NextFab Ventures is a pre-seed and early-stage venture capital firm and product development partner based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a specialized focus on hard-tech startups building physical products that combine hardware, software, and deep engineering innovation. It functions as both a seed investor and a hands-on product acceleration partner, helping founders commercialize complex technologies and reach institutional funding milestones.
Pre-Seed / Seed: Primary emphasis on pre-seed and early seed investments in hardware-centric ventures where others often shy away due to complexity and prototyping risk.
Series A: Supports follow-on rounds and its portfolio companies often progress to Series A with external investors after initial milestones.
Investment Model: Writes initial commitments frequently around ~$100K in combined cash + in-kind services (engineering, design, prototyping support), often in exchange for equity (~2% typical for early checks through some cohorts) and bespoke terms tailored to technical needs.
Focus Sectors: Hard-tech domains including cleantech, agtech, robotics, medical devices, hardware-enabled IoT, and energy systems—companies that solve tangible real-world problems with physical products.
Geography: Primarily U.S.-based startups with strong engineering teams; while HQ is Philadelphia, portfolio companies span many states.
Application: Founders typically engage by submitting interest via the NextFab Ventures website or through direct outreach; interest grows from product prototypes and early traction rather than just pitch decks.
Unique Value Proposition: Combines venture capital funding with deep product development support (CAD design, prototyping, fabrication expertise, manufacturing pathways) and introductions to contract manufacturers and investor networks—a hybrid between investor and technical partner.

Geography: Focus on U.S. hard-tech companies that benefit from hands-on engineering support; portfolio extends across numerous states.
Profile: Early-stage hardware startups with physical product prototypes or demonstrable engineering progress and a clear path to commercialization.
Team: Founders who are technical, execution-oriented, and committed to iterative product development.

Intro Submission: Founders share product concept and prototype status to assess fit with hard-tech thesis. 

Technical & Market Review: Evaluation focuses heavily on product feasibility, engineering differentiation, and environmental/market impact. 

Engagement & Diligence: In-depth conversations and iterative product review with the NextFab team to align commercial strategy and technical riskiess. 

Deal Structuring: Investments are negotiated on a deal-by-deal basis, blending equity capital and defined in-kind technical support. 

Strategic Capital: Provides seed capital integrated with engineering resources to de-risk early development and attract traditional venture capital later.
Product Support & Mentorship: Offers in-house design, engineering, prototype fabrication, manufacturing introductions, and business coaching.
Follow-on Support: Continued engagement to support Series A readiness and scaling, leveraging broader investor introductions and commercialization pathways. 

Portfolio Highlights: Includes companies such as Burro (autonomous agricultural robots), Strella Biotechnology (agritech biosensing), Flux Marine (electric propulsion hardware), Biomeme (mobile DNA diagnostics), and others that span robotics, cleantech, medical devices, and advanced industrial hardware.