Bison Ventures

Profile

Bison Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Seattle, founded in 2021 by Tom Biegala and Ben Hemani, both formerly part of the venture capital management team at the Bill Gates family investment office. The firm has a lean structure with a total team including one additional partner, two principals, a CFO, and support staff. Bison is known for its focus on applying AI technology to the physical economy, which they term as 'Real World Intelligence.' Their team leverages deep technical expertise to differentiate themselves in the AI investment landscape.

Bison Ventures invests in early-stage companies from pre-seed through Series B stages. Their sector focus includes physical AI, human health, energy, and compute, with a specific interest in pioneering AI applications across these domains. They do not specify their typical check size, but their disciplined approach to fund sizing and investment strategy allows them to engage deeply with technically challenging projects. Bison Ventures previously raised a Fund I of $135 million in 2023, and they just closed a $160 million Fund II. While specific LPs are not named, the co-founders' experience from the Gates family office suggests high-caliber institutional connections.

The firm's notable investments include Grid Aero - autonomous cargo aircraft, Great Sky - superconductive chip design, and Inner Logic - simulation-trained surgical AI. They have a strong portfolio that also includes Zyphra, Thinking Machines Lab, Cobot, Vivodyne, and others in advanced AI and infrastructure sectors. The portfolio is marked by ambitious projects spanning various aspects of the physical AI frontier, setting Bison Ventures apart in the current investment landscape.