Big Sky Partners

What Big Sky Partners does

Big Sky Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 1998 and headquartered in Venice, California, with a mailing address in Truckee, California. The firm backs "daring founders" from seed through mid-stage with first-check capital typically ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000, and follows on through later-stage rounds. Over 27 years, Big Sky has backed 98 companies and recorded 12 exits, operating across four stated verticals: clean energy, deep technology, hospitality and real estate, and adventure and lifestyle. The investment team is lean, led by founder Michael Schwab (also described as Managing Partner and CEO) and partner Brian Spitz, with a broader headcount of 101–250 employees per firmographic data and an additional director (Mary Taylor) on the team roster.

The firm's business model follows a traditional VC structure: capital is deployed via direct equity investments into portfolio companies, with returns generated through exits (acquisitions and IPOs) and ongoing portfolio appreciation. Big Sky distinguishes itself with an "Adventure Capitalism" thesis that combines capital with hands-on, long-term partnership, including board seats (notably at TAE Technologies and Meriwether Companies) and direct ownership participation in operating assets such as the NIHI Rote resort consortium in Indonesia. Notable portfolio holdings include Figure AI (humanoid robotics, $39.5B valuation as of February 2025), TAE Technologies (fusion energy, 1,400+ patents), Kelly Slater Wave Company, Natural Selection Tour, Aivita Biomedical, SandboxAQ, Ethic, Phoenix Boring, and Cantos. Co-investors in portfolio rounds include Jeff Bezos, OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Lockheed Martin Ventures, and Yamato Holdings.

The go-to-market approach is direct and relationship-driven: founders reach Big Sky through the website, direct outreach, portfolio referrals, and industry events. The firm does not publicly disclose management fees, AUM, or specific investment terms, and the core team self-describes as a small group where Schwab and Spitz personally review submissions and lead portfolio support. Geographic reach is described as global in the distribution commentary, with active deal exposure in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico (Los Cabos), and the UAE.

Name

Big Sky Partners

Legal name

Big Sky Partners

Website

http://bigskyvc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Big Sky Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 1998 in Venice, California, that backs seed through mid-stage founders in clean energy, deep technology, hospitality, and adventure-lifestyle sectors, deploying first-check capital of $250K–$1M with hands-on operational support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early-Stage Venture Capital

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI), Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Early-stage startups
• Seed-stage funding
• Clean energy investment
• Deep technology investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: Big Sky Partners generates returns through equity investments in early-stage companies. The firm earns returns via exits (acquisitions and IPOs) and ongoing portfolio appreciation. They invest from seed through later-stage rounds and double down on strong performers.
2. Portfolio Company Management: Active involvement in portfolio companies including board participation, strategic guidance, and operational support, which contributes to value creation and eventual exit outcomes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Big Sky Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm that provides first-check equity capital to exceptional founders from seed through mid-stage, then doubles down with follow-on and later-stage investments. The firm offers hands-on operational support, board participation, and strategic guidance, deploying capital across Clean Energy, Deep Technology, Hospitality & Real Estate, and Adventure & Lifestyle sectors.

Product overview

Big Sky Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm that operates as a single unified investment platform rather than a multi-module product suite. The firm deploys capital from first check to liftoff, backing exceptional founders from seed through mid-stage with follow-on investments through later-stage rounds when warranted. Their portfolio spans transformative technology sectors (AI/robotics, clean energy/fusion, next-generation computing, SaaS, climate tech, Web3) and experiential lifestyle industries (adventure sports, hospitality, resort development, media). Key portfolio companies include Figure AI (humanoid robotics), TAE Technologies (nuclear fusion), NIHI Rote (luxury resort), Cabo Real Surf Club (surf community), Natural Selection Tour (action sports events), and Kelly Slater Wave Company (wave technology).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venture Capital Investment Services Early-stage venture capital firm providing first-check capital ($250K–$1M) and hands-on support to founders from seed through mid-stage, with follow-on and later-stage investments. Active board participation, strategic guidance, and operational support across Clean Energy, Deep Technology, Hospitality & Real Estate, and Adventure & Lifestyle sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98 companies backed with 12 exits over 27 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Meriwether CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership initiated by Big Sky's Michael Schwab to bring together Meriwether's real estate development expertise with Big Sky's innovative vision. Led to expansion into wave basins, snow sports facilities, and international markets including Indonesia.
• NIHI HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Michael Schwab of Big Sky Partners is part of the owner consortium (PT Bo'a Development Group) developing NIHI Rote resort on Rote Island, Indonesia. This extends their 'Adventure Capitalism' philosophy into luxury hospitality.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Khosla Ventures: Large early-stage venture firm with deep exposure to clean energy, AI, and frontier technologies. More capital and broader portfolio, but overlapping investment thesis in deep tech and climate.
• Founders Fund: Prominent deep-tech and frontier-technology investor with stakes in SpaceX and similar hard-tech categories. Competes for the same founder profile and long-horizon thesis as Big Sky.

Direct peers

• Lux Capital: Early-stage venture firm investing in deep tech, frontier science, and clean energy — closely aligned with Big Sky's clean energy and deep tech thesis and similar early-stage check sizes.
• Obvious Ventures: Venture firm investing across climate, health, and sustainable lifestyle — overlapping with Big Sky's mix of clean energy/climate and hospitality/lifestyle thesis.
• Lowercarbon Capital: Venture firm purpose-built around climate and clean energy investments, with similar early-stage, high-conviction approach. Direct overlap in Big Sky's clean energy portfolio focus.
• Energy Impact Partners: Clean energy and climate-focused venture and growth investor — directly comparable to Big Sky's clean energy and climate tech portfolio investments like TAE Technologies.
• DCVC (Data Collective): Early-stage venture firm investing in deep tech, AI, and computational sciences — closely aligned with Big Sky's deep tech and clean energy focus at similar check sizes.

Emerging players

• Spring Lane Capital: Venture and growth investor in sustainable infrastructure and climate solutions, with comparable early-stage orientation to Big Sky's clean energy practice.
• Collaborative Fund: Early-stage investor focused on sustainability, health, and lifestyle brands. Overlaps with Big Sky's adventure/lifestyle and clean energy orientation, though typically earlier and consumer-oriented.
• Catapult Ventures: Early-stage venture firm with thematic focus on frontier technologies and lifestyle categories — comparable in check size and founder-led approach to Big Sky.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=ezKv5Nr__QU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-sky-ventures-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments34 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Big Sky Partners