# Playground Global: portfolio, investments and team

> Playground Global is a vc firm based in United States. 84 investments on record, 22 in the last 12 months, latest Oct 2026.

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

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

# Playground Global

Last cheque observed Oct 2026; 84 cheques on record.

Deploying now New fund $50M, Oct 2025 VC firm Now at playground.vc

Pre-seed Seed Series A AI Supply-chain Deep Learning

Deploying now

**92%** of best year **22** **cheques in 12 months**, 84 on record

Since the last cheque **7** days **00** hrs **00** min **00** sec

Median round **$23M** Cheque size, as they say **$1.0M – $20M** Rounds led **13 of 84** Sole investor **10 rounds** Exits **1 from the portfolio** Mostly in **United States, 75%**

Pitch Playground Global

## Playground Global highlights

- 01 22 cheques in the last 12 months
- 02 Mostly Series A and Venture: 47% of its rounds
- 03 Sole investor in 10 rounds, median $11M
- 04 1 exits from the portfolio

## What they do

> Filed 2 private fund offerings with the SEC, the most recent in 2022-06 From their own website

- **Type:** VC firm (from a list, unverified)
- **Cheque size:** $1.0M – $20M as they say
- **Stages:** Pre-seed Seed Series A
- **Sectors:** AI Supply-chain Deep Learning
- **Based in:** Palo Alto, United States
- **Cold pitches:** Not stated

## The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first **84 appearances**

- **2026** 18 rounds
- **Oct** **[XRlabs](https://millionrounds.com/company/xrlabs)** Seed · GB · Google News search **$8.4M** *Led*
- **Sept** **[Mesa Quantum](https://millionrounds.com/company/mesa-quantum)** Series A · US · HAX **$12M** *Led*
- **Sept** **[Delos Data](https://millionrounds.com/company/delos-data)** Series A · US · TechStartups **$100M** With 7 others
- **Sept** **[RegCell](https://millionrounds.com/company/regcell)** Series A · US **$44M** With 3 others
- **Sept** **[PicoJool](https://millionrounds.com/company/picojool)** Series A · US **$28M** Sole investor
- **Aug** **[Infinimmune](https://millionrounds.com/company/infinimmune)** Series A · US · Ventureburn **$75M** *Led*
- **Jul** **[Photon Queue](https://millionrounds.com/company/photon-queue)** Seed · US · TechStartups **$4.0M** *Led*
- **Jul** **[PsiQuantum](https://millionrounds.com/company/psiquantum)** Grant · US **$125M** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[xLight](https://millionrounds.com/company/xlight)** Grant · US **$150M** With 3 others
- **May** **[NVision](https://millionrounds.com/company/nvision)** Series B · DE · Ventureburn **$55M** With 4 others
- **May** **[NVision Imaging Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/nvision-imaging-technologies)** Series B · DE **$38M** With 2 others
- **May** **[Saltbox](https://millionrounds.com/company/saltbox)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 4 others
- **Apr** **[Syenta](https://millionrounds.com/company/syenta)** Series A · AU · TechStartups **$26M** *Led*
- **Apr** **[Ideon Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/ideon-technologies)** Grant · CA **$1.7M** With 3 others
- **Apr** **[RapidSOS](https://millionrounds.com/company/rapidsos)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Apr** **[Velo3D](https://millionrounds.com/company/velo3d)** US **$50M** With 2 others
- **Mar** **[Unreasonable Labs](https://millionrounds.com/company/unreasonable-labs)** Seed · US · Ventureburn **$14M** *Led*
- **Feb** **[Alva Energy](https://millionrounds.com/company/alva-energy)** Series A · US · AlleyWatch **$33M** With 13 others
- **2025** 18 rounds
- **Dec** **[Velo3D](https://millionrounds.com/company/velo3d)** US **$30M** With 2 others
- **Nov** **[PowerLattice](https://millionrounds.com/company/powerlattice)** Series A · CA · TechCrunch **$25M** *Led*
- **Nov** **[d-Matrix](https://millionrounds.com/company/d-matrix)** Series C · US · TechStartups **$275M** With 9 others
- **Nov** **[PicoJool](https://millionrounds.com/company/picojool)** Venture · US **$12M** Sole investor
- **Oct** **[Sizable Energy](https://millionrounds.com/company/sizable-energy)** Seed · IT · TechStartups **$8.0M** *Led*
- **Oct** **[Manifold Bio](https://millionrounds.com/company/manifold-bio)** Grant · US **$1.0M** With 3 others
- **Oct** **[Vertical Semiconductor](https://millionrounds.com/company/vertical-semiconductor)** Seed · US **$11M** Sole investor
- **Sept** **[Phasecraft](https://millionrounds.com/company/phasecraft)** Series B · GB · UCL Technology Fund **$34M** *Led*
- **Sept** **[Agility](https://millionrounds.com/company/agility)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Aug** **[Strand Therapeutics](https://millionrounds.com/company/strand-therapeutics)** Series B · US **$153M** With 6 others
- **Jul** **[xLight](https://millionrounds.com/company/xlight)** Series B · US · TechStartups **$40M** *Led*
- **Jun** **[Snowcap Compute](https://millionrounds.com/company/snowcap-compute)** Seed · US · TechStartups **$23M** *Led*
- **Jun** **[Aerones](https://millionrounds.com/company/aerones)** Series B · US **$62M** With 5 others
- **Apr** **[Synthetic Design Lab](https://millionrounds.com/company/synthetic-design-lab)** Seed · US **$20M** Sole investor
- **Mar** **[GigaCrop](https://millionrounds.com/company/gigacrop)** Pre-seed · US **$4.5M** Sole investor
- **Mar** **[FarmWise](https://millionrounds.com/company/farmwise)** Venture · US **$8.0M** With 4 others
- **Mar** **[RightHand Robotics](https://millionrounds.com/company/righthand-robotics)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Jan** **[NVision Imaging Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/nvision-imaging-technologies)** Grant · DE **$1.5M** With 3 others
- **2024** 9 rounds
- **Dec** **[Ayar Labs](https://millionrounds.com/company/ayar-labs)** Series D · US · Crunchbase News **$155M** With 14 others
- **Nov** **[Devialet](https://millionrounds.com/company/devialet)** Venture · FR **$32M** With 1 other
- **Oct** **[1910 Genetics](https://millionrounds.com/company/1910-genetics)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Oct** **[Nauto](https://millionrounds.com/company/nauto)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 5 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 **7 named**

AE **Andrew E. Rubin** Managing Director i Filing they signed

BE **Bruce E. Leak** Managing Director of Playground Global, LLC and Playground Ventures GP, LLC i Form ADV

JB **Jory Bell** Managing Director of Playground Global i Form ADV

LY **Laurie Yoler** Managing Director i Filing they signed

ME **Matt E. Hershenson** Managing Director i Filing they signed

PG **Pat Gelsinger** Managing Director i Filing they signed

PE **Peter E. Barrett** Managing Director of Playground Global, LLC and Playground Ventures GP, LLC i Form ADV

We also hold **37** 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.

## What the register says

From the firm's own filings with the SEC, which it must file accurately by law

**$3.3B** gross assets of its funds Oct 2026

**Exempt** reporting adviser venture or small private funds

- **Legal name:** Playground Global, LLC
- **SEC number:** CRD 226570

## What they claim to have backed

From their own portfolio page (on their website)

**31** of 45 we have independently watched raise

[1910genetics](https://millionrounds.com/company/1910-genetics)[Agilityrobotics](https://millionrounds.com/company/agility-robotics)[Alvaenergy](https://millionrounds.com/company/alva-energy)[Anjuna](https://millionrounds.com/company/anjuna)[Ayarlabs](https://millionrounds.com/company/ayar-labs)[Boxbot](https://millionrounds.com/company/boxbot)[D-matrix](https://millionrounds.com/company/d-matrix)[Databricks](https://millionrounds.com/company/databricks)[Elementzero](https://millionrounds.com/company/element-zero)[Gigacrop](https://millionrounds.com/company/gigacrop)[Infinimmune](https://millionrounds.com/company/infinimmune)[Insamo](https://millionrounds.com/company/insamo)[Manifold](https://millionrounds.com/company/manifold)[Nauto](https://millionrounds.com/company/nauto)[Nextsilicon](https://millionrounds.com/company/nextsilicon)[Outpacebio](https://millionrounds.com/company/outpace-bio)[Owllabs](https://millionrounds.com/company/owl-labs)[Phasecraft](https://millionrounds.com/company/phasecraft)[Picojool](https://millionrounds.com/company/picojool)[Psiquantum](https://millionrounds.com/company/psiquantum)[Rapidsos](https://millionrounds.com/company/rapidsos)[Relativityspace](https://millionrounds.com/company/relativity-space)[Sizableenergy](https://millionrounds.com/company/sizable-energy)[Skydio](https://millionrounds.com/company/skydio)[Snowcapcompute](https://millionrounds.com/company/snowcap-compute)[Syenta](https://millionrounds.com/company/syenta)[Syntheticdesignlab](https://millionrounds.com/company/synthetic-design-lab)[Ultimagenomics](https://millionrounds.com/company/ultima-genomics)[Unconv](https://millionrounds.com/company/unconventional-ai)[Velo3d](https://millionrounds.com/company/velo3d)[Virtahealth](https://millionrounds.com/company/virta-health) AGM AGM Amber Atomic Branch Deice Getfabric Ideon Intel Nvision-imaging Powerlatticeinc Robust Studio Verticalsemi

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.

## Exits from the portfolio

Companies it backed that were later bought or listed **1 in all**

**[Eero](https://millionrounds.com/company/eero)** Bought by [Amazon](https://millionrounds.com/fund/amazon) **$97M** Feb 2019

An exit counts when it came after the firm's first round in the company. From historical deal records.

New fund on file

**$50M**

raised in Oct 2025

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 **$23M** the round, not its cheque Alone, median **$11M**

Led 13 of 84 rounds **15%**

- **Said size:** $1.0M – $20M
- **Sole investor:** 10 rounds
- **Last cheque:** Oct 2026
- **Exits:** 1 from the portfolio

Rounds by stage said on their site

- Series A said *19*
- Venture *18*
- Series B *17*
- Seed said *14*
- Grant *5*
- Series C *5*
- Pre-seed said *-*

Cheques by month Led Joined

Nov 2023 Oct 2026

Often in the room with

- [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund) 5
- [Y Combinator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator) 5
- [Matrix](https://millionrounds.com/fund/matrix) 4
- [Temasek Holdings](https://millionrounds.com/fund/temasek) 4
- [8VC](https://millionrounds.com/fund/8vc) 3
- [Alchemist Accelerator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/alchemist-accelerator) 3

**Pitching Playground Global?** 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 Playground Global. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

[**Alumni Ventures** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)[**Y Combinator** Accelerator **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator)[**Matrix** Hedge fund **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/matrix)[**Temasek Holdings** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/temasek)[**8VC** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/8vc)[**Alchemist Accelerator** Accelerator **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/alchemist-accelerator)[**DCVC** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/data-collective)[**European Investment Bank** Government **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/european-investment-bank)[**Founders Fund** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-fund)[**IAG Capital Partners** Private equity **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/iag-capital-partners)[**Pear VC** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/pear-vc)[**Safar Partners** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/safar-partners)

## Recently backed

The latest companies Playground Global put money into.

[**XRlabs** $8.4M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/xrlabs)[**Mesa Quantum** $12M · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/mesa-quantum)[**Delos Data** $100M · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/delos-data)[**RegCell** $44M · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/regcell)[**Infinimmune** $75M · Aug 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/infinimmune)[**Photon Queue** $4.0M · Jul 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/photon-queue)

## Books by the people here

One book written by people at Playground Global: [Pat Gelsinger](https://millionrounds.com/person/pat-gelsinger).

- The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work [Pat Gelsinger](https://millionrounds.com/person/pat-gelsinger) · 2003 4.01 from 364 ratings on Goodreads About the book Lunch is reserved for meetings, technology makes us available anytime, anywhere-and somewhere along the way 9-to-5 morphed into 24/7, and technology makes us available anytime, anywhere. Our demanding schedules crowd out what matters family, friends, even our faith. Although it… On AmazonListen on Audible[Author's Podcasts](https://millionrounds.com/person/pat-gelsinger#podcasts)
- Find the books for what you are building, or how you invest. [Open the Reading List](https://millionrounds.com/reading-list)

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

## On podcasts

1 episode naming Playground Global in the title, and 3 more that mention it.

- [Venture Unlocked](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/venture-unlocked) 16 Mar 2022 · 43 min Playground Global's Peter Barrett on investing in deep tech, what makes a good deep tech founder, and the difference between the improbable and impossible With [Peter Barrett](https://millionrounds.com/person/peter-barrett-2) Mentions [Playground Global](https://millionrounds.com/fund/playground-global) Apple PodcastsShow page

### Mentioned in

- [The a16z Show](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/a16z) 9 Oct 2026 · 54 min Chips, Memory, and Power | Pat Gelsinger Apple PodcastsShow page
- [Sourcery](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/sourcery) 7 Feb 2026 · 1h 9m $4.5B Brain-Inspired AI Chip Company Apple PodcastsShow page
- [Sourcery](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/sourcery) 10 Sept 2025 · 1h 58m PsiQuantum’s $1B Series E, Nvidia, & the Race to 1 Million Qubits Apple PodcastsShow page

## Quick answers about Playground Global

### What does Playground Global invest in?

Playground Global invests most often at Series A and Venture (47% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as AI, Supply-chain and Deep Learning.

### How active is Playground Global?

84 investments on record, 22 of them in the last 12 months, and it led 13. The most recent was in Oct 2026.

### What has Playground Global invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: XRlabs (Seed, Oct 2026), Mesa Quantum (Series A, Sept 2026) and Delos Data (Series A, Sept 2026).

### How big are Playground Global's cheques?

The median round it joins is $23M. It says it writes cheques of $1.0M to $20M.

### Does Playground Global lead rounds?

Yes: it led 13 of its 84 investments on record (15%).

### Where does Playground Global invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (75%), Germany (8%) and the United Kingdom (5%).

### Is Playground Global investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 22 investments in the last 12 months.

### Who does Playground Global invest alongside?

Most often Alumni Ventures (5 rounds together), Y Combinator (5 rounds together) and Matrix (4 rounds together).

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