AIN Ventures
New York, NY · Invests in US · Website
Check size
🔒 $•• – $••Thesis
Founders with military backgrounds and demonstrated grit combined with differentiated dual-use technology create exceptional venture opportunities. We focus on pre-seed and seed-stage companies solving meaningful problems that make the country and allies safer while having strong commercial applications.
Likely not a fit for
Consumer apps without dual-use potential, teams without founder conviction, early-stage companies lacking differentiated technology, ventures seeking only financial returns without mission alignment
How they invest
- Lead or follow
- Usually leads
- Typical decision
- ~2 weeks
- Warm intro
- Preferred
- Involvement
- Takes a board seat
- Fund status
- Actively deploying
- Decision process
- Partnership vote
Partners & team
4 contacts on file
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Orbit Fab is building the in-space propellant supply chain, providing spacecraft refueling services to enable a sustainable and thriving in-space economy.
Lux Semiconductors specializes in advanced packaging solutions using metal substrates and interposers that improve thermal dissipation and reduce warpage for system-in-package designs.
Proteus Space is an innovative company focused on rapidly delivering optimized satellite systems and digital models through its AI-enabled platform, MERCURY™. The company aims to redefine satellite development by leveraging advanced computational engineering to meet the demands of the evolving space economy.
Phalanx provides a security layer for modern teams to share data, focusing on secure file sharing and always-on encryption to protect sensitive information.
Florrent is an energy storage solutions company focused on developing bio-based supercapacitors that enhance power quality and reliability while promoting sustainability through the use of domestically sourced biomass.
Bright Uro is dedicated to revolutionizing the diagnosis and monitoring of lower urinary tract conditions through innovative, comfortable, and precise tools, empowering clinicians to make confident treatment decisions and improve the patient experience.
ClimateAi is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to provide hyper-local climate insights, helping businesses maximize productivity and adapt to climate volatility across various industries.
Proton Intelligence is building the first real-time, on-demand potassium monitoring wearable, allowing clinicians to treat and manage kidney disease patients more safely and precisely.
Tradespace is a company focused on space commerce, utilizing advanced technologies for market analysis and operations.
Solideon creates autonomous deployable factories that build anything, anytime, anywhere without human intervention, improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing lead times.
Inversion Space builds autonomous, highly-maneuverable reentry vehicles to deliver cargo from space, turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics network for unprecedented speed and global access.
Arcee AI builds open-weight foundation models that run anywhere - on edge, on prem, or cloud. Our Trinity family standardizes capabilities across sizes and is released under Apache-2.0.
Recent activity
- Dec 2025
Mantle Therapeutics
Seed · Lead
- Mar 2025
NOVI Space
Seed · Lead
- Jan 2025
Climate AI
Series A · Lead
- Dec 2024
Bright Uro
Seed · Lead
- Nov 2024
Phalanx
Seed · Lead
- Oct 2024
Trogenix
Seed · Lead
- Sep 2024
Arcee.ai
Seed · Lead
AIN Ventures in the news
AlleyWatch
Nebex Raises $30M to Connect Sovereign Buyers, Space Companies, and Capital in One Platform
2 months ago
AlleyWatch
#NYCtech Week in Review: 6/28/26 – 7/4/26
2 months ago
AlleyWatch
The AlleyWatch Startup Daily Funding Report: 6/29/2026
2 months ago
Business Wire
Nebex Raises $30M Seed Round Led by GV to Build Market Infrastructure for the Global Space Economy
2 months ago
inc.com
This Veteran Went From the Battlefield to the Boardroom. Now She’s Backing Other Veteran-Entrepreneurs
10 months ago
Newswire.com
AIN Ventures Invests in NOVI Space to Revolutionize Earth Observation Services
Mar 2025
PR Newswire
Recast Capital Announces Second Cohort for the Accelerate Program
Oct 2024
Payload Space
Space Weather AI Startup Perceptive Emerges From Stealth
Aug 2024
Fortune
War and rising nationalism is expected to spur a venture capital boom in a one-time Silicon Valley 'taboo' sector: defense tech
Jul 2024
Via Satellite
Startups Vie for Big Win in Startup Space Pitch Contest
Mar 2024
Via Satellite
2024 Startup Space Competition to Feature In-Space Services, Software, and Antenna Tech
Mar 2024
Mercom Capital Group
Supercapacitor Company Skeleton Technologies Raises $114 Million
Oct 2023
SpaceNews
Proteus Space raises seed funding for AI-assisted smallsat development
Oct 2023
Payload Space
Proteus Space Emerges from Stealth with a $4.2M Seed
Oct 2023
Business Insider
Meet the 55 rising-star VCs who shook up the industry in 2021, according to other VCs
Dec 2021
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
A Workday with Sherman Williams II, ’12
Jul 2021
WebWire
Academy Investor Network’s Venture Fund I Announces Anchor Investment from USAA
Jun 2021
Similar firms
Focuses on technology for government, national security, and defense, amplifying outcomes through expertise in public R&D funding and navigating the federal market. Invests in audacious founders building mission-critical capabilities across AI, deep tech, software infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
Virtual accelerator offering $250k–$1M as the first check, with direct DARPA and defense-buyer access and a single application reviewed by three specialized defense investors. Black Flag gives founders building critical technologies for national security direct access to government buyers like DARPA and defense networks.
Seed-stage, veteran-owned fund led by West Point-trained Army intelligence GPs focused on veteran founders, embedding active-duty DoD acquisition officers and GPs experience investing in 100+ companies (12+ unicorns).
Research briefRead more
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