Rising Tide

For over four decades, Rising Tide has been a fixture in Silicon Valley's venture ecosystem, guided first by founder Dr. Ossama Hassanein and now by Partner Brent MacDonald. The firm has evolved from early SaaS investments into a focused deep tech investor, backing companies that leverage computational tools to reshape large swaths of the global economy. Understanding NRR and why top quartile exceeds 120% is valuable for any founder.

This guide dives into Rising Tide's current investment thesis, their portfolio of companies like Astranis and Kraken, typical deal sizes, and what founders should know before pitching the Pacifica-based firm. Whether you're building a satellite communications company or a biotech platform, understanding Rising Tide's specific approach will improve your odds of securing a meeting.

Unlike newer funds that chase the latest trend cycles, Rising Tide maintains a consistent focus on technological inflection points. The firm looks for companies building at the intersection of computational breakthroughs and large vertical markets — areas where software can address problems that were previously intractable.

Rising Tide operates from 690 Roberts Road in Pacifica, California, but their portfolio spans companies across the United States and internationally. The firm's stage-agnostic approach means they can participate in early seed rounds as easily as Series B investments, though they maintain particular enthusiasm for opportunities where the founding team demonstrates rare technical depth.

The venture landscape has changed dramatically since Rising Tide's founding, but the firm's core thesis remains intact: back visionary founders who are building the next generation of category-defining companies, and provide them with the capital and network access to execute on ambitious visions.

Rising Tide invests in the fastest-growing subsectors of the market, focusing on startups committed to building eminently successful enterprises. Their thesis centers on identifying companies at technological inflection points where software and computational tools can address previously intractable problems. Understanding unit economics and LTV:CAC is valuable for any founder.

The firm seeks out visionary companies breaking barriers and creating new markets, with particular emphasis on those leveraging technological advancements in big data analytics, computer-aided design, optical sensors, mobile applications in vertical markets, and community-connected networks and services.

Rising Tide's investment approach is deliberately stage-agnostic. They participate across the seed-to-Series B spectrum, though deal flow often concentrates around companies that have achieved meaningful technical validation. Their partner Brent MacDonald frequently writes about AI-powered applications in financial markets, signaling the firm's continued interest in AI-enabled transformation across industries.

The firm prefers to lead or co-invest alongside other trusted investors, bringing both capital and operational guidance to portfolio companies. Their network, built over four decades of investing, provides founders with meaningful access to subsequent financing sources and strategic partnerships.

What sets Rising Tide apart is their patience and long-term orientation. Unlike押注 rapid exit funds, Rising Tide has demonstrated willingness to support companies through extended development cycles — a crucial factor for deep tech companies building transformative but time-intensive technologies.

Rising Tide has maintained consistent deal flow through recent market cycles, with their portfolio companies raising successive rounds from top-tier investors. The firm's stage-agnostic positioning allows them to be selective while remaining active across market conditions. Understanding healthcare financial benchmarks is valuable for any founder.

Astranis, one of Rising Tide's most prominent portfolio companies, recently closed a $450 million Series E (May 2026), bringing total capital raised to over $1.2 billion. The satellite broadband company exemplifies the type of ambitious, capital-intensive venture Rising Tide supports through extended development periods.

The firm's blockchain portfolio — including Kraken and Bitnomial — has navigated the crypto market's volatility with strategic positioning. Kraken has diversified beyond its exchange roots into staking, custody, futures, and tokenized assets, while Bitnomial focuses on regulated crypto derivatives.

Rising Tide's healthcare and biotech investments, including Unnatural Products (AI-designed synthetic macrocycle drugs), Aspect Biosystems (3D bioprinting therapeutics), and TAE Life Sciences (cancer treatment via BNCT), reflect their interest in computational approaches to hard scientific problems.

In enterprise software, Portfolio companies like Enable (B2B rebate management), Parade (freight tech/logistics digitization), and ALICE Technologies (construction AI scheduling) demonstrate Rising Tide's thesis about software transforming traditional vertical markets.

The firm's average round size of approximately $12 million positions them as meaningful contributors to Series A and Series B rounds, while remaining flexible enough to participate in earlier stages when opportunities warrant.

Rising Tide's portfolio spans deep tech, blockchain, healthcare, and enterprise software — unified by technological differentiation and large market opportunity. Three companies particularly illustrate the firm's investment thesis.

Astranis builds the world's most advanced satellites for high orbits, with their MicroGEO product offering dedicated satellite broadband to underserved markets. The company raised over $1.2 billion total, including a $450M Series E in 2026, positioning them to connect the next four billion people to the internet.

Kraken is one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, offering trading, staking, custody, and futures services across global markets. Rising Tide's early support for Kraken reflects their willingness to back category-defining companies in nascent industries.

Unnatural Products represents Rising Tide's interest in AI-driven biotech. The company uses AI to design synthetic macrocycle drugs — a frontier in pharmaceutical development that combines computational biology with traditional drug development.

Other significant portfolio companies include: Parade (supply chain digitization), Ayar Labs (optical I/O for AI data movement), Twelve (CO2 electrochemistry conversion), Exo Imaging (medical ultrasound imaging), Enable (B2B rebate management platform), OneChronos (AI-powered alternative trading systems), Aspect Biosystems (3D bioprinting for cell therapy), and TAE Life Sciences (cancer treatment technology).

The firm's portfolio also includes consumer-facing brands like Brave (privacy-focused browser), Dapper Labs (creator of NBA Top Shot), and gaming companies alongside deep technical infrastructure plays.

Rising Tide evaluates potential investments based on technological differentiation, founder depth, and market scale. The firm looks for companies where technical advantages create durable competitive moats rather than temporary pricing benefits.

Founder quality is paramount. Rising Tide seeks entrepreneurs with deep domain expertise and the ability to recruit world-class technical talent. For deep tech companies especially, the founding team's scientific or engineering credibility directly impacts ability to raise subsequent rounds and attract partnership opportunities.

Market opportunity must be substantial. Rising Tide gravitates toward companies addressing billion-dollar markets with software-enabled solutions. They prefer opportunities where achieving product-market fit naturally leads to large revenue scale rather than requiring fundamental business model pivots.

Competitive positioning matters significantly. Rising Tide wants to see clear moats — proprietary technology, exclusive data assets, or network effects that protect market position over time. Companies with sustainable differentiation tend to attract follow-on investment and resist competitive encroachment.

Financial preparedness is expected. Even early-stage companies should understand their unit economics, customer acquisition costs, and path to profitability or the next milestone. Rising Tide scrutinizes founder assumptions and challenges projections against realistic market dynamics.

Scalability is a key determinant. The firm prefers business models that achieve leverage — where revenue growth outpaces cost growth, and where software components generate high-margin recurring revenue metrics.

Reaching Rising Tide requires a strategic approach. The firm evaluates thousands of opportunities annually, so making your pitch stand out is essential for securing a meeting.

Warm introductions remain the most effective path. Founders who come recommended by Rising Tide portfolio CEOs, co-investors, or respected members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem consistently receive priority consideration. Building relationships with the firm's investment partners before formally pitching increases conversion rates substantially.

Rising Tide accepts direct inquiries through their website at rtf.vc. When cold-contacting the firm, ensure your pitch deck is polished and your value proposition is immediately clear. Lead with what makes your company technically distinctive and why your team is uniquely positioned to execute.

Before meetings, prepare thoroughly. Rising Tide will dig into technical architecture, market assumptions, and competitive dynamics. For deep tech companies especially, expect detailed questions about your computational approach and why existing solutions cannot achieve similar outcomes.

Follow-up discipline matters. Rising Tide's investment process typically spans several weeks from initial meeting to decision. Maintain communication without being intrusive — send milestone updates and significant progress indicators to keep your opportunity top-of-mind.

Building long-term relationships with Rising Tide pays dividends even beyond immediate fundraising. The firm maintains active engagement with their founder network, creating value through introductions, co-investment opportunities, and strategic advice across multiple financing rounds.

While Rising Tide invests across stages, they expect founders to demonstrate financial rigor. Understanding burn rate, runway, unit economics, and realistic paths to profitability signals operational maturity that correlates with execution capability.

First-time founders often underestimate financial preparedness's importance in fundraising. Investors want assurance that you understand how capital will be deployed and what milestones your company can achieve with available resources.

Working with a fractional CFO improves your fundraising positioning substantially. Professional financial guidance helps you build credible projections, prepare investor-ready financials, and confidently navigate due diligence questioning.

Our team has helped numerous deep tech and enterprise software companies raise venture capital. We understand what investors like Rising Tide look for in financial presentations and can help you build materials that withstand rigorous scrutiny.

Financial projections should be grounded in evidence and stress-tested against downside scenarios. Rising Tide will challenge your assumptions — being prepared to defend your forecasts with data rather than optimism strengthens your position considerably.

Understanding your KPIs and being able to explain trend patterns in your metrics demonstrates operational fluency. The best founders track dozens of metrics but can articulate the two or three that matter most to their business's trajectory.

Whether you're preparing to pitch Rising Tide or other top-tier deep tech investors, professional financials set you apart from founders who present optimistic projections without analytical rigor. Our team understands what distinguishes successful fundraises from failed ones.

Exploring other venture capital firms? Our comprehensive collection of VC firm reviews covers investors across all stages and sectors, from seed funds to growth equity.

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Finding the right investor for your startup is one of the most consequential decisions you'll make as a founder. Take time to understand each firm's specific thesis before reaching out.

Our guides cover established firms like Rising Tide as well as emerging managers who may offer better fit for your company's specific stage and sector focus.