Nerdy and early capital
for "software beyond the screen" startups

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Seed capital for software beyond the screen® startups


Modern software is leaving the screen behind, entering the real world, and bringing along its incredible agility. With almost $200 million under management, Ubiquity Ventures invests into the following areas of opportunity:

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Smart Hardware

When software leaps off of the screen and into the real world, it lands on smart hardware. The world around us becomes software-like; physical things improve constantly via automatic updates to unlock more flexibility and possibility. Smart hardware not only senses what is happening, it changes it. Ubiquity funds low-cost smart hardware in the realm of enterprise solutions and actuation.

Machine Learning

Machine learning enables software to understand and navigate the complexities of the real world. ML-powered software can identify subtle but valuable patterns, devise new solutions, and communicate with us more naturally. Ubiquity funds ML applications for industries historically less penetrated by software.

Platforms

Real world software needs a robust foundation of supporting technologies to thrive outside its traditional ecosystems. Ubiquity funds developer tools, security, and perception technologies that support platforms beyond computers and smartphones.

Founding Partner




Sunil Nagaraj is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ubiquity Ventures, a seed-stage institutional venture capital firm with almost $200 million under management and a focus on "software beyond the screen"® startups. This includes B2B technology companies that utilize smart hardware or machine learning to solve business problems outside the reach of computers and smartphones. By transforming real-world physical problems into the domain of software, Ubiquity-backed startups tap into large greenfield markets and offer more effective solutions.

Sunil currently serves on the boards of Esper, Halter, Kinetic, Koop, Loft Orbital, Parallel Domain, Resemble AI and other undisclosed investments.

Prior to founding Ubiquity Ventures, Sunil spent the better part of a decade with Bessemer Venture Partners where his work included leading the seed rounds of Auth0 (acquired by Okta for $6.5 billion) and Zapier as well as investments in Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB), and Twitch (acquired by Amazon for $1 billion). Prior to being an investor, Sunil was founder/CEO of Triangulate, a VC-backed online dating startup using machine learning and behavioral data to improve matching accuracy. He has also worked at Bain & Company, Cisco, and Microsoft.

Sunil holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Past President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (the largest general astronomy education society in the world with past Presidents including Edwin Hubble and Frank Drake). He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School California Research Center and as an Alumni Advisor to the Harvard MS/MBA program. He spends his free time playing piano, sailing, and nerding out on new technologies.

Ubiquity Extended Team


The Ubiquity Extended Team is a group of experts on standby to help Ubiquity portfolio companies in areas ranging from technical architecture to marketing and sales. Members of the UXT have worked at the following companies:

"Just a few minutes into our first pitch for seed funding with Sunil, he immediately understood what made Auth0 special and was the first VC to bet on us. Having him in our corner for those foundational years was critical to where we are today.”
Eugenio Pace, Co-Founder/CEO of Auth0
(read about Auth0's seed to $6.5 billion journey)

Portfolio


Ubiquity backs seed-stage startups that are moving software into the real world, across a variety of industries and approaches.

"Sunil was the fastest investor to commit to my round, largely because he was so up to speed about the technologies and trends I was building on."
Craig Piggott, Founder/CEO of Halter
(read Craig's founder interview)

Why Ubiquity


I've lived the founder life.
I've been a founder and navigated the ups and downs of startup life. I know how deeply terrifying it can be to have everything on the line and how rewarding it is. I connect with founders because I've been one and, in starting my own fund, continue to be.
I love engineering.
I've been coding since I was a kid and am still in love with engineering. I like to dive into a specific technology and learn things from the code level up. By combining this with my tight sector focus, I'm usually well-versed in your sector before our first meeting. If I'm not, I aim to be by the time I invest. If I don't or can't understand how something works at a technical level, I probably won't invest.
I bring years of venture know-how and connections.
In my 12 years of institutional venture capital and 2 years as a VC-backed founder/CEO, I have been part of many startup failures and several multi-billion-dollar exits. I've learned first-hand how institutional VC investors think and how to work best with them. I've also built connections across sectors and stages that we can tap into to grow your company. This manifests as Ubiquity's seed investments having a seed-to-Series A graduation rate of 91%, double the industry average.
I move at founder speed.
With no additional partners to meet nor extra hoops to jump through, I typically move from first meeting to offer within a few days, setting these companies on an accelerated track from the outset. You don't have to be in my network for us to talk about your idea or startup. Contact me below and I will answer. Once you join the Ubiquity portfolio, your company is a top priority. I am always available to the founders I back as we constantly iterate and workshop in real-time. Beyond that, the 50 experts on the Ubiquity Extended Team may be able to help with product, marketing, sales, manufacturing, finance, and more.

"Sunil is the rare VC who understands both the business and the science of new technologies. He was by my side when we first announced our rocket engine to the world and when we won our first launch contract at Kennedy Space Center."
Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab
(read about Rocket Lab going public)

Ubiquity University


We created Ubiquity University to share the latest knowledge and advice for pre-seed, seed, and Series A stage entrepreneurs and startup leaders. Our collection of videos can help you grow and develop.

Below is our Day One Series for entrepreneurs who JUST raised capital. Or check out our AI Crash Course of 5-short videos for non-technical audiences to get up to speed on AI/machine learning. Or view it all at https://university.ubiquity.vc.

“Sunil is the seed investor I could turn to at a moment’s notice for help with product, growth, and recruiting."
Wade Foster, Co-Founder/CEO of Zapier

UBQT - The Ubiquity Blog


Over at UBQT.VC, we share our weekly thoughts about smart hardware, machine learning, entrepreneurship, and general nerdery. Topics include pitching tips, the VC/investor mindset, the founder mindset, interviews with Ubiquity founders, and more. Or jump right to the higest-rated UBQT posts of all time.

Recent UBQT posts:
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Contact


Ubiquity works with entrepreneurs and nerds from pre-product to early revenue. We want to meet you. Please complete this 60-second pitch form, and we will respond within 24 hours to set up a meeting with Sunil or with feedback:

Ubiquity pitch form
(learn why we made this form).