Robotics

DCVC Climate Select is a venture capital fund targeting climate startups at the mid-stages of development. The fund is located in Palo Alto, California. The fund is focused on climate technologies and applications in AI, tech bio, and robotics, where it sees opportunities for investment in underfunded areas. The fund is managed by the well-established Silicon Valley VC firm DCVC, which has invested $360 million from other funds into climate startups over the last decade. DCVC Climate Select initially aimed to raise $500 million, but this target has since been lowered to $400 million due to challenging market conditions.

FORWARD.one Fund III is a €200 million industrial technology venture fund aiming to back Europe’s next generation of breakthrough hardware and deeptech companies. With a hard cap set at €250 million, the fund will deploy initial tickets in the range of €1–3 million, reserving additional capital for follow‑on financing. The fund intends to build a concentrated portfolio of 25–30 early‑stage companies, focusing on domains such as semiconductors, robotics, sensors, advanced automation, climate tech, and industrial innovation. Its geographic focus includes the Benelux, Germany/Austria/Switzerland (DACH), the Nordics, and other European innovation hubs. FORWARD.one brings a hands‑on, commercialization‑oriented investment style. Its value proposition is rooted in bridging the “deeptech gap” by combining technical domain expertise, rapid execution, and industry networks to help founders transform advanced research into scalable products for real markets. The fund also builds on FORWARD.one’s performance track record: Fund I (launched ~2018) delivered a net IRR of ~41 % and 2× DPI, with exits such as Sensorfact (acquired by ABB) and Mayht (acquired by Sonos). Fund II (launched ~2021, ~€145 million) is mid‑deployment, targeting similar sectors. With Fund III, the firm aims to scale its backing of Europe’s industrial tech champions and deliver strong returns for LPs.

Iron Wolf Capital has announced the first close of its second fund, securing $32.7 million with a target of $109 million. The fund focuses on early-stage investments in deeptech and AI startups across the Baltic region and its diaspora. Initial investments range from $545,000 to $2.18 million, with the firm often leading or co-leading funding rounds. The firm is recognized as one of the most active investors in the Baltics, having supported over 20 companies in the past five years. Its portfolio spans various sectors, including robotics, photonics, AI-driven education technology, pharmaceuticals, and climate technology. Iron Wolf Capital emphasizes backing exceptional founders with global ambitions and disruptive technologies. Beyond capital, Iron Wolf Capital contributes to the ecosystem through initiatives like the Baltic Deep Tech Report and the Deep Tech Breakfast Series, fostering collaboration and growth within the region's innovation landscape.

The fund is designed as a European closed‑end venture capital vehicle managed by Kibo Ventures. It aims to back early‑stage software businesses with global ambition, leading or co‑leading pre‑series A and series A rounds. Its investment policy places a geographic emphasis on companies whose center of operations, management or strategic base is in Spain, with the intention that at least two‑thirds of invested capital goes into Spanish companies. The duration of the fund is estimated at ten years from the first close, extendable by up to two additional one‑year periods, and it targets a portfolio of B2B software companies with differentiated technologies and scalable international models. Typical checks are in the order of ~€2 million into early‑stage rounds, seeking minority positions (~10‑20%) in companies ready to scale, demonstrating product‑market fit and growth potential.

Marathon Fund III is the latest €75 million seed-stage fund from Athens-based Marathon Venture Capital. The firm continues its mission to be a “Day One partner” to Greek tech founders, focusing on those building globally competitive companies from the outset. This new vehicle brings Marathon’s total assets under management to €175 million, reflecting the firm’s growing influence in the European venture ecosystem. Marathon’s investment thesis centers on founders addressing complex challenges in significant markets. These challenges often require specialized knowledge, such as advanced research expertise, or navigating regulated and overlooked industries like power grid management. The firm emphasizes capital efficiency and resilience, qualities inherent in the Greek tech community, enabling startups to serve global markets effectively from their inception. The firm has a track record of successful investments, including the acquisition of Augmenta by CNH Industrial for $110 million and a secondary sale of shares in Hack the Box to The Carlyle Group. These exits underscore Marathon's ability to identify and support startups with significant growth potential and global appeal.

Matter Venture Partners has raised a $300 million first fund with a focus on ""hard tech"" investments. The fund aims to invest in companies that contribute to foundational technologies and trends that are built on hard tech. With backing from Kleiner Perkins and Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, Matter Venture Partners invests at the large seed rounds, Series A and Series B. This venture capital fund focuses on six sectors: semiconductors, robotization, generative AI, manufacturing on-shoring and friend-shoring, energy building blocks, and life science automation. Within these sectors, the fund aims to invest in companies that provide the ""picks and shovels"" for these trends, as well as contribute to new innovations and technologies. Matter Venture Partners is looking to invest in between 15 and 20 companies with the new fund, with a goal to support portfolio companies across several rounds. The firm believes that the oversubscription of the fund is due to the increased realization of the importance of foundational hard tech technologies in today's society. The fund also prides itself on having operating partners, including Mel Tang, who provides expertise in operations, supply chain management, and manufacturing unit economics to support hard tech startups.

Menlo Ventures XVII is an early-stage venture capital fund managed by Menlo Ventures, legally domiciled in Delaware and headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Officially formed in August 2025, the fund aims to back early-growth technology startups with long-term disruptive potential. The fund is targeting investments in 30 to 40 companies, typically writing checks between $8 million and $15 million. This capital deployment strategy aligns with Menlo Ventures' mission to support startups from seed through early expansion, providing not just capital, but also strategic and operational guidance. The fund’s general partners include prominent investors such as Venky Ganesan, Shawn Carolan, and Matt Murphy, who are key figures in the Menlo Ventures leadership team. Their combined track record includes successful investments in high-profile companies across multiple sectors. Menlo Ventures XVII is part of the firm’s broader strategy to expand its footprint in areas like artificial intelligence, enterprise software, healthcare, and fintech. The fund continues Menlo’s legacy of identifying and supporting companies positioned to lead their industries through innovation.