Intellectual Ventures

Intellectual Ventures (IV) is a global invention, investment, and incubation business founded in 2000 by Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft and holder of more than 900 US patents, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. IV is not a traditional venture capital firm but rather a technology invention company that has acquired over 30,000 patents and raised over $5.5 billion from investors including Microsoft, Intel, Sony, Nokia, Apple, Google, Yahoo, American Express, Adobe, SAP, Nvidia, eBay, Stanford University, the Hewlett Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and Charles River Ventures. The company operates two primary investment vehicles: the Invention Development Fund, which partners with research institutions, and the Investment Science Fund, focused on internally developed inventions. IV Lab, launched in 2009, employs scientists to conceive and prototype new inventions. IV has launched more than 15 spinout companies that have collectively raised over $700 million in venture funding. The most prominent spinout is TerraPower, a nuclear energy company launched in 2008 that has raised $750 million and received an NRC construction permit for its Natrium advanced reactor — the first for a commercial advanced reactor in the United States. Kymeta, a satellite connectivity company launched in 2012, has raised $415 million. Evolv Technology, which applies AI to weapons detection, launched in 2013 and completed an IPO on NASDAQ in 2021. Other spinouts include Echodyne for autonomous vehicle radar, Lumotive for solid-state LiDAR, Pivotal Commware for 5G holographic beamforming, Modern Hydrogen for clean energy, and Lexset for synthetic AI training data. The most recent external investment was in Exero Medical in February 2025. IV's model differs from conventional venture capital in that most portfolio companies originate from the firm's own invention process rather than from external deal flow. Notable scientific collaborators include Robert Langer of MIT, Leroy Hood, Danny Hillis, and Sir John Pendry of Imperial College. This internal invention pipeline creates a differentiated funnel of deep-tech spinouts that are built on proprietary intellectual property from inception.