Hello Reddit!
We’re the team from Omni Venture Labs, trailblazers in industrials and manufacturing DeepTech. As a “first check” DeepTech VC led by former Apple product and manufacturing experts, we specialize in early-stage investing. We’re passionate about driving the digital transformation of industry through AI, Robotics, and Automation. With over 80 patents, our expertise lies in identifying and nurturing outlier technical founders with defensible IP at the inception of their journey.
Our approach as first-check VCs comes with unique pros and cons. The excitement of being at the forefront of innovation and shaping groundbreaking ideas from their earliest stages is unparalleled. However, it requires a deep understanding of the technical and market risks involved. We pride ourselves on being a hands-on, technical team, actively sharing our expertise and knowledge with founders in our portfolio companies to navigate these challenges together.
Our current investment criteria:
Fund Theme: Industrials DeepTech / Industry 4.0 (aka Digital Transformation of Industry)
Preferred Sectors: Digital Engineering Tools, Robotics/Automation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Supply Chain Tech
Stage: Pre-seed or earlier.
Business models: Mainly enterprise software, some enterprise hardware+software.
Check size: $100k-$1M.
Geography: Global.
Meet our team:
Simon Lancaster, Founding General Partner: With a rich history at Blackberry, Toyota, Google, and a significant tenure at Apple, Simon has amassed 56 patents. His expertise in consumer electronics and advanced materials has been instrumental in shaping products like the MacBook and iPad. At Arris Composites, he elevated its value to over $260M. Simon now channels his experience into supporting the next generation of tech innovators.
Sabrina Paseman, Founding General Partner: Sabrina is a Cornell graduate with 7 patents, recognized by Forbes and Business Insider for her impactful work. From developing medical devices to leading Apple’s Mac product design and engineering, she empowers human creativity through technology.
Lucas Whipple, Founding Venture Partner: Specializing in robotics, automation, and machine learning, Lucas’s background in advanced robotics R&D at Apple and consumer product consulting equips him perfectly for strategic advising and due diligence at Omni.
Join us to explore the thrills and challenges of early-stage investing, our hands-on approach with portfolio companies, and our vision for the future of industrial technology. Ask us anything about our experiences, investment philosophy, or revolutionizing industries through DeepTech!
Hey, Simon here! Great questions!
Q1/Q2: Patents aren’t the primary factor for us in deciding whether or not to invest. You’re correct in noting that patents can be expensive and might not always be necessary at the early stages of a company. However, we do value intellectual property (IP) as it can significantly enhance a company’s defensibility and market position. IP can take various forms, such as provisional patents, which offer a cost-effective way to protect an invention for one year without public disclosure, trade secrets, or proprietary data. Each of these has its own merits and suitability depending on the startup’s strategy and sector.
Q3: Very daunting! But it was also a forcing function to accelerate my career into VC and ultimately led me to where I am today! Hard pivots are just that - hard, but if done correctly can lead to a greater outcome. I am very appreciative of the friends and colleagues who supported me through one of the most challenging times of my life! Sabrina Paseman, Lucas Whipple and other professional and life-mentors to name just a few. I now focus on passing-on these learnings as well as all the learnings I have gained in the realm of invention, IP and career transition to the founders who are willing to listen :)