Brainworks Ventures is an AI-native venture capital firm built to invest in companies designed for artificial intelligence from day one. The firm positions itself around a new economic model for company creation, arguing that AI-native startups can be built, staffed, and scaled faster and with less capital than cloud-era businesses. Brainworks Ventures operates as a global early-stage investor with a strong emphasis on technical depth, ownership discipline, and operational efficiency.
Brainworks Ventures focuses on AI-native companies across applications, infrastructure, and tooling, with additional emphasis on healthcare, life sciences, enterprise productivity, and education.
The firm targets founders building businesses that fully leverage AI-driven cost structures and development cycles, rather than retrofitting AI onto legacy architectures.
Brainworks Ventures launched a $50 million AI-native fund in December 2025, with a first close target of $15 million by Q1 2026 and the ability to scale the fund up to $75 million. The fund is designed to invest across early and growth stages, with check sizes ranging from $250,000 to $10 million. Brainworks plans to deploy capital globally, backing AI-native founders wherever strong technical teams are emerging.
The fund is also structured to operate itself as an AI-native organization, using AI-driven systems to automate and augment deal sourcing, diligence, portfolio construction, and fund operations.
This model is intended to reduce overhead and increase the percentage of LP capital deployed directly into portfolio companies, while enabling the firm to evaluate a larger opportunity set than traditional venture firms.
Leadership
Brainworks Ventures is led by Phillip Alvelda, co-founder and managing partner, a DARPA alumnus best known for leading the Neural Engineering Systems Design program.
The leadership team includes Volker Hirsch, formerly a partner at Amadeus Capital Partners, and Louis Rajczi, with prior experience at Forté Ventures and Siemens Venture Capital. Collectively, the team brings more than 80 years of operating and investing experience across AI, deep tech, and industrial innovation.
Investment Strategy
Brainworks Ventures invests with the belief that AI-native companies fundamentally change venture return dynamics. The firm combines software-driven speed with ownership discipline, aiming to achieve strong outcomes with less capital and shorter timelines than traditional venture-backed paths. Brainworks emphasizes faster build cycles, earlier liquidity opportunities, and efficient capital deployment, while maintaining meaningful ownership positions. The firm also differentiates itself by running its internal operations using AI, aligning its operating model with the companies it backs.
Notable Investments
The fund is newly launched and actively deploying capital. Early investments are expected to span AI applications, AI infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences platforms, and enterprise-focused AI-native software built by technically strong founding teams.
Notable Exits
Brainworks Ventures has not yet recorded exits from this fund, given its recent launch.
Other
Brainworks Ventures is explicitly designed for AI-native businesses, not companies experimenting with AI as a feature.
The firm favors teams building with AI as the core economic driver of the business and is open to backing companies earlier and scaling ownership over time. Brainworks is also comfortable investing globally and supporting founders outside traditional VC hubs.
United States
