Mount Wilson Ventures
Mount Wilson Ventures is a two-partner, early-stage venture capital firm based in Pasadena, California that backs founders building companies on the physical and data sciences, providing seed capital and ongoing strategic partnership from the earliest stages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Mount Wilson Ventures does
Mount Wilson Ventures is a privately-held, two-partner venture capital firm headquartered in Pasadena, California. The firm invests at the earliest stages in startups that apply proven science to commercial problems, with a stated thesis focused on the physical and data sciences. It maintains a small, hands-on structure where both partners stay closely engaged with founders across the investment lifecycle, sourcing deals primarily through direct founder engagement and partner networks.
The firm's portfolio spans six disclosed investments across multiple verticals: GaN-on-SiC epitaxial wafers for high-power electronics (SweGaN), extremophile enzymes for proteomics workflows (CinderBio), ion-exchange direct lithium extraction (Lilac Solutions), agricultural-waste-to-specialty-chemicals conversion (ZestBio), mobile bill-pay fintech (Papaya Payments), and patient engagement for clinical laboratories (Luminate Health). These investments reflect a thesis spanning hard-tech materials, biotech tools, clean energy, and healthcare data services rather than concentration in a single sub-sector.
The firm's revenue model follows the standard venture capital structure of management fees on committed capital from institutional Limited Partners plus carried interest on portfolio company exits. Neither fund size, deployed capital, AUM, nor exit history is publicly disclosed. The firm is led by Mike Giardello, PhD and Richard Weil, CFA, pairing scientific doctoral training with a chartered financial analyst credential, and operates without a disclosed institutional parent, co-investors, or LP base.
Mount Wilson Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mount Wilson Ventures
- Legal name
- Mount Wilson Ventures
- Website
- https://mountwilson.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mount Wilson Ventures is a two-partner, early-stage venture capital firm based in Pasadena, California that backs founders building companies on the physical and data sciences, providing seed capital and ongoing strategic partnership from the earliest stages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mount Wilson Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Open-End Investment Funds (525910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAC)
Keywords
Where Mount Wilson Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mount Wilson Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Returns: As an early-stage venture capital firm, Mount Wilson Ventures generates returns through carried interest on successful portfolio company exits and management fees on committed capital from Limited Partners. The firm backs founders at the earliest stages in the physical and data sciences sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Mount Wilson Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mount Wilson Ventures is a two-partner venture capital firm based in Pasadena, California, that invests at the earliest stages in startups solving commercial problems with proven physical and data sciences. The firm provides seed and pre-seed capital along with hands-on strategic support, staying closely engaged with founders through the company's development trajectory.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Mount Wilson Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Mount Wilson Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mount Wilson Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Mount Wilson Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SOSV: Multi-stage deep-tech venture firm running accelerator-led seed programs in hardware, biology, and climate — comparable early-stage deep-tech orientation to Mount Wilson.
- Lux Capital: Deep-tech and science-focused venture firm investing at the earliest stages in areas such as semiconductors, biotech, and materials — directly comparable thesis and stage to Mount Wilson Ventures.
- DCVC (Data Collective): Early-stage deep-tech and data-science investor backing founders in compute, biology, and engineering — overlaps strongly with Mount Wilson's physical and data sciences thesis.
- Engine Ventures: Early-stage deep-tech investor focused on frontier technology from labs and research institutions — closely aligned with Mount Wilson's science-driven seed investment model.
- Material Impact: Venture firm investing at the seed and Series A stages in deep-tech materials and physical sciences companies — a tightly analogous thesis to Mount Wilson's physical sciences focus.
- Prelude Ventures: Seed-stage deep-tech venture firm investing in science-backed founders across advanced materials, energy, and biology — a direct comparable in size and focus to Mount Wilson Ventures.
- Playground Global: Early-stage deep-tech investor backing technical founders in hardware, AI infrastructure, and advanced engineering — closely comparable in stage and technical depth to Mount Wilson.
Broad incumbents
- Founders Fund: Multi-stage venture firm with deep-tech exposure (space, biotech, computing) and a willingness to invest at the earliest stages — broader in scope but comparable in appetite for frontier science.
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Patient-capital deep-tech investor focused on climate and clean-energy technologies — overlaps with Mount Wilson's investments in lithium extraction (Lilac) and renewable chemicals (ZestBio).
- Khosla Ventures: Large, multi-stage venture firm with a deep-tech and science-heavy portfolio that overlaps Mount Wilson's focus areas, though operating across broader stages and sectors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Mount Wilson Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceMount Wilson Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mount Wilson Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mount Wilson Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mount Wilson Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments18 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mount Wilson Ventures
What does Mount Wilson Ventures do?
Mount Wilson Ventures is a two-partner venture capital firm based in Pasadena, California, that invests at the earliest stages in startups solving commercial problems with proven physical and data sciences. The firm provides seed and pre-seed capital along with hands-on strategic support, staying closely engaged with founders through the company's development trajectory.
Is Mount Wilson Ventures a public or private company?
Mount Wilson Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mount Wilson Ventures founded?
Mount Wilson Ventures was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mount Wilson Ventures based?
Mount Wilson Ventures is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mount Wilson Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Returns.
Who are Mount Wilson Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SOSV, Lux Capital, DCVC (Data Collective), Engine Ventures, Material Impact, Prelude Ventures and Playground Global. Broad incumbents are Founders Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Khosla Ventures.
Does Mount Wilson Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mount Wilson Ventures.
What industry is Mount Wilson Ventures in?
Mount Wilson Ventures's product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEALAC, Venture Capital Fundraising Placement. Its NAICS code is 525910.