What Build Collective does

Build Collective is a private investment and advisory firm headquartered in Paris, France, that coaches and capitalizes deep technology startups. Founded in 2018 as Future Shape by Tony Fadell and rebranded to Build Collective in November 2022, the firm is legally structured as BC Mgmt, Inc. (USA) and currently coaches more than 200 startups focused on foundational deep technology, climate technology, sustainability, and energy innovation, including carbon management, energy storage, immunotherapy, waste upcycling, and precision manufacturing. Tony Fadell, the firm's Principal, is the co-creator of the iPod and iPhone at Apple and the founder of Nest Labs (acquired by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014), and holds 300+ patents across hardware and consumer electronics.

Build Collective does not develop or sell software products. Its underlying 'technology' is Tony Fadell's personal expertise, network, and operating playbook, augmented by his authored book 'BUILD' (a New York Times bestseller) and ongoing thought leadership across podcasts, conferences, and press. The firm generates revenue through equity ownership in portfolio companies (including direct investments in companies such as Lumafield, Sweep, Mantle, Turntide Technologies, Advano, Nothing, DICE, CashShield, Simbe, and Smartex), advisory engagements, and selective product-design consulting work (e.g., the Ledger Stax hardware wallet). Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on Fadell's network and personal brand rather than traditional product distribution channels.

The firm is small (1-10 employees) and lean by design, with its operating leverage concentrated almost entirely in Tony Fadell's time, attention, and reputation. Strategic positioning emphasizes taking deep tech from the lab into people's lives, with a stated focus on building a 'greener world' and investing across climate, energy, manufacturing, and bioscience verticals.

Name

Build Collective

Legal name

BC Mgmt, Inc.

Website

https://buildc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Build Collective is a Paris-based investment and advisory firm led by Tony Fadell that coaches and capitalizes 200+ deep technology startups focused on climate technology, sustainability, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Startup Advisory

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Deep tech investing
• Startup coaching
• Climate tech investment
• Advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: Build Collective generates returns through equity investments in deep tech startups, providing capital in exchange for ownership stakes in companies developing climate technology, sustainability solutions, and other deep tech innovations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Build Collective is an investment and advisory firm that deploys capital into early-stage deep technology startups and provides hands-on coaching, mentorship, and strategic guidance to their founders. The firm focuses on climate technology, sustainability, energy, biosciences, and advanced manufacturing, and is currently coaching more than 200 portfolio startups.

Product overview

Build Collective is an investment and advisory firm, not a product company. It was formerly known as Future Shape and is led by Tony Fadell (co-inventor of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest). The firm coaches engineers and scientists working on deep technology startups, with a focus on climate tech, biosciences, energy, and manufacturing. Build Collective currently coaches more than 200 startups and has made over 200 investments. It does not offer traditional software products or services; instead, it provides advisory, mentorship, and investment to deep tech startups working on technologies such as carbon management, energy storage, immunotherapy, waste upcycling, and precision manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity Investment in Deep Tech Startups

Quantifiable outcome

• Nest acquired by Google for $3.2 billion, demonstrating successful exit track record
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ArmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2022Tony Fadell joined the board of directors of Arm to help the processor designer expand from smartphones into PCs, servers, cars and more. His experience designing complete products brings a system-level mentality to Arm's processor development strategy.
• LedgerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTony Fadell designed the Ledger Stax, a credit card-sized crypto hardware wallet for French crypto security firm Ledger. The collaboration brought Fadell's product design expertise to crypto wallet hardware.
• RessenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTony Fadell served as 'tech coach' on the Ressence Type 2 smartwatch, a $48,800 luxury timepiece with solar-powered e-Crown technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atomic: Atomic is a venture studio that builds and funds early-stage companies from inception, similar in structure to Build Collective's coaching and investing model across a portfolio of startups. Both combine capital with hands-on operating support.
• Pioneer Square Labs: PSL is a Seattle-based venture studio that creates and incubates startups, providing founders, funding, and operational support — closely analogous to Build Collective's model of investing time and capital into early-stage deep tech ventures.
• Idealab: Idealab is a long-standing venture studio that builds technology companies from the ground up. Like Build Collective, it focuses on launching and operating multiple startup ventures with hands-on founder involvement.
• Betaworks: Betaworks is a startup studio and investment platform that builds and invests in early-stage technology companies, sharing Build Collective's model of concentrated capital deployment across a curated portfolio of emerging startups.
• Science Inc. Science Inc. is a startup studio that builds, launches, and scales technology companies, providing capital and operational resources. It mirrors Build Collective's model of creating and supporting a portfolio of early-stage ventures.

Emerging players

• Lowercarbon Capital: Lowercarbon Capital is a venture firm focused exclusively on climate and decarbonization investments, sharing Build Collective's deep commitment to funding startups that reduce carbon emissions. Both target similar climate tech founder pools.
• Lux Capital: Lux Capital invests in early-stage deep tech companies across energy, infrastructure, and advanced materials — categories heavily overlapping with Build Collective's portfolio. Both target technically complex, science-driven ventures.
• DCVC (Data Collective): DCVC invests in deep tech startups applying computational and engineering breakthroughs to real-world problems, including climate, energy, and manufacturing — directly overlapping with Build Collective's portfolio themes.

Broad incumbents

• Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Founded by Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy Ventures invests in companies tackling climate change with breakthrough technologies. It shares Build Collective's deep tech, climate-focused investment thesis and backs many similar portfolio categories (energy storage, advanced materials).
• Khosla Ventures: Khosla Ventures is a major venture firm with deep exposure to clean tech, climate, and deep technology investments. It competes for similar deep tech opportunities as Build Collective but at significantly larger fund sizes.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments7 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Build Collective