Thiel Foundation

The Thiel Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and promoting political, personal, and economic freedom. Founded by Peter Thiel, the foundation supports initiatives that advance science and technology while encouraging long-term thinking about the future. It provides financial assistance to organizations aligned with its mission, fostering a climate of innovation and progressive thought. Through its efforts, the Thiel Foundation aims to create a positive impact on society by championing freedom and supporting projects that contribute to a better understanding of future challenges and opportunities.

Julia Moore

Portfolio Director, Breakout Labs

19 past transactions

neusleep

Grant in 2023
Neusleep is a wearable device that directly induces and improves natural sleep through personalized nerve stimulation. It induces and improves sleep by enhancing biological rhythms.

BRINC Drones

Venture Round in 2022
BRINC Drones develops technology that enhances public safety, focusing on hardware, software, and services for emergency responders. The company's drones enable first responders to communicate in real time with individuals during incidents, facilitating crisis management and de-escalation.

Kisan Network

Seed Round in 2020
Kisan Network is an agriculture-focused supply chain startup that leverages technology to connect marginal farmers directly with businesses across India. Founded in 2016 and based in Gurgaon, Haryana, the company operates a platform that allows rural farmers to advertise their products and reach buyers beyond local markets. Kisan Network offers integrated services including sourcing, sorting, grading, packaging, dispatch, and delivery of agricultural produce. This enables farmers to sell directly to institutional buyers at competitive prices, enhancing efficiency and profitability in the agricultural supply chain.

Teal Drones

Series A in 2017
Teal Drones, Inc. is a manufacturer of advanced production drones, specializing in both consumer and enterprise applications. Incorporated in 2015 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company develops its own hardware and software platforms, with its flagship product, Teal One, recognized as one of the highest performing drones in the market. Teal Drones' offerings include features such as a modular and upgradable design, an onboard supercomputer, versatile control systems, and built-in camera capabilities. The drones are designed to serve a variety of applications, including gaming, augmented reality, security, inspections, e-commerce, and agriculture, while simplifying and automating drone flight. The company also focuses on catering to government and enterprise sectors, providing systems equipped with cutting-edge air control devices and artificial intelligence software to meet diverse operational needs.

Envisagenics

Grant in 2017
Envisagenics, Inc. is a bioinformatics company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Huntington, New York. The company specializes in RNA therapeutics and aims to simplify complex biomedical data to expedite the development of innovative therapeutic solutions. Envisagenics leverages its advanced analytics platform, SpliceCore, which utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze RNA sequencing data. This cloud-based platform enables researchers to identify splicing errors linked to various diseases, including genetic disorders and cancers, and to discover potential drug targets and biomarkers. By streamlining the drug discovery process through computational simulations, Envisagenics significantly reduces the time, cost, and risks associated with drug development, thereby facilitating partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies to advance RNA-based therapies.

Cafe X Technologies

Seed Round in 2017
Cafe X Technologies, Inc. operates a robotic café in San Francisco, specializing in a variety of coffee beverages including espresso, cappuccino, cortado, and Americano. Founded in 2014, the company aims to enhance productivity in the service industry through automation. By integrating robotic technology into the coffee-making process, Cafe X Technologies seeks to provide a unique and efficient customer experience while offering high-quality coffee. The company is privately backed and has attracted funding from notable investors, positioning it as an innovative player in the beverage service sector.

Kisan Network

Seed Round in 2016
Kisan Network is an agriculture-focused supply chain startup that leverages technology to connect marginal farmers directly with businesses across India. Founded in 2016 and based in Gurgaon, Haryana, the company operates a platform that allows rural farmers to advertise their products and reach buyers beyond local markets. Kisan Network offers integrated services including sourcing, sorting, grading, packaging, dispatch, and delivery of agricultural produce. This enables farmers to sell directly to institutional buyers at competitive prices, enhancing efficiency and profitability in the agricultural supply chain.

Sweet

Seed Round in 2015
Sweet is a company focused on helping consumers lower their phone bills while maintaining quality coverage. By analyzing wireless plans, Sweet identifies potential savings for users, with many customers saving an average of over $300 per year. The sign-up process is designed to be quick and straightforward, allowing users to save time by having Sweet handle communications with phone carriers on their behalf. The company prioritizes customer privacy and security, employing advanced encryption technology to protect personal information. Sweet partners with major wireless providers to ensure nationwide coverage and reliable service, drawing on the expertise of its founders who have backgrounds in well-known companies.

Gifs.com

Seed Round in 2015
Gifs.com is a technology company specializing in video editing and animation. It offers an online platform allowing users to create and share animated GIFs from specified portions of videos. The company's core product enables users to edit and clip videos, fostering creative expression through short media. Additionally, Gifs.com collects user data to train its AI algorithms, continually improving the platform's functionality.

Fountain

Seed Round in 2015
Fountain, established in 2014, is a San Francisco-based company that operates a hiring platform designed for businesses with hourly workforces. Its mobile-first platform streamlines and scales global recruitment, empowering employers to make data-driven hiring decisions and engage candidates through automated scheduling and reminders. Fountain serves various industries, including franchise, gig economy, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.

HoneyInsured

Grant in 2015
HoneyInsured is Hipmunk for health insurance. You answer 4 one-click questions, get a plan recommendation, and enroll in 5 minutes.

Magin

Seed Round in 2014
Magin is an iPhone email app that tries to improve where other similar apps fall short by providing unique user interface, combined with cool features. The app tries to focus on most of the key things in email and makes them better by providing user experience that will make your actions seem fast and fluid. The app also tries to incorporate gestures and hand movements to excel the user experience, and combine these with unique animations that makes the interface to look lively and attractive. Being in such a crowded space Magin tries to differentiate from it's competitors by combining unique user interface with great features and aims to boost your productivity, whereas other similar apps are trying to "just work", Magin make it all seem like magic.

SkyPhrase

Grant in 2013
SkyPhrase is a developer of natural language technology that aims to simplify data interaction by enabling users to pose questions in plain language. The company's proprietary artificial intelligence technology interprets these queries to provide precise answers, eliminating the need for complex interfaces or programming. Initially focused on web analytics and football statistics, SkyPhrase's approach allows for a more intuitive understanding of language, empowering users to access and analyze data effectively. The technology is designed to be easily integrated by developers, even those without extensive knowledge of linguistics or artificial intelligence, facilitating the creation of natural language interfaces for various data and applications. With a foundation built by experts in artificial intelligence and computational linguistics from prestigious institutions, SkyPhrase seeks to expand its capabilities and applications, enhancing users' ability to harness data insights with greater ease.

Siva Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2012
Siva Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative nanotechnology-based treatments for cancer. Founded in 2011 and based in Boulder, Colorado, the company has created SivaRods, a photothermal device that utilizes gold nanorods and infrared light to generate therapeutic heat within solid tumors. This approach aims to irreversibly damage tumor tissues in a manner that is more selective than traditional chemotherapy, less destructive than radiation, and avoids the risks associated with surgical interventions. By prioritizing safety, practicality, and cost-effectiveness, Siva Therapeutics seeks to enhance patient outcomes in the fight against cancer.

Positron Dynamics

Grant in 2012
Positron Dynamics, LLC is a technology company based in Port Angeles, Washington, founded in 2011 by Ryan Weed and Joshua Machacek. The company specializes in the development of advanced positron production and storage technologies. It offers semiconductor diagnostic tools designed to detect defects at the atomic level and focuses on applications such as non-destructive testing for aerospace and defense components. Positron Dynamics has developed innovative methods for generating and moderating cold positrons, which are also utilized in propulsion systems aimed at transforming spacecraft operations. The company's propulsion technology harnesses intense beams of cold positrons, potentially enabling the creation of efficient, anti-matter-powered spacecraft for deep space exploration. With several patents awarded for its pioneering technologies, Positron Dynamics is positioned at the forefront of research and development in the field of positron applications.

Longevity Biotech

Grant in 2012
Longevity Biotech, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that specializes in developing innovative therapeutic drug candidates through its proprietary Hybridtide peptide technology. Founded in 2010, the company focuses on creating customizable peptides that offer enhanced stability and absorption for various biological environments. Its product pipeline includes LBT-3627, a novel neuroprotective agent aimed at treating disorders such as Parkinson’s disease; LBT-6030, a dual agonist targeting glucagon for metabolic conditions; and LBT-5001, a fusion inhibitor among other oncology and cholesterol-related products. Additionally, Longevity Biotech is engaged in clinical studies to identify immune and inflammatory markers potentially useful for diagnosing Parkinson's disease, further underscoring its commitment to addressing significant medical needs.

3Scan

Grant in 2012
3Scan, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, that specializes in the development of advanced microscopy tools and software for tissue analysis. Founded in 2011, the company focuses on automating the processes of tissue sectioning and imaging through its innovative knife-edge scanning microscopes. By integrating automation, machine learning, and computer vision, 3Scan enables researchers and medical professionals to extract spatial data from tissue samples, facilitating detailed 3D visualizations and comprehensive quantitative analysis of complex anatomical structures. This approach enhances the throughput and accuracy of tissue analysis compared to traditional histopathology, ultimately advancing the understanding of diseases that manifest at the tissue level, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative disorders. 3Scan's technology aims to drive the discovery of new diagnostics and therapeutics in the field of biomedical research.

AirAnswers

Grant in 2012
Inspirotec LLC, a Chicago, IL-based company that develops a universal system for collecting and identifying airborne agents.

Immusoft

Grant in 2012
Immusoft Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on developing an autologous cell therapy platform aimed at treating a range of human diseases through its proprietary Immune System Programming (ISP) technology. Founded in 2009 and based in Seattle, Washington, Immusoft specializes in modifying the DNA of a patient's immune cells to create biofactories capable of producing gene-encoded medicines, including essential proteins and enzymes that may be missing or defective. The company's innovative approach involves reprogramming B cells, a type of immune cell, which enables them to manufacture and secrete various antibodies. This process not only provides a potential long-term solution for patients but also positions Immusoft at the forefront of biotechnology in addressing rare and infectious diseases.
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