Catapult Ventures (US)

Catapult Ventures is a Silicon Valley seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Darren Liccardo and Rouz Jazayeri, based in Los Altos, California. The firm raised a $55 million first fund focused on startups at the intersection of AI and machine learning, automation, robotics, hardware, and IoT. Liccardo was founding director of Tesla's Autopilot engineering group and previously established DJI's Silicon Valley office; Jazayeri led early-stage hard-tech investing at Kleiner Perkins after serving as John Doerr's Chief of Staff. Catapult leads rounds at the Pre-seed and Seed stages, deploying checks of $500,000 to $5 million across 53 investments spanning AI, hardware and robotics, software, transportation and mobility, and space technology. Notable portfolio companies include Mythic in AI chips, Array Labs in satellite imagery, Cyclone Labs, and ElastixAI. Exits include Oculii, acquired in October 2021, and Flightwave Aerospace Systems. The firm serves sectors including automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, construction, smart buildings, consumer electronics, and healthcare. Catapult's thesis is rooted in the founders' operating backgrounds: the firm targets innovations in embedded systems and physical-world AI where deep technical credibility matters as much as capital. By combining Liccardo's hardware engineering pedigree with Jazayeri's institutional venture network and corporate development expertise, Catapult positions itself as the natural first call for hard-tech founders who need an investor capable of evaluating both the technology and the business.