Cortical Ventures

Cortical Ventures Research Investment Thesis Cortical Ventures is an AI-focused venture capital firm founded in 2021 by Jeremy Achin, former founder and CEO of DataRobot, and Igor Taber, former Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at DataRobot and Intel Capital Managing Director. The firm operates with a clear mission: to invent, incubate, and invest in companies driving the AI revolution. Their core thesis is centered on operationally-backed investing—they position themselves as "AI builders and practitioners, not tourists," leveraging two decades of combined experience building and deploying AI systems at scale. Sector Focus Cortical Ventures focuses on three primary investment thesis areas: Physical AI: Solving critical bottlenecks to embed intelligence into the physical world. Specific areas of interest include: Robotic dexterity and manipulation Skills learning systems Data collection and labeling for robotics Autonomous systems and physical world inference AI Production Gap: Applications and infrastructure companies bridging the gap between AI demos and production deployments. Key focus areas: AI pipelines and data infrastructure Agentic infrastructure and multi-agent systems Vertical AI-first workflows and specialized AI applications Production-ready AI frameworks and tools AI for Good: Using AI to tackle humanity's hardest challenges. Areas of interest: AI-driven human engagement and connection Defense technology and national security Health and safety improvements Longevity and human wellbeing applications Stage Focus Cortical Ventures is an early-stage investor focused primarily on pre-seed and seed rounds. The firm explicitly leads rounds rather than follows, and emphasizes getting in early with founders who are building the next generation of AI companies. Their positioning is clear: "We partner early. We lead at pre-seed and seed. We don't ask, 'Who else is investing?'" Check Size Typical investment range: $500,000 - $2,000,000 Pre-seed: $500K - $1M Seed: $1M - $2M Target ownership: Consistent with early-stage lead investments Based on portfolio analysis, the firm makes focused bets at the earliest stages with checks typically ranging from $500K to $2.3M for seed rounds. Investment Philosophy Cortical Ventures emphasizes three key differentiators: Operational Expertise: Both founders built and scaled DataRobot to over $6 billion in valuation. They bring hands-on AI company building experience across multiple AI hype cycles—from early exploration through hyperscale deployment. Deployment Experience: The team has deployed AI into production with thousands of customers, not just theoretical knowledge. This operational background informs their ability to assess technical feasibility and production readiness. Network and Support: Beyond capital, they provide operational support, strategic guidance, and introductions to their extensive network built through their DataRobot experience and Intel Capital investments. Recent Activity Cortical Ventures has been actively deploying through 2025: October 2025: Invested in your.mov (multimedia and design software) September 2025: Led investment in 2nd Set AI (entertainment and media AI) August 2025: Lead investor in SAFE financing for 2nd Set AI July 2025: Led $2.3M seed round for Spear AI (maritime AI solutions) Ongoing: Active investor with 27 total investments as of mid-2025 The fund demonstrates strong deployment momentum, with multiple investments across 2024-2025, indicating an actively deploying fund in the midst of its lifecycle. Portfolio Highlights Cortical Ventures' portfolio includes companies across all three thesis areas: AI Infrastructure & Production: Weaviate (vector database and semantic search) E2B (secure sandboxes for AI code execution) FAL.ai (serverless GPU infrastructure for AI) Integration.app (AI-powered integrations) Vertical AI & Applications: Alpha-Z (physical AI for autonomous systems) Spear AI (maritime AI for vessel operations) 2nd Set AI (entertainment and media AI) AngelQ (AI for talent/hiring) Physical AI & Robotics: KyberLabs (robotics and physical systems) NeoCybernetica (autonomous systems) Other Notable: Predator.ai (AI for security) HOS (industrial AI) DataroomHQ (AI-powered data rooms) Claryo (AI platform) AirWave (AI for wireless) Team & Leadership Jeremy Achin, General Partner & Founder Former founder and CEO of DataRobot (achieved $6B+ valuation) 20+ years in AI and machine learning Deep expertise in AI product development, go-to-market, and scale Currently serving as AI builder and practitioner beyond just investor role Igor Taber, General Partner & Founder Former Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at DataRobot Former Managing Director at Intel Capital with extensive investment experience Led major AI investments and brings corporate strategic perspective 20+ years in technology and venture capital Mike Obolonskyi, Principal Focuses on deal sourcing and portfolio support Contributes operational expertise to portfolio companies Sheamus McGovern, Venture Partner Provides strategic guidance and network support Brings industry experience to investment theses Geographic Focus Primarily focused on the United States, particularly: San Francisco Bay Area (headquarters) West Coast tech hubs National presence through portfolio The firm maintains selective international interest, particularly in AI innovation hubs. Decision Process Cortical Ventures operates as a partnership with decision-making by the GP team. Given the firm's focus on early-stage investing and the founders' deep operational backgrounds, decisions emphasize: Technical feasibility and production readiness Market timing and founder quality Alignment with core thesis areas Ability to provide operational support Typical Involvement As an early-stage operational VC: Board seat or observer rights in investments Active operational support and guidance Introductions to their network and customers Ongoing strategic advice throughout portfolio company growth Founder Preferences Cortical Ventures backs technical founders and teams building in AI: Strong preference for founders with AI/ML expertise Technical depth combined with operational understanding Founders solving real production challenges, not hype Teams that understand how to move from demo to deployment Founders building in areas where the firm can add operational value Warm Intro Requirements While the firm actively sources deals and leads rounds, warm introductions from trusted sources are preferred. Given their operational focus and hands-on approach, they emphasize quality founder networks and referrals from their existing portfolio and networks. Notable Characteristics Lead Tendency: Strong leaders in early rounds, prefer control and operational involvement Pace: Quick decision-making due to founding partners' experience and conviction Support Style: Hands-on operational support, not passive capital Portfolio Density: Concentrated bets, not diversified across hundreds of companies Follow-on Tendency: Strong follow-on capability for successful portfolio companies Fund Status The inaugural $50M fund (launched February 2022) is in active deployment as of late 2025, demonstrating sustained momentum and capital availability for follow-on investments. The firm's recent investment activity and portfolio company announcements indicate healthy fund lifecycle and continued closing of new deals. Strategic Insights Cortical Ventures represents a new generation of operator-backed VCs—combining: Deep AI domain expertise from building and scaling a major company Venture capital experience and network from Intel Capital Active operational involvement in portfolio company success Focus on solving real technical and deployment challenges Emphasis on AI impact and production readiness over hype The firm's success will largely depend on the ability of their portfolio companies to achieve production deployments and market traction, as this is core to their brand and investment thesis.