Shantel
Key Takeaways
- Valhalla Ventures has announced its maiden $66M flagship fund dedicated to backing innovative entrepreneurs in deeptech and gaming.
- The venture capital firm prioritizes early-stage investments, focusing on technologies and ideas years before they become mainstream.
- The firm has already taken 15 core positions since early 2022 and intends to continue new investments until 2025.
- Valhalla Ventures was founded in 2020 by Devan Malhotra, Matthew King, and Rohan Pujara.
The Emergence of Valhalla Ventures
In the sprawling labyrinth of venture capital, Los Angeles-based Valhalla Ventures has stepped forth with its debut $66 million fund. The firm, deeply rooted in the early-stage investment landscape, is geared to support audacious innovators challenging the status quo across deeptech and gaming. The focus rests on technologies and ideas that are still years away from entering the mainstream.
A Commitment to the Mavericks
Valhalla Ventures is not just another player in the venture capital ecosystem. It is a company that prides itself on its daring early-stage investment approach. The newly announced $66M fund will primarily channel investments into seed-stage companies across deeptech, including materials science, biology, energy generation/storage, and space technology, and gaming, with a particular interest in novel and underfunded gaming mediums emphasizing social experiences.
“Capital is scarce right now, especially for first time funds like us, so we’re honored to be backed by some of the world’s best founders, family offices, executives, and corporations,” remarks Devan Malhotra, General Partner at Valhalla Ventures.
A Refreshing Approach to Venture Capital
Valhalla’s Fund I has been proactively deployed since early 2022, taking 15 core positions to date. It has set its eyes on bold, promising companies. Terran Biosciences and Avery Digital are redefining the biotechnology landscape, while Irradiant Technologies is revolutionizing nanofabrication. Meanwhile, in the gaming sphere, Incredible Dream is leveraging board games to build the next billion-dollar IP franchise, and 1v1Me is constructing a platform for gamers to compete and wager on their favorite streamers.
“At Valhalla Ventures, we back relentless entrepreneurs tackling obvious problems with non-obvious solutions that challenge the bounds of science and engineering,” asserts Rohan Pujara, General Partner at Valhalla Ventures.
The SpaceX Connection
The Valhalla team is acutely aware of the burgeoning ecosystem of deeptech companies developing around SpaceX. According to Pujara, SpaceX’s culture of questioning assumptions, simplifying processes, rapid execution, and automation has nurtured a new generation of engineers and technical entrepreneurs eager to solve impossible problems. Valhalla recently invested in two companies founded by ex-SpaceX engineers – K2 Space and Starpath Robotics.
Valhalla Ventures: An Asset for Founders
Companies invested in by Valhalla Ventures, like Bunch, vouch for the firm’s dedication. “Bunch welcomed Valhalla Ventures to our team during our latest round. They quickly became one of our most insightful and helpful partners, making valuable connections to strategic partners and key players in the media and entertainment industry,” says Selcuk Atli, founder of Bunch.
The Origins and Vision
Valhalla Ventures was founded in 2020 by Devan Malhotra, Matthew King, and Rohan Pujara. Before raising Fund I, the firm invested $27M via SPVs in eight companies across deeptech, gaming, and blockchain.
To sum up, Valhalla Ventures embodies a paradigm shift in the venture capital landscape. With its audacious $66M fund, the firm stands ready to back innovators who dare to challenge consensus views and redefine the frontiers of science and engineering. As Valhalla Ventures navigates the unchartered territories of deeptech and gaming, it’s clear that the venture capital industry is poised for a riveting era of daring bets and game-changing investments.
