PALAFOX VENTURES
Investing in the
Physical Future_
Early-Stage Venture
Capital
for Real-World
Technologies
Initial Checks
$500K–
$2M
STAGE
Post-Prototype/
Pre-Scale
FOCUS
Dual Use/Maritime/
Applied Intelligence
The Market has Shifted
For years, venture capital avoided hardware. Long development cycles, high capital requirements, and complex supply chains made real-world systems seem risky.
The most important technologies today—autonomous platforms, maritime systems, dual-use defense technologies—fail in deployment, not theory. Saltwater, contested environments, and operational edge conditions reveal what really works.
That is where value is created.
Modern manufacturing, digital supply chains, and AI have shifted the landscape. Physical AI now supports venture-scale outcomes. We invest where intelligence meets the real world in systems designed to sense, decide, and act under extreme conditions. The first company to deploy successfully often defines the category.
WHERE WE INVEST
Dual-Use Systems
Technologies that operate across commercial and defense environments. We back founders who can navigate these markets, build resilient systems, and deliver solutions that perform in demanding real-world conditions.
Marine Technologies
The ocean remains one of the world’s least digitized and most operationally complex environments. We invest in autonomous platforms, ocean sensing and monitoring, and maritime infrastructure and logistics. We focus on technologies proven in saltwater, contested environments, and challenging field conditions.
Medical Technology
Hardware-enabled AI systems that improve clinical outcomes, reduce costs, and expand access to care. From surgical robotics to diagnostics, we back technologies that make a measurable impact on how healthcare is delivered and experienced.
Built on
Real Execution
We have deployed capital and built an active early-stage portfolio across hardware, AI, and regulated markets:
INVESTMENTS
Follow-on rounds led by institutional investors
DEPLOYED
Companies scaling from early pilots to multi-million revenue
TEAM
Kelly Reeser
Founder & Managing Partner
Kelly Reeser is the Founder and Managing Partner of Palafox Ventures, where she leads investment strategy, capital deployment, portfolio construction, and fund operations. Through Palafox Fund I, she invests in early-stage companies developing physical AI, dual-use technologies, maritime systems, and industrial innovation.
Before founding Palafox, Kelly held leadership roles at Gain Venture Capital and TechFarms Capital, where she helped oversee TFC Fund I, managed SPVs, and sourced and supported early-stage investments. Earlier in her career, she helped build Northwest Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through FloridaWest, the Greater Pensacola Chamber, and Co, giving her a strong regional network and early access to emerging founders beyond traditional venture hubs.
We Want to
Hear from You
We welcome conversations with investors, founders, and strategic partners. We’re always open to meaningful introductions.