Hearst Communications is an American multinational diversified media and information company that publishes newspapers and magazines, operates television and radio stations, and owns cable networks. The group provides information, analytics, and workflow solutions to finance, healthcare, and transportation sectors. Based in New York City and founded in 1887, Hearst maintains a broad portfolio of media properties and digital platforms across print, broadcast, and digital channels.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 that supports the region's technology ecosystem. Based in Philadelphia, it acts as a capital provider and catalyst for early-stage and growing technology companies across information technology, health, and physical sciences by offering seed-stage funding and related resources to accelerate commercialization. The organization facilitates university–industry partnerships and regional initiatives that connect scientific research with market opportunities, with the aim of creating jobs and strengthening entrepreneurial communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Through its programs and partnerships, it supports adoption of new technologies and helps build a robust regional innovation ecosystem.

Bonnier is a Nordic-based global media group active in television, daily newspapers, business and trade press, magazines, film, books, radio and digital media. It operates in 16 countries and employs more than 9,000 people, with a base in the Nordic region and a substantial presence in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe. Founded in 1804, Bonnier has a long history of publishing and entrepreneurship, balancing a commitment to freedom of speech with a strong business focus. The Bonnier family has owned and steered the company for seven generations.

Morningside is a Boston-based investment firm founded in 1986 as a family office for the Chan family. It makes venture capital investments in companies with novel science and technology, with deep expertise in life sciences, digital health, artificial intelligence, materials, and technology. The firm takes a long-term approach to building companies and emphasizes ethical conduct. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside supports charitable initiatives in education, research and healthcare, including collaborations with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, UMass Chan Medical School, and the MIT Morningside Academy for Design.

European Investment Fund (EIF) is a public institution established in 1994 to improve access to finance for Europe's small and medium-sized businesses. It designs and develops venture capital and guarantee instruments to support SMEs and to catalyse private investment, aiming to build a robust European equity ecosystem. EIF engages in venture capital, growth capital, and guarantee operations, backing innovative entrepreneurs primarily in technology and life sciences, as well as across other sectors. Through cornerstone investments and fund participation, EIF seeks to crowd in private investors and stimulate venture activity across Europe. Its equity portfolio has grown substantially, with assets under management exceeding EUR 14 billion, reflecting its broad role in strengthening SME finance and supporting entrepreneurship and growth.

Hua Capital is a China-based venture capital and private equity firm specializing in semiconductor investments, including buyouts, early-stage, growth, and mature-stage opportunities. The firm targets integrated circuits and related industries in China and provides portfolio companies with professional operation, management, and value-added services to support growth. The team comprises semiconductor entrepreneurs and industry veterans from China and abroad with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, management, and investing; the firm leverages its specialized industry knowledge and network to help portfolio companies scale and pursue leadership in the semiconductor sector.

Felicis Ventures is a Menlo Park, California based venture capital firm that backs founders building iconic companies and supports them with mentoring and advisory services in addition to capital. It concentrates on early-stage investments across sectors such as software, AI, health, security, consumer internet and frontier technologies, and pursues opportunities from seed to Series C. The firm seeks to reinvent core markets and often engages with portfolio companies globally, reflecting a diverse, international footprint. Founded by Aydin Senkut, Felicis Ventures has backed numerous technology companies since 2006.

TechNexus Venture Collaborative is a Chicago-based venture platform that brings together corporations and entrepreneurs to create new business models, products, and scalable market access. The initiative combines capital investment, incubation, and collaboration to accelerate opportunities, connecting leading companies with hundreds of startups since its founding in 2007 and earning a reputation as one of the most active venture investors in the United States. The organization targets investments across sectors including audio and consumer electronics, B2B software, health and wellness, manufacturing, marine and outdoor recreation, media production, mobility, and retail.

SmartHub is a venture capital firm and funding platform based in San Francisco that connects technology startups with investors and supports the investment process. It provides investors with tailored portfolios, research, deal structuring, legal paperwork, quarterly reporting, and protection of investment rights through exit, while offering startups rapid feedback, deal opportunities, strategic development support, networking, and fundraising guidance.

Xfund is a venture capital firm founded in 2011 and based in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It concentrates on early-stage investments across sectors including information technology, healthcare, energy, and other technology-enabled businesses. The firm emphasizes backing unconventional founders, including technically skilled liberal arts entrepreneurs, and collaborates with leading universities such as Harvard to identify promising startups, including those tied to the Harvard community. Xfund provides seed and early-stage capital and supports startups across the United States, leveraging a cross-coast presence to access a diverse pipeline. The firm has raised multiple funds to support its investment activities and seeks to partner with high-potential teams that blend ambition with practical opportunity to create impactful technologies.

Kleiner Perkins is an American venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California. Founded in 1972, the firm concentrates on early-stage, growth, and incubation investments, partnering with founders from inception through IPO and beyond. It backs ventures across technology-related sectors, including digital and information technology, life sciences, and healthcare, with a global reach that spans North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Mainland China.

Indian Angel Network is a New Delhi, India based network of angel investors founded in 2006 that brings together successful entrepreneurs and CEOs from India and around the world to support startup and early-stage ventures. The network provides capital alongside ongoing mentorship, extensive networks, and inputs on strategy and execution, helping assess potential and risks at the early stage. It invests in a broad range of sectors including technology, ecommerce, healthcare, agriculture, education, manufacturing, financial services, and consumer services, among others.

Lavrock Ventures is a Virginia-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 that concentrates on early-stage technology companies in the United States. It backs B2B software, cybersecurity, data-focused and enterprise software ventures, with an emphasis on commercial technologies that could have national security relevance. The firm targets investments in Europe and North America and conducts its activities as a registered investment adviser. Lavrock typically participates in Series A and post-seed rounds, often alongside co-investors, with investment sizes that span the lower to mid single-digit millions depending on round size and syndication.

Acequia Capital is a venture capital firm based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2010, the firm invests in technology-enabled companies across information technology, software and related sectors, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, commerce, industrials, infrastructure, logistics, gaming, software and knowledge worker tools, financial technology, and life sciences.

Hackers/Founders is a Silicon Valley–based accelerator and venture capital firm that supports technology startups from seed to growth stages, equips founders, helps build vibrant tech ecosystems, and shares Silicon Valley insights with the broader entrepreneurial community.

F&G Venture is a venture capital firm established in September 2012 by a former rotating CEO of Huawei and a partner of Fidelity Asia. It focuses on investments in companies experiencing exponential growth in information technology sectors, including IT infrastructure, cloud computing, Internet of Things, SaaS, big data, microchips, and semiconductors, and also targets high-end manufacturing businesses such as modules, intelligent devices and equipment, robots, and drones.

AVAC is a Canada-based venture capital firm established in 1997 and based in Calgary, Alberta, that targets early-stage opportunities in agricultural technology, clean tech, and life sciences. The firm pursues direct investments as well as fund-of-funds strategies, focusing on pre-commercial to seed-stage and growth ventures, with a preference for agrivalue companies, medical devices, agriculture research, and life science products. In information and communications technology it covers areas such as animal health, crop genetics, biomass, big data, precision farming, and smart farming applications, while in life sciences it backs new or enhanced foods, nutraceuticals, therapeutics, devices, and health-related products. AVAC typically invests modest amounts and seeks active board participation, sometimes pursuing royalties in pre-commercial deals, and it has historically operated with emphasis on opportunities in Alberta and the western Canada ecosystem. The firm may also provide grants to public research and not-for-profit entities supporting agrivalue innovation.

Verizon Communications is a leading U.S. telecommunications company that provides wireless, broadband, and information and entertainment services to consumers, businesses, and government customers worldwide. It operates nationwide 4G LTE and 3G networks and is expanding with next-generation wireless capabilities to support low-latency communications. The company offers mobile devices, fixed connectivity, and a range of enterprise solutions, including private networking, cloud connectivity, security services, and management tools for accounts, devices, and billing. Verizon serves mass market, business, government, and wholesale segments and collaborates with partners to deliver integrated communications and data services. Through Verizon Ventures, the firm invests in early-stage technologies, leveraging engineering expertise and market insights to accelerate development. Its philanthropic arm, Verizon Foundation, supports literacy and K-12 education and runs volunteer programs, while Verizon Small Business Essentials provides resources for small enterprises. The company is headquartered in New York.

Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 1972 and based in Menlo Park, California. It pursues investments across multiple sectors, including information technology, healthcare, manufacturing, mobile, nanotechnology, financial services, internet, energy, media, and retail, and provides early to growth-stage funding coupled with strategic support to help founders build lasting, category-defining companies.

Dot Capital is a boutique venture capital firm focused on the digital economy. Based in New York, NY, it targets investments in software as a service, mobile, IoT, Internet infrastructure, big data, sharing economy, digital media, and related technology sectors. Founded in 2012, the firm pursues opportunities in disruptive growth companies and leverages extensive venture investing experience to support early to growth-stage ventures.

Established in 2020, the European Innovation Council supports innovative startups and researchers with promising ideas, focusing on early-stage companies with positive environmental, social, or governance impacts. It co-invests alongside private investors.

Samsung Electronics is a global technology company headquartered in South Korea that designs, manufactures, and sells a broad range of electronics and related components. It operates across consumer electronics, information technology, mobile communications, and device solutions, producing smartphones, tablets, TVs, home appliances, PCs, memory and storage products, and semiconductors and displays. The company maintains a substantial global footprint, with research and development activities conducted through multiple laboratories and collaborations with startups and academia to advance core technologies. It also provides repair services and supports telecommunications infrastructure, positioning itself as a leader in semiconductor and display technologies within the electronics ecosystem.

Conviction Partners is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2022 that concentrates on early-stage investments in AI-native and Software 3.0 companies. The firm backs ventures operating in the artificial intelligence and software 3.0 sectors, aiming to support companies at the forefront of next-generation software platforms and AI-enabled applications. It operates as a registered investment adviser, guiding portfolio companies with strategic and operational insight.

Shield Capital is a venture capital firm based in Burlingame, California, focused on early-stage investments in frontier technologies. The firm backs founders developing solutions in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, space, and autonomy, with a team comprised of veteran investors, founders, and national security leaders. Its approach centers on helping portfolio companies scale for both commercial and government markets, offering strategic guidance and resources to navigate complex security and regulatory environments. Shield Capital positions itself as a partner for startups addressing national security and enterprise needs in rapidly evolving tech sectors.

Global Brain is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm founded in 1998 that backs technology companies from seed stage through growth rounds. It targets a broad range of sectors including AI, cloud and software, fintech, robotics, life sciences, media, and mobility, and pursues global investments across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The firm emphasizes hands-on support and resources for portfolio companies, aiming to help them scale beyond financing. It operates a pure investment fund alongside corporate venture funds formed with leading public companies across telecom, real estate, financial services, beverages, agriculture and food, logistics, and electronics.

Robin Hood Ventures is an angel investor group based in Philadelphia that focuses on early-stage, high-growth companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. It provides capital, mentoring, expertise and connections to help entrepreneurs grow. Typical investments range from $250,000 to $500,000. Founded in 1999, the group collaborates with other angels, institutions, and venture networks. Sectors include information technology services and software, life sciences, hard technology, consumer, and financial technology.

CDH Investments is an international alternative asset manager based in Beijing with offices in Hong Kong. Established in 2002, it runs a diversified platform across private equity, venture capital, growth, real assets, mezzanine, public equities, and wealth management, focusing on Greater China. The firm invests across stages from early to middle-market buyouts, targeting consumer, hard technology, new energy, and healthcare sectors, as well as related areas such as information technology, media, finance, and manufacturing. With experienced investment teams that have collaborated for years, CDH seeks to generate value through its China-focused approach, managing over $27 billion in assets.

Bessemer Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm founded in 1911 and headquartered in Redwood City, California. It backs startups across seed to growth stages, focusing on software, cloud, cybersecurity, fintech, consumer and healthcare technologies, and high-growth business models. The firm operates internationally, supporting portfolio companies from early product development through scale, and has backed well-known names such as Pinterest, Shopify, Twilio, Yelp, LinkedIn, Wix and others. BVP emphasizes helping founders establish durable foundations and guides companies through multiple growth phases, leveraging hands-on operational support, strategic networks, and cross-border expertise. With a diversified approach that includes consumer, enterprise and deep-tech investments, the firm seeks to build lasting companies that matter across global markets.

Eclipse Ventures is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 that backs early-stage companies focused on modernizing physical industries. The firm seeks to invest in and partner with entrepreneurs building solutions for manufacturing, logistics, transportation, healthcare, and related sectors, combining hardware, software, and data analytics to improve efficiency, resilience, and profitability. Eclipse emphasizes deep collaboration with founders, offering guidance on operating practices and fundraising as companies scale, with a mission to power the industrial evolution and create generational businesses across industrial technology, robotics, AI, IoT, and energy-related applications.

Octopus Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that supports start-ups across stages from idea to IPO. It allocates over £200 million annually to invest in sectors including health, fintech, deep tech, consumer, and B2B software, aiming to generate positive impact. The firm provides more than capital, offering time, energy, and hands-on guidance to help portfolio companies scale. Its approach involves close collaboration with founders and leveraging a network of partners in the United States and Asia, with operational presence in London and New York. Notable investments include ManyPets, Cazoo, Depop, Elvie, and WaveOptics. By combining sector focus with active founder support, Octopus Ventures seeks to back ambitious companies that can grow into market leaders.

Dentsu Innovation Partners is the corporate venture capital arm of Dentsu Group, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is specialized in the digital domain and makes strategic investments across sectors, including professional services, education, marketplaces and platforms, food tech, and real estate, with the aim of creating a worldwide digital business market and expanding the Dentsu Group's digital businesses.

Forty5 Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana, specializing in early-stage technology investments worldwide. The firm focuses on disruptive technologies and seeks to back companies with long-term growth potential, aiming to build large enterprises that deliver positive social or environmental impact.

GSR Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California, with an active presence in China through Beijing offices and RMB funds. The firm focuses on early-stage technology companies developing AI-enabled enterprise software, consumer platforms, and healthcare technology. It backs entrepreneurs pursuing disruptive businesses with the potential to dominate large markets and supports portfolio companies through its globally oriented funds. GSR Ventures manages multiple funds totaling several billions of dollars and seeks opportunities in the United States and China across software, AI, and TMT sectors.

SK Square is an investment company spun off from the South Korean telecommunications operator SK Telecom. It functions as a strategic portfolio manager and focuses on investments in next-generation technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and digital assets, healthcare and media, as well as overseeing the semiconductor and ICT platform industries.

New Enterprise Associates is a U.S.-based venture capital firm founded in 1977 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It invests in technology and healthcare companies across stages and geographies, supporting startups from seed to growth. The firm operates globally with investments in the United States, Asia, and Brazil among others, and has a long track record of portfolio IPOs and acquisitions. It has over $19 billion in cumulative committed capital.

Lux Capital is a venture capital firm based in New York City and Silicon Valley that funds seed- and early-stage technology and science startups. It concentrates on deep tech across the physical and life sciences, investing in biochemistry, material science, electronics, infrastructure, aerospace, satellites, drones, and space technologies, as well as software, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, genomics and synthetic biology. The firm takes an active role in helping entrepreneurs build high-growth companies and has a track record of launching more than 20 portfolio companies. With a technically engaged approach, Lux supports portfolio progress by leveraging deep domain insight and industry connections to drive leadership and scale.

Mayo Clinic is a non-profit medical organization based in Rochester, Minnesota, established in 1863. It provides comprehensive medical care, education in clinical medicine and biomedical sciences, and conducts extensive medical research across a broad range of specialties. The organization integrates patient care with education and research to advance medical practice and outcomes. It also advances innovation through Mayo Clinic Platform, a Rochester-based accelerator that incubates and invests in early-stage health-tech startups in collaboration with providers, pharmaceutical and device companies, health-tech developers, and patients; and Mayo Clinic Ventures, the organization's venture arm that partners with physicians and scientists to commercialize inventions and discoveries to improve patient care and support Mayo’s education and research missions.

Cambridge Innovation Capital is a Cambridge-based venture capital firm that concentrates on early-stage and growth investments in healthcare, life sciences, and technology companies connected to the Cambridge ecosystem. Through its ties to the University of Cambridge, CIC gains access to deal flow and collaboration opportunities across sectors including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, quantum technologies, autonomous systems, therapeutics, medtech/diagnostics, digital health, and genomics and proteomics. Founded in 2013, the firm has raised substantial capital to back disruptive, deep-tech ventures and pursues a long-term investment horizon in the Cambridge Cluster and broader United Kingdom tech and life sciences markets. Cambridge Innovation Capital seeks to support innovative companies from early development through scale, aligning capital with scientific and engineering advances.

Qualcomm is a U.S.-based fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets wireless technologies, processors, connectivity solutions, software, and charging products. Its Snapdragon processors and related platforms serve mobile devices, automotive, and Internet of Things applications, while its technologies span 3G, 4G, and 5G wireless networks, networking, and multimedia. Qualcomm operates through three main activities: chip business providing integrated circuits and system software; licensing of intellectual property for wireless standards; and strategic initiatives investing in early-stage technologies. The company serves industries including automotive, healthcare, smart cities, wearables, and smart homes, and maintains a broad ecosystem that supports developers and partners worldwide.

Greycroft is a venture capital firm based in New York and Los Angeles that concentrates on technology startups, with a focus on the Internet and mobile markets. The firm uses its extensive media and technology industry connections to help entrepreneurs gain visibility, build strategic relationships, bring products to market, and scale successful businesses. Since inception Greycroft has invested in more than 200 companies and manages over $1 billion in capital. Its investment scope spans consumer internet, fintech, healthcare, and enterprise software, reflecting a broad approach to funding early- and growth-stage ventures in technology sectors.

5AM Ventures is a San Francisco, California-based venture capital firm, founded in 2002 by John Diekman and Andrew Schwab, that concentrates on seed- and early-stage investments in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. The firm backs companies across biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, medical technology, and research instruments, and has a presence in Boston in addition to its San Francisco base. It also pursues opportunities in digital health and health technology, primarily in the United States.

Shenzhen Capital Group is a government-backed venture capital firm established by the Shenzhen Government in 1999. It focuses on cultivating national industries and brands, promoting economic transformation, and developing emerging sectors. The firm invests primarily in small to medium-sized enterprises and innovative high-tech companies across start-up, growth, and transformation stages, targeting industries aligned with national policies such as information technology, internet and new media, biopharma, new energy, environmental protection, chemical engineering, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, consumer goods, and modern services. Through its portfolio, it aims to build national champions and support industrial upgrading in China, leveraging its capital base to support long-term value creation.

Qiming Venture Partners is a China-based venture capital firm founded in 2006, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It manages USD and RMB funds totaling about 9.5 billion in capital and backs early- and growth-stage technology, consumer, and healthcare companies. The firm has backed more than 530 portfolio companies, with over 200 exits via IPOs or M&A, and more than 70 unicorn or super unicorn companies.

Endeavor Global is a non-profit organization that supports entrepreneurs in developing countries. It operates a global community of high-impact founders across nearly 40 countries, offering mentorship, peer learning, and access to networks and capital to help scale their companies. The network comprises more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, whose ventures generate over $28 billion in revenue and have created more than 3.9 million jobs, reflecting Endeavor’s role in enabling growth and long-term impact.

Spark Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2005 with offices in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City. It focuses on early-stage investments across technology-enabled sectors, supporting founders with flexible, founder-centric backing. The firm has backed high-profile consumer and software companies such as Twitter, Discord, Oculus, Warby Parker, Tumblr, Niantic, and Anthropic, reflecting a tendency toward ambitious products and teams that reshape consumer, media, and technology markets.

DC Investment Partners is a venture capital firm that backs early and growth-stage companies. The firm makes initial investments up to ten million dollars and seeks businesses with strong leadership, demonstrated market acceptance, and a competitive edge. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with an additional office in Nashville, Tennessee, the firm focuses on selective capital deployment and strategic support for portfolio companies.

Almi Invest is Sweden’s leading early-stage venture capital firm, investing in scalable startups across sustainability, industry, technology, and life sciences. It supports companies from pre-seed to Series A and co-invests with independent private investors to accelerate innovation and long-term success. The firm emphasizes active ownership, providing strategic guidance, board participation, and access to a broad investor network to help startups scale responsibly. Almi Invest operates as part of the Almi Group and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Almi AB, and regional partners, reflecting its public-private model. While focused on Sweden, its portfolio spans diverse sectors, with a mission to drive economic growth and environmental progress by backing entrepreneurs who create tangible impact.

Sevin Rosen Funds is a venture capital investment firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas, founded in 1981. It focuses on identifying and supporting early-stage technology startups by leveraging experienced technology executives on its team. The firm prioritizes active, team-oriented involvement in the company-building process through stages of development, and emphasizes evaluating technology trends to back what will transform industries, with a reputation for honesty and fairness in relationships.

Oriza Holdings is a Chinese asset management and investment firm based in Suzhou. It manages equity and debt financing and operates multiple investment arms that provide funding to seed through growth-stage companies across industrials, healthcare, semiconductors, and information technology, with a focus on opportunities in Southeast Asia. The firm coordinates investment resources with industrial assets through its platform Oriza Prior, aiming to enhance value by aligning capital with strategic assets and driving operational synergies for portfolio companies.

CRV, originally Charles River Ventures, is a Palo Alto–based venture capital firm founded in 1970 that focuses on seed to Series B investments in technology, consumer, and healthcare companies across North America. The firm pursues a hands-on, value-added approach to help portfolio companies grow into category leaders, and it has a long track record of backing startups that later went public or were acquired. CRV manages about $1.5 billion in capital and maintains offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Menlo Park, California.