Outliers Fund
Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital firm founded in 2016 at MIT that invests in frontier technology companies across space infrastructure and intelligence technologies (AI, robotics, quantum) on behalf of limited partners, operating through two specialized funds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCalifornia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Outliers Fund does
Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital firm founded in 2016 at MIT, originally as a special interest group focused on sci-fi-inspired frontier research. It invests in deep-technology companies across two thematic pillars: space infrastructure (satellite networks, orbital manufacturing, in-space transportation, asteroid mining) through the Outliers Scientific Fund (OSF), and intelligence technologies (AI, robotics, quantum, brain-computer interfaces) through the Outliers Intelligence Fund (OIF). The fund's methodology combines deep technical due diligence — including reading whitepapers, smart contracts, and tokenomics, with 880+ projects screened in 2017 alone — with government budget analysis used as a leading indicator for contract flow, supported by a proprietary "Space Atlas" mapping over 50 investable space sectors.
The firm operates through multiple fund vehicles with documented historical performance: Outliers Fund I (OFI, $2M, 2016) achieved 16.2x MOIC and 13.16 DPI upon exit in 2018; Outliers Fund II (OFII, $2M, 2018) achieved 11.23x MOIC and 9.71 DPI upon exit in 2021; and Outliers Fund III (OFIII, $20M in 2022, grown to $33M by 2023) is now fully deployed. Featured portfolio companies include Vast Space, AstroForge, Impulse Space, Paradromics, and Hark Labs, alongside more recent MENA-focused bets such as Strataphy, Grove, Kingpin, Stream, and SONEX.
The business model is standard venture capital: capital is raised from limited partners, deployed into portfolio companies across stages, and revenue is generated through management fees on AUM plus carried interest on realizations. The firm is small (1–10 employees), distributed across offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Taipei, and Tokyo, and surrounds its funds with an ecosystem layer including Outliers Lab (incubation, since 2019), Outliers DAO (founder/LP network, since 2021), and Hacker House events in 50+ cities (since 2022). In 2026, the fund formalized this structure by onboarding a General Counsel, CFO, and CBO.
Outliers Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outliers Fund
- Legal name
- Outliers Fund
- Website
- https://outliers.fund
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital firm founded in 2016 at MIT that invests in frontier technology companies across space infrastructure and intelligence technologies (AI, robotics, quantum) on behalf of limited partners, operating through two specialized funds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outliers Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Private Equity
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
Keywords
Where Outliers Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Outliers Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Marketing channels5 records
Outliers Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital firm that deploys capital into early-stage frontier technology companies through specialized fund vehicles. The firm operates the Outliers Scientific Fund (OSF), investing in space infrastructure companies such as satellite networks, orbital manufacturing, and deep-space mining, and the Outliers Intelligence Fund (OIF), investing in AI, robotics, and quantum computing companies at the intersection of chips, algorithms, and physical-world systems. Capital is paired with technical due diligence, government policy analysis, and long-term founder partnership beyond the closing of the wire.
Product overview
Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital fund with two distinct investment vehicles: the Outliers Scientific Fund (OSF) focused on space infrastructure companies (launch, satellites, orbital manufacturing, asteroid mining), and the Outliers Intelligence Fund (OIF) focused on AI, robotics, and quantum computing companies. The fund does not offer a unified product platform but rather deploys capital through these two specialized funds, providing investment to frontier technology companies at various stages. The featured portfolio includes Vast Space (commercial space stations), Paradromics (brain-computer interfaces), AstroForge (asteroid mining), Hark Labs (cognitive AI systems), and Impulse Space (orbital transfer vehicles).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Outliers Scientific Fund (OSF) A venture fund investing in space infrastructure companies, including satellite networks, orbital manufacturing, and deep-space mining. Targets opportunities where engineering meets policy and where rockets meet revenue.
- Outliers Intelligence Fund (OIF) A venture fund focused on AI, robotics, and quantum computing companies. Invests at the intersection of chips, algorithms, and systems that bring intelligence to physical applications.
- Outliers Lab An incubation program supporting early-stage frontier technology startups within the Outliers ecosystem, providing resources and mentorship alongside potential capital deployment.
- Outliers DAO An extended network launched in 2021 connecting founders and investors worldwide, functioning as an ecosystem for portfolio companies and partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 16.2x MOIC and 13.16 DPI for Fund I investors
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Outliers Fund
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Outliers Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Outliers Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Outliers Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bolt: Early-stage venture firm focused on hardware, frontier tech, and technical founders. Comparable to Outliers in stage preference and emphasis on deep-technical evaluation.
- Lux Capital: Early-stage venture firm investing in frontier science and technology, including space, AI, robotics, and quantum. Directly comparable to Outliers' frontier-tech thesis, with deeper AUM and longer track record.
- Founders Fund: Frontier-technology focused venture firm with long-standing exposure to space, AI, and deep tech. Closely aligned with Outliers' thesis of investing at the edge of science fiction becoming reality.
- DCVC: Deep Tech Venture Capital firm investing early in computational, space, and advanced science companies. Closely comparable to Outliers' OSF/OIF specialization and technical-diligence approach.
- 8VC: Early-stage venture firm focused on frontier tech including space, logistics, AI, and biotech. Comparable to Outliers in stage, thesis breadth, and operator-led investing style.
- The Engine: MIT-affiliated venture firm investing in Tough Tech (space, advanced materials, AI, biotech). Directly comparable to Outliers' MIT origins and frontier-tech thesis, though typically at slightly later stages.
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Patient-capital venture fund backed by high-profile LPs investing in frontier technologies including advanced energy, materials, and AI. Comparable on long-horizon, frontier-thesis investing model.
Broad incumbents
- Khosla Ventures: Large, established venture firm with significant frontier-tech exposure across AI, space, robotics, and clean energy. Comparable thesis but vastly larger AUM and broader portfolio.
- Andreessen Horowitz: Mega-fund VC with dedicated space and AI investment vehicles and policy-engagement capabilities. Comparable on thesis and policy access, but operates at a far larger scale and broader scope.
- In-Q-Tel: Strategic investor for the U.S. intelligence community, focused on frontier technology relevant to national security. Comparable intelligence-tech focus to OIF and shares Outliers' policy-tracking diligence style.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Outliers Fund social profiles
Digital presenceOutliers Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outliers Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Outliers Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outliers Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments29 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Outliers Fund
What does Outliers Fund do?
Outliers Fund is a research-driven venture capital firm that deploys capital into early-stage frontier technology companies through specialized fund vehicles. The firm operates the Outliers Scientific Fund (OSF), investing in space infrastructure companies such as satellite networks, orbital manufacturing, and deep-space mining, and the Outliers Intelligence Fund (OIF), investing in AI, robotics, and quantum computing companies at the intersection of chips, algorithms, and physical-world systems. Capital is paired with technical due diligence, government policy analysis, and long-term founder partnership beyond the closing of the wire.
Is Outliers Fund a public or private company?
Outliers Fund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Outliers Fund founded?
Outliers Fund was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Outliers Fund based?
Outliers Fund is headquartered in California, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Outliers Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bolt, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, DCVC, 8VC, The Engine and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Broad incumbents are Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and In-Q-Tel.
Does Outliers Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outliers Fund.
What industry is Outliers Fund in?
Outliers Fund's product category is Venture Capital / Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.