What happened
Baobab Ventures, a new solo‑GP fund founded by Carles Reina, has officially launched with a $15 million commitment aimed at pre‑seed and seed‑stage companies focused on AI, robotics, and defense. The fund reportedly closed oversubscribed in a single raise round, backed by institutional investors such as Cendana Capital, Isomer Capital, RSJ Investments, Emergence Ventures, and Cyber Fund, plus a number of individual and family‑office backers, including a mix of deep‑tech investors and operators.
Baobab Ventures plans to write checks of approximately $300,000-$350,000 per startup, with an explicit strategy to work hands‑on with founders, providing go-to-market (GTM), sales, operations, hiring, and growth support rather than just capital.
Who is affected
- Early‑stage AI, robotics, and defense startups: Founders working on nascent deep‑tech solutions now have a new potential backer that promises active operational support, not just funding.
- Investors and venture‑capital ecosystem: Baobab’s launch may prompt increased competition among funds targeting deep-tech pre‑seed/seed investments, especially with an operator‑led model that emphasizes speed and GTM execution.
- Cybersecurity and defense‑tech sectors: Given the fund’s openness to defense and robotics, some of the capital may flow into ventures building cybersecurity, secure robotics, AI-driven defense, or related technologies, potentially influencing the landscape of enterprise security tools, autonomous systems, and defense‑oriented AI.
Why CISOs should care
- New funding vehicles focused on AI, robotics, and defense increase the likelihood of innovative security and defense‑tech startups emerging, which could lead to cutting‑edge tools for enterprise and government security.
- The operator‑led nature of Baobab Ventures suggests these startups are more likely to prioritize real‑world deployment, scaling, and GTM, meaning new security tools could reach production maturity faster.
- For CISOs evaluating vendor risk or tech partnerships, the rise of more agile, well‑backed AI/robotics ventures introduces both opportunities (advanced security tools) and risks (integration, maturity, vendor stability), making vigilance important.
3 Practical Actions for CISOs
- Monitor emerging vendors funded by Baobab: Maintain a watchlist of startups backed by Baobab Ventures, especially those in defense, robotics, or AI‑based security tools; early engagement may offer a strategic advantage.
- Evaluate enterprise‑readiness carefully: Because many of these startups will be in pre‑seed or seed stages, perform rigorous due diligence (security audits, compliance checks, vendor‑risk assessments) before adoption.
- Engage in long‑term partnership planning: For a forward‑looking security strategy, consider collaborating with high‑potential deep‑tech startups early, potentially influencing product direction and securing preferential access as they mature.