FAQ
Seed Round Capital is a Houston-based pre-seed venture investor backing US deep tech and dual-use startups in defense, materials science, semiconductors, biotech, energy and space. We look for founders whose advantage is rooted in hard physics, chemistry, biology or process knowledge, not pure software.
We invest $50K to $250K per company at the pre-seed and seed stage, typically as part of a pre-seed round.
We typically invest as a follow-on investor alongside other deep tech and defense-focused VCs, and occasionally lead smaller rounds.
No. At pre-seed we look for technical validation instead: a working prototype, sponsored R&D, federal non-dilutive funding, active pilots or LOIs.
Awards from SBIR, STTR, AFWERX, DARPA, ARPA-E, DOE, NIH or NASA are strong evidence the technology is real and the team can win government validation. They also extend runway without dilution. The more non-dilutive funding a company has secured, the better.
Yes. Dual-use companies with both defense and commercial markets are one of our strongest fits. Our portfolio includes HavocAI (autonomous maritime platforms working with the U.S. Navy), Direct Kinetic Solutions (radioisotopic power cells for defense and space) and FluxWorks (ISS National Lab award-winning magnetic gears).
Pure consumer products, retail, and SaaS with no defensible IP. We also look for at least one technical founder with PhD-level depth or equivalent rare practical know-how.
Post-money valuation of $12M or less, and less than $750K in prior outside investment.
No. We invest in startups across the US. Companies must be US C-Corps.
We read every application. If there is a fit, we schedule a call to learn more, then conduct diligence. We like to see two to three monthly stakeholder updates before we invest.
Introductions to deep tech and defense-focused co-investors, help pairing equity with non-dilutive funding, pitch and investor narrative coaching, and access to experts in legal, finance, recruiting and go-to-market.
No. We invest alongside you. There are no fees to apply, pitch or work with us.
Each month we review over 100 startups and invite four to pitch to our investor network. If a company receives more than $50K in investor interest, we run a syndicate, and we encourage direct investment as well.
We are an angel group of 95+ LPs investing through an LLC, and members choose deal by deal. Accredited investors can email invest@seedroundcapital.com or join our investor list on the Invest page.
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