Founders Fund

Founders Fund, established in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a venture capital firm that invests across various stages and sectors globally. It focuses on companies developing transformative technologies, with a particular interest in science and engineering ventures. These include consumer internet, biotechnology, aerospace and transportation, energy, artificial intelligence, and health. The firm's investment size ranges from $500,000 to $300 million, providing maximum support with minimum interference to its portfolio companies. Founders Fund is known for its founder-friendly approach and has been an early backer of prominent companies like SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, and Airbnb.

Leigh Marie Braswell

Principal

Lauren Gross

Partner and COO

Bridget Harris

Associate

Joey Krug

Partner

Sean Liu

Partner

Jeffrey Lonsdale

Managing Director, Asia

John Luttig

Principal

Amin Mirzadegan

Principal

Luke Nosek

Managing Partner

Stephen Oskoui

Venture Partner

Neil Ruthven

CFO

Eric Scott

Principal

Matias Van Thienen

Principal

Past deals in Autonomous Vehicles

Flock Safety

Series F in 2025
Flock Safety is a company that specializes in security solutions through the use of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. Its primary product, the ALPR camera system, is designed for use by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses to capture and analyze vehicle license plates. This technology aids in both preventing and solving crimes by providing actionable data to local authorities. Flock Safety's platform emphasizes community collaboration, integrating efforts from cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement to enhance public safety. The company's full-service, maintenance-free technology is trusted by various communities as a means to deter crime and promote a safer environment for residents. Additionally, the system proactively alerts police when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas, enabling faster response and community involvement in crime prevention.

Hextronics

Seed Round in 2024
Hextronics is an engineering company founded in 2020 by Curt Lary and based in Miami, Florida. The company specializes in developing battery-swapping drones tailored for the agriculture, government, and construction sectors, enabling enhanced aerial autonomy and continuous operations. Hextronics offers a diverse range of drones equipped with various features, along with drone accessories and computer vision algorithms, to support clients in automating their drone operations effectively. Through its innovative Drone-in-a-Box solution with Rapid Battery Exchange, Hextronics aims to streamline and improve the efficiency of drone applications across multiple industries.

Hadrian

Series B in 2024
Hadrian is a startup focused on manufacturing precision components specifically for the aerospace and defense industries. The company designs and operates autonomous, software-defined factories that produce critical components for technology firms involved in building rockets, satellites, jets, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, Hadrian aims to deliver precision components efficiently and cost-effectively, enabling frontier technology enterprises to accelerate their production processes.

ISEE

Series B in 2022
ISEE, Inc. is an autonomous driving technology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in 2016. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-driven software and hardware solutions for self-driving vehicles, with a focus on modernizing the global supply chain. ISEE's autonomous yard trucks are utilized by major clients, including Maersk and various Fortune 100 retailers, to enhance the automation of logistics hubs. The company's proprietary technology excels at predicting human behavior and managing risk, allowing for improved safety, cost efficiency, and consistent performance in yard operations. By enabling seamless and safe operation of autonomous machines, ISEE aims to transform the logistics and supply chain industries.

Built Robotics

Series C in 2022
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.

Hadrian

Series A in 2022
Hadrian is a startup focused on manufacturing precision components specifically for the aerospace and defense industries. The company designs and operates autonomous, software-defined factories that produce critical components for technology firms involved in building rockets, satellites, jets, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, Hadrian aims to deliver precision components efficiently and cost-effectively, enabling frontier technology enterprises to accelerate their production processes.

Hadrian

Seed Round in 2021
Hadrian is a startup focused on manufacturing precision components specifically for the aerospace and defense industries. The company designs and operates autonomous, software-defined factories that produce critical components for technology firms involved in building rockets, satellites, jets, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, Hadrian aims to deliver precision components efficiently and cost-effectively, enabling frontier technology enterprises to accelerate their production processes.

Scale AI

Series E in 2021
Scale AI, Inc. is a data platform provider specializing in training and validation data for artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company offers various annotation tools including Scale Image for image data, Scale Video for video data, Scale Text for text data, and Scale Document for intelligent document processing. Its advanced platform also includes Scale Nucleus, which helps manage user data. Scale AI's products support a wide range of sectors, such as autonomous vehicles, retail, conversational AI, and robotics, facilitating tasks like content moderation and transcription. By focusing on providing high-quality labeled data, Scale AI enables organizations to accelerate the development of AI technologies, allowing clients to concentrate on building innovative models rather than data preparation.

Ghost Autonomy

Funding Round in 2021
Ghost Autonomy is focused on making self-driving technology accessible to the consumer car market. The company develops a software-defined autonomous driving platform that leverages advancements in artificial intelligence to ensure highway autonomy is both safe and scalable. Its platform includes AI-enabled software that encompasses a perception system, planning and decision-making algorithms, and vehicle control software. This comprehensive offering allows automakers and suppliers to integrate autonomous driving capabilities into their vehicles efficiently, minimizing the need for extensive hardware modifications. Through its innovative approach, Ghost aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology in everyday vehicles.

Ghost Autonomy

Series C in 2019
Ghost Autonomy is focused on making self-driving technology accessible to the consumer car market. The company develops a software-defined autonomous driving platform that leverages advancements in artificial intelligence to ensure highway autonomy is both safe and scalable. Its platform includes AI-enabled software that encompasses a perception system, planning and decision-making algorithms, and vehicle control software. This comprehensive offering allows automakers and suppliers to integrate autonomous driving capabilities into their vehicles efficiently, minimizing the need for extensive hardware modifications. Through its innovative approach, Ghost aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology in everyday vehicles.

ISEE

Series A in 2019
ISEE, Inc. is an autonomous driving technology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in 2016. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-driven software and hardware solutions for self-driving vehicles, with a focus on modernizing the global supply chain. ISEE's autonomous yard trucks are utilized by major clients, including Maersk and various Fortune 100 retailers, to enhance the automation of logistics hubs. The company's proprietary technology excels at predicting human behavior and managing risk, allowing for improved safety, cost efficiency, and consistent performance in yard operations. By enabling seamless and safe operation of autonomous machines, ISEE aims to transform the logistics and supply chain industries.

Built Robotics

Series B in 2019
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.

Scale AI

Series C in 2019
Scale AI, Inc. is a data platform provider specializing in training and validation data for artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company offers various annotation tools including Scale Image for image data, Scale Video for video data, Scale Text for text data, and Scale Document for intelligent document processing. Its advanced platform also includes Scale Nucleus, which helps manage user data. Scale AI's products support a wide range of sectors, such as autonomous vehicles, retail, conversational AI, and robotics, facilitating tasks like content moderation and transcription. By focusing on providing high-quality labeled data, Scale AI enables organizations to accelerate the development of AI technologies, allowing clients to concentrate on building innovative models rather than data preparation.

Flock Safety

Series A in 2018
Flock Safety is a company that specializes in security solutions through the use of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. Its primary product, the ALPR camera system, is designed for use by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses to capture and analyze vehicle license plates. This technology aids in both preventing and solving crimes by providing actionable data to local authorities. Flock Safety's platform emphasizes community collaboration, integrating efforts from cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement to enhance public safety. The company's full-service, maintenance-free technology is trusted by various communities as a means to deter crime and promote a safer environment for residents. Additionally, the system proactively alerts police when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas, enabling faster response and community involvement in crime prevention.

Built Robotics

Series A in 2017
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.

Hive

Series A in 2016
Hive is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in cloud-based artificial intelligence solutions aimed at enhancing business processes through deep learning and computer vision. It offers a range of products, including Hive Media, an analytics platform for broadcasters and advertisers; Hive Security, which provides video analytics and visual intelligence software; Hive Auto, focusing on visual perception for autonomous vehicles; and Hive Retail, which delivers custom deep learning solutions for retail operations. With a significant portfolio of pre-trained AI models, Hive supports billions of API requests monthly and addresses critical business needs such as content moderation, brand protection, and ad targeting. The company has raised substantial capital from prominent investors and employs over 175 full-time staff, complemented by a global network of contributors for data labeling operations. Hive was incorporated in 2013 and has established itself as a leader in AI technology for diverse enterprise applications.
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