The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency in the United States that funds and supports research and education in science and engineering. It funds fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering and administers non-dilutive funding programs to aid early‑stage technology development, helping translate discoveries into commercially viable products and services. Through grants and fellowships, the NSF supports researchers, educators, and startups, contributing to innovation and U.S. competitiveness. The agency operates with a substantial budget to advance science, engineering, and STEM education nationwide.

Founded in 1995, SOSV is a global venture capital firm headquartered in New Jersey. It focuses on seed-to-growth stage investments in deep tech innovations, primarily in bio-tech/life sciences and hardware/robotics sectors, with a commitment to human and planetary health.

Established in 2020, the European Innovation Council supports innovative startups and researchers with promising ideas, focusing on early-stage companies with positive environmental, social, or governance impacts. It co-invests alongside private investors.

Founded in 2015, Asimov Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments. Based in New York with an additional office in Seattle, the firm focuses on technology, 3D printing, and robotics sectors, typically investing between $0.05 million to $0.15 million in the first round.

The EIC Accelerator is a Horizon Europe funding program that provides assistance to start-ups and SMEs that have an innovative, game-changing product, service, or business model that has the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones, and have the ambition and commitment to scale up, are seeking substantial funding, but the risks involved are too high for private investors to invest alone

High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH is a venture capital firm based in Bonn, Germany, specializing in early-stage investments in high-tech startups. Established in 2005, the firm focuses on technology-driven companies across various sectors, including information and communication technology, life sciences, healthcare, automation, and cleantech. HTGF typically invests in companies that have been operational for no more than one year, aiming to contribute up to €0.6 million in initial funding and up to €3 million in follow-on financing. The firm seeks a minority stake, generally around 15%, and provides a subordinated loan convertible into equity, with deferred interest for up to four years to support liquidity. With a total investment volume of approximately €895.5 million across three funds, HTGF has successfully supported over 500 startups and attracted more than €2 billion in follow-on investments from external sources. The firm's investors include notable public and private entities, underscoring its role as a key player in fostering innovation and growth within the German startup ecosystem.

Alumni Ventures Group is a venture capital firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire, with offices across North America. It provides access to venture investing for individual accredited investors, particularly alumni networks, by offering diversified portfolios of venture opportunities and allowing members to invest alongside fellow alumni in ventures led by peers. The firm backs early-stage and later-stage opportunities across technology, consumer, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors, with a sector- and geography-agnostic approach. It typically invests between $10,000 and $3 million per deal and emphasizes the involvement of alumni connections and an institutional lead investor in opportunities. Alumni Ventures also offers focused funds to broaden participation, enabling accredited investors to access venture portfolios diversified by type, sector, stage, and geography. The model aims to democratize access to venture capital while maintaining rigorous selection standards through alumni networks.

Venture Kick is a Swiss initiative supporting early-stage startups with pre-seed funding and entrepreneurial training. It has awarded over CHF 24.9 million to 600 projects, creating 6,033 jobs and attracting subsequent investments worth CHF 2.49 billion.

Founded in 2015, AM Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Starnberg, Germany. It specializes in early-stage investments in the industrial 3D printing sector, with a focus on sustainable technologies and global impact.

MassChallenge is a global startup accelerator supporting early-stage entrepreneurs across various industries. Founded in 2009, it provides mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities through its programs worldwide.

EASME is a European Union executive agency that supports small and medium-sized enterprises and promotes innovation in Europe. It manages projects in the areas of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the environment, energy, and maritime sectors, funded by COSME, LIFE, and EMFF. EASME organizes the European Sustainable Energy Week and serves industries such as environmental management, energy production, and maritime activities.

The U.S. Department of Energy is a government agency established in 1977, located in Washington, D.C. Its primary mission is to ensure the security and prosperity of the nation by tackling energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges. The Department focuses on promoting transformative scientific and technological solutions to address these issues, thereby supporting the country's energy needs and environmental sustainability.

Matrix Partners is a venture capital firm founded in 1977 and based in San Francisco that backs early-stage and Series A technology companies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, B2B software, consumer technology, fintech, health tech, infrastructure, and semiconductors. The firm emphasizes practical, founder-centered collaboration, often supporting concepts from idea stage through Series A and taking board seats to help portfolio companies scale. It operates globally, including Matrix Partners China, which focuses on long-term relationships with entrepreneurs in China and has a track record of IPOs and strategic exits. The team combines former founders and experienced investors to bring local execution and global perspective. Notable investments span across the technology landscape, reflecting a history of involvement with companies like FedEx, Apple, Oculus, Canva, Zendesk, HubSpot, Postmates, Fivetran, Sila, and GOAT, illustrating the firm’s ability to support companies from early development to scale.

Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and based in Menlo Park, California. It funds startups across the entire lifecycle, from seed to growth, with a broad focus on software and technology-enabled businesses. The firm backs companies in software, cloud infrastructure, digital platforms, data storage, and mobile and Internet services, as well as sectors at the intersection of technology with life sciences, such as bio healthcare and computational medicine. Its investments span artificial intelligence, fintech, consumer and enterprise software, crypto and blockchain, cybersecurity, and related infrastructure. Through strategic guidance and a hands-on approach, the firm aims to help portfolio companies scale and innovate.

Khosla Ventures is a California-based venture capital firm founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla. It provides capital and strategic guidance to startups across stages, focusing on technology-driven companies in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate and sustainability, enterprise software and services, fintech, digital health, medical technology and diagnostics, therapeutics, consumer products, and frontier technologies. The firm backs bold ventures with the potential to disrupt markets and improve lives, supporting companies from early to growth stages and working closely with entrepreneurs to apply science, technology and innovative business models. While primarily investing in North American technology companies, Khosla Ventures pursues opportunities globally and emphasizes experimentation and impact alongside financial returns. The firm also maintains related impact initiatives that support entrepreneurs addressing socio-economic challenges in emerging markets.

Bpifrance is a financial institution dedicated to supporting companies throughout their development stages, particularly those preparing for stock market listing and seeking credit equity. The organization provides a range of financial solutions, including financing, innovation assistance, and capital investment. By integrating various entities such as OSEO and CDC Entreprises, Bpifrance aims to deliver tailored financial support that addresses the specific needs of businesses. The institution is committed to fostering innovation and helping companies transition toward sustainable growth, ensuring they are well-equipped to face future challenges.

Founded in 2007, Innovate UK is a non-profit organization based in Swindon, UK. It supports businesses across various economic sectors by offering funding services to promote science and technology innovations.

HZG Group is a venture capital firm based in Coburg, Germany, founded in 2017. It invests in technology startups, with a focus on additive manufacturing and 3D printing, and also incubates early-stage ventures to help establish young enterprises and promote sustainable, scalable business models.

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests globally. It focuses on backing exceptional founders from day one, offering a global community network of co-founders, talent, advisors, expansion support, and capital across various sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, consumer goods, and more.

3D Systems is a provider of 3D printing and digital manufacturing solutions, offering 3D printers for plastics and metals, materials, software, and related services. The company delivers end-to-end design-to-manufacturing capabilities and a digital thread that supports professionals and consumers in turning ideas into physical parts. Its offerings span healthcare solutions, including patient-specific planning and printing for personalized surgery and medical and dental devices, as well as industrial solutions for rapid prototyping and production applications. Through its platforms, customers can design, communicate, plan, prototype and manufacture functional parts, devices and assemblies. The company operates globally, with revenues concentrated in the Americas, and serves various industries through solutions spanning design, inspection, and advanced manufacturing.

Lockheed Martin Ventures, established in 2014, is a venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. It focuses on investing in early-stage companies specializing in advanced technologies such as autonomous systems, cybersecurity, space technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Autodesk is a software company that develops 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software used across architecture, engineering, construction, product design and manufacturing, and media industries. Its portfolio includes AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Autodesk Building Design Suites, Revit, Infrastructure Design Suites, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, Product Design Suites, Inventor, AutoCAD Mechanical, Moldflow, and 3D modeling, animation and rendering tools such as Maya and 3ds Max, plus editing and finishing tools like Flame, Smoke, and Lustre. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Rafael, California.

Stratasys specializes in additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts. The company offers a range of products under brands such as uPrint, Dimension, Fortus, and RedEye On Demand. Stratasys pioneered the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process, which is patented globally. Its solutions cater to industries including aerospace, automotive, medical, education, architecture, and consumer products.

Founded in 1968, Intel designs, manufactures, and sells essential technologies for cloud, smart, and connected devices worldwide. Its product portfolio includes platform products like central processing units and chipsets, along with non-platform products such as accelerators, boards and systems, connectivity products, and memory and storage products. Intel serves original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and cloud service providers.

Founded in 2014, SICTIC is a non-profit association based in Zurich, Switzerland. It facilitates connections between smart money investors and innovative seed and early-stage tech startups through online platforms and pitching events.

MedTech Innovator is a nonprofit global competition and accelerator based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2013. It focuses on supporting companies in the medical device, digital health, and diagnostic sectors. The organization aims to enhance patient outcomes by fostering the growth of businesses that contribute to the transformation of the healthcare system. Each year, MedTech Innovator showcases 100 companies that align with key themes identified through surveys of industry leaders. The accelerator's diverse portfolio includes firms involved in consumer healthcare, imaging, remote patient monitoring, clinical studies, and workflow optimization, emphasizing its commitment to advancing innovative healthcare solutions.

Founded in 2007, Foundry Group is a venture capital firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. It focuses on early-stage investments in information technology, Internet, and software companies across North America.

Startup Wise Guys is an accelerator and early-stage program based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded in 2012. It runs intensive up to five-month programs that validate and develop products and prepare founders to sell to business customers, culminating in demo days before venture capitalists and angel investors. The company focuses on B2B software as a service, fintech, cybersecurity, sustainability, and related tech sectors across Europe, and has accelerated more than 300 startups with a startup survival rate above 80%. It operates with a network of over 200 mentors who guide startups through product validation, market entry, and fundraising, and maintains a 300+ startup alumni community spanning more than 40 countries, with ongoing alumni events for business development and fundraising.

Bossa Invest is a venture capital firm based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2011, that manages investment portfolios and provides asset management services to clients across sectors, with a focus on software as a service companies, and analyzes market trends to inform its investment decisions while operating in finance, technology, and real estate.

HAX is a global venture capital-backed program dedicated to accelerating startups with a hardware element. Operating across San Francisco and Shenzhen, HAX focuses on rapid prototyping and iteration, helping teams refine their products, business plans, and launch strategies. The program culminates in market readiness support, including introductions to corporates, investors, partners, and press, as well as securing funding and gaining traction.

Google for Startups is an initiative supporting global startups. It offers access to Google's products, connections, and best practices through a network of partners in over 135 countries. The program aims to help determined startups succeed.

Epic Games is an American video game and software company that develops games for PC, consoles, mobile devices, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Web. It licenses and provides its Unreal Engine technology to other developers, enabling the creation of high-fidelity, interactive experiences. The company operates a digital storefront that allows developers to publish, distribute, and monetize games and 3D content, supporting cross-platform compatibility and scalable performance across PC, console, mobile, and immersive devices.

Founded in 2012, Berkeley SkyDeck is a global startup accelerator based at UC Berkeley. It offers a six-month cohort program for startups founded by UC Berkeley students, alumni, and faculty, providing up to $100,000 in funding divided into two tranches. The accelerator is industry-agnostic and supports around 120 startups annually.

Founded in 2014, Gaingels is a venture investment syndicate dedicated to supporting the LGBT+ community. It invests globally in companies led by LGBT+ founders or C-suite executives at all stages of growth, focusing on inclusivity and positive social change.

Parkwalk Advisors is a London-based venture capital firm that focuses on UK technology companies with IP backing, primarily those spun out from UK universities. The firm invests across seed to growth stages, including late-stage rounds, and is stage-agnostic, aiming to support unlisted companies with freedom to operate. It concentrates on companies originating from university research, especially in Cambridge and across the UK, and targets sectors such as healthcare, energy, materials, technology, artificial intelligence, big data, life sciences, cleantech, medtech, quantum computing, and the apps ecosystem. Typical investments range from about £0.3 million to £10 million, with capital structures kept in a single share class, and the firm may provide equity or debt financings. Investments are generally planned over a three- to eight-year horizon.

Google is a multinational technology company renowned for its search engine, offering services such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and YouTube. It specializes in advertising solutions through Google Ads and mobile operating systems with Android, while actively innovating in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

IndieBio is an accelerator that supports startups using biology to solve major problems, delivering four-month programs for companies and teams with ideas. Based in San Francisco with an office in New York, it focuses on life sciences, biotechnology and synthetic biology, investing in seed and early-stage ventures that place biology at the core of their technology across products, processes and software. The program favors teams with two or more co-founders and generally provides equity-based funding in the early stages, often combining direct investments with additional financing options. Founded in 2014, IndieBio operates within the SOSV accelerator network, a global platform that supports portfolio companies through mentorship, resources and cross-border programs.

Founded in 2016, BeAble Capital is a Madrid-based venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage companies within advanced materials, photonics, microelectronics, and information communications technologies sectors. The company bridges the gap between scientific research, entrepreneurship, and investment to facilitate technology transfer and startup creation.

Korea Development Bank is a Seoul-based bank that provides corporate, investment, and international banking services to individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large corporations. It offers long-term project financing, equipment and working capital loans, and guarantees to support industrial development, along with trust and asset-management services. The bank conducts investment banking activities including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, project finance, and private equity funding, and provides cross-border and trade finance, syndications, and other international banking services. It also offers consulting, financial advisory, and management support for corporate strategy and restructuring. Founded in 1954, the institution operates through a network of domestic and overseas branches to support Korea's economic growth across diverse industries such as healthcare, infrastructure, energy, and technology, and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Shunwei Capital is a Beijing-based venture capital firm founded in 2011 that focuses on early to mid-stage investments in the local internet industry and related technology sectors. It emphasizes incubation and growth capital for startups across information technology, internet services, high technology, new media, games, internet finance, and rural internet, with cross-border interest in opportunities between China and India. The firm targets investments in mobile internet, IoT, smart hardware, and other internet-enabled platforms to support scalable digital economy ventures. Its investor base includes sovereign wealth funds, fund of funds, university endowments, and family offices, reflecting a diverse backing for its venture activities.

Founded in 2005, True Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology startups. With over $3 billion under management, they focus on seed and Series A financing across sectors like commerce, consumer, hardware, health, and infrastructure technologies.

Sand Hill Angels, established in 2000, is a prominent angel investor group based in Mountain View, California, comprising over 60 successful Silicon Valley technology professionals. The group is dedicated to supporting and growing startup companies, with a focus on seed-stage technology investments across North America. They typically invest between $300,000 to $500,000 in private companies, with a pre-money valuation of less than $5 million. Sand Hill Angels' investment preferences span various sectors, including clean technology, Internet startups, information sciences, and life sciences, with a particular interest in semiconductors, enterprise software, storage, communications, medical devices, diagnostics, and bioinformatics. The group collaborates openly with venture capital funds, other angel organizations, and the broader Bay Area ecosystem to foster the growth of technology startups.

Established in 2014, Cove Fund is a venture capital firm based in Irvine, California. It focuses on investing in seed and early-stage technology and life science companies located primarily in Southern California.

Founded in 2008, Par Equity is a venture capital firm based in Edinburgh. It focuses on investing in early-stage, high-growth technology companies across Northern England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

Wavemaker Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2003 dual-headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore. We have over $265M in assets under management, have invested in over 300 portfolio companies, and have consistently delivered top quartile returns to our investors. Wavemaker is the regional partner for Southern California and Southeast Asia of the Draper Venture Network (DVN), the world's leading VC collective comprising of 10 firms across 5 continents.

Founded in 2015, Eclipse Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California. It invests in seed-stage companies operating within massive physical industries such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and healthcare, aiming to modernize these sectors through innovative technologies.

Atinum Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in the growth stage startups in the IT, biotech, and healthcare sectors.

Accel is a venture capital firm founded in 1983 and based in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in San Francisco, London, and Bangalore. It focuses on early and growth-stage technology startups, investing across software, cloud, data analytics, mobile technology, consumer services, fintech, security, healthcare, and information technologies. Accel seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to build world-class companies that define new categories and drive growth. Its portfolio includes notable technology companies such as Atlassian, Dropbox, Slack, Spotify, Etsy, Cloudera, DJI, Braintree, and Lookout Security, among others.

Founded in 1995, Bayern Kapital is a venture capital firm based in Landshut, Germany. It specializes in growth capital investments, focusing on high-tech companies in sectors such as biotechnology, IT, and environmental technology. The firm primarily invests in small and medium-sized companies located exclusively in Bavaria, with typical investment amounts ranging from €0.25 million to €9 million.

Baidu Ventures, established in 2017, is an independent venture capital fund backed by Baidu and other prominent investors. With approximately $500 million under management across three funds and offices in Beijing and San Francisco, the firm invests in early-stage companies driving innovation in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, life sciences, robotics, big data, and related technologies. Its mission is to support entrepreneurs transforming how we work, live, and interact through cutting-edge technologies.