Two former employees of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company are striking out on their own with Actuate Ventures, a venture studio that specializes in supporting startups in the space industry and other deep-tech markets.
Actuate’s founding partners, Chris Le and Andrew Woodfield, set up shop less than a year ago — but the studio is already building up connections with collaborators, investors and entrepreneurs. This week, they’re participating in events at SF Tech Week, and they’re also in the midst of a campaign to create their first $25 million venture fund for investment.
Le said it’s not just about the money. “We think of ourselves as ‘co-founders in a box,’” he told me. “The venture studio model in particular is a hybrid. It’s like if an incubator and a VC had a baby. We’re here to be in it with you and help grow your company, and not just be a check in the door.”
