About
Steve is Co-Founder and Managing General Partner at Riot Ventures, a Los Angeles based…
Activity
4K followers
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisIncredible ride -- very fortunate to work with this team!Stephen Marcus shared thisShield AI to acquire Aechelon Technology Inc. and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation. We’re accelerating the shift in how defense systems get built: increasingly shaped in software, trained in simulation, and improved through use. Aechelon, a Sagewind Capital portfolio company, is one of the most trusted simulation companies in defense. Their technology is used to model real-world environments and test systems before they fly. Bringing that capability together alongside Hivemind connects how autonomy is trained with how it performs in the field, helping customers move faster and field capability with greater confidence. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewQ_T8Jk Led by Advent and co-led by JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group, with participation from Blackstone, Snowpoint Ventures, Innovation X Advisors, Riot Ventures, Disruptive, Apandion, and others.
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisAbsolutely fired up 🚀 to lead this round with @GVteam @Lux_Capital! World’s best kept secret that Endurosat is one of the largest producers of satellites. Elite team, world class engineering and tech.Stephen Marcus shared thisNew Scale. More Capacity. We are excited to announce a $104 million funding round which will ensure significant production capability for advanced constellation players, accelerating time-to-orbit by enabling the actual production of 2 ESPA-class satellites per day. A huge welcome to Riot Ventures, GV (Google Ventures), Lux Capital, EIC - European Innovation Council Fund, and Shrug Capital on our mission to streamline access to space data. We were honored to celebrate this milestone at the official opening of our new Space Center. A special thank you to our distinguished guests for joining us, including the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, the Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth, Tomislav Donchev, ambassadors, and our valued customers and partners. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/dPqq2ZXZ
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisThe best team in nuclear led by @isaiah_p_taylor. Super proud investor!Stephen Marcus shared thisI'm excited to announce a $19m seed round led by Riot Ventures, Initialized, and AlleyCorp, with participation from amazing new parters such as Steel Atlas, Day One Ventures, Stifel Bank, Naval Ravikant, Balaji Srinivasan, and Charlie Songhurst. We've also completed two important milestones: First, we have completed the construction and pressure certification of our thermal prototype, Ward Zero, at our Los Angeles facility—the fastest in history a thermal test unit has been developed and built. Ward Zero will be unveiled next week at an exclusive event in LA. Second, we're so excited to announce a Coordinated Research Project with the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. The goal of this project is to develop and deploy Ward One, our first nuclear reactor and the world's first operational Gen IV micro-reactor. This is just the beginning. The goal of Valar Atomics is to make the world's energy by building nuclear reactors at planetary scale. To do that, we must set a pace of building and iteration to rapidly scale and commercialize our reactor architecture. Today, we set that pace. I can't overstate my gratitude to the Valar Atomics team. In the last 12 months they've proven themselves to be not only one of the most talented engineering teams in the world, but also the most determined. I'm inspired to work with them every day and to bring their work to you!
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisShield AI V-BAT drones are the only things that can fly in Ukraine because of the Hivemind AI software, which we are making available to defense primes and OEMs to unlock contested area operations. Software that unlocks billions in hardware sales. Congrats Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng 🇺🇸 and the whole Shield team. Massive win!Exclusive | American Drone Startup Notches Rare Victory in UkraineExclusive | American Drone Startup Notches Rare Victory in Ukraine
-
Stephen Marcus reposted thisStephen Marcus reposted thisTwo years ago today Kindo closed our initial pre-seed SAFE with the amazing Venice California based Riot Ventures who took the leap of faith 6 weeks before the world knew about ChatGPT. There were almost zero investors in Silicon Valley or Los Angeles who could make the leap that the world had changed (we ran into well known VCs who told us that LLMs were toys 😂). True seed stage investors are what make the whole venture ecosystem work and they are not celebrated enough. Kindo is now 34 talented people, raised $27.6M and helping $Billion+ companies securely deploy generative AI to their workforce around the USA. Thank you Stephen Marcus, Will Coffield and Meghan Moreland for jumping in early with us! We would not be where are today without your support.
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisCongrats Brad Bogolea and the team Simbe !Stephen Marcus shared thisToday, I’m proud to announce Simbe’s $50M Series C led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with participation from Eclipse and Valo Ventures. Retail is a cornerstone of modern society, yet physical stores remain burdened by what we call the last great data desert—knowing precisely what's happening on store shelves. In partnership with top global retailers, Simbe is on a mission to transform the experience for every retailer, brand, employee, and shopper with true visibility in every store. This new capital from Goldman Sachs underscores our vision and will broaden our retail offerings, expand our commercial & technical teams, and pursue strategic growth opportunities to enhance our position. Thrilled to welcome Ben Fife to our board as we partner together with the Goldman Sachs Growth Equity team as we embark on this next chapter. Thank you to our pioneering customers, team, and support network. This moment is a credit to you. Learn more about our Series C funding: https://lnkd.in/d8VBUStN 🚀 #RetailInnovation #RetailTransformation #ArtificialIntelligence #ComputerVision #FutureOfRetail
-
Stephen Marcus reposted thisStephen Marcus reposted thisEnergy is one of the most important problems in the world and Valar Atomics is tackling it head on. Seriously, no other company in the world has as direct, ambitious, and practical a plan to make hundreds of GW of capacity in the next decade. Join us.
-
Stephen Marcus reposted thisStephen Marcus reposted thisTrue Anomaly is growing the team in Los Angeles. This is the company that will secure the space domain for the free world and this role is for a key player in that mission.
-
Stephen Marcus shared thisThis is the futureStephen Marcus shared thisShield AI recently executed the first-ever dual AI pilot, four-ship, jet aircraft flights in the national airspace. The program was a smashing success - executed ahead of schedule and under budget - showing the portability, extensibility, quality, and safety of our AI pilot and AI pilot development systems. Perhaps more significant than this outcome, is the process that is enabling these outcomes. More on that later! Congratulations to our teammates at Shield AI and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisToday, we announced that Aechelon Technology Inc., one of the most trusted simulation companies in defense, will join Shield AI. It’s an exciting step forward for us, and it also reflects where defense is headed. Expanding our simulation technology enables us to test, iterate, and refine software in real time. Bringing that capability alongside our Hivemind software will accelerate development and increase confidence in every autonomous system we deliver to warfighters. This acquisition is in part possible because we are raising $2B at a $12.7B valuation. In less than a year at Shield, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand the pace at which this team is scaling in our mission impact. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians. With a great team, strong partners, and committed investors, we’ve been able to translate that mission into real-world impact and deliver combat-proven autonomy across the globe. I recently sat down with Michael de la Merced at The New York Times DealBook to discuss what this next chapter looks like for Shield AI. Our new valuation reflects not only the results we’ve delivered for customers already, but the impact we believe is still ahead. Read the NYT article: https://lnkd.in/gK-jqsAvStephen Marcus liked thisShield AI to acquire Aechelon Technology Inc. and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation. We’re accelerating the shift in how defense systems get built: increasingly shaped in software, trained in simulation, and improved through use. Aechelon, a Sagewind Capital portfolio company, is one of the most trusted simulation companies in defense. Their technology is used to model real-world environments and test systems before they fly. Bringing that capability together alongside Hivemind connects how autonomy is trained with how it performs in the field, helping customers move faster and field capability with greater confidence. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewQ_T8Jk Led by Advent and co-led by JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group, with participation from Blackstone, Snowpoint Ventures, Innovation X Advisors, Riot Ventures, Disruptive, Apandion, and others.
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisExcited to officially announce the launch of Pax Fund I, a $50M early stage vehicle dedicated to founders transforming the foundational categories of society. 🇺🇸 🚀 Wrote a bit about my journey and the thinking behind Pax Ventures below: https://lnkd.in/gvc3GFKb
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisStephen Marcus liked thisPierre Lamond is unlike anyone I've ever worked with. At 84, he reinvented his career for the 5th time. At 95, he still hasn’t stopped. Five or six decades in Silicon Valley. Not one or two - five or six. Hardware. Semiconductors. Systems. Investing. He's seen so much that when he speaks in a board meeting, the room goes quiet. He was at Sequoia for nearly 3 decades. Then he went and ran toe-to-toe with Vinod Khosla for another 6 years. And then, at 84, he co-founded a VC fund with Lior Susan and a year later, joined Cerebras' board. The most important thing I learned from Pierre is simple: Fearlessness. He just operates like the fear has been completely removed. Whatever's on his mind comes straight out. No filtering or holding it for a 1:1 afterwards. He was the one who around the Cerebras board in 2019 and said: "You're going to be talent constrained. Go find deeper pools abroad." While everyone else was wringing their hands about how hard it was to hire, Pierre was already pointing at the answer. Here's a guy in his mid-80s solving problems that us 40-year-olds at the table were complaining about. That's what reinvention looks like at the highest level. It's not starting over from scratch. It's taking everything you know - all that pattern recognition and trust - and applying it somewhere new, with the same energy you had at 40. I don't think you could have a single conversation with Pierre and not learn something about yourself, the problem you're working on, or the market you're in. That's rare. At any age.
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisProductionStephen Marcus liked thisIntroducing the Modular Citadel production line, capable of producing over 1,000 shielding blocks per year. The Modular Citadel is a pre-cast, self-tensioning shielding system built for mass-manufactured scale. Block production is on track for July 4th!
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisStephen Marcus liked thisThis is a train being built in seconds. No yard. No mechanical coupling. Two autonomous vehicles align bumper to bumper and instantly form a synchronized platoon. That flexibility changes the economics of freight rail. You do not need massive density to run service. You do not need centralized assembly to scale. You can dynamically build capacity where and when it is needed. This is what autonomy and electrification make possible. #AutonomousRail #FutureofFreight #ParallelPlatoons
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisStephen Marcus liked thisMonday I was in Denver with True Anomaly as they hosted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for the Arsenal of Freedom tour. A 3.5 year old company welcoming the leader of the Pentagon to its headquarters is a statement. That's a clear signal about how fast True Anomaly is moving and how urgently the DoD needs what they're building. Hearing directly from Secretary Hegseth, and leaders on staff like Emil Michael and Under Secretary of War Michael Duffey, was striking. The intent is clear: remove the bureaucracy that has slowed defense procurement for decades and work directly with the private sector to move faster. That's not just rhetoric. Showing up at a startup's HQ to reinforce the importance of our work is proof of intent. True Anomaly is redefining space security. In just over three years, they've launched spacecraft, built a SW OS for operating autonomous systems on orbit, and earned the trust of the highest levels of program offices in the defense establishment. What Even Rogers and his team have built in that window would have taken a legacy prime a decade or more. Another important element that stood out to me that day was how connected the ecosystem is becoming. True Anomaly hosted key partners, like Ursa Major, at the event. I am excited about the growing modern industrial base that is emerging. These growth stage startups share suppliers, customers, hard won lessons, and momentum. Ursa Major is delivering American made propulsion. True Anomaly putting it to work in orbit. Both companies moving at a velocity that entrenched incumbents can only dream of. That's what a modern defense industrial base looks like. Eclipse has spent 11 years backing founders rebuilding America's physical industrial base. Space, defense, energy, robotics, advanced manufacturing. What started as individual bets now looks like something bigger: an interconnected, execution-driven network purpose built to secure the United States. The rebuilding is happening. Not someday. Right now. Lior Susan Aidan Madigan-Curtis Charly M. Greg Reichow Jiten Behl Joe Fath Kaitlyn Glancy Will Coffield Christopher Spagnoletti Ben Nicholson Rob Aalseth Sarah Walter
-
Stephen Marcus liked thisEpic day at True Anomaly. Thank you to Pete Hegseth and the United States Department of War for taking time to rally the troops.Stephen Marcus liked thisOn Monday we had the honor of hosting Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, at our Denver headquarters as part of the administration’s Arsenal of Freedom tour. Space is no longer a peaceful domain. It is a warfighting domain we depend on but is contested by our adversaries. It must be protected. There has never been a stronger focus from the federal government on the importance of space defense, and we applaud the administration’s focus on strengthening the U.S. arsenal from the ultimate high ground of space. It is time for the U.S. to revitalize the defense industrial base, and there is now a radical focus from the United States Department of War on delivering next-generation hardware and software capable of competing in a modern era of conflict. True Anomaly is answering the call.
Experience & Education
-
Riot Ventures
View Stephen’s full experience
See their title, tenure and more.
or
Languages
-
English
Native or bilingual proficiency
-
Spanish
Limited working proficiency
Recommendations received
10 people have recommended Stephen
Join now to viewExplore more posts
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top contentOthers named Stephen Marcus in United States
252 others named Stephen Marcus in United States are on LinkedIn
See others named Stephen Marcus