San Francisco-based venture capital firm Base10 Partners has closed two funds totaling $850 million to invest in automation technologies for the real economy. The funds include a seed and Series A fund 4, alongside a Series B fund 2. The announcement was made this week, with co-founder Adeyemi Ajao outlining the firm’s investment focus on sectors like logistics, payroll, and construction, according to news.crunchbase.com.
Base10 Partners plans to deploy the seed and Series A fund by making 10 to 15 seed investments and two to three Series A investments annually. The Series B fund, which is roughly equal in size, will focus on three to four investments per year. Portfolio companies include LatAm neobank Nubank, fleet safety management startup Motive, travel tool WeTravel, enterprise agent developer Happy Robot, and coffee chain Blank Street. Ajao emphasized the firm’s research-first approach and interest in vision and world models to enhance automation capabilities.
The firm’s thesis centers on democratizing access to advanced technology, traditionally available only to the top 1%, to benefit the broader economy. Base10 is exploring AI applications that understand manufacturing processes and construction sites at a granular level, similar to how large language models process text. This approach aims to unlock robotics and manufacturing intelligence in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chips, and concrete, positioning Base10 within a growing trend of automation-focused venture capital.
Base10 Partners’ investment strategy spans early-stage to Series B companies, targeting real economy sectors with automation potential. The firm’s portfolio and fund deployment plans highlight its commitment to backing startups that apply AI and automation to traditional industries. The firm’s latest funds will enable continued investment in these areas, with the next round of seed investments expected to commence this year, news.crunchbase.com reported.