical and Electronics Engineering); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Bachelor's degree, Materials Engineering).
Founder mafias
Massachusetts Institute of Technology mafia546
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilPhDFounded Brain Co.Nat FriedmanBachelor of ScienceFounded XamarinMatt HuangB.S.Founded HotspotsDelian AsparouhovDropoutFounded Nightingale +1Drew HoustonBSFounded Dropbox +1Arash FerdowsiComputer ScienceFounded Dropbox
+ 539 more
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute mafia26
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Jason EichenholzB.S.Founded AireHealth +2Jeremiah BrazeauFounded Hi MarleyAmy VilleneuveMSFounded REsuretyVanessa SmallB.S.Founded Alcheme BioEmad HasanMastersFounded Retina AIEric KanowskyBSFounded Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics
+ 19 more
Kebotix mafia2
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology1,608
Fred WilsonCo-founder & Partner at Union Square VenturesElad GilSolo general partner investing through Gil CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesHemant TanejaCEO & Managing Director of General CatalystNat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and Techstars
+ 1,602 more
Also attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute104
Lawrence BettinoManaging Director at Dot CapitalPatch PaczkowskiVenture Partner at IronGate Capital AdvisorsJonathan BurbaumEntrepreneur-In-Residence at The Innovation SpaceElly KeinanVenture Partner at PitangoAaron HenshawInvestor at Ambush CapitalCarly StrifeInvestor at Ambush Capital
+ 98 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Massachusetts Institute of Technology518
Aileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesMatt HuangCo-founder and Managing Partner at ParadigmMichael TruellCo-founder & CEO of CursorRaquel UrtasunFounder & CEO of WaabiColin WebbFounder & CEO of Avatar RoboticsAdam BryCo-founder & CEO of Skydio
+ 512 more
Also worked at MIT.nano1
Also worked at Safar Partners14
Sophie V. VandebroekInvestor at Blue Tulip VenturesNader MotamedyManaging Partner at Safar PartnersArunas A. ChesonisManaging Partner at Safar PartnersSahba VaziriPartner, CFO at Safar PartnersVera SchroederPartner at Safar PartnersParinaz MotamedyPartner at Safar Partners
+ 8 more
