Celesta Capital
Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, managing over $1B in assets across 90+ portfolio companies in semiconductors, AI infrastructure, bio-convergence, and industry transformers, with active expansion into India via the India Deep Tech Alliance and a planned ₹2,000 crore India-focused fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Mateo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Celesta Capital does
Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm founded in 2013 and headquartered at 1 California St. in San Francisco, operating as Celesta Global Capital Managers LLC. The firm invests across four pillars — Semiconductors and Intelligent Systems, Next-Generation Infrastructure Software, Bio-Convergence, and Industry Transformers — targeting companies built on strong IP from fundamental scientific or engineering advancements, with a contrarian focus on infrastructure rather than moonshot science. To date Celesta has made over 100 investments spanning more than 90 portfolio companies across the United States, India, Israel, China, and Singapore, with notable positions in AI infrastructure (SambaNova, WEKA, Tensordyne), semiconductors (VeriSilicon, Eliyan, AuraSemi), imaging and sensing (Vayyar, Tonbo, VDOO), space tech (Agnikul), and bio-convergence (Prellis, 1Cell.Ai).
The firm is led by five Founding Managing Partners — Nicholas Brathwaite, Michael Marks, Matthew Marsh, Sriram Viswanathan, and Lip-Bu Tan — alongside Managing Partners Anand Chandrasekaran and Arun Kumar, with Matthew Marsh additionally serving as CFO and Trevor DeWitt as CMO. The team collectively holds 600+ patents and has started over 40 businesses, providing deep operator-investor credibility. Celesta manages over $1B in assets and generates revenue through traditional VC fund management fees plus carried interest on exits; realized liquidity events include Volta Industries (IPO February 2021, later acquired by Shell USA in March 2023), VeriSilicon (IPO 2020), VDOO (acquired by JFrog June 2021), and TigerGraph (acquired by Cuadrilla Capital July 2025).
Celesta distributes capital and engages founders through direct outreach, the TechSurge podcast and summit, an LP investor portal, and its founding membership in the India Deep Tech Alliance — a coalition with over $1.85B in pledged commitments alongside Accel, Blume Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Premji Invest, Ideaspring Capital, Kalaari Capital, and NVIDIA (as Strategic Technical Advisor). In March 2026 the firm announced plans for a ₹2,000 crore India-focused deep tech fund targeting Series A and B startups, marking its most significant geographic and capital scaling move to date.
Celesta Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Celesta Capital
- Legal name
- Celesta Global Capital Managers LLC
- Website
- https://www.celesta.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, managing over $1B in assets across 90+ portfolio companies in semiconductors, AI infrastructure, bio-convergence, and industry transformers, with active expansion into India via the India Deep Tech Alliance and a planned ₹2,000 crore India-focused fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Celesta Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Services / Fintech Growth Equity (FSANACAE)
Keywords
Where Celesta Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Mateo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Celesta Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fund Management: Celesta Capital generates returns through traditional venture capital fund management, collecting management fees and carried interest on successful portfolio company exits.
- Capital Appreciation: Returns are generated through equity appreciation in portfolio companies, with successful exits through IPOs and acquisitions such as Volta Industries (IPO in February 2021), VeriSilicon (went public in 2020), TigerGraph (acquired by Cuadrilla Capital in July 2025), and VDOO (acquired by JFrog in June 2021).
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Celesta Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm that invests venture financing in early-stage (Series A and B) deep technology companies at the forefront of science and engineering. The firm manages over $1 billion in assets, has made more than 100 investments across 90+ portfolio companies, and is preparing to launch a ₹2,000 crore India-focused deep tech fund. Investment focus areas are organized around four pillars: Semiconductors and Intelligent Systems, Next-Generation Infrastructure Software, Bio-Convergence, and Industry Transformers.
Product overview
Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm that enables visionaries at the forefront of science and engineering. Rather than offering a unified software product, the firm provides investment services and ecosystem support to deep tech startups, operating across four strategic investment pillars: Semiconductors and Intelligent Systems, Next-Generation Infrastructure Software, Bio-Convergence, and Industry Transformers. The firm's offerings include the TechSurge Podcast (deep tech VC podcast series), TechSurge Summit (conference series), an Investor Portal (for LP fund access), and a Newsletter subscription service. Celesta has made over 100 investments to date in companies spanning AI/ML, semiconductors, space tech, healthcare, and other deep tech sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TechSurge: TechSurge is Celesta Capital's podcast and conference series that brings together conversations at the forefront of deep tech, featuring visionary Silicon Valley leaders and next-generation entrepreneurs.
Products and services
- India-Focused Deep Tech Fund (planned ₹2,000 crore)
- Celesta Capital Deep Tech Venture Funds
Quantifiable outcome
- In more than 100 Celesta investments to date, the firm hasn't backed a company where the core technology later proved non-functional
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Celesta Capital
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Celesta Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Celesta Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SynopsysminorSynopsys hosted the Startup and VC Connect event at its Sunnyvale, California headquarters, bringing together semiconductor startups, venture capital firms, and experts to discuss challenges and opportunities in AI silicon development. Celesta Capital participates in the deep tech ecosystem that Synopsys supports.
- Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and InnovationcoreThe Polsky Center partnered with the India Deep Tech Alliance to launch the India Deep Tech Accelerator, a 10-week program running April through June 2026 cohorting up to 15 IIT-affiliated deep tech startups. Provides workshops, coaching, strategic connections to U.S. investors and customers, with funding of up to $200,000 per startup from Aroa Venture Partners.
- India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA)coreCelesta Capital is a founding member of the India Deep Tech Alliance, a coalition of US and Indian private investors collectively committing over $2.5 billion toward deep tech investments in India. Members include Accel, Blume Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Premji Invest, Ideaspring Capital, and Kalaari Capital, with NVIDIA serving as adviser. The alliance supports Indian deep tech startups in achieving global market readiness.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA joined the India Deep Tech Alliance as a Founding Member and Strategic Technical Advisor to support early-stage Indian deep tech ventures aligned with India's ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development, and Innovation Scheme.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Celesta Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Large multi-stage venture platform with active deep tech and infrastructure investing — broader portfolio than Celesta but overlapping significantly in semiconductors, AI, and bio.
- Sequoia Capital: Premier global venture firm with deep infrastructure, semiconductor, and AI exposure through its US and India funds — comparable as a competitor for deep tech deals and LP capital, though far broader in mandate.
- Founders Fund: High-conviction venture firm investing in frontier technology across AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced computing — comparable deep tech orientation though more generalist in portfolio.
- Kleiner Perkins: Established venture firm with longstanding deep tech and infrastructure expertise — overlaps with Celesta on enterprise AI, semiconductors, and digital health themes.
- Accel: Global venture firm with strong US and India presence and active deep tech investing — overlapping portfolio orientation and is also a co-founding IDTA member alongside Celesta Capital.
Direct peers
- Khosla Ventures: High-conviction venture firm investing across deep tech, AI, robotics, and frontier sectors — comparable to Celesta in its willingness to back technically intensive, capital-intensive startups at early stages.
- Lux Capital: US-based venture capital firm investing in frontier science and technology companies across AI, semiconductors, biotech, and space — directly comparable deep tech thesis and stage to Celesta Capital.
- DCVC (Data Collective): Deep tech-focused venture firm investing in companies applying breakthroughs in compute, life sciences, and physical infrastructure — closely overlaps Celesta's four-pillar deep tech thesis.
- Qualcomm Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Qualcomm investing in semiconductors, AI, automotive, and deep tech — directly comparable investment focus and is also a co-founding member of the India Deep Tech Alliance alongside Celesta.
- Playground Global: Early-stage venture firm investing in deep tech including semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing — directly comparable stage and sector focus to Celesta Capital.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Celesta Capital social profiles
Digital presenceCelesta Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Celesta Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Celesta Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Celesta Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments199 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Celesta Capital
What does Celesta Capital do?
Celesta Capital is a global deep tech venture capital firm that invests venture financing in early-stage (Series A and B) deep technology companies at the forefront of science and engineering. The firm manages over $1 billion in assets, has made more than 100 investments across 90+ portfolio companies, and is preparing to launch a ₹2,000 crore India-focused deep tech fund. Investment focus areas are organized around four pillars: Semiconductors and Intelligent Systems, Next-Generation Infrastructure Software, Bio-Convergence, and Industry Transformers.
Is Celesta Capital a public or private company?
Celesta Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Celesta Capital founded?
Celesta Capital was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Celesta Capital based?
Celesta Capital is headquartered in San Mateo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Celesta Capital make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management is the primary driver. The others are capital Appreciation.
Who are Celesta Capital's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins and Accel. Direct peers are Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, DCVC (Data Collective), Qualcomm Ventures and Playground Global.
Does Celesta Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Celesta Capital.
What industry is Celesta Capital in?
Celesta Capital's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAE, Financial Services / Fintech Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.