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Fifty Years

North America, California, United States, San Francisco

Description

Fifty Years is an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco, dedicated to backing entrepreneurs who are building for-profit companies designed to solve the world's most pressing problems. The firm operates on the conviction that generating significant financial returns and creating substantial positive societal impact are not mutually exclusive, but rather deeply intertwined. They actively seek out founders who are leveraging scientific and technological breakthroughs to address critical global challenges.

Fifty Years primarily invests at the pre-seed and seed stages, often serving as the first institutional capital for promising startups. Their typical initial check size ranges from $1 million to $2 million, providing crucial early funding for companies focused on areas such as climate, health, food, education, and other frontier technologies. The firm emphasizes a hands-on approach, providing strategic support and leveraging their network to help portfolio companies scale their solutions and maximize their impact.

Since its inception, Fifty Years has demonstrated a robust investment pace and commitment to its mission. The firm has successfully raised a total of $180 million across three funds, with their most recent fund closing at $90 million in 2022. To date, Fifty Years has made 108 investments, building a diverse portfolio of companies that are at the forefront of innovation aimed at creating a better future. Their unique position at the intersection of venture capital and global problem-solving makes them a distinctive player in the early-stage investment landscape.

Investor Profile

Fifty Years has backed more than 152 startups, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 31 rounds, about 20% of its total and boasts 7 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Pre Seed rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Canada, Germany.
  • Strong thematic focus on Biotechnology, Health Care, Manufacturing.
  • Led 1 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $1M – $2M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (54%)
  • Series A (24%)
  • Pre Seed (10%)
  • Series B (7%)
  • Series C (3%)
  • Series D (1%)
  • Series Unknown (1%)

Country Focus

  • United States (90%)
  • Canada (2%)
  • Germany (2%)
  • United Kingdom (2%)
  • Australia (1%)
  • Switzerland (1%)
  • Senegal (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Biotechnology
  • Health Care
  • Manufacturing
  • Medical
  • Food And Beverage
  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Genetics
  • Biopharma
  • Life Science
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Fifty Years frequently co-invest with?

Cantos
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 10
Soma Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 10
UpHonest Capital
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 9
Refactor
North America, California, United States, Burlingame
Co-Investments: 13
Liquid 2 Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 17
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 49
Pioneer Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 8
Andreessen Horowitz
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 10
Founders Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 9
Khosla Ventures
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 10

Which angels does Fifty Years often collaborate with?

WG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 4
AZ
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 4
JD
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 5
JG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 4
PB
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Shared Deals: 4
JT
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Shared Deals: 3
BF
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
MA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 4
MB
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Shared Deals: 3
KV
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3

What are some of recent deals done by Fifty Years?

Deepcell

Menlo Park, California, United States

Deepcell is a life science company specializing in AI-powered single-cell classification and isolation for basic and translational research.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)BiotechnologyGeneticsHealth CareLife Science
Series UnknownApr 24, 2025
Gridware

San Francisco, California, United States

Gridware is a technology company that specializes in monitoring the physical and mechanical features of the grid.

EnergyInternet of ThingsSoftware
Series AJan 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $26,400,000
Aalo Atomics

Austin, Texas, United States

Aalo makes small, factory-manufactured nuclear reactors that can fit in your garage, and power anything from a datacenter to a large city.

EnergyNuclear
Series AAug 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $27,000,000
Waypoint Bio

New York, New York, United States

Optimizing cell therapy with spatial biology

Biotechnology
SeedJun 28, 2024
Amount Raised: $14,500,000
BillionToOne

Menlo Park, California, United States

BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company that focuses on genetic testing for disease detection.

BiotechnologyGeneticsHealth DiagnosticsMedical
Series DJun 21, 2024
Amount Raised: $130,000,000
Molten Industries

Oakland, California, United States

Molten Industries develops clean technology with the goal of decarbonizing the hydrogen market.

Advanced MaterialsChemicalCleanTech
Series AJun 20, 2024
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
Nabla Bio

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Nabla Bio is an autoverse platform of proprietary biologically informed machine learning that co-develops antibody drugs.

BiopharmaBiotechnologyMachine Learning
Series AMay 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $26,000,000
The Bot Company

San Francisco, California, United States

The Bot Company a household robot startup.

Robotics
SeedMay 13, 2024
Amount Raised: $150,000,000
Varda

El Segundo, California, United States

Varda is a space manufacturing startup that creates products in microgravity and retrieves them for terrestrial use.

AerospaceManufacturingProduct Design
Series BApr 5, 2024
Amount Raised: $90,000,000

Cosmic Aerospace is an aerospace technology company developing ultra-efficient all-electric aircraft with longer flight ranges.

SeedFeb 6, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,500,000