Founders Fund

Founders Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that backs science and technology companies across multiple stages, from seed to late-stage. It pursues transformative technologies and follows a founder-friendly investment approach that provides substantial support with minimal interference. The firm invests in ventures solving difficult problems across sectors such as aerospace and transportation, artificial intelligence, advanced computing, energy, healthcare, biotechnology, cybersecurity, fintech, consumer internet, software, robotics, and related technology fields. It has backed notable companies early, including SpaceX, Palantir, and Facebook, reflecting a history of partnering with ambitious founders to scale breakthrough technologies.

Jennifer Campbell

Partner

Lauren Gross

Partner and COO

Bridget Harris

Associate

Joey Krug

Partner

Sean Liu

Partner

Past deals in Hardware

Northwood Space

Series A in 2025
Northwood Space is a hardware solution that dramatically increases the number of orbits and frequency bands available for satellite communications from the ground.

Arena

Series B in 2025
Arena accelerates testing, debugging, and optimization for the world’s most advanced hardware. Atlas is an AI hardware engineer grounded in applied physics with an understanding of the real-world environment.

Icon

Venture Round in 2025
Icon is a technology company focused on developing innovative solutions for screen-based devices, particularly those integrated with Amazon's Alexa Voice Service. As a software-led hardware company, Icon specializes in creating smart mirrors and other smart home devices that incorporate voice capabilities. The company is recognized for its professional technology development team, which provides customized hardware and software solutions tailored to meet the certification requirements for Alexa integration. Icon's smart mirror, which features Alexa built-in, has received accolades, including recognition as a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree. In addition to its product offerings, Icon also provides industrial design services and supports a wide range of customized designs for original equipment manufacturers. The company is backed by notable investors and industry executives, enhancing its credibility and reach in the tech market.

Icon

Venture Round in 2025
Icon is a technology company focused on developing innovative solutions for screen-based devices, particularly those integrated with Amazon's Alexa Voice Service. As a software-led hardware company, Icon specializes in creating smart mirrors and other smart home devices that incorporate voice capabilities. The company is recognized for its professional technology development team, which provides customized hardware and software solutions tailored to meet the certification requirements for Alexa integration. Icon's smart mirror, which features Alexa built-in, has received accolades, including recognition as a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree. In addition to its product offerings, Icon also provides industrial design services and supports a wide range of customized designs for original equipment manufacturers. The company is backed by notable investors and industry executives, enhancing its credibility and reach in the tech market.

Hextronics

Seed Round in 2024
Hextronics is an engineering company that develops drone systems and accessories for autonomous operations. It specializes in Drone-in-a-Box solutions with rapid battery exchange to enable continuous aerial activity. The company offers a range of drones for fast response, security, inspection, construction, agriculture, and conservation, as well as battery-swapping drones and related components. It provides computer vision algorithms for commercial drones and comprehensive support, training, and resources covering installation, maintenance, and operation to help clients automate their workflows.

Nominal

Seed Round in 2024
Nominal develops a data infrastructure platform that empowers engineering teams across industries like aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrials to efficiently test and validate complex hardware systems. The platform offers multi-modal data ingestion, edge analytics, visualization, and automated validation capabilities.

Nominal

Series A in 2024
Nominal develops a data infrastructure platform that empowers engineering teams across industries like aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrials to efficiently test and validate complex hardware systems. The platform offers multi-modal data ingestion, edge analytics, visualization, and automated validation capabilities.

Northwood Space

Seed Round in 2024
Northwood Space is a hardware solution that dramatically increases the number of orbits and frequency bands available for satellite communications from the ground.

Biofire Group

Series A in 2024
Biofire Group is a company focused on revolutionizing the firearms industry with advanced safety features. Their flagship product, the Biofire Smart Gun, utilizes state-of-the-art biometric technology to create a handgun that unlocks instantly for authorized users while remaining locked for others. This innovative approach aims to enhance gun safety without compromising privacy or civil liberties. By integrating biometrics into firearm design, Biofire Group is reimagining the industry to provide secure and efficient access for legitimate users.

Opal

Series A in 2023
Making it better at capturing incredible low-light video. Even in dimly lit room, you’ll get a level of detail and color that wasn’t possible before. The Opal C1 comes with MicMesh™, an array of beamforming microphones that find and focus on the sound of your voice. And with intelligent noise cancellation, every ding, drop and dog bark is filtered out to get an audio experience that clearly speaks for itself.

Freeform

Venture Round in 2023
Freeform is a 3D printing company that offers metal 3D printing solutions for manufacturing firms. It deploys software‑defined, self‑sufficient metal 3D printing factories worldwide, applying advanced sensing, real‑time controls, and data‑driven learning to produce digitally verified precision parts at high speed and low cost.

Biofire Group

Series A in 2022
Biofire Group is a company focused on revolutionizing the firearms industry with advanced safety features. Their flagship product, the Biofire Smart Gun, utilizes state-of-the-art biometric technology to create a handgun that unlocks instantly for authorized users while remaining locked for others. This innovative approach aims to enhance gun safety without compromising privacy or civil liberties. By integrating biometrics into firearm design, Biofire Group is reimagining the industry to provide secure and efficient access for legitimate users.

Ultima Genomics

Venture Round in 2022
Ultima Genomics is a biotechnology company established in 2016 and headquartered in Newark, California. It specializes in genome-scale sequencing technology, focusing on providing analytical services to various enterprises. By employing an open substrate, Ultima Genomics creates a vast, low-cost reaction surface that facilitates billions of reads without relying on expensive flow cells or complex fluidic systems. The company utilizes specialized sequencing hardware combined with machine learning techniques to ensure reproducible and accurate results. This innovative approach enables clients to obtain genomic reports at scale, enhancing the speed and efficiency of sequencing while significantly reducing costs. Ultima Genomics aims to harness the potential of genomic information to drive advancements in biology and improve human health.

AREVO

Venture Round in 2021
AREVO, based in Silicon Valley, California, is a technology company specializing in direct digital additive manufacturing of ultra-strong, lightweight composite parts for high-volume end-use applications. The company combines advanced materials, powerful design and build software, and free motion robotics to achieve true three-dimensional construction. This innovative approach allows AREVO to move beyond prototyping, facilitating the design and production of large, mass-manufactured parts and structures. By leveraging the unique properties of composite materials, AREVO provides designers and manufacturers with exceptional flexibility and strength, targeting sectors such as aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, transportation, and consumer goods. With its cutting-edge technology, AREVO is positioned to optimize additive manufacturing services for original equipment manufacturers worldwide.

Oxio

Series A in 2021
Oxio is a connectivity platform based in Quebec, Canada, that was founded in 2017 by Marc-André Campagna and Francis Careau. The company operates as an internet service provider, offering customized internet packages designed to meet the diverse needs of its users. Oxio provides services with no contracts, including free installation, stable internet speeds, and the provision of necessary equipment such as modems and routers. By focusing on affordability and flexibility, Oxio aims to change the way individuals connect with their internet service provider, enhancing the overall customer experience in the telecommunications sector.

Ayar Labs

Series B in 2020
Ayar Labs develops and manufactures high-density electronic-photonic chiplets and lasers, specializing in optical interconnect solutions. Its flagship product, TeraPHY, offers a monolithic in-package optical I/O solution for applications requiring high bandwidth, low latency, and power efficiency. The company's products serve various industries such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, aerospace, and military.

Synthego Corporation

Series D in 2020
Synthego is a biotechnology company specializing in genome engineering. It offers integrated hardware, software, bioinformatics, chemistries, and molecular biology platforms to advance basic research and therapeutic development. Its products include engineered cells, CRISPR kits, and bioinformatics tools for gene knockout, target validation, and disease modeling. Synthego serves scientists globally, with sales through distributors in multiple countries and online.

Tempo

Series B in 2020
Tempo designs and develops a home fitness platform with personal guidance to help users in their training sessions. It features live elite trainers who can help users when they make mistakes. It has built-in three-dimensional sensors that track form, counts reps, and recommend weights. It helps users to improve in real-time. Powered by 3D motion sensors and AI, it analyzes 25 of the body’s essential joints as users work out and gives understood form feedback. Moawia Eldeeb and Joshua Augustin founded it as Pivot in 2015, with its headquarters in San Francisco in California.

PsiQuantum

Series C in 2020
PsiQuantum is developing the world's first utility-scale quantum computer using photonic qubits. This approach aims to deliver a fault-tolerant, general-purpose quantum computer capable of addressing complex challenges in fields such as climate change, healthcare, finance, and more.

Tempo

Series A in 2019
Tempo designs and develops a home fitness platform with personal guidance to help users in their training sessions. It features live elite trainers who can help users when they make mistakes. It has built-in three-dimensional sensors that track form, counts reps, and recommend weights. It helps users to improve in real-time. Powered by 3D motion sensors and AI, it analyzes 25 of the body’s essential joints as users work out and gives understood form feedback. Moawia Eldeeb and Joshua Augustin founded it as Pivot in 2015, with its headquarters in San Francisco in California.

goTenna

Series C in 2019
goTenna, Inc. is a company based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in off-grid communication solutions. Founded in 2013, it develops innovative devices that allow users to send messages and share GPS locations using their smartphones, even in the absence of central connectivity. The company's flagship product incorporates a cognitive digital radio and an app that generates its own signal, enabling communication through a mesh networking protocol known as Aspen Grove™. This technology facilitates decentralized and programmable mobile infrastructure, making it useful for a variety of applications across public sector, enterprise, and Internet of Things markets. goTenna's mission is rooted in the need for resilient communication systems, a vision that emerged following the disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The company's devices are characterized by their low power consumption, long-range capabilities, and use of low bandwidth radio frequencies, allowing users to communicate without relying on traditional internet or cellular networks.

Massless

Seed Round in 2019
Founded in 2014, Massless specializes in developing hardware and software for augmented and virtual reality interactions. The company is renowned for its Massless Pen, a tool designed to enhance collaboration among designers and engineers by enabling real-time manipulation of large 3D models. Their products offer features such as extreme pen precision, optical tracking at 60 Hz, tactile feedback, surface sensing, orientation sensing, USB 3 compatibility, and extended battery life.

Ayar Labs

Series A in 2018
Ayar Labs develops and manufactures high-density electronic-photonic chiplets and lasers, specializing in optical interconnect solutions. Its flagship product, TeraPHY, offers a monolithic in-package optical I/O solution for applications requiring high bandwidth, low latency, and power efficiency. The company's products serve various industries such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, aerospace, and military.

Synthego Corporation

Series C in 2018
Synthego is a biotechnology company specializing in genome engineering. It offers integrated hardware, software, bioinformatics, chemistries, and molecular biology platforms to advance basic research and therapeutic development. Its products include engineered cells, CRISPR kits, and bioinformatics tools for gene knockout, target validation, and disease modeling. Synthego serves scientists globally, with sales through distributors in multiple countries and online.

Naked Labs

Series A in 2018
Naked Labs is a Silicon Valley-based startup focused on3D scanning, computer vision, and human-centered design. It uses infrared light to capture a 3D body model, which is visualized on the Naked app. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California.

Halter

Series A in 2018
Halter Limited, founded in 2016 and based in Morrinsville, New Zealand, specializes in developing GPS-enabled, solar-powered tracking devices for livestock. The company manufactures innovative collars designed for cows, allowing farmers to monitor and guide their animals across pastures. Halter's technology enables virtual fencing, helping farmers optimize productivity while promoting sustainable farming practices. By enhancing the management of livestock, Halter aims to improve agricultural efficiency and animal welfare, contributing to the overall sustainability of pasture-based farming.

CTRL-Labs

Series B in 2018
CTRL-Labs develops neural interface technologies that enable humans to interact with machines using natural movements and thoughts. Their flagship product, CTRL-kit, is a wireless, non-invasive electromyography device that translates neural signals into control for applications in XR, robotics, productivity, and clinical research.

PsiQuantum

Series B in 2017
PsiQuantum is developing the world's first utility-scale quantum computer using photonic qubits. This approach aims to deliver a fault-tolerant, general-purpose quantum computer capable of addressing complex challenges in fields such as climate change, healthcare, finance, and more.

Leap Motion

Series C in 2017
Leap Motion, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in designing and developing 3D motion-control hardware and software. Founded in 2010 and based in San Francisco, California, the company focuses on creating solutions for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments. Leap Motion's technology enables unprecedented hand tracking, allowing users to interact with digital worlds in a more natural and immersive manner. The company serves a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, gaming, automotive, retail, and the arts. By partnering with major VR manufacturers, Leap Motion integrates its technology into mobile VR and AR headsets, enhancing user experience and interaction. In 2012, the company changed its name from OcuSpec Inc. and, as of 2019, operates as a subsidiary of Ultrahaptics Limited.

goTenna

Series B in 2017
goTenna, Inc. is a company based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in off-grid communication solutions. Founded in 2013, it develops innovative devices that allow users to send messages and share GPS locations using their smartphones, even in the absence of central connectivity. The company's flagship product incorporates a cognitive digital radio and an app that generates its own signal, enabling communication through a mesh networking protocol known as Aspen Grove™. This technology facilitates decentralized and programmable mobile infrastructure, making it useful for a variety of applications across public sector, enterprise, and Internet of Things markets. goTenna's mission is rooted in the need for resilient communication systems, a vision that emerged following the disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The company's devices are characterized by their low power consumption, long-range capabilities, and use of low bandwidth radio frequencies, allowing users to communicate without relying on traditional internet or cellular networks.

Synthego Corporation

Series B in 2017
Synthego is a biotechnology company specializing in genome engineering. It offers integrated hardware, software, bioinformatics, chemistries, and molecular biology platforms to advance basic research and therapeutic development. Its products include engineered cells, CRISPR kits, and bioinformatics tools for gene knockout, target validation, and disease modeling. Synthego serves scientists globally, with sales through distributors in multiple countries and online.

Ayar Labs

Seed Round in 2016
Ayar Labs develops and manufactures high-density electronic-photonic chiplets and lasers, specializing in optical interconnect solutions. Its flagship product, TeraPHY, offers a monolithic in-package optical I/O solution for applications requiring high bandwidth, low latency, and power efficiency. The company's products serve various industries such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, aerospace, and military.

ROLI

Series B in 2016
ROLI is a music technology company that specializes in creating innovative hardware and software solutions for music learning and creation. The firm develops a modular music creation system that features a three-dimensional pressure-sensing digital keyboard, designed to enhance musical expression by responding to variations in pressure. ROLI's team, composed of musicians, programmers, teachers, anthropologists, engineers, and artists, is dedicated to redefining how individuals engage with music through their products, which include a range of music-making devices, software, sounds, and accessories. By focusing on the intersection of technology and music, ROLI aims to make music more accessible and expressive for users of all skill levels.

REX Computing

Seed Round in 2015
REX Computing, founded in 2013 by Thomas Sohmers and based in San Francisco, California, specializes in the development of high-density computing systems that utilize massively parallel architecture. The company focuses on creating hyper-efficient computer servers powered by low-power ARM chips, which are commonly used in tablets and smartphones. This innovative approach aims to meet the demanding requirements of supercomputing by simplifying complexity while significantly reducing power consumption and physical footprint. REX Computing's solutions are designed to enhance performance and efficiency in computing environments.

June

Series A in 2015
June Life Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in the manufacturing of smart ovens, having pioneered this market in 2016 with the introduction of its innovative countertop convection oven. The June Oven combines multiple cooking functionalities, serving as an air fryer, slow cooker, roaster, broiler, baker, dehydrator, toaster, reheater, and warming device, effectively replacing seven kitchen appliances and reducing clutter. The company aims to enhance the cooking experience by leveraging technology, elegant design, and exceptional performance, making cooking accessible and easy for everyone. Established in 2013, June Life Inc. continues to focus on transforming the culinary landscape through its advanced kitchen solutions.

Synthego Corporation

Series A in 2013
Synthego is a biotechnology company specializing in genome engineering. It offers integrated hardware, software, bioinformatics, chemistries, and molecular biology platforms to advance basic research and therapeutic development. Its products include engineered cells, CRISPR kits, and bioinformatics tools for gene knockout, target validation, and disease modeling. Synthego serves scientists globally, with sales through distributors in multiple countries and online.

Oculus

Series A in 2013
Oculus, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is a company focused on advancing virtual reality technology to enhance how individuals interact with digital content. The Oculus platform supports devices such as Rift and Samsung's Gear VR, allowing users to experience immersive environments and engage in activities with others across the globe. One of its notable products, Oculus Medium, is a virtual reality sculpting tool that facilitates the creation and painting of digital sculptures specifically for use with the Oculus Rift. This application empowers users to sculpt, model, and paint in a fully immersive setting, enabling the design of characters, objects, and artistic works with ease. Oculus aims to revolutionize the gaming experience and broaden the possibilities of virtual interaction through its innovative technology.

Leap Motion

Series B in 2013
Leap Motion, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in designing and developing 3D motion-control hardware and software. Founded in 2010 and based in San Francisco, California, the company focuses on creating solutions for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments. Leap Motion's technology enables unprecedented hand tracking, allowing users to interact with digital worlds in a more natural and immersive manner. The company serves a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, gaming, automotive, retail, and the arts. By partnering with major VR manufacturers, Leap Motion integrates its technology into mobile VR and AR headsets, enhancing user experience and interaction. In 2012, the company changed its name from OcuSpec Inc. and, as of 2019, operates as a subsidiary of Ultrahaptics Limited.

Leap Motion

Seed Round in 2011
Leap Motion, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in designing and developing 3D motion-control hardware and software. Founded in 2010 and based in San Francisco, California, the company focuses on creating solutions for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments. Leap Motion's technology enables unprecedented hand tracking, allowing users to interact with digital worlds in a more natural and immersive manner. The company serves a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, gaming, automotive, retail, and the arts. By partnering with major VR manufacturers, Leap Motion integrates its technology into mobile VR and AR headsets, enhancing user experience and interaction. In 2012, the company changed its name from OcuSpec Inc. and, as of 2019, operates as a subsidiary of Ultrahaptics Limited.
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