Gen 1 Capital
Investing In Early-Stage Technology Founders Transforming Our World And Impacting Future Generations
Gen 1 People
Gen 1 Americans left everything behind to forge a new life with the hope of a better tomorrow. With only the clothes on their backs, pennies in their pockets, possessions in their hands, they used their biggest assets - their minds, resolve, and a hard work ethic to forge their future.
These gritty and scrappy women and men set forth to build their families and future in the land of opportunity, trying, failing, thinking, learning, and doing. Quitting was not an option, there was nothing to go back to. They stretched every dollar as if it were their last. We remember our 1st Generation American ancestors and hope to make them proud.
We invest in early stage innovators, trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who possess Gen 1 values.
Gen 1 Products
Gen 1 Products are often back-of-the-napkin innovative ideas turned proof-of-concept. These Gen 1 products are often inelegant, kludgy, and buggy. Yet it is through experimentation, customer discovery, and immense iteration where products are born. It’s how inventors, entrepreneurs, innovators, visionaries transform the world.
As an inventor, Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."
We invest in original, authentic, transformative, and disruptive Gen 1 Products looking to revolutionize industries and impact the world.
Gen 1 Process
Gen·e·sis /ˈjenəsəs/ noun - the origin or mode of formation of something
creatio ex nihilo. Creating something from nothing. Going from Zero to One. Not copying or imitating but idealizing and willing something into existence. The creation process is breathtaking and earth shattering. There is not a single process for which Gen 1 Founders build their products, it can be an industry expert identifying an opportunity, an epiphany in the middle of the night, a visionary with a blank canvas, or a creator with the desire to propagate goodness. We want to be part of your origin story.
We invest our time, treasure, and talents to support founders in the creation, innovation, and iterative process to create transformational companies.
We Value
Character. Culture. Creation. Can-do. Collaboration.
We invest in early stage, deep tech startups
that solve complex problems
in diverse industries and large markets
We help founders and startups by working with industry contacts to understand their greatest challenges and opportunities in technology transformation. By leveraging strong ties with local technology ecosystems, corporate partners, and universities, we help incubate and commercialize technologies to help better the world.
We Invest in Founders and Startups
Who Will Impact Future Generations
Nervana Systems Founders Naveen Rao, PhD, Arjun Bansal, PhD, and Amir Khosrowshahi, PhD at Intel HQ after their $400M Acquisition
Investing in Founders First
We are looking for amazing founders, innovators, trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are determined to build their companies through good times and bad. We look for deep technical founders who value hard work, who are grateful, humble, honest, authentic, and have high integrity. People are paramount, cultivating culture is key and as important as building the business. We have your back - you can be sure of it.
Cobalt Robotics Founders Erik Schluntz and Travis Deyle, PhD with their Gen 1 Security Robot after their $35M Series B by Cotaue, Sequoia, Bloomberg, and Toyota
Ambitious Products
We invest in Gen 1 Products - original, transformative, disruptive, technical innovations. Some people may laugh or think it’s science fiction, but if you have the ability to dream and build, we are the ones to support you. We’ve led product and engineering for large hardware and software enterprises, built startups with sweat equity, managed corporate venture capital, and connected founders to fellow investors and corporate customers.
Skyryse Founder Mark Groden, PhD disrupting transportation with autonomous aerial systems after his $25M Series A led by Venrock, Eclipse, and Industry Ventures
Disrupting Large Markets
We invest in the most complex opportunities the world faces today - the future of health, work, education, environment, human connection, and computing. We invest in technologies such as digital automation, geospatial, industrial automation and manufacturing, autonomous transportation, digital health, distributed ledgers, and education technologies. Working together with our Gen 1 founders, we are using technology to unveil new large markets in traditional industries.
Investing in Diverse Industries
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Robotics and Robotics As A Service
Quantum Computing, Edge Computing, Human Computer Interaction
Sensor Fusion and Internet of Things
Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility
Infrastructure and Cybersecurity
Data Science and Analytics
Health and Synthetic/Computational Biology
Software, Hardware, Digital Transformation
New Geographies, New Opportunities
We are based in the US Midwest, the heart of the largest industries that will be at the forefront of applying deep tech innovation. From digital manufacturing and autonomous vehicles to smart cities and Industry 4.0, the Midwest is primed for disruptive future growth.
Highlighted Prior Exits
Highlighted Prior Investments
Local and Global Impact
Visionary leadership in advanced technologies, grounded in the patterns of history and pathfinding the bold ideas that will change our world
Leveraging Expertise
Deep relationships in technology, university, industry, and civic ecosystems. Actively invest, supplement entrepreneurs’ shortcomings, add value and take meaningful ownership stakes to help influence outcomes. Partner with national investors to invest locally tapping into deep connections.