How to Find Investors for a Deep Tech Startup: Stage Mix, States and Fund Sizes
To find investors for a deep tech startup, start from our list of 763 deep tech investors and narrow it by stage, place and fund size. Seed is the stage they name most (555 of the 679 with a stage on file), ahead of pre-seed. About two fifths are in the US, where California leads with 138. The median fund on file from SEC Form D is $60M, above the $50M for every investor we hold with such a figure.
Among the 37 sectors we can compare, deep tech has the third lowest share of investors based in the US: 42%, against 72% across the database. Among the 36 sectors we can compare, deep tech has the fifth highest share of its US investors in California: 44%, against 36% of all US investors we hold. Among the 37 sectors we can compare, deep tech has the fifth highest share of investors that name pre-seed: 47%, against 39% across the database. By type, the 763 are 577 VC firms, 43 government or university funds, 43 angel networks, 28 corporate venture arms and 25 fund managers, with 47 of other types. The tags these investors most often carry beside deep tech are AI (489), SaaS and B2B software (386) and healthtech and digital health (311).
What do deep tech investors look for?
A deep tech round pays for a technical step, not for sales. The reader wants to know what will be proven by the end of the round, how an outsider can check it, and what that proof makes possible next.
- What exactly will this round prove? A result that can be tested, such as a performance figure reached on a working prototype, is the product at this stage.
- Who owns the intellectual property? Work that began in a university or at a former employer needs a clear license or assignment before a fund can invest.
- Who will use it first? A named first customer or development partner shows that the technical result has somewhere to go.
Which stage do deep tech investors back?
Among the 679 of the 763 with a stage on file (a firm can state several), seed comes first with 555 (82%), then pre-seed (316), Series A (293), growth (191) and Series B (113). Set against every investor we hold, the group leans toward Series A: 43% name it here and 34% overall. With about four fifths naming seed, a seed round has the widest field on this list.
| Stage (our research) | Deep tech investors | Share of the 679 with a stage on file | Share of all 763 on the list | Same share, all investors with a stage | Difference in points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed deep tech investors | 316 | 47% | 41% | 39% | +8 |
| Seed deep tech investors | 555 | 82% | 73% | 75% | +7 |
| Series A deep tech investors | 293 | 43% | 38% | 34% | +9 |
| Series B deep tech investors | 113 | 17% | 15% | 14% | +3 |
| Growth-stage deep tech investors | 191 | 28% | 25% | 28% | 0 |
Where are deep tech investors based?
More of this list sits outside the US than inside it: 322 of the 763 are in the US, 135 in the UK and 299 in the rest of Europe. Among the 312 US investors with a state on file, California holds 44% (138), more than its 36% share of all US investors we hold. New York is a distant second with 42, then Massachusetts (20) and Florida (19).
| State | Deep tech investors | Share of the 312 with a state on file | Share of all US investors | Difference in points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 138 | 44% | 36% | +8 |
| New York | 42 | 13% | 15% | -2 |
| Massachusetts | 20 | 6% | 6% | 0 |
| Florida | 19 | 6% | 6% | 0 |
| Texas | 15 | 5% | 6% | -1 |
| Colorado | 9 | 3% | 2% | +1 |
| Illinois | 9 | 3% | 3% | 0 |
| Washington | 8 | 3% | 2% | +1 |
By city, counting the head offices of every type of investor, the largest groups are New York (38), San Francisco (37), Palo Alto (21) and Menlo Park (13).
| City | State | Deep tech investors | Share of the 322 in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | NY | 38 | 12% |
| San Francisco | CA | 37 | 11% |
| Palo Alto | CA | 21 | 7% |
| Menlo Park | CA | 13 | 4% |
| Boston | MA | 10 | 3% |
| Seattle | WA | 8 | 2% |
| Los Altos | CA | 7 | 2% |
| Dallas | TX | 6 | 2% |
| Chicago | IL | 6 | 2% |
| Austin | TX | 6 | 2% |
| San Mateo | CA | 6 | 2% |
Metro area lists for this sector, each with its own row count: Deep tech investors in the San Francisco Bay Area (110), Deep tech investors in Silicon Valley (59), Deep tech investors in Los Angeles (15), Deep tech investors in Miami and South Florida (15).
The same investors as lists by region: Deep tech venture capital firms in the US (322), Deep tech investors in the UK (135), Deep tech investors in Europe (299).
How big are deep tech funds?
Across the 231 of the 763 deep tech investors with a fund size from SEC Form D on file, the median is $60M, above the $50M for every investor we hold with such a figure. About a quarter of these funds are under $25M and about two fifths are $100M or more. The figure is the fund as filed, not a check size, and a firm's main fund on our record, which is not always its newest; for 50 of the 231 the offering amount is indefinite, so it is the amount sold so far.
| Fund size on file (SEC Form D) | Deep tech investors | Share | Share, all investors with a figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $10M | 29 | 13% | 15% |
| $10M to $25M | 28 | 12% | 18% |
| $25M to $50M | 32 | 14% | 15% |
| $50M to $100M | 50 | 22% | 19% |
| $100M to $250M | 53 | 23% | 19% |
| $250M to $1B | 34 | 15% | 12% |
| $1B and over | 5 | 2% | 1% |
Which deep tech investors can you look at first?
Check how long a fund can wait. A deep tech company can need many years to reach revenue, and a fund late in its life cannot give it that time. Favor investors that list companies at your stage of technical maturity, and note which of them led the round.
The 10 firms below are among the free rows of our list of deep tech venture capital firms in the US (322): each names the sector in its own description, and they stand in that list's order, by our activity score, which is no measure of quality.
New Science Ventures
HQ: Not stated · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Seed, Growth, Late stage · Latest activity: Portfolio news, Oct 2026 (our research) · Fund size or assets: $1.0B (own site)
Venture capital firm headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut with a London office that invests in early and late stage life sciences and information technology companies built on science-based innovation.
Madrona
HQ: Seattle, Washington · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth · Latest activity: New deal, Oct 2026 (our research) · Fund size on file: $490M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Seattle venture firm backing technology founders at seed, early and acceleration stages in Seattle, the Bay Area and beyond, across AI, biotech, consumer, infrastructure, deep tech and security.
SOSV
HQ: Not stated · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Pre-seed · Latest activity: Portfolio news, Nov 2026 (our research) · Fund size on file: $131M (SEC Form D, 2022)
Deep tech venture firm investing at pre-seed, often as first institutional investor, with hands-on programmes and lab space in New York, Newark and San Francisco (including HAX); also makes follow-on investments.
Cambium Capital
HQ: Highland, Maryland · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Seed · Latest activity: New deal, Sep 2026 (our research) · Fund size on file: $74M (SEC Form D, 2021)
Early-stage venture firm investing in advanced compute technologies, deep tech and AI/ML, including photonics, wireless, quantum and security.
TreeoVC
HQ: Pompano Beach, Florida · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Pre-seed, Seed · Latest activity: Form D filing, Aug 2026 · Fund size on file: $9M (SEC Form D, 2023)
Seed-focused venture firm backing Turkish and other immigrant founders building in the U.S., across vertical AI, physical AI, robotics and deep tech.
1517 Fund
HQ: Telluride, Colorado · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Pre-seed · Latest activity: Form D filing, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $43M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Venture firm and educational institution backing dropouts, students and deep tech scientists at the earliest stages of their careers and companies. Based in Telluride, CO.
Aurelia Foundry
HQ: Denver, Colorado · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Seed, Series A · Latest activity: Form D filing, Oct 2026 · Fund size on file: $75M (SEC Form D, 2023)
Deep tech fund investing in space companies, including those at the intersection of space with AI, biotech, energy and defense. Based in Denver, CO.
Side Door Michigan
HQ: Fernandina Beach, Florida · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Seed · Latest activity: Form D filing, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $30M (SEC Form D, 2023)
Generalist venture firm with a seed fund writing first cheques up to $500K and a Michigan fund leading up to $1.5M, across software, life sciences and frontier tech.
Bison Ventures
HQ: San Francisco, California · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B · Latest activity: Form D filing, Oct 2026 · Fund size on file: $160M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Venture firm investing in early-stage frontier technology in physical AI, human health, and energy and compute, from pre-seed to Series B. Based in San Francisco, CA.
Scout Ventures
HQ: Austin, Texas · Type: VC firm · Stages (our research): Seed · Latest activity: New deal, May 2026 (our research) · Fund size on file: $125M (SEC Form D, 2022)
Austin, TX venture firm investing in dual-use frontier technology from founders with military, intelligence and national lab backgrounds, leading seed rounds and following on through Series B.
Which US deep tech investors filed with the SEC most recently?
150 of the 322 US deep tech investors (47%) have a Form D filing dated in the 12 months to 6 Nov 2026, a first notice or the yearly amendment of an older fund, above the 38% for all US investors we hold. Our file of new fund notices for the 8 weeks to 6 Nov 2026 holds 32 from 24 of these investors, among them Decisive Point VENTURES, Future Ventures and Pear Ventures.
| Investor | Location | Stages (our research) | Latest Form D filing | Amount on that filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reveille | New York, New York | Seed | 4 Nov 2026 | $40M |
| Decisive Point VENTURES | Greenwich, Connecticut | Not stated | 2 Nov 2026 | $19M |
| Future Ventures | Los Altos, California | Seed | 30 Oct 2026 | Not stated |
| Pear Ventures | Menlo Park, California | Pre-seed, Seed | 27 Oct 2026 | $9M |
| Qubits Ventures | Pasadena, California | Seed | 26 Oct 2026 | $50M |
| Balerion Space Ventures | Dallas, Texas | Not stated | 21 Oct 2026 | $10M |
| Soma Capital | Miami Beach, Florida | Seed | 21 Oct 2026 | $3M |
| House Capital | Englewood, New Jersey | Not stated | 21 Oct 2026 | Not stated |
What should a deep tech founder have ready before the first email?
A deep tech round buys a technical milestone, so name the milestone before anything else.
- The milestone this round pays for, and how someone outside your field can check that it was reached.
- Patents filed or granted, and who owns them: the company, a university or a former employer.
- The first customer or partner who will test the product, and what they have committed to.
Words deep tech investors use
- Technical milestone
- A result that can be measured and checked, which the round is raised to reach.
- IP assignment
- The legal transfer of patents or other rights to the company.
- Spinout
- A company formed to commercialize research from a university or a laboratory.
- SBIR
- Small Business Innovation Research: US federal awards to small businesses for early research and development.
A common slip. Explaining the science in full before saying what it is for. Put the use and the milestone first, and the physics second.
How do you reach deep tech investors?
85% of the list has a named decision-maker on file (650 of 763, 3,104 names in all), in line with the 84% across the whole database. About half have a firm email address (388), and 293 publish how they want to be pitched, such as a form or an application page.
Use a pitch route where a firm publishes one, and otherwise write to one named person at a time, starting from the free outreach email templates; the full list is Deep tech investors, all 763 investors, one per row, the first 25 free to read, and the matching tool opens with deep tech already picked.
This list has 763 rows and a single-list file covers up to 300, so its rows are sold inside the Global Bundle file.
One-time payment. No subscription. No account.
Or get the free sample file (100 investors) first.
Method and limits
- Source
- SEC Form D for filing dates and fund sizes; our own research (each firm's website, UK and EU registers) for stage, the sector tag and dated deals.
- Counts
- The 763 rows of the list this page links to, as of November 2026, set against all 4,178 investors we hold (3,019 in the US); a gap under 3 points is treated as none, and a rank compares the sectors that have a list on this site and at least 30 rows for the measure (10 for a median fund size).
- Limits
- 1,302 US firms have no sector on file, so the true number of deep tech investors is higher; 679 of the 763 here have a stage on file and 231 a fund size from SEC Form D; what investors look for, which ones to keep, the words they use and what to have ready are our advice for this sector, not data about any one investor.
Questions
How do I find investors for a deep tech startup?
Start from the list of 763 deep tech investors, then filter by stage (555 of the 679 with a stage on file name seed), by place (44% of the US ones with a state on file are in California) and by fund size (the median fund on file is $60M).
What do deep tech investors ask founders?
What exactly will this round prove? Who owns the intellectual property? Who will use it first?
How big are deep tech funds?
The median fund on file is $60M across the 231 deep tech investors with a figure from SEC Form D, above the $50M for every investor we hold with such a figure.
Can I contact deep tech investors directly?
650 of the 763 have a named decision-maker on file and 388 a firm email address; 293 publish a pitch route, and where one exists it is the way in they ask for.
Guides for other sectors
How to find consumer products and CPG investorsHow to find consumer investorsHow to find ecommerce investorsHow to find edtech investorsHow to find proptech and real estate tech investorsHow to find climate tech investorsHow to find hardware investorsHow to find impact investorsHow to find food and beverage investorsHow to find SaaS and B2B software investorsHow to find fintech investorsHow to find AI investorsHow to find healthtech and digital health investorsHow to find cybersecurity investorsHow to find gaming investors
Related
Deep tech investors (763)Deep tech venture capital firms in the US (322)Deep tech investors in the UK (135)Deep tech investors in Europe (299)Seed deep tech investors (555)Pre-seed deep tech investors (316)Deep tech investors in California (138)Deep tech investors in New York (42)Match deep tech investors to your roundHow to build an investor listInvestor outreach email templatesHow many investors to pitchInvestor databases comparedWhat is in the investor database
Cite this page
Muhammad Tayyab Shabbir, "How to Find Investors for a Deep Tech Startup: Stage Mix, States and Fund Sizes", The Investor Database, 10 Nov 2026. https://theinvestordatabase.com/guides/how-to-find-investors-for-a-deep-tech-startup/