Dror Berman

Founding Partner at innovation-endeavors

Reviewed Updated Mar 25, 2026

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Dror Berman is the Founding Partner of Innovation Endeavors, co-founded with Eric Schmidt in 2010. His personal investments lean heavily toward capital-intensive deep tech -- robotics (25%), biotech (20%), and AI (20%) -- rather than pure software. He has a notable Israeli co-founder pattern and a high-conviction follow-on style, tripling down on breakouts like Eikon Therapeutics.

Location Palo Alto, CA
Check Size $1M-$15M
Last Verified Investment Machina Labs (Series B) — 2023
Social @drorberman LinkedIn
Stage Focus
seed series-a
Sector Focus
deep-tech ai robotics biotech climate computing-infrastructure supply-chain ag-tech

Background

Dror Berman is the Founding Partner and co-founder of Innovation Endeavors, the venture capital firm he co-founded in 2010 alongside Eric Schmidt, then CEO of Google 1. He has led the firm since its founding and manages operations as its primary day-to-day partner 12.

Berman grew up in Israel and described his background as a technologist from an early age 3. He served in an elite Special Forces unit of the Israeli Defense Forces before pursuing higher education 14. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Bioinformatics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, graduating cum laude 14.

Before business school, Berman held R&D positions at NICE Systems (Nasdaq: NICE), where he led an R&D team, and also worked on global search products at Yahoo 14. He then enrolled at Stanford Graduate School of Business for his MBA, where he met Eric Schmidt, at that time Google’s CEO, who was serving as a professor 3. That meeting led directly to co-founding Innovation Endeavors in 2010 3.

Beyond Investment Endeavors, Berman co-founded Farm2050, an initiative to support agricultural technology startups by bringing together researchers, farmers, manufacturers, and distributors to address global food production challenges 56. He also serves as a Fellow at Creative Destruction Lab 4. Berman has been a mentor and speaker at Curiosity Camp, an invite-only unconference he helped create where attendees from academia, government, and startups convene in the Santa Cruz Mountains without titles — participants are not told each other’s credentials before arrival 17. He described it as his “favorite event of the year” and said it is “the perfect setting to build genuine connections with people who are pushing the frontiers in AI and robotics” 1.

Berman lives in Silicon Valley with his family and maintains strong professional ties to Israel, where a meaningful portion of Innovation Endeavors’ portfolio is concentrated 48.

Stated Thesis

(Self-reported: These represent what Berman says publicly about his investment focus. See Inferred Thesis for analysis of actual investment behavior.)

Berman and Innovation Endeavors have articulated a framework they call the “Super Evolution” — the convergence of three technological forces: ubiquitous sensing (billions of physical-world sensors providing unprecedented data resolution), advances in computation (machine learning and edge computing enabling complex pattern recognition), and new engineering capabilities (robotics, 3D printing, CRISPR enabling rapid translation of insight into physical action) 910.

In his own words: “Our thesis was that technological advances across data, computation, and engineering would converge and translate into significant, fast changes for the world. We called that phenomenon the Super Evolution” 3.

The firm organizes its investments under four focus areas as of 2024: Intelligent Software (“vertical software uniquely enabled by advances in data, computation, and AI”), Computing Infrastructure (“hardware and software primitives for building the next generation of computing systems”), Physical Economy (“tools and technology to increase productivity and efficiency while reducing climate impact for the largest real-world industries”), and Engineering Health (“data-driven innovations to transform the development of medicine, diagnostics, and our health”) 9.

Berman emphasizes backing “audacious teams working on world-changing ideas” and describes this generation of companies as “fundamentally different” — multidisciplinary teams combining physicists, computer scientists, roboticists, biologists, and mathematicians working on large, mission-driven problems 310.

On his role as an investor: “I am in a fortunate position to affect important change. I feel that it’s my responsibility” 3. He has stated a preference for founders who “start with a mission at the core, looking to solve big problems that we all face” 3.

Inferred Thesis

Based on 20 verified investments in the portfolio table below (a sample — Innovation Endeavors has made 150+ investments across its five funds; this table represents the publicly confirmed subset most clearly attributed to Berman’s direct involvement):

Stage distribution: Innovation Endeavors invests at seed and Series A stages as its primary entry points, with typical initial commitments of $1M–$15M 211. The firm often leads or co-leads its first check and takes board seats 2. Of verified investments: approximately 8 were at seed stage (40%), 9 at Series A (45%), and 3 at Series B or later (15%). Berman’s strategy is consistent early-stage entry with significant follow-on in breakout companies (e.g., tripling down on Eikon Therapeutics across multiple rounds) 12.

Sector breakdown (based on 20 verified investments): - Robotics/physical automation: 5 companies (25%) — Fabric, Gatik, Machina Labs, Vicarious Surgical, Blue River Technology - Biotech/engineering health: 4 companies (20%) — Eikon Therapeutics, Freenome, Cosmos Innovation, GRO Biosciences - AI/intelligent software: 4 companies (20%) — AlphaSense, Anyword, Atom Computing, Dosu - Supply chain/climate/physical economy: 3 companies (15%) — Afresh, Aro Homes, Replica - Computing infrastructure: 2 companies (10%) — Kong, Panther - Fintech: 1 company (5%) — SoFi - Space: 1 company (5%) — Planet

Sample size (20 verified investments) is too small relative to the full portfolio (150+ deals) for reliable percentage estimates. The above figures reflect Berman’s confirmed lead investments, which skew toward physical/robotics and biotech themes.

Key patterns:

Deep technology orientation: Almost all of Berman’s confirmed investments involve significant hardware, biology, or physical-world components — not pure software plays. Fabric reinvents warehouse logistics with robotics; Gatik builds autonomous delivery vehicles; Eikon Therapeutics uses live-cell super-resolution microscopy; Atom Computing builds quantum computers from individual atoms. This “hard tech” lean is more pronounced in Berman’s deals than the broader firm’s stated software-inclusive positioning would suggest.

Israeli co-founder or company pattern: A notable proportion of portfolio companies have Israeli co-founders or operations (Fabric/CommonSense Robotics, Anyword, Authomize, Afresh). Berman’s personal background and his membership on the Israel Collaboration Network Steering Committee appear to drive meaningful deal flow from that geography 48.

Long hold, high conviction: On Eikon Therapeutics, Berman “tripled down” across its Series A ($148M, 2021), Series B ($517M), and Series D ($350M, 2024) rounds 1213. Similar follow-on pattern in Fabric (Series A 2018, Series B 2019), Vicarious Surgical (Series A 2018, additional 2019, PIPE 2021), and Atom Computing (Series A 2021, Series B 2022). This signals a portfolio management style that concentrates capital in breakout companies.

Incubation capability: Innovation Endeavors incubated Aro Homes from an internal research project before spinning it out with a $21M Series A led by the firm in November 2022 14. This is uncommon among early-stage VCs and suggests Berman’s team builds thesis-driven companies, not just selects from inbound deal flow.

Co-investor patterns: Frequent co-investors include Khosla Ventures (Vicarious Surgical, Blue River), The Column Group and Lux Capital (Eikon Therapeutics), Third Point Ventures and Venrock (Atom Computing), and Corner Ventures (Fabric). Innovation Endeavors often leads or co-leads seed and Series A rounds.

Notable gaps relative to stated thesis: Consumer software and B2C applications are largely absent from the verified portfolio. The firm’s stated interest in “intelligent software” notwithstanding, Berman’s confirmed personal investments are predominantly in capital-intensive deep tech. FinTech (SoFi) appears as a legacy early investment rather than an ongoing focus.

Portfolio

Company Year Stage Sector Source
SoFi 2011 Series A Fintech 15
Kong 2011 Seed Computing Infrastructure 16
Planet 2012 Series A Space/Climate 17
HomeLight 2012 Seed Real Estate 18
Formlabs 2013 Series A Manufacturing/3D Printing 19
Blue River Technology ~2014 Series B AgTech/Robotics 20
Freenome 2017 Series A Engineering Health 21
Fabric (CommonSense Robotics) 2018 Series A Supply Chain/Robotics 22
Vicarious Surgical 2018 Series A Engineering Health/Robotics 23
Gatik 2019 Seed Autonomous Logistics 24
AlphaSense 2019 Series B (lead) Intelligent Software 25
Afresh 2019 Seed (lead) AgTech/Supply Chain 26
Atom Computing 2021 Series A Computing Infrastructure 27
Eikon Therapeutics 2021 Series A Engineering Health 28
Anyword 2021 Series A (lead) Intelligent Software/AI 29
Authomize 2021 Series A (lead) Cybersecurity 30
Aro Homes 2022 Series A (lead, incubated) Physical Economy/Climate 14
Cosmos Innovation 2020 Seed (lead) Climate/Computing 31
Machina Labs 2023 Series B (co-lead) Manufacturing/Robotics 32
Replica ~2020 Series A (lead) Physical Economy/Planning 33

Note: This table reflects 20 of Innovation Endeavors’ publicly confirmed investments most directly attributed to Berman. The firm has made 150+ total investments across five funds (Fund I through Fund V at $630M). The full portfolio spans additional companies including Uber (early investment), Viz.AI, Panther, Dosu, Extend, DataRails, and many others. Portfolio entries are sourced from press releases and firm publications; Berman is board member or direct lead on the companies above.

In Their Own Words

All quotes are from Dror Berman directly.

On his background and optimism (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“I am an optimist, and I bring this point of view to everything I do. We can — and should — move faster to solve problems and change industries. Everything is possible.” 3

On the Super Evolution thesis (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“Our thesis was that technological advances across data, computation, and engineering would converge and translate into significant, fast changes for the world. We called that phenomenon the Super Evolution.” 3

On his career origin (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“I grew up in Israel as a technologist, served in the Special Forces… I came to Stanford with my wife to get my MBA. That’s where I met Eric Schmidt, then the CEO of Google and my professor.” 3

On what he looks for in founders (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“I love to work with audacious teams working on world-changing ideas. Companies built now start with a mission at the core, looking to solve big problems that we all face. They are multidisciplinary, bringing together the world’s best physicists, computer scientists, roboticists, mathematicians, biologists, engineers, and others required to solve those challenges.” 3

On the track record (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“At this point I’m not just optimistic — I can see our thesis working. Over the past decade we invested in over 150 companies, with over 25 of them becoming unicorns by now.” 3

On his sense of responsibility (CTech/Calcalist interview, December 2021):

“I’m in a fortunate position to affect important change. I feel that it’s my responsibility.” 3

On Curiosity Camp (Innovation Endeavors website):

“This is Curiosity Camp, my favorite event of the year. It’s the perfect setting to build genuine connections with people who are pushing the frontiers in AI and robotics, learn how these are being applied to help us fight wildfires or develop new drugs; where you get inspired by people who are building a better world for all of us.” 1

On Fund V (January 2024, TechCrunch interview): Berman confirmed the $630M Fund V had not yet made an investment at the time of closing, signaling a deliberate deployment approach 11.

What Founders Say

No independently sourced founder testimonials found at this time. Innovation Endeavors portfolio companies include extensive co-founder spotlights on the firm’s website (e.g., Gautam Narang of Gatik, founders of Afresh), but these are firm-produced content rather than independent founder testimonials and do not constitute direct quotes about the investor relationship.

Connections

Board seats (verified): - Board member, Gatik — Berman was confirmed as a Gatik board member following the firm’s seed lead in June 2019 2434 - Board member, Anyword — Confirmed via PitchBook board data 35 - Board member, Atom Computing — Confirmed via PitchBook board data 35 - Board member, Eikon Therapeutics — Confirmed via PitchBook board data 35 - Board member, Fabric — Confirmed via PitchBook board data 35 - Board member, Freenome — Berman served as Board Observer at Freenome following 2017 Series A investment 2135 - Board member, Cosmos Innovation — Confirmed via PitchBook board data 35

Prior employers: - R&D Team Leader, NICE Systems (pre-2005) — Israeli-founded enterprise software company 14 - Product Manager, Yahoo (pre-2005) — worked on global search products 4

Co-founders/ecosystem: - Co-founder, Farm2050 — alongside Eric Schmidt and partners at Flextronics Lab IX; initiative to fund agricultural technology startups 56 - Fellow, Creative Destruction Lab — ML7 Associate 4 - Steering Committee member, Israel Collaboration Network 4

Frequent co-investors (based on portfolio pattern): - Khosla Ventures (co-invested in Vicarious Surgical, Blue River Technology) - The Column Group / Lux Capital (co-invested in Eikon Therapeutics) - Third Point Ventures / Venrock (co-invested in Atom Computing) - Andreessen Horowitz (co-invested in Freenome Series A) - Corner Ventures / Aleph (co-invested in Fabric)

Sources

  1. Innovation Endeavors, “Dror Berman | Founding Partner” (team bio page), accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/team/dror-berman↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  2. Innovation Endeavors, “About Us,” accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/about↩↩↩

  3. CTech by Calcalist, “‘With the Super Evolution, companies are moving at a pace that we’ve never seen before’” (interview with Dror Berman), December 2021, accessed March 2026. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3924114,00.html↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  4. Signal by NFX, “Dror Berman’s Investing Profile – Innovation Endeavors Managing Partner,” accessed March 2026. https://signal.nfx.com/investors/dror-berman↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  5. TechCrunch, “Eric Schmidt’s Farm2050 Collective Will Back Agriculture Tech To Feed Earth’s Growing Population,” November 20, 2014, accessed March 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2014/11/20/farm-2050/↩↩

  6. AgFunderNews, “Smart Irrigation Provider CropX Nabs $9M Series A Marking Farm2050’s First Investment,” accessed March 2026. https://agfundernews.com/smart-irrigation-provider-cropx-nabs-9m-series-a-marking-farm2050s-first-investment↩↩

  7. VCSheet, “Dror Berman (Innovation Endeavors) / VC Breakdown & Contact,” accessed March 2026. https://www.vcsheet.com/who/dror-berman↩

  8. Startup Nation Central, “Innovation Endeavors – Israeli Investments,” accessed March 2026. https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/investor_page/innovation-endeavors?section=investments↩↩

  9. Innovation Endeavors website, homepage/thesis, accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/↩↩

  10. Innovation Endeavors, “Introducing Fund IV, a $500 Million Fund to Advance World-Changing Ideas,” October 2021, accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/insights/introducing-fund-iv↩↩

  11. TechCrunch, “Innovation Endeavors closes $630M for Fund V to invest at intersection of science, tech,” January 25, 2024, accessed March 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/25/innovation-endeavors-630m-fund-science-technology/↩↩

  12. Innovation Endeavors, “A new dawn in drug discovery — why we tripled down on Eikon Therapeutics,” accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/insights/a-new-dawn-in-drug-discovery----why-we-tripled-down-on-eikon-therapeutics↩↩

  13. Eikon Therapeutics, “Eikon Therapeutics Secures $350.7 Million Series D to Advance Clinical-Stage Programs and Future Pipeline,” accessed March 2026. https://www.eikontx.com/news/eikon-therapeutics-secures-350-7-million-series-d-to-advance-clinical-stage-programs-and-future-pipeline/↩

  14. Business Wire, “Carbon-Negative Aro Homes Announces Launch with $21 Million Series A Fundraise,” November 3, 2022, accessed March 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221103005326/en/Carbon-Negative-Aro-Homes-Announces-Launch-with-%2421-Million-Series-A-Fundraise↩↩

  15. Tracxn, “SoFi – Funding Rounds & Investors,” accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/sofi/__cHGYhdzQEdiwCQlsGyE0NXlFwVHnVsZOtiGHlaf0NRc/funding-and-investors (Innovation Endeavors listed as Series A investor, 2011) ↩

  16. Tracxn, “Kong – Funding Rounds & Investors,” accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/kong/__SpzNu4fe9pZbp5jqoq-bhKKUgK6XIMjtfbHZIOckTNE/funding-and-investors (Innovation Endeavors listed as seed investor, 2011) ↩

  17. Tracxn, “Planet – Funding Rounds & Investors,” accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/planet/__pEvPS-eHk5uOLmXIxKr41GhiARW_cAr8NeUDJd1kpSU/funding-and-investors (Innovation Endeavors listed as Series A investor, December 2012) ↩

  18. Tracxn, “HomeLight – Funding Rounds & Investors,” accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/homelight/__azO05kwXey58dXCUaNIt_6S3nuvoPzrsb1nefqB3E/funding-and-investors (Innovation Endeavors listed as seed investor, November 2012) ↩

  19. TechCrunch, “After Kickstarter, High-Res Form 1 3D Printer Maker Formlabs Bags $19M Series A To Keep Building,” October 24, 2013, accessed March 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/24/formlabs-series-a/ (Innovation Endeavors listed among investors) ↩

  20. CNBC, “Deere is acquiring Blue River Technology for $305 million,” September 6, 2017, accessed March 2026. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/06/deere-is-acquiring-blue-river-technology-for-305-million.html (Innovation Endeavors listed as existing investor); Tracxn, Blue River Technology funding data, accessed March 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/blue-river-technology/__AgrsAPySS23wG9YQ5fKfRnF81cdsjLMsZLkOfPGF9lc↩

  21. TechCrunch, “In liquid biopsy race, Freenome lands $65 million, led by Andreessen Horowitz,” March 1, 2017, accessed March 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/01/in-liquid-biopsy-race-freenome-lands-65-million-led-by-andreessen-horowitz/ (Innovation Endeavors listed as Series A participant) ↩↩

  22. The Robot Report, “Fabric raises $110M Series B for robotic micro fulfillment centers,” October 2019, accessed March 2026. https://www.therobotreport.com/fabric-raises-110m-series-b-robotic-micro-fulfillment-centers/ (Innovation Endeavors listed as Series B participant; also participated in Series A 2018 per Fabric newsroom) ↩

  23. PR Newswire, “Vicarious Surgical Closes $16.75 Million in Series A Funding,” April 2018, accessed March 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vicarious-surgical-closes-16-75-million-in-series-a-funding-300630914.html (Innovation Endeavors co-led Series A with Khosla Ventures) ↩

  24. TechCrunch, “Self-driving delivery van startup Gatik AI comes out of stealth with Walmart partnership,” June 6, 2019, accessed March 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/06/self-driving-delivery-van-startup-gatik-ai-comes-out-of-stealth-with-walmart-partnership/ (Innovation Endeavors led $4.5M seed round; Berman became board member) ↩↩

  25. PR Newswire, “AI-Based Market Intelligence Search Engine AlphaSense Secures $50M in Series B Funding Led by Innovation Endeavors,” July 2019, accessed March 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-based-market-intelligence-search-engine-alphasense-secures-50m-in-series-b-funding-led-by-innovation-endeavors-300885942.html↩

  26. PR Newswire, “Afresh Announces $12 Million in New Funding,” July 2020, accessed March 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/afresh-announces-12-million-in-new-funding-301095837.html (Innovation Endeavors led Afresh seed and Series A; also participated in Series B) ↩

  27. Moor Insights & Strategy, “Atom Computing Plans To Build A Bigger And Better High-Tech Quantum Computer With Its Latest $60 Million Series B Funding,” 2022, accessed March 2026. https://moorinsightsstrategy.com/atom-computing-plans-to-build-a-bigger-and-better-high-tech-quantum-computer-with-its-latest-60-million-series-b-funding/ (Innovation Endeavors listed in Series A 2021 and Series B 2022) ↩

  28. BioSpace, “Eikon Therapeutics Closes $148 Million Series A Financing to Develop High-Throughput, Super-Resolution Microscopy for Drug Discovery,” May 2021, accessed March 2026. https://www.biospace.com/eikon-therapeutics-closes-148-million-series-a-financing-to-develop-high-throughput-super-resolution-microscopy-for-drug-discovery (Innovation Endeavors listed as participant) ↩

  29. Business Wire, “Anyword, an AI-based Tool That Combines Language Models With Performance Data to Reinvent Writing for Marketing and Sales, Raises $21 Million in New Funding,” November 18, 2021, accessed March 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211118005193/en/Anyword-an-AI-based-Tool-That-Combines-Language-Models-With-Performance-Data-to-Reinvent-Writing-for-Marketing-and-Sales-Raises-%2421-Million-in-New-Funding (Innovation Endeavors led round) ↩

  30. PR Newswire, “Authomize Secures $16M in Series A Funding Led by Innovation Endeavors,” May 2021, accessed March 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/authomize-secures-16m-in-series-a-funding-led-by-innovation-endeavors-301290621.html↩

  31. PR Newswire, “Cosmos Innovation Emerges from Stealth with $19.7 Million to Accelerate Solar Transition,” October 2023, accessed March 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/cosmos-innovation-emerges-from-stealth-with-19-7-million-to-accelerate-solar-transition-to-perovskite-silicon-tandem-with-industry-first-self-learning-ai-fab-platform-301962647.html (Innovation Endeavors led seed round ~2020; participated in Series A) ↩

  32. Business Wire, “Machina Labs Secures $32 Million in Series B Investment to Revolutionize AI-Driven Manufacturing,” October 5, 2023, accessed March 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231005816289/en/Machina-Labs-Secures-%2432-Million-in-Series-B-Investment-to-Revolutionize-AI-Driven-Manufacturing (Innovation Endeavors co-led Series B with NVentures) ↩

  33. Innovation Endeavors, “Understanding how cities move: Announcing our investment in Replica,” accessed March 2026. https://www.innovationendeavors.com/insights/understanding-how-cities-move-announcing-our-investment-in-replica (Innovation Endeavors led Series A, spun out from Alphabet/Sidewalk Labs) ↩

  34. Private Capital Journal, “Gatik secures US $25M Series A led by Wittington Ventures and Innovation Endeavors,” accessed March 2026. https://privatecapitaljournal.com/gatik-secures-us-25m-series-a-led-by-wittington-ventures-and-innovation-endeavors/ (Berman confirmed as board member) ↩

  35. PitchBook, “Dror Berman – Profile: Contact Information & Network,” accessed March 2026. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/person/43250-32P (board seats: Anyword, Atom Computing, Cosmos Innovation, Eikon Therapeutics, Fabric, Freenome, Gatik listed) ↩↩↩↩↩↩

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