Innovation Endeavors
Innovation Endeavors is a Palo Alto-based boutique venture capital firm co-founded by Eric Schmidt that invests in early-stage technical founders building AI, computing infrastructure, biology, and physical-economy companies. It deploys equity capital and hands-on partnership from seed through Series B.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Innovation Endeavors does
Innovation Endeavors is a Palo Alto-based, boutique venture capital firm founded in 2010 and co-founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt alongside Dror Berman, Scott Brady, Rick Scanlon, and Ron Hose. The firm partners with early-stage technical founders across six thesis areas: intelligent AI-native software applications, computing core primitives (chips to developer tools), biology and health, and the physical economy (sensing, electrification, robotics). It is deliberately small (11-50 employees) and positions itself as hands-on, with the entire partnership working alongside founders rather than assigning a single partner.
The firm's underlying "product" is capital plus deep technical partnership. It maintains a content and community platform (Insights blog, monthly newsletter, annual Curiosity Camp) used to source and engage founders, and invests from seed through Series B, frequently leading or co-leading rounds. Notable portfolio companies include AlphaSense (AI market intelligence), Atom Computing (quantum), Planet (Earth-imaging satellites), Uber, Formlabs, Gatik, Afresh, Eikon Therapeutics, Inception Labs (diffusion LLMs), Datarails (AI-native CFO platform), Trunk Tools, Think Bioscience, and Weave Bio. The team is staffed with former founders and operators (Davis Treybig, Harpinder Singh, Kenneth Auchenberg, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Scott Brady), with CFO Rebecca Lucia and Head of Investor Relations Lara Woo supporting back-office and LP functions.
The business model is classic venture capital: Innovation Endeavors raises capital from limited partners, deploys it into portfolio companies in exchange for equity, and earns revenue from management fees on assets under management plus carried interest on realized gains. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and customer segments are limited partners (capital allocators) and portfolio companies (operating businesses). Distribution is direct and relationship-driven, supplemented by thought-leadership content and ecosystem events. Geographic footprint is global, with recent deal activity spanning the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Singapore.
Innovation Endeavors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Innovation Endeavors
- Legal name
- Innovation Endeavors
- Website
- https://innovationendeavors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Innovation Endeavors is a Palo Alto-based boutique venture capital firm co-founded by Eric Schmidt that invests in early-stage technical founders building AI, computing infrastructure, biology, and physical-economy companies. It deploys equity capital and hands-on partnership from seed through Series B.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Innovation Endeavors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH), Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO)
Keywords
Where Innovation Endeavors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Innovation Endeavors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: Returns generated through equity investments in early-stage technology companies across AI, computing infrastructure, healthcare, and physical economy sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Innovation Endeavors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Innovation Endeavors is a boutique venture capital firm that invests capital and provides hands-on partnership to early-stage founders pursuing technical breakthroughs across AI, computing infrastructure, sensing, electrification, robotics, and biology. The firm co-leads and leads seed through Series C funding rounds, deploys its full partnership alongside founders, and supports portfolio companies with capital, technical expertise, and operational guidance. Revenue is generated through equity investments in portfolio companies rather than through sale of a product or subscription service.
Product overview
Innovation Endeavors is a venture capital firm, not a product company. It does not offer products or services in the traditional SaaS/technology sense. The firm partners with early-stage founders across AI, computing infrastructure, sensing, electrification, robotics, and biology. Its portfolio includes companies such as Atom Computing (quantum computers), Inception Labs (diffusion language models), Planet (Earth-imaging satellites), AlphaSense (AI market intelligence), Eikon Therapeutics (drug discovery), Gatik (autonomous vehicles), Formlabs (3D printing), Afresh (grocery AI), and others. Innovation Endeavors provides investment and partnership to founders rather than a product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Curiosity Camp: Annual gathering of scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, and creators to explore ideas at the edge of what's possible
- Innovation Endeavors Job Board
Products and services
- Early-Stage Venture Capital Investment Capital deployment alongside operational and technical partnership for early-stage founders across AI, computing infrastructure, sensing, electrification, robotics, and biology; the firm leads and co-leads seed through Series C rounds and supports portfolio companies with hands-on engagement.
Companies that use Innovation Endeavors
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Innovation Endeavors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Innovation Endeavors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Innovation Endeavors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Innovation Endeavors social profiles
Digital presenceInnovation Endeavors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Innovation Endeavors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Innovation Endeavors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Innovation Endeavors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments300 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Innovation Endeavors
What does Innovation Endeavors do?
Innovation Endeavors is a boutique venture capital firm that invests capital and provides hands-on partnership to early-stage founders pursuing technical breakthroughs across AI, computing infrastructure, sensing, electrification, robotics, and biology. The firm co-leads and leads seed through Series C funding rounds, deploys its full partnership alongside founders, and supports portfolio companies with capital, technical expertise, and operational guidance. Revenue is generated through equity investments in portfolio companies rather than through sale of a product or subscription service.
Is Innovation Endeavors a public or private company?
Innovation Endeavors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Innovation Endeavors founded?
Innovation Endeavors was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Innovation Endeavors based?
Innovation Endeavors is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Innovation Endeavors make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Does Innovation Endeavors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Innovation Endeavors.
What industry is Innovation Endeavors in?
Innovation Endeavors's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EDAHAEAH, Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.