Deeptech Fund Rankings
VCs answered "Which two funds are most helpful to deeptech founders?" Plus, deeptech founders answered "Which two of your investors are the most helpful?" Investor votes are in. Founder votes are coming next.
"Boost deploys aggressively and backs weird, big ideas - exactly what venture should exist to do"
"Ian and the Cantos team are fantastic champions for their founders"
"I love investing with them because they're always working so hard for their founders."
"Mike cares a ton about the founders and is always a text away. He also sees the bigger picture and dreams big with the founders while helping in a hands-on way."
"I respect 50Y because they are willing to bet on people solving genuinely massive problems with sci-fi type tech. "
"Asher, Denver, and Van are as relentless and hardworking as the founders they back. Exactly the kind of people you want in your corner."
"Leo is an incredible investor and a great thought partner. He is very helpful to founders and Humba is among the most respected early stage firms for deeptech founders."
"2048 is backing the kind of deeptech founders that will ensure that we have a bright future in 2048"
"They back outlier founders (and help them build) before consensus catches up."
"In a sector full of posers, they are the real deal. They work hard, understand the industry and can see around corners. "
"Lux blazed a trail in deeptech before others dared"
"Proven track record, top founders, deep USG and Pentagon relationships."
"They are thoughtful and thesis driven investors, deriving their insights from their industrial operating experience"
"Courteous and clear emails, both with founders and coinvestors"
"8VC was doing deeptech long before it was cool… and they’ve only gotten better with age."
"Valor is a great growth stage lead for companies ready to scale"
"High-conviction investors who are truly founder-first"
"One of the few funds that is credibly multi-regional "
"Explicitly deep-tech focused, large team of PhDs/scientists-turned-investors, strong hands-on technical and go-to-market support for hard science startups."
VCs Who Voted This Year (500+ votes cast)
At least one investor from each of these deeptech funds cast a vote for at least one other fund.
"This list isn't a popularity contest. It's not about which funds get press coverage. It's about which actually help their founders based on real, private feedback."
"There's no other way to find out whether a fund is who they say they are—other than The Power List."
"It's too easy to game other lists with a dedicated PR campaign and a few well placed connections. The Power List returns to a proper baseline."
"You want to work with good people that will make a difference for you and your company. In the ever-expanding universe of VCs, The Power List is how you find those gems."
"Every VC claims to be helpful. Few actually are. This data tells you who actually is, by talking directly to the founders they've backed."
"When we invest in VC funds, we care about who's respected among GPs' peers."
Ranking Methodology
01 / SURVEYWe asked 200+ deeptech founders and 200+ deeptech VCs a single question: name two deeptech funds that are most helpful to founders. In the case of founders, they chose among their existing investors.
02 / TieringFunds are grouped into tiers by vote density rather than a precise rank — small gaps between funds are not statistically meaningful.
03 / NO PROMPTINGWe don't let votes come in over the transom — an open form is easy to game. Instead, we maintain a hand-curated list of founders via the Deep Checks community, and we reach out to each of them with a survey. Every response is tied to a verified identity and logged.
04 / No SolicitationThis list isn't sponsored. No fund paid to be on it, and no fund can pay to move up. Deep Checks funds the work because we think the ecosystem deserves a clearer signal of who actually helps founders.
05 / Founder VotesFounder votes are coming soon.
06 / TraceableWe keep a paper trail of every vote cast (done via email, not texts nor phone calls) for future audits.