Cantos is a venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Ian Rountree, focused on backing deep-tech founders building critical infrastructure and advanced technologies outside traditional Silicon Valley domains. The firm invests at pre-seed through Series B in companies addressing three pillars: abundance (energy, food, shelter, health), resilience (critical infrastructure and ecosystem sustainability), and advantage (US competitiveness in defense and advanced manufacturing). Cantos writes initial checks into technical founders working on hard problems in space, defense, nuclear energy, robotics, climate tech, and advanced materials. The portfolio includes over 40 companies such as Astranis (satellite communications), Radiant Nuclear (modular reactors), Castelion (defense manufacturing), Solugen (sustainable chemicals), and Earth AI (mining automation). The firm operates from San Francisco and Los Angeles, with a concentrated, hands-on approach centered on supporting founders tackling existential challenges for democratic societies.

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