Inspired Capital

Generalist fund leading Pre-Seed, Seed, + Series A rounds. We back fearless founders solving the hardest challenges facing humanity.

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

We are thrilled to announce Inspired III, a $330M fund dedicated to backing founders solving the hardest challenges facing humanity.

Let’s build an Inspired Future together: https://t.co/Hy8eqTHsxr

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

Congrats @MikeyShulman, @GeorgKucsko, @fut_ure (Martin Camacho), Keenan Freyberg, and the @suno team on their $400M+ round at a $5.4B valuation!

When we put a small check into Suno a few years back, Mikey shared a vision that felt almost too big to imagine: a world where anyone could create music just by thinking of it. Today, 2 million subscribers are living that vision. Suno isn't just changing how music is made. It's changing who gets to make it. The shift from passive streaming to active creation is already underway, and Suno is leading it.

We're so proud to have backed this team from the early days and thrilled to watch what comes next.

Read the Blomberg article: https://t.co/b4LVol77Hs

Listen to Mikey Shulman's podcast episode on Inspired: https://t.co/u7Ft2QmuZ9

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

@nihalmehta @humanunicornpod @alexavontobel Can’t wait to listen🎧

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

What will our cities look like in a world of fully autonomous vehicles? After sitting down with @bsofman — one of the leaders behind autonomous trucking at Waymo — we got to imagine a very different future for cities, transportation, and the physical world.

On this episode of Inspired, @alexavontobel is joined by Boris Sofman, co-founder and CEO of @BedrockRobotics, the company turning construction's most complex heavy equipment into fully autonomous machines. Bedrock is tackling one of the most urgent problems in the physical world: an industry facing record demand, a shortage of more than 500,000 workers, and no time to wait.

In this conversation, they talk about what it actually takes to make heavy machinery driverless on an active job site, his predictions for autonomous vehicles in our cities, why he's skeptical about humanoids, and why physical AI may be the defining technology of the next decade.

Listen to the full episode:
Apple: https://t.co/Ky8Tsynlqa
Spotify: https://t.co/byugkIzyZw
Youtube: https://t.co/VxOg7Zz0Zn

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

If you're an engineer ready to build something that matters, Sweep is hiring!

Sweep is building the defense layer for the AI age. They're already deployed in the world's highest-stakes environments: Olympic delegations, F1 paddocks, global tours, and executive protection units. As an early-stage startup, there's a real opportunity to shape the product from the ground up.

Full Stack Engineer: Own user-facing systems and internal tools across web, mobile, and backend. JS + Python + Rust/Go, LLMs, production reliability.

ML Systems Engineer: Turn raw signal into trusted decisions across device, cloud, and offline environments. Own the pipeline from ingestion to inference.

Embedded Hardware Engineer: Own PCB layout and firmware for systems that leave the lab and operate under real conditions.

Countermeasure Engineer (CEMA): Deploy globally, identify cyber-physical threats in the field, and turn those interactions into system learning.

These roles would be a fit for you if:
• You want to own problems end-to-end at the ground floor
• You're comfortable operating where nothing is labeled and decisions have real consequences
• You want pre-Series A equity and a team that moves fast with low ego

https://t.co/N4Z21yxp08

[Chris Brown @almostcmb]

We hosted our @inspiredcap AGM last week at our NYC HQ. Always one of my favorite days of the year gathering all of our favorite people in one room.

We started Inspired seven years ago focused on building an enduring early stage venture brand. We were pretty opinionated on how to do that (@alexavontobel literally showed me a "25 year plan" when we first met): balance west coast ambition and east coast pragmatism, small/diversified partnership, concentrated fund model, fund size continuity, thesis oriented, hype avoidant, not competing on the vectors of "loud" or "most quoted" but rather operating towards one KPI: can we be a founder's first call at every phase of the journey?

We are three funds and ~28% of the way through that initial 25 year plan. We've had the privilege of supporting 75+ founding teams. Nine are unicorns. Four companies have traversed the 300m revenue mark. Five more have crossed 100m. 25% of the overall portfolio has cleared 30m in revenue, with 40% north of 10m. Our first expected public company just filed their updated S-4. We've built a portfolio not around themes or trend cycles, but around extraordinary people solving problems that matter. Traction tends to follow.

Lots of wood still to chop. But it's nice from time to time to stop and feel both momentum and gratitude. Onwards.

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

What if every employee at your company had a world-class coach in their corner?

In a world of AI, human employees become more important than ever. On this episode of Inspired, @alexavontobel sits down with @_maxdshaw and @bdistel, two of the three co-founders of @trywindmill, the AI-powered people platform replacing the broken, once-a-year performance review with something employees actually love. Brian previously founded Yext, taking it public in 2017, and now the team is building what may be the most important missing system in every company. Inspired is proud to have led Windmill's recent seed round.

In this conversation, they talk about why performance management is so broken, how AI is going to make managers dramatically more effective as their teams grow, and why the companies that win the next decade will be the ones that invest in their people, not automate them out.

Listen to the full episode:
Apple: https://t.co/KDEOgNJmIC
Spotify: https://t.co/Rq9ZIVPvlR
Youtube: https://t.co/PL34wpsmAo

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

Are you a payments operator looking to make a real impact at a high-growth startup? @Winible is hiring a Head of Payments and Risk.

@Winible is building the infrastructure layer for the sports betting creator economy. Creators monetize their audiences through subscriptions, picks, and digital products, and Winible has already scaled to multi-million in monthly GMV. Now payments performance and risk management are core levers of growth, and they need someone to own them.

This role would be a fit for you if:

• You want to own the full payments stack: authorization rates, fraud systems, dispute strategy, and everything in between

• You're analytical enough to diagnose issues from data and move fast enough to fix them

• You're comfortable leading strategy and getting hands-on with execution

DM us if you're interested.

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

What if the next Oscar winner made their film entirely with AI?

On this episode of Inspired, @alexavontobel sits down with @c_valenzuelab, co-founder and CEO of @runwayml, the company that pioneered AI video generation and is building the world models that will power the next era of human storytelling. Now valued at $5.3 billion, @runwayml is used by Hollywood studios, gamers, architects, teachers, and everyday creators around the world. Cristóbal brings a uniquely historical lens to the biggest technological shifts in human history and genuine optimism about where humanity is headed.

In this conversation, they talk about why AI is becoming a creative collaborator, what entirely new forms of entertainment world models will unlock, and why the future of work with AI is brighter than we think.

Listen to the full episode:
Apple: https://t.co/LF7AfwjTVq
Youtube: https://t.co/ykmyR0FL5g
Spotify: https://t.co/fyuXgKAB4g

[Dan Preston @danpres]

Introducing Stand’s World Model, a physics-native frontier model for the built environment. This is how we help the world survive catastrophe: by computing how physical force acts on a structure, protecting property from fire, wind, flood, or earthquake.

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

Are you a marketer or partnerships builder who wants to join a category-defining company? Here are 4 standout roles in the Inspired portfolio:

@arketafitness | Brand Marketing Director
Building the operating system that helps modern fitness and wellness businesses manage and scale hybrid experiences.

ShopMy | Senior Manager, B2B Marketing
Building the infrastructure for creator-led commerce, helping brands and tastemakers scale performance-driven partnerships.

@niuralHQ | Partnerships Manager, Head of Marketing and Growth
Revolutionizing global workforce management with an AI-powered platform unifying payroll, compliance, and operations across 150+ countries.

Share with your network, and if you're ready for your next marketing or partnerships role, join our talent portal or DM for the direct application link.
https://t.co/iRB8lylPef

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

@trywindmill @PrimaryVC @fcollective @oceansventures People matter more! Let's go Windmill!!

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

@TarkManner @trywindmill @bdistel @_maxdshaw Incredible! Congrats Mark, Max, Brian, and the entire @trywindmill team!!

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

@_maxdshaw 👏 let's go @trywindmill !

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

The most important decisions a company makes are about its people. Yet most organizations are still making them based on memory, instinct, and an annual survey.

We're thrilled to share that Inspired Capital led @trywindmill's $8M seed round, bringing their total raised to $12M. Founded by @_maxdshaw, @bdistel, and @TarkManner, Windmill is building the context graph for your people: a continuously updated understanding of your workforce that starts with performance reviews that complete in 1/10 the time with 93% employee satisfaction.

The signal about who is performing, who is growing, and who is ready for what comes next already exists inside your organization. Windmill makes it legible.

Excited to welcome Max, Brian, Mark, and the entire Windmill team to the portfolio!

Read Why We Invested: https://t.co/8rEIRJW2wk
Read more in Axios: https://t.co/NoDpLZlJJn

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

Is AGI already here? @lorenc_dan thinks we might be closer than we realize.

On this episode of Inspired, @alexavontobel sits down with @lorenc_dan, co-founder and CEO of @chainguard_dev, the company that secures the open source software that powers everything from your phone apps to critical systems worldwide. Dan reveals what the future of engineering looks like, what happens to software security when everyone can code, and how Chainguard is building the safety layer the entire software industry needs.

Listen to the full episode:
Youtube: https://t.co/0HXcyOCzvV
Apple: https://t.co/2KIuAhoZd0
Spotify: https://t.co/M65W739a6Q

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

Across our @InspiredCap portfolio, teams are hiring full-stack engineers to build core product from the ground up! These are high-impact roles where you'll ship end-to-end and shape technical direction alongside founding teams.

You might be a fit if you:

• Have experience building production-grade products at high-growth, venture-backed companies

• Work comfortably across the full stack

• Like to partner closely with founders and product leads

Companies hiring now include Arketa, Remark, @KalepaInsurance, @solacehealth_ , @GoodInside, and more!

If this sounds like you or someone you know, join our talent network here: https://t.co/vl6hcHt6Ws

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

What happens when millions of small business owners retire and there's no one to take over? With nearly 90% of US small businesses owned by Boomers and Gen X, this isn't hypothetical.

On this episode of Inspired, @alexavontobel sits down with @Teamshares founder and CEO Michael Brown, to talk about how he built Teamshares, a company that buys small businesses from retiring owners, why he believes going public is just the first inning, and the 200-year vision behind everything he's building. We've been proud to back Michael since 2020 and couldn't be more excited about what's ahead!

Listen to the full episode:
Youtube: https://t.co/wGU8OCVJOm
Apple: https://t.co/yf3UUL9cav
Spotify: https://t.co/6v8S8NIt6f

For important information related to the proposed business combination, see here: https://t.co/hPCmB3rF6Y

[Inspired Capital @InspiredCap]

The aviation industry burns more than $200 billion in jet fuel annually with no viable clean alternative at scale. E-fuels can replace jet fuel drop-in, but capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere costs $500–800+ per ton, making them prohibitively expensive.

We're thrilled to share that we co-led Sora Fuel's $14.6M seed round alongside @SperoVentures. Founded by Gareth Ross and Patrick Sarver, Sora has built a proprietary process that collapses the most expensive steps of e-fuel production into one, bringing the cost of captured carbon down by over 90% and charting a path to sustainable aviation fuel at under $5 per gallon.

Excited to welcome the Sora Fuel team to the portfolio!

Read why we invested: https://t.co/DfVxCSDGwy

[Public @public]

NEW: You can now build AI Agents that monitor the market, manage your cash, and execute your trades. The Agentic Brokerage has arrived.