From discovery to company

The journey from scientific discovery to a company that changes an industry is rarely straightforward—and rarely funded.

Over the next decade, the most important companies will emerge from advances in biology, materials, and computation. Yet the system to translate these breakthroughs is broken. Most capital arrives too late, and most institutions are not built to commercialize foundational science.

1955 Capital focuses on this translational gap—investing before markets are obvious and working closely with founders, scientists, and innovators to turn early discoveries into real companies.

Led by Andrew Chung, formerly General Partner at Khosla Ventures and investor at Lightspeed Ventures, the firm was founded in 2016 on the conviction that the defining companies of the next era are being created today—often from science that traditional investors overlook.

We partner from the earliest stages to shape technology, build teams, and accelerate the path from lab to scale. This thesis-driven, operator-led approach has led to top-quartile performance since inception and partnerships with leading global investors.

Frontiers we focus on

ENERGY &
infrastructure

Transforming how energy and industrial systems are built and operated. We invest across power, infrastructure, and materials—enabling more efficient, scalable, and resilient systems, from next-generation batteries to industrial processes.

biology & human HEALTH

Advancing the next generation of biological and health platforms. We focus on diagnostics, therapeutics, and programmable biology—enabling earlier detection, more precise treatments, and entirely new capabilities in human health.

FOOD
& resources

Feeding the world sustainably requires rethinking how food and resources are produced at scale. We invest in foundational technologies—from alternative proteins to agricultural systems and water infrastructure—that enable more resilient global supply chains.

COMPUTATION & INTELLIGENCE

Applying advances in computation to real-world systems. We back AI, robotics, and data-driven platforms that unlock new capabilities across physical and biological domains.