BlueYard Capital
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BlueYard is what happens when former Earlybird partners decide to bet the farm on civilization ending or reaching utopia - and somehow nail the timing on both fronts. Their first fund's 76% gross IRR and 3.4x DPI speaks for itself, driven by getting into crypto in 2016, AI chips in 2018, and defense tech in 2023 when everyone else thought these spaces were radioactive. They're genuinely 'fluent in weirdness and volatility' - this isn't marketing speak. If you've been told you're 'too early, not big enough, or not in their category,' they literally want you to call them. The partners actually do deep technical diligence and aren't afraid to lead rounds in spaces that make other VCs uncomfortable. Fair warning: they're genuinely contrarian, so if you're building something obvious or looking for validation, this isn't your fund.
- —Best for: Technically ambitious founders building 'radioactive' or misunderstood technologies
- —Watch out for: They genuinely mean it when they say no obvious startups - prepare for deep technical grilling
- —Known for: Exceptional early-stage conviction and 76% IRR track record on impossible-seeming bets
BlueYard invests in only two kinds of technologies: those that move us toward utopia, and those that hold the line against oblivion, backing n-of-1 visions for an era of Black Swans—unconventional companies solving civilization-scale problems that others dismiss as too early, too risky, or too misunderstood. Their expanded thesis: backing founders building the interconnected elements that can become the fabric of our future, where markets are open and decentralized, planetary challenges are solved, knowledge and data is liberated, and humanity can live long and prosper.
Pre-seed ($250K-$500K) to seed ($1M-$5M+) with selective Series A follow-ons, typically $500K-$5M initial checks. Portfolio spans computation/AI chips, crypto infrastructure, defense/aerospace, biotech, quantum computing - specializing in spaces others find radioactive: crypto in 2016 when synonymous with crime, AI chips in 2018 before transformers, defense post-Ukraine backing hypersonic missiles.
Co-founder of BlueYard with background at Earlybird Venture Capital as Partner. His pre-BlueYard investments include Peak Games (sold to Zynga for $1.8B) and Wunderlist (acquired by Microsoft), generating 4.8x DPI and roughly $500M in cash proceeds.
Co-founder alongside O'Leary, former Managing Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital. Like O'Leary, his pre-BlueYard track record includes the Peak Games and Wunderlist wins that generated significant returns. Known for being deeply engaged with technical founders and civilization-scale thinking.
Former Wunderlist CTO who joined in 2021 to manage BlueYard's crypto funds. Deep credibility in open-source community as co-founder of Ruby Central and RailsConf organizer, plus accomplished avant-garde jazz saxophonist who founded Mahakala Music label in 2019.
Joined mid-Fund 2, brought portfolio of AI infrastructure deals including chipmaker Groq and quantum computing startup IonQ. His angel investments before joining had 5.4x DPI profile, though he unfortunately sold Groq shares for $5B in December before the Nvidia licensing deal.
Newest GP who joined in 2025, formerly co-founder and CEO of European logistics company Forto. Operational background brings different perspective to the partnership's technical and crypto-heavy composition.
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