Bison Ventures

AI is evolving, but making it truly scalable requires cost-effective, efficient models. On Fox Business Network, Ben Hemani shared how we’re investing in companies tackling this challenge—like Zyphra, which is developing next-generation AI models that run on-device without the need for massive data centers. Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gv8KDQ7r

Today, we are excited to announce our investment in Frontera Health as part of its $32M Seed round. Frontera is applying AI to improve autism care by integrating advanced digital phenotyping technology into clinical workflows—enhancing diagnostic accuracy, reducing administrative barriers, and expanding access to high-quality treatment. Led by Amol Deshpande, Frontera combines cutting-edge AI with a deep understanding of where and how to deploy it, driving real impact for families and clinicians alike.

We are thrilled to announce that Caleb Appleton has been promoted to Partner at Bison Ventures. Congrats, Caleb!

The future of agriculture is being shaped by automation—and vision-based autonomy is a game changer. As our own Tom Biegala told The Wall Street Journal, Bonsai Robotics' approach has the potential to transform how specialty crops are grown. By replacing costly, complex navigation systems with advanced computer vision, Bonsai is making automation more accessible, scalable, and effective for growers.We’re excited to support Tyler Niday, Ugur Oezdemir, and the Bonsai team as they build the future of orchard operations. Read more in the WSJ: https://lnkd.in/gGPgvse6

We’re pleased to announce our lead investment in Bonsai Robotics, a company redefining orchard operations with groundbreaking vision-based autonomy. Co-founders Tyler Niday and Ugur Oezdemir bring a unique blend of agricultural expertise and technical innovation, tackling one of the industry’s biggest challenges: labor shortages. By leveraging affordable, camera-based technology — instead of traditional GPS or costly LiDAR systems — Bonsai empowers growers to operate more efficiently and sustainably. At Bison Ventures, we’re passionate about backing solutions that bridge technological breakthroughs with pressing commercial needs. Bonsai Robotics is doing just that, building the operating system for the future of specialty crop farming. We’re excited to support Tyler, Ugur, and the Bonsai team as they lead the charge in transforming how food is grown, harvested, and managed.

In his op-ed for Crunchbase, Caleb Appleton explores the importance of revenue-focused platforms in life sciences and shares a framework founders can use to decide whether or not to pursue a therapeutics pipeline. As Caleb writes, “The focus on revenue is what ultimately drives long-term success in this space.” This mindset aligns with how we approach growth at Bison Ventures—prioritizing sustainable results and lasting impact. Don’t miss the full article here: https://bit.ly/3WCi4DJ

Great piece from The Wall Street Journal?and Brian Gormley shedding light on the real potential of AI in healthcare. We had a great convo breaking down our POV and why we're proud to work with the likes of Vivodyne, which is using proprietary data and AI to solve some of healthcare’s toughest challenges. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gcr-_eTN

We’re proud to announce our founding investment in Cadstrom.io, a Montréal-based company revolutionizing printed circuit board (PCB) design. Led by Margot Blouin and Scott Bright, Cadstrom employs generative AI grounded in first-principles physics to help engineers design PCBs correctly on the first attempt. This innovation has the potential to significantly reduce development timelines and costs. At Bison Ventures, we believe in the transformative power of AI in the physical world. Cadstrom's approach exemplifies this by enhancing engineers' capabilities, leading to more efficient and accurate hardware design. We’re excited to support the Cadstrom team as they reshape the future of hardware development. #Cadstrom #HardTech #AI #PCBDesign #VentureCapital

In this weekend's episode of Soft Robotics by IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Caleb Appleton speaks to Marwa ElDiwiny on where he sees the most opportunity in robotics, the challenges in deep tech timelines, how he evaluates the potential success of a new technology, and more. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gwd4wrKZ

Great to see Cobot - Collaborative Robotics, Inc on stage at re:Invent and the continued momentum for Proxie.