The U.S. Department of Energy is a government agency established in 1977, located in Washington, D.C. Its primary mission is to ensure the security and prosperity of the nation by tackling energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges. The Department focuses on promoting transformative scientific and technological solutions to address these issues, thereby supporting the country's energy needs and environmental sustainability.

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency in the United States that funds and supports research and education in science and engineering. It funds fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering and administers non-dilutive funding programs to aid early‑stage technology development, helping translate discoveries into commercially viable products and services. Through grants and fellowships, the NSF supports researchers, educators, and startups, contributing to innovation and U.S. competitiveness. The agency operates with a substantial budget to advance science, engineering, and STEM education nationwide.

Insight Partners is a global software investor that partners with growth-stage technology and software companies. The firm focuses on growth-stage software, internet, and data services, with emphasis on fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, DevOps, and healthcare. Based in New York City with offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto, Insight Partners has backed more than 750 companies worldwide and has more than 55 portfolio companies that have achieved an IPO. As of 2022, the firm reports over $75 billion in assets under management. It seeks to fund and work closely with visionary executives, providing practical, hands-on software expertise to support growth from initial investment through to IPO.

Founded in 2000, General Catalyst is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage and growth equity investments. It focuses on accelerating ideas, careers, and companies towards success by providing ongoing momentum and mentorship based on deep experience.

EASME is a European Union executive agency that supports small and medium-sized enterprises and promotes innovation in Europe. It manages projects in the areas of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the environment, energy, and maritime sectors, funded by COSME, LIFE, and EMFF. EASME organizes the European Sustainable Energy Week and serves industries such as environmental management, energy production, and maritime activities.

Alumni Ventures Group is a venture capital firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire, with offices across North America. It provides access to venture investing for individual accredited investors, particularly alumni networks, by offering diversified portfolios of venture opportunities and allowing members to invest alongside fellow alumni in ventures led by peers. The firm backs early-stage and later-stage opportunities across technology, consumer, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors, with a sector- and geography-agnostic approach. It typically invests between $10,000 and $3 million per deal and emphasizes the involvement of alumni connections and an institutional lead investor in opportunities. Alumni Ventures also offers focused funds to broaden participation, enabling accredited investors to access venture portfolios diversified by type, sector, stage, and geography. The model aims to democratize access to venture capital while maintaining rigorous selection standards through alumni networks.

NVIDIA specializes in the design and manufacture of graphics processing units (GPUs), initially for gaming and professional visualization, but now also widely used in artificial intelligence, data center, and automotive markets. The company's products include GeForce for PC gaming, Quadro for design professionals, Tesla for AI acceleration, DRIVE for autonomous vehicles, and Jetson for embedded systems. NVIDIA serves a broad range of customers, including OEMs, system builders, retailers, cloud service providers, automotive manufacturers, and start-ups.

CAE is a global leader in providing advanced simulation and modeling technologies, along with integrated training solutions, primarily serving the civil aviation and defense sectors. The company generates annual revenues exceeding C$1.5 billion and employs over 7,000 people across more than 100 locations in over 20 countries. CAE boasts the largest installed base of both civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices, training more than 75,000 crewmembers annually through its extensive network of 29 training centers. Its operations are divided into two primary segments: Civil Aviation, which offers comprehensive training solutions for various aviation personnel, and Defense and Security, which provides scalable training and simulation solutions to enhance force readiness. Additionally, CAE offers modeling and simulation software across various market segments and supports customers through its professional services division.

Silvaco is a provider of software tools for semiconductor design and manufacturing, offering TCAD, EDA, and semiconductor intellectual property solutions. The company supports process and device development and the design of analog/mixed-signal, power ICs and memory, delivering a complete TCAD-to-signoff flow across markets such as displays, power electronics, optical devices, radiation reliability, and advanced CMOS IP. With more than 30 years in the industry, Silvaco helps customers improve productivity, shorten time-to-market, and reduce development and manufacturing costs. Its technology spans from atoms to systems, including atomic-level material simulation for devices and software and SIP for circuit and system-level design and analysis, enabling semiconductor and photonics companies to model devices, optimize circuits, and manage IP development.

Altair Engineering, Inc. specializes in enterprise analytics and engineering software technologies, focusing on optimizing the analysis, management, and visualization of business and engineering information. The company's flagship products include HyperWorks, an enterprise simulation solution, and PBS GridWorks, which facilitates grid and on-demand computing. Altair's software suite supports various disciplines, including structures, fluids, and thermal management, enabling comprehensive product lifecycle management from concept design to operational use. Additionally, the company offers consultancy services and business intelligence solutions, catering to industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, heavy equipment, consumer products, and financial services. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Altair has a global presence with offices in multiple countries, serving clients through a network of resellers and distributors.

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests globally. It focuses on backing exceptional founders from day one, offering a global community network of co-founders, talent, advisors, expansion support, and capital across various sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, consumer goods, and more.

Bpifrance is a financial institution dedicated to supporting companies throughout their development stages, particularly those preparing for stock market listing and seeking credit equity. The organization provides a range of financial solutions, including financing, innovation assistance, and capital investment. By integrating various entities such as OSEO and CDC Entreprises, Bpifrance aims to deliver tailored financial support that addresses the specific needs of businesses. The institution is committed to fostering innovation and helping companies transition toward sustainable growth, ensuring they are well-equipped to face future challenges.

Founded in 2000, Lux Capital is a venture capital firm based in New York and Silicon Valley. It manages over $5 billion in assets, focusing on seed to growth investments at the intersection of technology and sciences. Lux actively supports entrepreneurs building successful businesses in high-growth sectors such as biochemistry, material science, electronics, infrastructure, aerospace, genomics, synthetic biology, and robotics.

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.

Menlo Ventures is a California-based venture capital firm founded in 1976 that provides capital to consumer and technology companies across the United States. It funds seed through growth-stage ventures in sectors including computer hardware, software, big data, fintech, and healthcare, as well as related areas such as life sciences technology and smart cloud infrastructure. Based in San Francisco, the firm pursues a market-driven approach to identify opportunities and supports portfolio companies through multiple stages of development. Menlo Ventures emphasizes backing capital-efficient businesses with potential to disrupt large markets and maintains an active role in the companies it supports, alongside a track record of notable investments in diverse technology and consumer sectors. The firm seeks opportunities in early and growth-stage companies across the technology spectrum and strives to partner with teams delivering innovative products and services.

Founded in 2020, Narya Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in technology and science sectors to address critical problems facing America. The firm supports founders and companies pioneering bold steps forward in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, defense, and financial services.

Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and based in Menlo Park, California. It funds startups across the entire lifecycle, from seed to growth, with a broad focus on software and technology-enabled businesses. The firm backs companies in software, cloud infrastructure, digital platforms, data storage, and mobile and Internet services, as well as sectors at the intersection of technology with life sciences, such as bio healthcare and computational medicine. Its investments span artificial intelligence, fintech, consumer and enterprise software, crypto and blockchain, cybersecurity, and related infrastructure. Through strategic guidance and a hands-on approach, the firm aims to help portfolio companies scale and innovate.

Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd (SCGC) is a venture capital firm founded in 1999 by the Shenzhen Government. The company is dedicated to fostering national industries, developing national brands, and promoting economic transformation through investments in emerging sectors. SCGC primarily targets small to medium enterprises and innovative high-tech companies, focusing on those in various stages of growth, including startups and those undergoing transformation. Its investment portfolio spans industries that align with national policy support, such as information technology, internet services, new media, biopharmaceuticals, new energy, environmental protection, chemical engineering, and high-end equipment manufacturing. With a registered capital of 5.42 billion RMB and significant assets under management, SCGC has established itself as a leader in the venture capital landscape, having invested in numerous companies, many of which have achieved public listings across global capital markets.

Chalmers Ventures is a Swedish venture capital firm based in Gothenburg that supports technology-driven companies through coaching, financing and business development. The firm invests across seed, early, and growth stages in Sweden, with programs that include incubation, startup camps and accelerator activities as well as a technology transfer program. It focuses on companies connected to the Gothenburg region and Sweden operating in information technology, communications, new materials, green tech, health tech and biotechnology, and seeks innovative ventures with growth potential. The firm typically makes minority investments and uses a staged funding approach, providing capital through various program phases and through balance sheet investments. It partners with ventures that participate in its programs, helping them advance from explore to scalable stages and achieve commercial success.

Founded in 2007, Innovate UK is a non-profit organization based in Swindon, UK. It supports businesses across various economic sectors by offering funding services to promote science and technology innovations.

Turkey Development Fund is an economic development agency in Istanbul established in 2019 that aims to strengthen Turkey’s enterprise ecosystem by investing in new-generation startups and in investment vehicles that support sustainable development. It focuses on strategically important economic sectors and on growing the nascent venture capital ecosystem by directing capital to innovative companies that drive long-term growth.

Founded in 2015, Eclipse Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California. It invests in seed-stage companies operating within massive physical industries such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and healthcare, aiming to modernize these sectors through innovative technologies.

Riot Ventures is a United States-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 that backs technology-driven companies from pre-seed to growth stages. The firm focuses on deep technology across hardware, software, enterprise and industrial applications, network security, mobility, sensing and control, and related fields, with investments spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, drones, defense, manufacturing, energy, and industrial automation. Typical investment sizes range from $0.5 million to $10 million in early and growth-stage opportunities. Riot Ventures maintains offices in key U.S. tech hubs and pursues opportunities across the United States, seeking companies with innovative technologies and scalable business models.

Samsung NEXT is an innovation group within Samsung Electronics that focuses on identifying and pursuing new growth opportunities. Through Samsung NEXT Ventures, it acts as the company’s venture capital arm, investing in early-stage startups and technologies with potential to redefine multiple industries. The group targets areas including artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, health technology, infrastructure, media technology, software, and related fields such as robotics and drones. By combining internal startup acceleration with external investments, Samsung NEXT aims to accelerate technology adoption and create scalable platforms that complement Samsung’s hardware and software ecosystems.

IP Group is a London-based corporate firm that provides financial, strategic, and commercial expertise to clients internationally. Founded in 2001, the company focuses on creating value through the commercialisation of intellectual property derived from research-intensive institutions. It manages the end-to-end process of identifying viable IP, developing or partnering to build value, and establishing commercial arrangements that translate scientific advances into practical products and businesses. IP Group combines industry insight and financial experience to support science- and technology-based ventures, offering capital as well as strategic guidance to help companies grow and accelerate the impact of research. Its work spans clean technology, life sciences, and other deep technology sectors, with a track record of backing and developing ventures that aim to deliver tangible societal and economic outcomes.

Pioneer Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 that makes early-stage investments across a wide range of sectors, including consumer products and services, financial services, information technology, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, life sciences, gaming, artificial intelligence and machine learning, construction technology, education technology, fintech, agriculture technology, advertising technology, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, legal technology, oncology, pet technology, real estate technology, ride-hailing, SaaS and supply chain technology. The firm benefits from a network of more than 420 Y Combinator alumni, enabling it to identify and support YC-backed startups.

Venture Kick is a Swiss initiative supporting early-stage startups with pre-seed funding and entrepreneurial training. It has awarded over CHF 24.9 million to 600 projects, creating 6,033 jobs and attracting subsequent investments worth CHF 2.49 billion.

Founded in Tokyo in 1998, Global Brain is a venture capital firm focusing on seed to late-stage investments across various sectors globally. They have invested in over 300 startups, facilitating 25 IPOs and 61 M&As through hands-on support services.

Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 1972 and based in Menlo Park, California. It invests in seed, early, and growth-stage companies across technology, energy, financial services, healthcare, internet, mobile, outsourcing, manufacturing, media, and retail sectors. The firm seeks ambitious founders and aims to help them build long-lasting, scalable businesses, often taking the lead or significant co-investor roles and providing strategic guidance, networks, and resources. It maintains an international footprint, including investments in India and other regions, reflecting a global approach to partnering with fast-growing companies. Sequoia emphasizes strong teams, innovative products or services, and the potential for rapid growth, positioning itself as a long-term partner for companies that redefine their markets.

Founded in 2021, Space.VC is a venture capital firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. It invests in early-stage (pre-seed to Series A) startups focused on space technology and related deep tech sectors.

Owl Ventures is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that specializes in education technology and related sectors. Founded in 2014, it supports startups across the education spectrum—from early childhood to higher education and career mobility—through an active, hands-on approach that leverages deep domain expertise to help entrepreneurs scale and build category-leading companies. The firm has a portfolio of edtech and related enterprises and assets under management of over $600 million.

Tomahawk.VC is an entrepreneur-led early-stage venture capital firm based in Pfäffikon, Switzerland. Founded in 2019 by serial entrepreneur Cédric Waldburger, the firm backs global-first software and web3 startups at pre-seed, seed and Series A stages. Typical investments range from USD 100k to 1 million per round, with a total commitment of up to USD 2 million to a company. It prioritizes fast, candid feedback and values empathy, execution and clarity, using a data-driven approach to decision making. The firm emphasizes building globally distributed teams and remote-first cultures from inception.

Seedcamp is a London-based venture capital firm and seed platform that backs early-stage startups across Europe and globally, with a focus on fintech, healthcare and technology. It identifies world-class founders addressing large, global markets and provides immediate access to smart capital, mentorship, and a lifelong, global community built on more than a decade of experience backing exceptional talent. Through its broad network of partners and mentors, Seedcamp helps portfolio companies scale, access strategic resources, and navigate early growth, with a geographic reach that spans North America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

Accel is a venture capital firm founded in 1983 and based in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in San Francisco, London, and Bangalore. It focuses on early and growth-stage technology startups, investing across software, cloud, data analytics, mobile technology, consumer services, fintech, security, healthcare, and information technologies. Accel seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to build world-class companies that define new categories and drive growth. Its portfolio includes notable technology companies such as Atlassian, Dropbox, Slack, Spotify, Etsy, Cloudera, DJI, Braintree, and Lookout Security, among others.

Founded in 2013, ACME Capital is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco. It invests primarily in early-stage companies operating in sectors such as business products and services, healthcare, information technology, and infrastructure.

645 Ventures is an early‑stage venture capital firm based in New York that partners with founders to build iconic companies. It makes seed and Series A investments across software and technology‑enabled sectors, including enterprise SaaS, infrastructure software, fintech, online marketplaces, consumer technology, and augmented or virtual reality. The firm emphasizes themes such as SaaS for the second wave, citizen professionals, the engineering value chain revolution, and personalized consumer applications, and supports portfolio companies through its connected network and Voyager platform to help them scale to growth. It manages more than $200 million in assets and operates across North America, backing a diverse set of companies that mature into growth stages and, in some cases, reach acquisitions by larger tech players.

High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH is a venture capital firm based in Bonn, Germany, specializing in early-stage investments in high-tech startups. Established in 2005, the firm focuses on technology-driven companies across various sectors, including information and communication technology, life sciences, healthcare, automation, and cleantech. HTGF typically invests in companies that have been operational for no more than one year, aiming to contribute up to €0.6 million in initial funding and up to €3 million in follow-on financing. The firm seeks a minority stake, generally around 15%, and provides a subordinated loan convertible into equity, with deferred interest for up to four years to support liquidity. With a total investment volume of approximately €895.5 million across three funds, HTGF has successfully supported over 500 startups and attracted more than €2 billion in follow-on investments from external sources. The firm's investors include notable public and private entities, underscoring its role as a key player in fostering innovation and growth within the German startup ecosystem.

Startup Wise Guys is an accelerator and early-stage program based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded in 2012. It runs intensive up to five-month programs that validate and develop products and prepare founders to sell to business customers, culminating in demo days before venture capitalists and angel investors. The company focuses on B2B software as a service, fintech, cybersecurity, sustainability, and related tech sectors across Europe, and has accelerated more than 300 startups with a startup survival rate above 80%. It operates with a network of over 200 mentors who guide startups through product validation, market entry, and fundraising, and maintains a 300+ startup alumni community spanning more than 40 countries, with ongoing alumni events for business development and fundraising.

Synopsys is a technology company that provides software and intellectual property for semiconductor and electronic product design. It positions itself as the Silicon to Software partner for companies building electronic devices and software applications. Its core offerings include electronic design automation (EDA) software used to automate chip design, semiconductor IP blocks, and software quality and security solutions. The company also supports system verification and SoC design through Silicon IP and end-to-end design tools. As customers shift toward systems-like architectures, Synopsys supplies a comprehensive portfolio that helps improve design accuracy, productivity, and efficiency across the full design flow. Through a broad reach in semiconductor and software markets, the firm serves diverse end markets as digitalization accelerates demand for verification, IP, and integrated design toolchains.

Join Capital is a Berlin-based venture capital firm that backs early-stage and growth companies across Europe, focusing on seed to Series A investments in Industry 4.0, enterprise software, and technology-enabled industrial sectors. It pursues minority stakes in companies that redesign operations, manufacturing, and supply chains through smart machinery, robotics, data analytics, and cloud-based systems. Portfolio companies typically develop machine learning, AI, IoT, and sensor-enabled solutions that improve production efficiency and global operations. Join Capital seeks products with strong product-market fit and scalable business models, investing in technologies that address core business functions such as operations, manufacturing, and software development.

AB Dynamics plc specializes in providing measurement and testing systems to the global automotive industry. The company focuses on the design, manufacture, and supply of products for testing, simulation, and measurement, particularly aimed at the development of road vehicles. Its offerings are essential in the realms of active safety and autonomous systems. The majority of AB Dynamics' revenue is derived from laboratory testing and simulation, which is complemented by track testing services. The company has a diverse geographic presence, generating significant revenue from regions including Asia Pacific, the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, North America, and other parts of the world.

Founded in 2013, Bluepoint Partners is a venture capital firm based in Daejeon, South Korea. It invests primarily in biotechnology, medical, cleantech, data, artificial intelligence, food tech, healthcare, technology, and industrial tech sectors. The firm also operates accelerator programs for startups in South Korea.

Applied Intuition develops software infrastructure to safely develop, test, and deploy autonomous vehicles at scale. Founded in 2017 and based in Sunnyvale, California, it maintains offices in Silicon Valley and Detroit. The company offers an autonomous vehicle platform for simulation, validation, and deployment of advanced driver-assistance and automated driving systems, integrating AI-powered development tools with modular software architecture to help automotive manufacturers and mobility companies optimize autonomous system performance and streamline integration across diverse vehicle types and operating environments.

Founded in 2002, Elaia is a Paris-based venture capital firm focused on the digital economy and deep tech. With over €700m under management, it invests in high-potential disruptive startups from early financing rounds to global leadership emergence. The team offers close, proactive support to entrepreneurs, leveraging over 75 years of cumulative experience in both venture capital and digital industries.

National Bank of Canada, founded in 1859 and headquartered in Montreal, is a prominent commercial bank providing a wide array of financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients both in Canada and internationally. The bank operates through four main segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. Its Personal and Commercial segment offers services such as personal banking, mortgage loans, consumer loans, and commercial banking solutions, including foreign exchange and cash management. The Wealth Management segment delivers investment solutions, trust services, and various banking and lending options. The Financial Markets segment specializes in risk management, underwriting, and advisory services. Additionally, the U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment focuses on providing specialty finance services and products to clients in emerging markets like Cambodia. With a network of 483 branches and 1,573 banking machines, the bank is committed to customer satisfaction and community development, ensuring access to comprehensive financial services.

Founded in 2019, MaC Venture Capital is a venture capital firm based in Los Angeles, California. It specializes in early-stage investments across various technology sectors, including fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and more. The firm invests in companies that benefit from shifts in cultural trends and behaviors globally.

TransLink Capital is a California-based independent venture capital firm founded in 2007 and headquartered in Palo Alto. It focuses on seed through expansion-stage investments in technology companies across sectors including AgTech, Fintech, AI, consumer, IoT, mobility, digital health, retail tech, enterprise software, and semiconductors, among others. The firm invests in opportunities in the United States and across Asia, leveraging a network in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to support cross-border growth. Typical investments range from about 2 to 7 million US dollars, depending on the stage and fund. TransLink Capital manages multiple funds and emphasizes partnerships and strategic collaboration to help portfolio companies scale internationally, particularly in Asia.

GSE Systems, Inc. specializes in performance improvement solutions for the energy and process industries, focusing on enhancing human performance through training, visualization, and simulation applications. The company offers engineering expertise aimed at improving plant design, commissioning, and operations. GSE operates through two primary segments: engineering and workforce solutions, providing services such as interactive computer-based tutorials and simulation software tailored for the refining, chemical, and petrochemical sectors. With over 340 employees and more than four decades of experience, GSE Systems has completed over 1,100 installations and serves hundreds of clients across more than 50 countries. The company is headquartered in Sykesville, Maryland, and has additional offices in various locations including Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, India, Sweden, the UK, Bahrain, and China.

Cadence Design Systems is a leading provider of electronic design automation software, intellectual property, and system design and analysis tools. The company offers an end-to-end portfolio that automates chip design, provides design IP, and supports system-level verification and analysis, enabling accurate, efficient development of semiconductors, boards, and systems. With more than three decades of software experience, Cadence applies its Intelligent System Design approach to deliver software, hardware, and IP that help customers bring innovative electronic products to market across consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G, automotive, aerospace, industrial, and healthcare sectors.

Autodesk is a software company that develops 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software used across architecture, engineering, construction, product design and manufacturing, and media industries. Its portfolio includes AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Autodesk Building Design Suites, Revit, Infrastructure Design Suites, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, Product Design Suites, Inventor, AutoCAD Mechanical, Moldflow, and 3D modeling, animation and rendering tools such as Maya and 3ds Max, plus editing and finishing tools like Flame, Smoke, and Lustre. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Rafael, California.