SOSV
Deep tech venture firm that writes the first pre-seed check in energy, biology, materials and robotics.
🇺🇸 Princeton, New Jersey (program sites in New York, Newark and San Francisco) · Founded 1995
Checks Up to $550K·Pre-seed to Series C+·Leads or follows
SOSV is a deep tech venture capital firm founded in 1995 by Sean O'Sullivan. It writes pre-seed checks of up to $550,000 to founders who join one of its programs: HAX in Newark, SOSV NY or SOSV SF (both formerly IndieBio). It then invests again in later rounds of the same companies. It manages $1.5 billion as of early 2026 and has about 800 active portfolio companies. It also has offices in Cork, Pune, Shenzhen and Tokyo.
What they invest in
Our mission is to fund deep tech founders right at inception, often with their very first check. We focus on deep tech for human and planetary health, in energy, biology, materials and robotics.
- Check size
- Up to $550K
- Stage
- Pre-seed to Series C+
- Role in a round
- Leads or follows
- Fund
- SOSV V · $306M
- Closed 2024
- Deep tech
- Climate tech
- Life sciences
- Robotics
- Energy
- Global
- North America
- Europe
- Asia
Enterprise software, fintech, blockchain, crypto, cyber security, ecommerce. Solo founders. Startups that already raised a VC-backed seed or Series A.
How to pitch
They read inbound pitches that match the criteria above.
Open to
- Pitches from founders
- Co-investment
- Media & interviews
Founders apply to the HAX, SOSV NY or SOSV SF programs through the apply page. SOSV runs Matchups events that introduce its portfolio founders to other investors, and says it has a network of 2,700 co-investors. Its press page connects media with its team and portfolio founders.
Portfolio
SOSV has about 800 active portfolio companies. It makes about 60 new pre-seed investments and about 150 follow-on investments a year, in climate tech, health, materials and robotics. Most companies are in the United States, with others in Canada, Europe and Asia.
Some of the companies they have backed
The portfolio at a glance · 60 companies · 2018–2026 · 1 exit · led 3
Sectors
- Biotech22%
- Robotics7%
- AgTech5%
- Food tech5%
- Other57%
Stage when they invested
- Seed12%
- Series A12%
- Series C+2%
Where the companies are
- 🇺🇸 United States12%
- 🇨🇦 Canada7%
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom3%
- 🇦🇷 Argentina2%
- Other3%
A sample of 60 from SOSV's site, the HAX portfolio page, Seedtable, F4 Fund, Dealroom and Crunchbase, as of Oct 2026. SOSV's own site has the full list.
Co-investors and partners
Funds that invested in the same rounds.
