# 1517 Fund: portfolio, investments and team

> 1517 Fund is a vc firm based in United States. 58 investments on record, 5 in the last 12 months, latest Sept 2026. Portfolio, stages, co-investors and team.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/fund/1517-fund (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

United States · [Investor](https://millionrounds.com/investors)

# 1517 Fund

Last cheque observed Sep 2026; 58 cheques on record.

Email

Deploying now New fund $6.1M, Jul 2026 VC firm

Pre-seed Seed Series A Deep_tech Science

Follow 1517 Fund and see its new cheques in your feed. [Start following](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&why=follow&next=%2Ffund%2F1517-fund)

Deploying now

**31%** of best year **5** **cheques in 12 months**, 58 on record

Since the last cheque **60** days **00** hrs **00** min **00** sec

Median round **$3.7M** Rounds led **0 of 58** Sole investor **7 rounds** Mostly in **United States, 87%**

Pitch 1517 Fund

## 1517 Fund highlights

- 01 5 cheques in the last 12 months
- 02 Mostly Seed and Venture: 67% of its rounds
- 03 Sole investor in 7 rounds, median $3.0M

## What they do

> 1517 Fund is an anti-establishment educational institution and VC firm backing founders at the earliest stages of their careers and companies. From their own website

- **Type:** VC firm (from a list, unverified)
- **Cheque size:** $5K – $400K as they say
- **Stages:** Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B
- **Sectors:** Deep_tech Science
- **Based in:** Telluride, United States
- **Cold pitches:** Accepted

## The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first **58 appearances**

- **2026** 4 rounds
- **Sept** **[Marathon Fusion](https://millionrounds.com/company/marathon-fusion)** Grant · US **$3.6M** With 2 others
- **Aug** **[Zeno Power](https://millionrounds.com/company/zeno-power)** Venture · US **$3.6M** With 4 others
- **Jul** **[corner](https://millionrounds.com/company/corner)** Venture · US **$6.9M** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[Positron](https://millionrounds.com/company/positron)** Series B · US · TechCrunch **$230M** With 5 others
- **2025** 15 rounds
- **Nov** **[Storii](https://millionrounds.com/company/storii)** Grant · US **$1.7M** With 4 others
- **Oct** **[Solideon](https://millionrounds.com/company/solideon)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 4 others
- **Sept** **[Lactiga](https://millionrounds.com/company/lactiga)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Sept** **[Paladin Drones](https://millionrounds.com/company/paladin-drones)** Venture · US **$17M** With 4 others
- **Sept** **[corner](https://millionrounds.com/company/corner)** Seed · US **$3.8M** With 1 other
- **Aug** **[Space Kinetic](https://millionrounds.com/company/space-kinetic)** Seed · US **$12M** Sole investor
- **Jul** **[Laminar](https://millionrounds.com/company/laminar)** Series A · CA **$12M** With 5 others
- **Jun** **[Aethero](https://millionrounds.com/company/aethero)** Seed · US **$8.4M** With 3 others
- **May** **[Rainmaker](https://millionrounds.com/company/rainmaker)** Series A · US **$25M** With 2 others
- **May** **[Trilobio](https://millionrounds.com/company/trilobio)** Seed · US **$8.0M** With 4 others
- **May** **[Luminar](https://millionrounds.com/company/luminar)** US **$35M** Sole investor
- **Apr** **[Durin](https://millionrounds.com/company/durin)** Pre-seed · US **$3.4M** With 3 others
- **Mar** **[ExLabs](https://millionrounds.com/company/exlabs)** Grant · US **$1.8M** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[MIIST Therapeutics](https://millionrounds.com/company/miist-therapeutics)** Seed · US **$7.0M** With 3 others
- **Jan** **[RF Labs](https://millionrounds.com/company/rf-labs)** Seed · US **$3.0M** Sole investor
- **2024** 14 rounds
- **Sept** **[Optimotive](https://millionrounds.com/company/optimotive)** Seed · CA **$2.0M** With 2 others
- **Aug** **[Commenda](https://millionrounds.com/company/commenda)** Venture · US **$6.1M** With 2 others
- **Aug** **[CalWave Inc](https://millionrounds.com/company/calwave-inc)** Grant · US **$1.1M** With 2 others
- **Aug** **[Marathon Fusion](https://millionrounds.com/company/marathon-fusion)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 2 others
- **Jul** **[Aura Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/aura-health)** Crowdfunding · US **$1.2M** With 3 others
- **Jul** **[ImmuneAGE Bio](https://millionrounds.com/company/immuneage-bio)** Seed **$2.0M** With 3 others
- **Jul** **[Ceragen](https://millionrounds.com/company/ceragen)** Seed · CA **$2.0M** With 1 other
- **Jun** **[GLCTC Corp](https://millionrounds.com/company/glctc-corp)** Pre-seed · US **$300K** Sole investor
- **May** **[Nelumbo](https://millionrounds.com/company/nelumbo)** Grant · US **$2.9M** With 2 others
- **May** **[shopARI](https://millionrounds.com/company/shopari)** Pre-seed · US **$1.7M** With 2 others
- **Mar** **[JobPixel](https://millionrounds.com/company/jobpixel)** Seed · US **$4.7M** Sole investor
- **Feb** **[The Exclosure](https://millionrounds.com/company/the-exclosure)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[Space Perspective](https://millionrounds.com/company/space-perspective)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 2 others
- **Jan** **[Aura Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/aura-health)** Venture · US **$6.2M** With 3 others
- **2023** 8 rounds
- **Nov** **[Software Applications Incorporated](https://millionrounds.com/company/software-applications-incorporated)** Seed · US **$6.5M** With 3 others
- **Nov** **[WorkMade](https://millionrounds.com/company/workmade)** Seed · US **$5.5M** With 4 others
- **Sept** **[Frenter](https://millionrounds.com/company/frenter)** Seed · CA **$895K** With 3 others
- **Aug** **[Kura Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/kura-technologies)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Aug** **[Current Surgical](https://millionrounds.com/company/current-surgical)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[Sinatra](https://millionrounds.com/company/sinatra)** Seed · BR **$1.1M** Sole investor
- **May** **[HelloWoofy.com](https://millionrounds.com/company/hellowoofy-com)** Crowdfunding · US **$684K** With 2 others

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

## The team

Named by the firm itself, on a filing, its Form ADV or its company registration **2 named**

DS **Danielle Strachman** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

MG **Michael Gibson** Executive Officer i Filing they signed

We also hold **5** people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

Who backs their funds

## 1 LP on record in 1517 Fund's funds

- **Funds:** 1

The institutions that put money into its funds, which the firm then invests in companies. Source: an LP list.

- [**Ambient Sound Investments** 1 fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ambient-sound-investments) Fund Vintage Committed 1517 Fund - -

## What they claim to have backed

From their own portfolio page (on their website)

**6** of 14 we have independently watched raise

[Deep learning cloud](https://millionrounds.com/company/lambda)[Discord](https://millionrounds.com/company/discord)[Fossa](https://millionrounds.com/company/fossa)[High-volume hiring management SaaS](https://millionrounds.com/company/fountain)[Next-gen engineering design SaaS](https://millionrounds.com/company/ntopology)[Positron](https://millionrounds.com/company/positron-ai) Advanced laundry machine Asynchronous video SaaS Cloud Express robo-garment cleaner Laundromat vertical SaaS Neutral atom quantum computing Next generation GPS PCB prototyping shipped

Weaker than a round we watched, stronger than a list somebody sold us. A firm is far less willing to put a company on its own site that it never funded.

New fund on file

**$6.1M**

raised in Jul 2026

From its SEC filing, not a journalist: a firm that has just raised has money to deploy.

## The cheque

Pre-seed Seed Series A

Median round joined **$3.7M** the round, not its cheque Alone, median **$3.0M**

Led 0 of 58 rounds **0%**

- **Said size:** $5K – $400K
- **Sole investor:** 7 rounds
- **Last cheque:** Sept 2026

Rounds by stage said on their site

- Seed said *18*
- Venture *16*
- Grant *7*
- Pre-seed said *5*
- Series A said *5*
- Series B said *-*

Cheques by month Led Joined

Nov 2023 Oct 2026

Often in the room with

- [Gaingels](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gaingels) 6
- [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars) 6
- [National Science Foundation](https://millionrounds.com/fund/nsf-small-business-innovation-research-small-business-techno) 4
- [SOSV](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sosv) 4
- [US Department of Energy](https://millionrounds.com/fund/u-s-department-of-energy) 4
- [Y Combinator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator) 4

**Pitching 1517 Fund?** Put them on your fundraising board with this record on the card, and follow them to hear when they write a new cheque.

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## Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as 1517 Fund. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

[**Gaingels** Private equity **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gaingels)[**Techstars** VC firm **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars)[**National Science Foundation** Government **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/nsf-small-business-innovation-research-small-business-techno)[**SOSV** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sosv)[**US Department of Energy** Government **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/u-s-department-of-energy)[**Y Combinator** Accelerator **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator)[**Abstract Ventures** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/abstract)[**Alumni Ventures** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)[**Berkeley SkyDeck** Accelerator **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/berkeley-skydeck)[**Boost VC** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/boost-vc)[**Social Starts** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/social-starts)[**500 Global** Angel **2** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/500-startups)

## Recently backed

The latest companies 1517 Fund put money into.

[**Marathon Fusion** $3.6M · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/marathon-fusion)[**Zeno Power** $3.6M · Aug 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/zeno-power)[**corner** $6.9M · Jul 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/corner)[**Positron** $230M · Feb 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/positron)[**Storii** $1.7M · Nov 2025](https://millionrounds.com/company/storii)[**Solideon** Oct 2025](https://millionrounds.com/company/solideon)

## Quick answers about 1517 Fund

### What does 1517 Fund invest in?

1517 Fund invests most often at Seed and Venture (67% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as Deep_tech and Science.

### How active is 1517 Fund?

58 investments on record, 5 of them in the last 12 months. The most recent was in Sept 2026.

### What has 1517 Fund invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: Marathon Fusion (Grant, Sept 2026), Zeno Power (Venture, Aug 2026) and corner (Venture, Jul 2026).

### How big are 1517 Fund's cheques?

The median round it joins is $3.7M.

### Does 1517 Fund lead rounds?

Rarely, if at all: none of its 58 investments on record names it as the lead.

### Where does 1517 Fund invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (87%) and Canada (10%).

### Is 1517 Fund investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 5 investments in the last 12 months.

### Who does 1517 Fund invest alongside?

Most often Gaingels (6 rounds together), Techstars (6 rounds together) and National Science Foundation (4 rounds together).

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