Andrew Woodfield and Chris Le are the co-founders of Actuate Ventures, a venture studio focusing on supporting startups in the space industry and other deep-tech markets. They recently left their positions at Blue Origin to start this venture. The studio has been successful in building connections with collaborators, investors, and entrepreneurs in a short period of time. Actuate Ventures is currently working to establish a $25 million venture fund for investment as well.
The founders describe Actuate Ventures as a ‘co-founders in a box’ venture studio, providing support and expertise to help grow companies beyond just financial funding. The venture studio model is a combination of an incubator and a venture capital firm, offering a specialized approach to supporting startups. Woodfield and Le bring their expertise in space ventures, biomedicine, materials science, and other deep tech areas to the table to guide companies towards solutions that benefit humanity.
Prior to their time at Blue Origin, Le and Woodfield worked on designing and developing products as well as creating user experiences. Now, they are leveraging their experience and space knowledge to build Actuate Ventures. The company initially started as a product studio called Exsai Technologies which now operates under Actuate Ventures. This product services firm provides de-risking models and services to portfolio companies, assisting with go-to-market strategies, website development, and more.
Actuate Ventures has multiple revenue streams, including investments in space startups and other deep-tech companies. They also offer services to help startups connect with external investors. The company is currently providing support to startups such as Orbital Composites, focusing on 3D printing technologies for aerospace, and Ultraview AI, developing an AI-based platform for drone inspections. Actuate Ventures plans to establish innovation hubs in Redmond, Orlando, and Denver, where incubator and accelerator programs will be offered.
The company operates as a remote-first organization with around 15 team members. Although technically based in Orlando, Actuate Ventures is building an ecosystem of experts known as the Future Council to provide guidance on various topics. While the company is currently bootstrapping its operations, it is utilizing the services of the product studio arm to maintain operations. Actuate Ventures is in its first full year of operation and is slowly ramping up its activities with the aim of achieving stable growth and success in the future.
Actuate Ventures is also involved in creating the “Let’s Actuate” podcast available on various platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. The podcast features discussions about the firm’s initiatives, founders, and the broader topics related to their expertise in space ventures and deep-tech industries. Overall, Actuate Ventures is focused on driving innovation, supporting startups, and contributing to the advancement of technology and humanity through its unique venture studio model.
