8VC

Reviewed Updated Mar 19, 2026

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Location Austin, TX
Founded 2015
Fund Size $6B+ total committed capital; Fund VI at $998M (2025)
Website https://www.8vc.com
Stage Focus
seed series-a series-b
Sector Focus
defense logistics healthcare life-sciences enterprise ai fintech infrastructure

Team

Joe Lonsdale Founder & Managing Partner
Drew Oetting Co-Founder & Partner
Alex Kolicich Founding Partner
Jake Medwell Co-Founder & Partner
Francisco Gimenez Partner
Karen White Executive Partner
Alex Moore Partner
Sebastian Caliri Partner
Zach White Partner

About

8VC is a venture capital firm founded in 2015 by Joe Lonsdale, Drew Oetting, Alex Kolicich, and Jake Medwell 12. The firm was originally headquartered in San Francisco; in November 2020, Lonsdale relocated the headquarters to Austin, Texas, where the firm now maintains its primary office alongside additional offices in San Francisco and New York 23.

Joe Lonsdale, the firm’s Managing Partner, co-founded Palantir Technologies, Addepar, and OpenGov prior to establishing 8VC 3. The firm and its predecessor funds manage total committed capital exceeding $6 billion 4. In March 2023, 8VC announced Fund V with $880 million in new capital, bringing total committed capital past the $6 billion mark 4. In January 2025, the firm began raising Fund VI, securing $998 million in limited partner capital with a focus on supply chain, logistics, and government technology 56.

As of March 2026, 8VC has invested in 360 companies over 11 years, with an average of 30 new investments annually over the past decade 7. The firm’s portfolio has produced 35 unicorns, 16 IPOs, and 39 acquisitions 7.

8VC operates a distinctive “Build” program that dedicates 25-30% of capital to co-founding startups, assembling teams to tackle problems in healthcare, defense, logistics, finance, and biosciences 48. Notable companies created through this program include National Resilience (co-founded by Drew Oetting) 1.

Stated Thesis

8VC’s publicly stated mission is: “The world is broken. Let’s fix it” 4. The firm frames entrepreneurship as addressing systemic dysfunction in critical industries, drawing on historical parallels to American frontier innovation 4.

The firm publicly focuses on six core areas 4: 1. AI applications and services 2. Genomic engineering and life sciences 3. Advanced manufacturing 4. Healthcare innovation 5. Defense and security 6. Logistics and finance

Jake Medwell has described the firm’s approach: “We don’t just invest and take a backseat. We work with our portfolio companies and spend meaningful time integrating them with the best partners and people for success on all sides” 5.

8VC emphasizes its network of industry partners, including Prologis, Ryder, NFI, Penske, Lineage, and Daimler in the logistics sector 5. The firm also retains industry advisers such as Chris Sultemeier (former Walmart Transportation President/CEO) and Alan Gershenhorn (former UPS EVP) 5.

Inferred Thesis

Based on 8VC’s verified portfolio and public data:

Stage distribution: Primarily seed and Series A. Tracxn data shows 108 investments at seed stage (average round size $7.95M), 127 at Series A ($22.8M average), and 44 at Series B ($73.1M average) 7. The firm’s model skews toward earlier stages, consistent with the Build program’s company-creation approach.

Sector focus: 8VC has a distinctive “hard tech” and government/defense orientation relative to other venture firms. Key sectors include defense technology (Anduril), logistics and supply chain (Flexport, project44, Deliverr), healthcare and life sciences (Guardant Health, Oscar, Orca Bio), enterprise software, fintech, and transportation (Joby Aviation, The Boring Company) 357.

Geographic concentration: Headquartered in Austin, TX, with significant Bay Area and East Coast portfolio presence. The Austin move in 2020 signaled an investment orientation toward companies building outside traditional Silicon Valley 2.

Build program as differentiator: The co-founding model (25-30% of capital) means 8VC is often the earliest investor with deep operational involvement from day one 48. This is atypical for a multi-billion-dollar venture firm.

Political and policy dimension: Lonsdale co-founded the Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan policy organization that has passed 175 bills across nearly 30 states 3. The firm’s “American Dynamism”-style investments in defense, government software, and infrastructure have an ideological component beyond pure financial returns.

Co-investor patterns: Frequently co-invests with Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism), and defense-focused investors.

Notable exits: Oculus (acquired by Facebook), Deliverr (acquired by Shopify for $2.1B), OpenGov (sold for $1.8B), RelateIQ, Baton (acquired by Ryder) 35.

Portfolio

Company Stage Year Sector Status
Anduril Industries Series D ($450M) 2021-06-17 Defense Tech Private 3232425
Palantir Technologies Co-founded 2003 Defense/Enterprise Public (PLTR) 3
Addepar Co-founded ~2009 Fintech Private 3
OpenGov Co-founded ~2012 GovTech Acquired ($1.8B) 3
Flexport Early ~2015 Logistics Private 3
Joby Aviation Series B 2018 Transportation Public (JOBY) 3514
Oculus Early ~2013 Consumer Tech Acquired by Facebook 3
Guardant Health Early ~2015 Healthcare/Diagnostics Public 3
Oscar Health Early ~2014 Healthcare Insurance Public 3
Illumio Series B 2014 Cybersecurity Private 315
Blend Early ~2016 Fintech Public 3
Synthego Early ~2016 Life Sciences Private 3
project44 Growth ~2020 Supply Chain Private 5
Deliverr Early ~2018 Logistics Acquired by Shopify ($2.1B) 5
The Boring Company Growth ~2021 Infrastructure Private 5
Waabi Early ~2021 Autonomous Vehicles Private 5
Platform Science Growth ~2020 Logistics Tech Private 5
Orca Bio Early ~2016 Life Sciences Private 3
Qualia Early ~2017 Fintech/Real Estate Private 3
Glimpse Seed / Series A 2025–2026 Fintech / Retail Tech Private 9
eMed Series A 2026-03-26 Healthcare/AI Telehealth Private 101617
Alloy Therapeutics Series E (co-led, $40M) 2026-04-15 Biotech/Drug Discovery Private 112627
Loop Series C (participated) 2026-04-17 AI/Supply Chain Private 12
Rilian Seed (co-led, $17.5M) 2026-04-23 AI/Cybersecurity/Defense Private 1328
Latus Bio Series A Extension (led) 2026-05-04 Biotech / Gene Therapy Private 1819
Sauron Seed (participated, $18M) 2024-12-05 Home Security / AI Private 202122
Cognition $1B+ growth (co-led with Lux Capital and General Catalyst at $26B post-money) 2026-05-27 AI / Developer Tools / Coding Agents Private 29

This table represents a fraction of 8VC’s 360 total investments 7.

In Their Own Words

“The world is broken. Let’s fix it.” — 8VC mission statement, firm website 4

“We don’t just invest and take a backseat. We work with our portfolio companies and spend meaningful time integrating them with the best partners and people for success on all sides.” — Jake Medwell, Co-Founder & Partner, FreightWaves interview, 2025 5

What Founders Say

No independently sourced founder testimonials found.

Sources

  1. 8VC website, “Drew Oetting,” accessed March 2026. https://8vc.com/team/drew-oetting↩↩

  2. Wikipedia, “8VC,” accessed March 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8VC↩↩↩

  3. 8VC website, “Joe Lonsdale,” accessed March 2026. https://www.8vc.com/team/joe-lonsdale↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  4. 8VC website, “Announcing 8VC Fund V,” March 2023. https://www.8vc.com/resources/announcing-8vc-fund-v↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  5. FreightWaves, “8VC raises $998M in new funding with a focus on reshaping logistics,” 2025. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/8vc-raises-998m-in-new-funding-with-a-focus-on-reshaping-logistics↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  6. TechCrunch, “Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC seeking $1B for new fund,” January 29, 2025. https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/29/joe-lonsdales-8vc-seeking-1b-for-new-fund/↩

  7. Tracxn, “8VC — 2026 Investor Profile,” accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/venture-capital/8vc/__jX52XKrW6-fzUc1B1XJh_cgzYnlJX8VCmVebOQRky6E↩↩↩↩↩

  8. 8VC website, “The 8VC Build Program,” accessed March 2026. https://8vc.com/build↩↩

  9. “After pivoting, Y Combinator grad Glimpse raises $35M led by a16z.” TechCrunch, March 25, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/a16z-backed-glimpse-raises-new-funds-accelerates-dispute-tracking-automation-for-cpg-brands/↩

  10. “eMed Raises $200 Million At $2 Billion Plus Valuation,” PR Newswire, March 26, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emed-raises-200-million-at-2-billion-plus-valuation-302725381.html↩

  11. BioSpace, “Alloy Therapeutics Announces $40M Series E to Scale Tech-Enabled Biotech Infrastructure,” April 15, 2026. https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/alloy-therapeutics-announces-40m-series-e-to-scale-tech-enabled-biotech-infrastructure↩

  12. TechCrunch, “Loop raises $95M to build supply chain AI that predicts disruptions,” April 17, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/17/loop-raises-95m-to-build-supply-chain-ai-that-predicts-disruptions/↩

  13. SiliconANGLE, “Rilian raises $17.5M to automate security software procurement and deployment in the defense sector,” April 23, 2026. https://siliconangle.com/2026/04/23/rilian-raises-17-5m-automate-security-software-procurement-deployment-defense-sector/↩

  14. Toyota USA Newsroom and Joby Aviation press, “Joby Aviation Announces Closing of $100 Million Series B,” February 1, 2018. https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-aviation-announces-closing-250-million-investment/ — Series B led by Capricorn Investment Group; 8VC participated. ↩

  15. TechCrunch, “Illumio Raises $100M More For Enterprise Security That Goes Beyond The Firewall,” April 14, 2015. https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/14/illumio-raises-100m-more-for-enterprise-security-that-goes-beyond-the-firewall/ — references prior 2014 Series B; Formation 8 (now 8VC) had invested in the October 2014 Series B/extension round per Wikipedia coverage of Formation 8. ↩

  16. Refresh Miami, “Tom Brady-backed eMed rides GLP-1 success to a $200M Series A at a $2B valuation,” March 26, 2026. https://refreshmiami.com/news/tom-brady-backed-emed-rides-glp-1-success-to-a-200m-series-a-at-a-2b-valuation/↩

  17. MobiHealthNews, “Tom Brady-backed telehealth AI startup eMed raises $200M, tops $2B valuation,” March 30, 2026. https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/tom-brady-backed-telehealth-ai-startup-emed-raises-200m-tops-2b-valuation↩

  18. BioSpace, “Latus Bio Announces $97 Million Series A Financing to Expand the Reach of Gene Therapy to Larger Populations,” May 4, 2026. https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/latus-bio-announces-97-million-series-a-financing-to-expand-the-reach-of-gene-therapy-to-larger-populations — $43M Series A Extension led by 8VC (Francisco Gimenez, Partner), bringing total Series A to $97M. Existing investors DCVC Bio, BioAdvance, Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners, Modi Ventures, Gaingels, and Hatch BioFund participated, with new investors Korea Development Bank and Helen’s Pink Sky Foundation joining. ↩

  19. BioPharma Dive, “With $97M, Latus pursues a different kind of Huntington’s gene therapy,” May 4, 2026. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/latus-huntington-gene-therapy-cln2-biotech-startup/819174/↩

  20. The Washington Post, “New home-security start-up promises tech elites ‘military-grade’ safety,” by Nitasha Tiku, December 5, 2024, accessed May 2026. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/05/tech-ceos-elites-home-security-silicon-valley/ — Original announcement of Sauron’s $18M seed; 8VC participated alongside Atomic, A*, and executives at Flock Safety/Palantir. ↩

  21. The Register, “Palantir and Anduril form partnership, as Sauron funded,” December 9, 2024, accessed May 2026. https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/09/palantir_anduril_alliance/ — Contemporaneous press confirming Sauron’s $18M seed. ↩

  22. TechCrunch, “Sauron, the high-end home security startup for ‘super premium’ customers, plucks a new CEO out of Sonos,” December 28, 2025, accessed May 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/28/from-sonos-to-sauron-new-ceo-takes-on-high-end-home-security-startup-still-in-development/ — Reports $24M total raised by late 2025 from Flock Safety/Palantir executives, 8VC, Atomic, and A*. ↩

  23. TechCrunch, “Anduril raises $450M as the defense tech company’s valuation soars to $4.6B,” June 17, 2021, accessed May 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/17/anduril-funding-series-d-valuation/ — Contemporaneous press confirming the June 17, 2021 announcement of Anduril’s $450M Series D at $4.6B valuation; lead investor Elad Gil; participants include Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 8VC, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, Valor Equity Partners, and D1 Capital Partners. ↩

  24. Orange County Business Journal, “Anduril Gets $450M in Series D Funding,” June 17, 2021, accessed May 2026. https://www.ocbj.com/news/2021/jun/17/anduril-gets-450m-series-d-funding/ — Independent contemporaneous local press source confirming June 17, 2021 announcement date, $450M raise, $4.6B valuation, Elad Gil as lead, and 8VC as a participating investor. ↩

  25. CB Insights Research, “Andreessen Horowitz-Backed Anduril Raises $450M For Its Defense Tech,” June 2021, accessed May 2026. https://www.cbinsights.com/research/anduril-series-d-funding/ — Independent confirmation of the $450M Series D round with 8VC among the participating investors. ↩

  26. BusinessWire, “Alloy Therapeutics Announces $40M Series E to Scale Tech-Enabled Biotech Infrastructure,” April 15, 2026, accessed May 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260415032940/en/Alloy-Therapeutics-Announces-$40M-Series-E-to-Scale-Tech-Enabled-Biotech-Infrastructure — Primary press-wire source confirming April 15, 2026 announcement of $40M Series E at $1B valuation, co-led by 8VC, JIC Venture Growth Investments, and Echo Capital. Includes Alex Kolicich (8VC) quote on “x-in-the-loop” AI integration strategy. ↩

  27. PharmiWeb, “Alloy Therapeutics Announces $40M Series E to Scale Tech-Enabled Biotech Infrastructure,” April 15, 2026, accessed May 2026. https://www.pharmiweb.com/press-release/2026-04-15/alloy-therapeutics-announces-40m-series-e-to-scale-tech-enabled-biotech-infrastructure — Independent confirmation of the April 15, 2026 Series E announcement with 8VC as co-lead investor. ↩

  28. BusinessWire, “Rilian Secures $17.5 Million in Seed Funding to Advance Agentic AI for Cyber and Defense Operations,” April 23, 2026. Accessed May 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423773644/en/Rilian-Secures-$17.5-Million-in-Seed-Funding-to-Advance-Agentic-AI-for-Cyber-and-Defense-Operations — $17.5M Seed announced April 23, 2026, co-led by 8VC, First In, and Tamarack Global; participation from 8090 Industries, Liquid 2 Ventures, Perot Jain, and Protego Ventures. McLean, VA-based agentic AI for cyber and defense. ↩

  29. TechCrunch, “AI coding startup Cognition raises $1B at $25B pre-money valuation,” May 27, 2026. Accessed May 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/ai-coding-startup-cognition-raises-1b-at-25b-pre-money-valuation/ — Confirms 8VC co-led Cognition’s $1B+ round on May 27, 2026 at $26B post-money with Lux Capital and General Catalyst; Founders Fund, Elad Gil, Soma Capital, Omri Casspi, Ribbit Capital, Atreides, and Layer Global participated. ↩