35 pre-seed defense tech investors in the US
We list 35 pre-seed defense tech investors in the US as of November 2026: each has an SEC filing on file, and the list was last checked on 6 Nov 2026. The cities with the most head offices on this list are Dallas (2), New York (2) and San Francisco (2).
Top 5 pre-seed defense tech investors in the US, ranked by recent fund activity
Among firms with a published profile and a dated fund or deal in the last 24 months. The rule: Activity score out of 100: recency of the latest fund filing or dated deal (30: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (20; half of that when the sector is stated only), stage focus (15: all of it when pre-seed is the only stage the firm states, split evenly when it states more), stated focus on the US (15: full marks when the firm names the US as where it invests, half when it says global), size of the fund on file on a log scale (12) and completeness of the public record (8). Stage and regional focus are our research, not an SEC figure. It is a measure of activity and fit, not of quality or returns. The same rule orders the whole list; it is repeated in the method box.
New Stack
Type: VC firm · HQ: Chicago, IL · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Defense Tech, AI, Fintech, Healthtech · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $125M (SEC Form D, 2024)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $125M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2024); states defense tech as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 3 named decision-makers on file.
Silent Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: Dallas, TX · Stages: Pre-seed · Focus: Defense Tech, AI, Logistics, Space · Latest activity: New fund, Jul 2026 · Fund size on file: $85M (SEC Form D, 2025)
Latest fund filing dated Jul 2026; $85M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2025); states defense tech as a focus; backs pre-seed; names the US as where it invests; 1 named decision-maker on file.
Inflection
Type: VC firm · HQ: Framingham, MA · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Defense Tech, AI, Space, Crypto and Web3 · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $50M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $50M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states defense tech as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 3 named decision-makers on file.
Ecosphere Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: Sugar Land, TX · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Defense Tech, Energy, Climate Tech, Industrial Tech · Latest activity: New fund, Sep 2026 · Fund size on file: $10M (SEC Form D, 2026)
Latest fund filing dated Sep 2026; $10M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2026); states defense tech as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 8 named decision-makers on file.
Commonweal Ventures
Type: VC firm · HQ: New York, NY · Stages: Pre-seed, Seed · Focus: Defense Tech, AI, Legal Tech, Fintech · Latest activity: New fund, Jul 2026 · Fund size on file: $75M (SEC Form D, 2022)
Latest fund filing dated Jul 2026; $75M fund on file (SEC Form D, 2022); states defense tech as a focus; backs pre-seed, seed; names the US as where it invests; 5 named decision-makers on file.
First 17 of 35 pre-seed defense tech investors in the US
| Investor | Type | HQ | Stagesour research | Focusour research | Latest fund or deal | Fund sizeas filed or stated | Checked | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Stack | VC firm | Chicago, IL | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Fintech, Healthtech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $125M (SEC Form D, 2024) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names · Unlock |
| Silent Ventures | VC firm | Dallas, TX | Pre-seed | Defense Tech, AI, Logistics, Space | New fund, Jul 2026 | $85M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 1 name · Unlock |
| Inflection | VC firm | Framingham, MA | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Space, Crypto and Web3 | New fund, Sep 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Ecosphere Ventures | VC firm | Sugar Land, TX | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, Energy, Climate Tech, Industrial Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $10M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Commonweal Ventures | VC firm | New York, NY | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Legal Tech, Fintech | New fund, Jul 2026 | $75M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 4 Nov 2026 | 5 names, firm email · Unlock |
| New Vista Capital | VC firm | Washington, DC | Pre-seed | Defense Tech, Space, AI, Industrial Tech | New fund, Oct 2026 | $20M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Initialized | VC firm | San Francisco, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Generalist, Fintech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $520M (SEC Form D, 2021) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names · Unlock |
| Tareyton | VC firm | Durham, NC | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Defense Tech, AI, Industrial Tech, Energy | New fund, Jul 2026 | $5M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 3 names · Unlock |
| CH Ventures | VC firm | Chapel Hill, NC | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Space, Deep Tech | New fund, May 2026 | $50M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 4 names · Unlock |
| Oceans | VC firm | Brooklyn, NY | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Defense Tech, AI, Space, Robotics | New fund, Feb 2026 | $100M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 6 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Parallel Venture Capital | VC firm | Boston, MA | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum | New fund, Mar 2026 | $25M (SEC Form D, 2025) | 4 Nov 2026 | 4 names · Unlock |
| Squadra Ventures | VC firm | Baltimore, MD | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Defense Tech, Cybersecurity, Generalist | New fund, Mar 2026 | $24M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Infinite | VC firm | West Palm Beach, FL | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth | Defense Tech, AI, Energy, Deep Tech | New fund, Oct 2026 | $100M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 5 Nov 2026 | 6 names · Unlock |
| NPU Ventures | VC firm | Berkeley, CA | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Biotech, Deep Tech | New fund, Sep 2026 | $5M (SEC Form D, 2026) | 4 Nov 2026 | 2 names · Unlock |
| Vine Ventures | VC firm | New York, NY | Pre-seed | Defense Tech, AI, Fintech, Robotics | New deal, Oct 2025 | 4 Nov 2026 | 4 names · Unlock | |
| Mercury Fund | VC firm | Houston, TX | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A | Defense Tech, AI, Healthtech, Crypto and Web3 | New deal, May 2025 | $150M (SEC Form D, 2022) | 5 Nov 2026 | 8 names, firm email · Unlock |
| Overline | VC firm | Alpharetta, GA | Pre-seed, Seed | Defense Tech, AI, Space, Food and Beverage | New deal, Jul 2025 | $21M (SEC Form D, 2024) | 5 Nov 2026 | 3 names · Unlock |
You are seeing 17 of 35. The full list adds 18 more investors and 136 named decision-makers.
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How these 35 break down
By US state
| US state | On this list | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 9 | 26% |
| Texas | 5 | 14% |
| Florida | 4 | 11% |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 9% |
| New York | 3 | 9% |
| Illinois | 2 | 6% |
| North Carolina | 2 | 6% |
Method and limits
- Source
- All 35 rows carry an SEC filing (Form D or Form ADV). All 35 have a website we checked. Filing date and fund size are SEC data where a filing exists. Stage, sector and check size are our research.
- Inclusion rule
- Organizations that back startups. Individuals, buyout funds and firms we found to be inactive are left out. Sector: the firm states defense tech as a focus on its own site, or we observed it in the firm's portfolio. Stage: the firm states that it invests at pre-seed.
- Order
- Firms with a published profile come first. Activity score out of 100: recency of the latest fund filing or dated deal (30: full marks within 3 months, then stepping down at 6, 12 and 24 months), share of the observed portfolio in this sector (20; half of that when the sector is stated only), stage focus (15: all of it when pre-seed is the only stage the firm states, split evenly when it states more), stated focus on the US (15: full marks when the firm names the US as where it invests, half when it says global), size of the fund on file on a log scale (12) and completeness of the public record (8). Stage and regional focus are our research, not an SEC figure. It is a measure of activity and fit, not of quality or returns.
- Last refreshed
- November 2026. Rows on this list were checked between 4 Nov 2026 and 6 Nov 2026.
- Fill rates
- Of 35 rows: stage 35, sector 35, fund size 31, website 35. In the paid file: named decision-makers on 35 rows, firm email on 11, LinkedIn page on 17, check size on 7.
- Corrections
- Email [email protected] or use the update form. We act within 5 working days.
Questions
How many pre-seed defense tech investors in the US are there?
We list 35 as of November 2026. 21 of the 35 have a fund filing or a dated deal in the last 12 months. The cities with the most are Dallas (2), New York (2) and San Francisco (2).
Which pre-seed defense tech investors in the US raised a new fund in the last 12 months?
20 of the 35 have a fund filing dated in the last 12 months. The most recent on this list are New Vista Capital (Oct 2026), Anti (Oct 2026) and Ecosphere Ventures (Sep 2026).
What is the typical fund size of pre-seed defense tech investors in the US?
The median fund size on file for this list is $50M, across the 31 firms with a size on an SEC Form D. The fund on file is each firm's main fund, which is not always its newest. The other 4 do not disclose a size there.
How do I contact pre-seed defense tech investors in the US?
The paid file holds 136 named decision-makers across 35 of these 35 and a firm email for 11. We publish the address a firm lists itself, never a personal email. Each free row links to a profile with the firm's website.
Where does the data on pre-seed defense tech investors in the US come from?
All 35 rows have an SEC filing on file (Form D or Form ADV). Filing date and fund size come from the filing. Stage, sector and check size are our research. Rows on this list were last checked on 6 Nov 2026 at the latest. The whole file is re-verified twice a year.
Broader lists
Defense tech venture capital firms in the US (130)Pre-seed investors in the US (549)Pre-seed defense tech investors (64)
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