Draper Associates
Draper Associates is a venture capital firm headquartered in San Mateo, California, that backs early-stage and seed companies worldwide. The firm focuses on visionary founders pursuing transformative technologies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotech, crypto, space, software as a service, and cloud-based platforms. It supports portfolio companies from pre-seed to Series A, offering capital together with strategic guidance, mentorship, and access to a broad network to help teams scale and bring breakthrough ideas to market. Draper Associates maintains an industry-agnostic approach but seeks ventures with the potential to disrupt markets, create jobs, and drive meaningful growth. The firm emphasizes long-term partnerships and a willingness to fund ambitious projects that seem improbable today but may become inevitable tomorrow.
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Past deals in Navigation and Mapping
Near Space Labs
Series B in 2025
Near Space Labs is an aerial imagery and earth observation company based in the United States that specializes in providing high-quality geospatial information for various sectors. The company offers cloud-based delivery of fully processed images through its API, facilitating easy monitoring of assets across broad or specific areas. Near Space Labs supports businesses, government organizations, and partners by delivering actionable insights that enhance remote sensing capabilities. Its services are utilized in diverse fields, including insurance, utilities, infrastructure, conservation, smart cities, retail, energy, and disaster response. By monitoring construction progress and addressing issues such as pipeline leaks, vegetation encroachment, and weather-related damage, Near Space Labs enables clients to improve mobility, leisure, and urban planning.
Lantern
Seed Round in 2020
Lantern is a public benefit corporation that provides personalized, free roadmaps for navigating life before and after a death. It offers tools, resources, and services to help individuals manage the process of end-of-life planning or coping with loss.
Near Space Labs
Seed Round in 2018
Near Space Labs is an aerial imagery and earth observation company based in the United States that specializes in providing high-quality geospatial information for various sectors. The company offers cloud-based delivery of fully processed images through its API, facilitating easy monitoring of assets across broad or specific areas. Near Space Labs supports businesses, government organizations, and partners by delivering actionable insights that enhance remote sensing capabilities. Its services are utilized in diverse fields, including insurance, utilities, infrastructure, conservation, smart cities, retail, energy, and disaster response. By monitoring construction progress and addressing issues such as pipeline leaks, vegetation encroachment, and weather-related damage, Near Space Labs enables clients to improve mobility, leisure, and urban planning.
AImotive
Series C in 2018
AImotive develops automated driving technology, including self-driving software, simulation tools, and neural network acceleration hardware IP. It seeks to enable deployment of automated driving by offering scalable, modular, and hardware-agnostic solutions that suit a range of partners and environments. With expertise in artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and 3D graphics, AImotive builds an ecosystem to support real-world autonomous driving workloads and industry collaboration. Its technology aims to provide a safe and affordable autonomous mobility option across diverse climates and cultures, delivering a practical self-driving alternative for everyday rides.
Mothership Aeronautics
Seed Round in 2017
Mothership Aeronautics Limited is a company that specializes in the development and manufacture of solar-powered airships designed for various inspection, surveillance, and monitoring applications. Founded in 2016 and based in South San Francisco, California, the company integrates lighter-than-air lifting technologies with high power density photovoltaics. Its offerings include infrastructure inspection, magnetic sensing, terrain mapping, thermal sensing, as well as the inspection of solar panels and wind turbines. In addition, Mothership Aeronautics provides data processing services that encompass 3D and digital modeling, mapping, and planimetrics. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including oil and gas, road and rail transportation, mining, and renewable energy.
Mothership Aeronautics
Seed Round in 2017
Mothership Aeronautics Limited is a company that specializes in the development and manufacture of solar-powered airships designed for various inspection, surveillance, and monitoring applications. Founded in 2016 and based in South San Francisco, California, the company integrates lighter-than-air lifting technologies with high power density photovoltaics. Its offerings include infrastructure inspection, magnetic sensing, terrain mapping, thermal sensing, as well as the inspection of solar panels and wind turbines. In addition, Mothership Aeronautics provides data processing services that encompass 3D and digital modeling, mapping, and planimetrics. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including oil and gas, road and rail transportation, mining, and renewable energy.
AImotive
Series B in 2016
AImotive develops automated driving technology, including self-driving software, simulation tools, and neural network acceleration hardware IP. It seeks to enable deployment of automated driving by offering scalable, modular, and hardware-agnostic solutions that suit a range of partners and environments. With expertise in artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and 3D graphics, AImotive builds an ecosystem to support real-world autonomous driving workloads and industry collaboration. Its technology aims to provide a safe and affordable autonomous mobility option across diverse climates and cultures, delivering a practical self-driving alternative for everyday rides.
AImotive
Series A in 2015
AImotive develops automated driving technology, including self-driving software, simulation tools, and neural network acceleration hardware IP. It seeks to enable deployment of automated driving by offering scalable, modular, and hardware-agnostic solutions that suit a range of partners and environments. With expertise in artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and 3D graphics, AImotive builds an ecosystem to support real-world autonomous driving workloads and industry collaboration. Its technology aims to provide a safe and affordable autonomous mobility option across diverse climates and cultures, delivering a practical self-driving alternative for everyday rides.
SherpaShare
Seed Round in 2015
SherpaShare provides a driver-focused platform featuring a location-tracking application that helps gig economy drivers optimize revenue by identifying high-value routes and hotspots, while tracking earnings and expenses. The app delivers performance insights, supports expense management, and connects drivers to share tips and opportunities, helping users understand true driving costs and access more income within the sharing economy.
SkyWard
Seed Round in 2015
SkyWard is a company that specializes in developing a comprehensive drone operations software platform aimed at enhancing the efficiency and safety of commercial drone businesses. Its offerings include an interactive drone airspace map, flight planning tools, and a digital system of record, all integrated into a cloud-based solution. The platform facilitates effective operations management by connecting people, projects, and equipment within a streamlined workflow. Additionally, SkyWard provides training and consulting services, ensuring that pilots can implement standardized and low-risk flight procedures. Through these services, the company aims to support the growing demand for safe and efficient drone operations in various industries.
SkyWard
Seed Round in 2014
SkyWard is a company that specializes in developing a comprehensive drone operations software platform aimed at enhancing the efficiency and safety of commercial drone businesses. Its offerings include an interactive drone airspace map, flight planning tools, and a digital system of record, all integrated into a cloud-based solution. The platform facilitates effective operations management by connecting people, projects, and equipment within a streamlined workflow. Additionally, SkyWard provides training and consulting services, ensuring that pilots can implement standardized and low-risk flight procedures. Through these services, the company aims to support the growing demand for safe and efficient drone operations in various industries.
Safer
Series B in 2013
Safer is a tech platform that facilitates seamless door-to-door travel experiences for aviation and bus companies. It synchronizes vehicle fleets to minimize wait times, offering customers efficient multimodal journeys from point A to B.
Safer
Series A in 2011
Safer is a tech platform that facilitates seamless door-to-door travel experiences for aviation and bus companies. It synchronizes vehicle fleets to minimize wait times, offering customers efficient multimodal journeys from point A to B.
Terra Bella
Series B in 2010
Terra Bella is a private company based in Mountain View, California, specializing in high-resolution satellite imagery and analytics services. Originally founded as Skybox Imaging in 2009 by Dan Berkenstock, Julian Mann, John Fenwick, and Ching-Yu Hu, the company operates the SkySat-1 satellite, which captures detailed panchromatic and multispectral images of the Earth. Terra Bella focuses on analyzing the movement of goods and people, providing valuable visual data for various applications, including supply chain monitoring, shipping logistics, industrial plant activity, and humanitarian relief efforts. Through its advanced imaging technology, the company aims to deliver critical insights that support decision-making across multiple sectors.
Terra Bella
Series A in 2009
Terra Bella is a private company based in Mountain View, California, specializing in high-resolution satellite imagery and analytics services. Originally founded as Skybox Imaging in 2009 by Dan Berkenstock, Julian Mann, John Fenwick, and Ching-Yu Hu, the company operates the SkySat-1 satellite, which captures detailed panchromatic and multispectral images of the Earth. Terra Bella focuses on analyzing the movement of goods and people, providing valuable visual data for various applications, including supply chain monitoring, shipping logistics, industrial plant activity, and humanitarian relief efforts. Through its advanced imaging technology, the company aims to deliver critical insights that support decision-making across multiple sectors.
Triporati
Venture Round in 2008
Triporati, Inc. is an online travel company based in San Francisco, California, that specializes in helping consumers identify suitable vacation destinations through its innovative "Destination Genome Project" platform. Founded in 2008, the company leverages the expertise of over 70 travel experts, who have contributed to more than 650 travel guidebooks, to analyze and profile over 2,000 global destinations across 62 dimensions, including various attributes and activities. Users can input their interests to receive personalized recommendations, which are presented on a customized map that highlights the best places to visit based on individual preferences. Additionally, Triporati's website enables both travel and non-travel-related advertisers to effectively target leisure travelers, enhancing the overall travel planning experience.
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