# NASA

> NASA is a VC fund in Washington backing Education and Aerospace. See 196 investments, check sizes, portfolio and contact details. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Washington, United States
- Total investments: 196
- Last investment: Apr 2026
- Lead investor: 81%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nasa/
- X (Twitter): http://twitter.com/nasa
- Website: http://www.nasa.gov/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASA

NASA is a VC fund in Washington focused on Education and Aerospace. NASA's vision is to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind.President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, partially in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite the previous year. NASA grewout of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), which had been researching flight technology for more than 40 years.President John F. Kennedy focused NASA and the nation on sending astronauts to the moon by the end of the 1960s. Through the Mercury and Gemini projects, NASA developed the technology and skills it needed for the journey. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first of 12 men to walk on the moon, meeting Kennedy's challenge.Meanwhile, NASA was continuing the aeronautics research pioneered by NACA. It also conducted purely scientific research and worked on developing applications for space technology, combining both pursuits in developing the first weather and communications satellites.After Apollo, NASA focused on creating a reusable ship to provide regular access to space: the space shuttle. First launched in 1981, the space shuttle flew more than 130 successful flights before retiring in 2011. In 2000, the United States and Russia established permanent human presence in space aboard the International Space Station, a multinational project representing the work of 16 nations.NASA also has continued its scientific research. In 1997, Mars Pathfinder became the first in a fleet of spacecraft that will explore Mars in the next decade, as we try to determine if life ever existed there. The Terra and Aqua satellites are flagships of a different fleet, this one in Earth orbit, designed to help us understand how our home world is changing. NASA's aeronautics teams are focused on improved aircraft travel that is safer and cleaner.Throughout its history, NASA has conducted or funded research that has led to numerous improvements to life here on Earth.

## Contacts

5 contacts available for NASA. Shizune tracks 17 team members at NASA. Sign up free to unlock them: https://app.shizune.co/sign-up/investor-profiles/find-team-emails/nasa?utm_source=investor_profile

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Education | 43 | 22% |
| Aerospace | 38 | 19% |
| Manufacturing | 29 | 15% |
| Universities | 27 | 14% |
| Higher Education | 21 | 11% |

130 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grant | 149 | 76% |
| Funding Round | 3 | 2% |
| Angel | 2 | 1% |
| Pre-Seed | 2 | 1% |
| Seed | 1 | 1% |

6 stages tracked in total.

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | 148 | 76% |
| Canada | 1 | 1% |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 1% |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 1% |

## Team

| Name | Title | Investments | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bo Naasz | System Capability Lead for Rendezvous & Capture | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bo-naasz |
| Cindy Chin | NASA Datanaut & Mentor, Office of the CIO, Technology & Innovation | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/cindy-chin |
| Davide Venturelli | Quantum Computing Lead, Science Operations Manager | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/davide-venturelli |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | Founder | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/dwight-d-eisenhower |
| Gaudy Bezos-O’Connor | Deputy Project Manager | 2 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/gaudy-bezos-o-connor |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| QuesTek Innovations | QuesTek Innovations engages in integrated computational materials engineering to optimize and design materials. |  | Grant | Apr 21, 2026 |  |
| Redwire | Redwire is uniquely positioned to assist its customers in solving the complex challenges of future space missions. | $4M | Grant | Mar 11, 2026 |  |
| OpalAI | OpalAI develops a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) models to address real-world challenges and pressing societal issues. Validated by the NSF, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), our technology powers next-generation generative AI solutions for government agencies and enterprise InsurTech clients alike.Forgovernment agencies, we collaborate with NASA to build cutting-edge wildfire management systems aimed at protecting millions of homes, and partner with the USDOT to design safer, more accessible streets for all road users.For enterprise clients, we have developed a multimodal AI solution that provides autonomous inspections and reporting for insurance companies and adjusters.By bridging the gap between engineering and business, OpalAI is rebuilding resilient communities through AI, safer, smarter, and more equitable for everyone. | $1M | Grant | Aug 04, 2025 |  |
| Rarefied Studios | Advanced rarefied gas dynamics solutions for spacecraft design, orbital debris mitigation, and defense. Where traditional aerodynamics ends, Rarefied's expertise begins. | $150K | Grant | Jul 25, 2025 |  |
| Encapsulate | Producing an effective chemotherapy solution with a fully automated tumor-on-a-chip, pre-prescription analysis. | $4.9M | Grant | Jul 01, 2025 |  |
| ALLVAR | ALLVAR (College Station, TX) is a manufacturer of revolutionary metal alloys designed to help eliminate the detrimental effects thermal expansion has in a variety of applications. Currently, they are able to offer their Negative Expansion Alloys in Bar (up to 2.25” round) and tube (up to 3.00” OD) depending on wall thickness. |  | Grant | Jul 01, 2025 |  |
| MittiLabs | Mitti Labs is a deeptech company that leverages AI, satellite technology, and field operations to permanently reduce methane emissions from rice farming. By doing this, we unlock the potential of rice-based carbon credits for measurable climate action at scale. Loved and consumed by half the world’s population daily, rice farming has GHG emissionsequivalent to the global aviation industry, due to methane. Our work transforms a critical agricultural sector into a high-integrity source of climate impact, water savings, and farmer income. We empower smallholder farmers across the global south to adopt climate-smart practices that are measurable, traceable, and economically rewarding. Backed by leading investors, our team is building the infrastructure to scale climate-smart rice farming and unlock real impact from the ground up. | $850K | Grant | Jul 01, 2025 |  |
| Arkansas Space Grant Consortium | Arkansas Space Grant Consortium collaborates between top-tier universities, industry research and real world applications. | $800K | Grant | Jun 26, 2025 |  |
| Cecilia | Cecilia is a circular advanced materials company redefining the life cycle of plastic waste. Cecilia is commercializing a modular, microwave- system that transforms hard-to-recycle plastics into carbon nanotubes and recycled polymer composites. Cecilia’s mission is to turn waste into value, making plastic waste too valuable to discard. | $75K | Grant | Jun 13, 2025 |  |
| National Stem Cell Foundation | National Stem Cell Foundation is an organization that funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research. They provide children with resources for clinical trials for rare diseases. They provide a STEM scholar program for middle school science teachers. | $3.1M | Grant | Mar 26, 2025 |  |

10 of 196 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [DARPA](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/darpa) — VC Fund, 2 deals together
- [National Science Foundation](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/national-science-foundation) — VC Fund, 2 deals together
- [Bossa Invest](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bossanova-investimentos) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Bruckner Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bruckner-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [California Energy Commission](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/california-energy-commission) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Cathexis Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/cathexis) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

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- [Business Finland](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/tekes) — VC Fund

## FAQ

### What does NASA invest in?

NASA invests primarily in Education, Aerospace and Manufacturing startups, most often at Grant and Funding Round stage. Most of the 196 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### How do I contact NASA?

Public channels for NASA include LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and the website linked on this profile. For a verified work email and phone number, create a free Shizune account — contact data is searched across 20+ sources and validated before delivery, so your outreach lands in the right inbox.

### Who are the partners at NASA?

The team at NASA includes Bo Naasz (System Capability Lead for Rendezvous & Capture), Cindy Chin (NASA Datanaut & Mentor, Office of the CIO, Technology & Innovation) and Davide Venturelli (Quantum Computing Lead, Science Operations Manager), among 17 team members tracked by Shizune. The Team section lists each member with their title, investment count and links.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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