Riot Ventures

Riot Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Steve Marcus and Will Coffield, with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles, California. The firm specializes in pre-seed, seed, and early-stage investments, primarily focusing on deep technology sectors. Riot Ventures targets companies operating in areas such as hardware, software, enterprise, industrial applications, network security, transportation, artificial intelligence, robotics, and communication technologies. The firm typically invests between $0.5 million to $10 million in emerging businesses, aiming to support innovative solutions that drive advancements in intelligence, sensing and control, mobility, and specialized consumer services.

Collier Bern

Partner and Head of Growth

Will Coffield

General Partner

Stephen Marcus

Co-Founder and General Partner

Meghan Moreland

Investor

Past deals in Autonomous Vehicles

True Anomaly

Series C in 2025
True Anomaly is focused on enhancing space security and resilience by developing advanced technologies at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and autonomy. The company aims to create a secure and sustainable space environment for the United States and its allies by designing, building, and selling solutions that address the challenges of space security. Their fully integrated technology platform combines training and simulation tools, sophisticated spacecraft manufacturing capabilities, and autonomous systems. This approach seeks to revolutionize space security and stability while offering innovative mission and software solutions to the commercial space market.

Parallel Systems

Series B in 2025
Parallel Systems designs an autonomous, zero-emissions freight transportation system. The company believes the future of freight transportation should be fast, inexpensive, and clean while also reducing congestion on the highways. Parallel Systems develops automated, battery-electric freight rail vehicles aimed at converting freight transportation from trucking to rail. The company focuses on building innovative rail vehicles and integration tools that work seamlessly with existing railroad operations. By utilizing its technology, Parallel Systems enables railroads to serve new markets, particularly for routes less than 1,000 miles. This solution provides a more flexible, zero-emissions alternative for freight movement, complementing traditional freight rail services while expanding operational capabilities and reducing environmental impact.

Blue Water Autonomy

Seed Round in 2025
Blue Water Autonomy operates as a company that builds autonomous ships.

True Anomaly

Series B in 2023
True Anomaly is focused on enhancing space security and resilience by developing advanced technologies at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and autonomy. The company aims to create a secure and sustainable space environment for the United States and its allies by designing, building, and selling solutions that address the challenges of space security. Their fully integrated technology platform combines training and simulation tools, sophisticated spacecraft manufacturing capabilities, and autonomous systems. This approach seeks to revolutionize space security and stability while offering innovative mission and software solutions to the commercial space market.

Shield AI

Series F in 2023
Shield AI Inc is a San Diego-based company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence systems for national security and first responders. Founded in 2015, the company creates products that enhance safety for service members and civilians through advanced AI technologies. Its prominent offerings include Nova, an autonomous quadcopter drone equipped with lidar technology, capable of navigating in GPS-denied environments to provide real-time imagery and mapping for military operations. Additionally, the company’s Hivemind software allows various unmanned vehicles, including drones and aircraft, to operate autonomously without GPS or human intervention, thereby maintaining maneuverability in contested settings. Shield AI also incorporates the V-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which has demonstrated resilience in challenging regions such as the Black Sea and the Middle East. The company aims to transform defense operations through innovative machine learning applications, enabling unmanned systems to perform complex tasks in dynamic and unscripted environments.

True Anomaly

Series A in 2023
True Anomaly is focused on enhancing space security and resilience by developing advanced technologies at the intersection of spacecraft, software, and autonomy. The company aims to create a secure and sustainable space environment for the United States and its allies by designing, building, and selling solutions that address the challenges of space security. Their fully integrated technology platform combines training and simulation tools, sophisticated spacecraft manufacturing capabilities, and autonomous systems. This approach seeks to revolutionize space security and stability while offering innovative mission and software solutions to the commercial space market.

Shield AI

Series E in 2022
Shield AI Inc is a San Diego-based company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence systems for national security and first responders. Founded in 2015, the company creates products that enhance safety for service members and civilians through advanced AI technologies. Its prominent offerings include Nova, an autonomous quadcopter drone equipped with lidar technology, capable of navigating in GPS-denied environments to provide real-time imagery and mapping for military operations. Additionally, the company’s Hivemind software allows various unmanned vehicles, including drones and aircraft, to operate autonomously without GPS or human intervention, thereby maintaining maneuverability in contested settings. Shield AI also incorporates the V-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which has demonstrated resilience in challenging regions such as the Black Sea and the Middle East. The company aims to transform defense operations through innovative machine learning applications, enabling unmanned systems to perform complex tasks in dynamic and unscripted environments.

Rugged Robotics

Series A in 2022
Rugged Robotics Inc., founded in 2018 and based in Houston, Texas, specializes in developing robotic platforms tailored for the commercial construction industry. The company’s flagship product, the Mark I, autonomously marks architectural and engineering designs directly onto concrete floors, facilitating accurate construction layout. This robotic system replaces traditional manual methods, which are often slow and prone to errors, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency on construction sites. Rugged Robotics positions itself as a provider of layout as a service, offering solutions that not only address real-world construction challenges but also save time and reduce costs for contractors. By scaling its fleet and commercializing its technology, Rugged Robotics aims to deliver accessible, hardware-enabled solutions that significantly improve operational workflows in the construction sector.

Parallel Systems

Series A in 2022
Parallel Systems designs an autonomous, zero-emissions freight transportation system. The company believes the future of freight transportation should be fast, inexpensive, and clean while also reducing congestion on the highways. Parallel Systems develops automated, battery-electric freight rail vehicles aimed at converting freight transportation from trucking to rail. The company focuses on building innovative rail vehicles and integration tools that work seamlessly with existing railroad operations. By utilizing its technology, Parallel Systems enables railroads to serve new markets, particularly for routes less than 1,000 miles. This solution provides a more flexible, zero-emissions alternative for freight movement, complementing traditional freight rail services while expanding operational capabilities and reducing environmental impact.

Shield AI

Series B in 2019
Shield AI Inc is a San Diego-based company that specializes in developing artificial intelligence systems for national security and first responders. Founded in 2015, the company creates products that enhance safety for service members and civilians through advanced AI technologies. Its prominent offerings include Nova, an autonomous quadcopter drone equipped with lidar technology, capable of navigating in GPS-denied environments to provide real-time imagery and mapping for military operations. Additionally, the company’s Hivemind software allows various unmanned vehicles, including drones and aircraft, to operate autonomously without GPS or human intervention, thereby maintaining maneuverability in contested settings. Shield AI also incorporates the V-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which has demonstrated resilience in challenging regions such as the Black Sea and the Middle East. The company aims to transform defense operations through innovative machine learning applications, enabling unmanned systems to perform complex tasks in dynamic and unscripted environments.

Rugged Robotics

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Rugged Robotics Inc., founded in 2018 and based in Houston, Texas, specializes in developing robotic platforms tailored for the commercial construction industry. The company’s flagship product, the Mark I, autonomously marks architectural and engineering designs directly onto concrete floors, facilitating accurate construction layout. This robotic system replaces traditional manual methods, which are often slow and prone to errors, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency on construction sites. Rugged Robotics positions itself as a provider of layout as a service, offering solutions that not only address real-world construction challenges but also save time and reduce costs for contractors. By scaling its fleet and commercializing its technology, Rugged Robotics aims to deliver accessible, hardware-enabled solutions that significantly improve operational workflows in the construction sector.

Simbe Robotics

Seed Round in 2016
Simbe Robotics, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, specializing in autonomous robotic solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2014, the company has developed a robotic system named Tally, which autonomously navigates store aisles to conduct shelf audits. Tally captures real-time inventory data, identifying out-of-stock items, low stock levels, misplaced products, and pricing discrepancies. By automating these repetitive and labor-intensive tasks, Simbe Robotics enhances operational efficiency for retail staff, allowing them to focus on customer service and other critical aspects of store management. The robotic system operates safely during regular store hours, effectively integrating into the shopping environment without disrupting customers or employees.
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