8VC, the venture firm established by Joe Lonsdale — a Palantir co-founder — is rumored to muster a near $1 billion for their sixth venture capitalist fund, as filed in a regulatory report. This amount indicates a 14% uptick compared to their previous funding expedition that closed at $880 million in February 2023.
For a decade, 8VC has shown interest in over 600 companies like Asana, Flexport, hims & hers, and Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, to name a few. Lonsdale’s connection with the defense domain has attracted considerable attention, resulting in significant investments in that sector.
Back in 2022, 8VC showed its first support towards Saronic, a firm that manufactures robotic marine drones capable of surveillance. Speculation suggests the company is angling at raising $500 million, projecting a $3 billion valuation.
Similarly, 8VC is also invested in Overland AI, and autonomous vehicle firm catering to defense, and poised to be the “next great defense prime,” according to Lonsdale.
The firm also heavily involves itself in healthtech and life sciences, comprising over a quarter of 8VC commitments, including noted biotechs Senti Bio and Vir. Lonsdale relocated 8VC headquarters from Silicon Valley to Austin in 2020, appreciating the city’s ‘ideological diversity.’
With a rich resume boasting positions in PayPal, Clarium Capital, and co-founding Palantir and Addepar, Lonsdale’s expert maneuvering in raising capital continues to make headlines in the tech investment world.
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