1517 backs college dropouts, renegade students and deep‑tech / "sci‑fi" scientists at the R&D/idea stage through Seed across software, hardware with a data play, deep tech/sci‑fi tech, and biotech. They invest initial checks ranging from $50,000 (idea/R&D) up to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci‑fi seed deals, with an average pre‑seed check of $400,000
| Fund Size | N/A USD |
| Stages Focus | Pre-Seed, Seed |
| Sectors Focus | Biotech, DeepTech |
| Portfolio Size | 7 companies |
1517’s investment philosophy is anti‑establishment and founder‑first: they prioritize people (especially young, uncredentialed founders and renegade scientists) over conventional signals such as degrees or pedigree. They seek out founders “long before they know they should… talk to VCs,” provide early belief capital (micro‑grants through the Medici Project and angel-to‑seed checks), and pair capital with community, mentorship and operational support — trusting founders “long before any others will.” Their approach is to nurture contrarian talent at the edges of technology and science, betting on outsized outcomes born from unconventional backgrounds (examples cited include Ethereum, Figma, and Luminar).
Active team contains 4 members (0 partners, 4 founders).
1517 Fund is a venture capital firm based in Telluride, India, that invests in college dropouts, renegade students, and deep-tech/'sci-fi' scientists at the R&D/idea stage through Seed across software, hardware with a data play, deep tech/sci-fi tech, and biotech.
1517 Fund is located in Telluride, India.
This information is not publicly available.
1517 Fund is a venture capital firm.
1517 Fund invests in Pre-Seed and Seed stages.
1517 Fund's check size ranges from $50,000 to $1,000,000 USD.
No, 1517 Fund does not accept cold outreach.
1517 Fund's investment philosophy is anti-establishment and founder-first: they prioritize people (especially young, uncredentialed founders and renegade scientists) over conventional signals such as degrees or pedigree. They seek out founders “long before they know they should… talk to VCs,” provide early belief capital (micro-grants through the Medici Project and angel-to-seed checks), and pair capital with community, mentorship and operational support — trusting founders “long before any others.
Yes, 1517 Fund invests in Biotech.
Yes, 1517 Fund invests in DeepTech.