Topics

Latest

AI

Amazon

Article image

Image Credits:Humba Ventures

Apps

Biotech & Health

Climate

Leo Polovets and Anna-Sofia Lesiv of Humba Ventures

Image Credits:Humba Ventures

Cloud Computing

Commerce

Crypto

Enterprise

EVs

Fintech

fund raise

contraption

bet on

Google

Government & Policy

ironware

Instagram

layoff

Media & Entertainment

Meta

Microsoft

Privacy

Robotics

Security

Social

quad

startup

TikTok

expatriation

speculation

More from TechCrunch

upshot

Startup Battlefield

StrictlyVC

newssheet

Podcasts

video recording

Partner Content

TechCrunch Brand Studio

Crunchboard

Contact Us

Humba Venturessaid today it has raised $ 40 million to gift in deep tech and defense tech startup . It is a sis - firm toSusa Ventures , the seed - stage house that has backed companies like Robinhood , Human Interest , and Flexport .

The fund comes at a fourth dimension when defensive measure technical school is see venture investment accomplish platter high :   startup in the sector have raised nearly $ 3 billion so far in 2024,according to Crunchbase .

Susa has historically invested in fintech and software companies — a far watchword from some of the ironware bets the Humba team has already made — Treeswift , for one , uses robot to supervise timber , while Antares is working on nuclear microreactors .

Susa Ventures ’ carbon monoxide - founder Leo Polovets ( pictured above , on the left wing with Anna - Sofia Lesiv ) is doubling as a general partner at Humba Ventures , and he said when making investments through Humba , he has to align how he evaluates companies .

When he ’s calculate at fintech or BaaS company for Susa , “ you ’re search for insight on dispersion , go - to - market and product - market fit , because that ’s where most companies struggle , ” he tell .

“ On the deep technical school side , it ’s kind of the opposite , where there ’s no question that there ’ll be demand for thing like malignant neoplastic disease cures or cheaper energy , ” Polovets said . “ The doubt is like , is this engineering gon na work ? Is this the best team that can make it ? ”

To establish a defense tech fund , Polovets had to approach fundraising from a unlike perspective . He consulted friends about whether he should take international money for Humba , specially when the squad would be commit in startups that sell to the U.S. government . The consensus was clear : For the most part , cohere to money from the U.S. , U.K. , New Zealand , Australia , and Canada .

Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

“ I did n’t take any money affiliate with China , for model , or the Middle East , ” he said . “ I had a dyad LPs that were concerned , but we decide that we would rather partner with other folks . ”

Humba will be contend in a fussy sphere , particularly with firms like Andreessen Horowitz with its American Dynamism enterprisingness as well as Founders Fund , but Polovets sees the sister - fund anatomical structure as a huge selling point . He said Humba and Susa share resources , like bank discount on computer software like Carta , and selling power . “ Even though it ’s a $ 40 million fund , I cogitate the resourcefulness find more like that of a $ 100 million or $ 150 million fund , ” he said . “ Both funds end up basically punching above their weighting on AUM . ”