RDF Ventures is an operator-led venture fund backing founder-led, technology-enabled companies at the pre-seed and seed stages.

RDF Fund I is supported by the U.S. Treasury’s SSBCI program via the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), investing in startups based in or relocating to Vermont, with selective investments in eligible companies outside Vermont.

We invest at the transition from late product to early go-to-market, where our hands-on support can accelerate execution and Series A readiness, while selectively engaging with a small number of founders as early as pre-formation and initial product development.

RDF Ventures’ approach is informed by hands-on experience as a founder and operator, and supporting 100+ startups from pre-formation through venture scale outcomes across global accelerator and venture programs. While sector agnostic, this experience has shaped the areas where we have the strongest conviction and can provide the greatest value beyond capital.

Investment Criteria

Focus & Interest Areas

• Deep Tech

• Hard Tech

• AI Infrastructure & Applied AI

• Semiconductors & Advanced Computing

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Robotics & Autonomous Systems

• Defense & Dual-Use

• Energy & Climate

• Space & Aerospace

• Enterprise Software

• Healthcare Infrastructure

Check Size

• Initial investment: $100K (up to $250K with follow-on)

Entry

• Typical entry valuation: $2M–$6M post-money

• Selective participation up to $10M post-money