Boost VC, a pre-seed investor in deeptech, is holding its biannual Demo Day online.
The event connects more than 500 venture capitalists, angels and syndicates with a curated group of 30 seed-stage startups. Investment verticals of focus include advanced materials, aerospace, AI and machine learning, biotech, climate tech, crypto/web3, virtual and augmented reality, logistics and manufacturing, robotics and gaming.
“Our Demo Day mission is to translate the pulse of deep tech to the market, and connect investors and founders to accelerate their potential,” said Adam Draper, co-founder and managing director of Boost VC.
“This is our 20th Demo Day, and the excitement and opportunity to bring some of the brightest ideas and new capital together is just as strong as our inaugural event. The potential to solve or make measurable progress against massive problems related to climate change, the defense of our nation, self-sovereignty and automation is inspiring.”
Unlike other Demo Days, startups at Boost VC Demo Day are selected from a coalition of deeptech VC firms, including Draper Associates, Reinforced Ventures, Vibe Capital and Pathbreaker Ventures. Firms nominate startups within their portfolio that are actively raising rounds alongside Boost VC. Examples of past startup participants include:
Navier, the first hydrofoil boat company in the U.S., which recently announced a pilot to provide water transit services to Bay Area commuters, with Stripe, Inc. signing on as the company’s first partner in the program.
Concha Labs, the innovative hearing technology company behind the FDA-cleared, over-the-counter Concha Sol Hearing Aids and companion iPhone app.
Splight, developer of a digital technology to increase transmission capacity while adding reliability and flexibility to the grid, which raised a $12m seed round in July to expand its North America and EU presence and continue R&D and hiring efforts.
Make Sunsets, a company focused on pursuing technology to release sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to reflect the sun’s energy back into space and thereby cool the planet.
Sinn Studio, focused on the future of XR Combat, the company builds proprietary tools to usher in the next generation of both single-player and multiplayer melee combat.
U-Ploid, a company redefining fertility possibilities by improving egg quality, integrating seamlessly with current IVF protocols.
“Boost VC Demo Day not only kicked off but essentially closed our Seed round last year. We were introduced to about 15 funds through the event, four of whom invested, including our lead investor,” said Chad Massura, founder of Rosy Soil.
“I applied to participate on a whim, and I’m so glad that I did. I’d highly recommend the event to any founder looking for meaningful investor connections and feedback.”
Boost VC writes $500,000 checks as the first investor into companies raising $2m or less. The firm is one of the most active investors in deep tech, averaging one deal per week. For startups earlier than pre-seed and to foster more deeptech entrepreneurship, Boost VC also offers a $50,000 Founder Start Check. The firm has more than $225m in AUM and counts companies like Coinbase, Radiant Nuclear, DeepGram, FitXR, Navier, Volley, Etherscan and Starfish Space among its portfolio.
Boost VC Demo Day includes access to an online platform that makes it easy to connect with founders and investors from all over the world. Investors can filter startups by category and stage, and begin a conversation with founders via one-click. The site is open until Friday, October 18. For more information on the upcoming event or to register, visit demoday.boost.vc.
Jim Cornall is editor of Deeptech Digest and publisher at Ayr Coastal Media. He is an award-winning writer, editor, photographer, broadcaster, designer and author. Contact Jim here.
