Material Impact is a Boston based venture capital firm founded in 2016 by scientist entrepreneurs Carmichael Roberts and Adam Sharkawy, who remain its Co-Founders and Managing Partners. The firm invests at inception in deep tech companies powered by material science innovation, positioning itself as first money in and building companies alongside founders rather than simply financing them. Its focus spans sustainable manufacturing, transportation, data storage, food and water, biomanufacturing, and robotics, with a stated mission of keeping the world healthy, safe, fed, warm, powered, and secured. The firm states over 700 million dollars in assets under management across three funds. Fund II, an oversubscribed 200 million dollar vehicle, was announced in June 2020, and an oversubscribed 352 million dollar Fund III closed in November 2023, at which point the firm counted about 30 portfolio companies. Material Impact is a certified B Corporation, which is unusual among venture firms. Portfolio companies include Nauticus Robotics, which went public on Nasdaq in September 2022 through a SPAC merger and in which the firm has reported a stake of about 25 percent, along with AgZen, Oxipital AI, and Foundation Alloy. Chemist George Whitesides serves as Chief Scientific Advisor.
Portfolio company Nauticus Robotics went public on Nasdaq in September 2022 through a SPAC merger with CleanTech Acquisition Corp, with Material Impact remaining a major shareholder.