Lux Capital

Lux Capital complete EDGAR entity structure and fund architecture

SEC EDGAR reveals Lux Capital corporate structure: Lux Capital Management LLC (CIK 0001592843, GP entity at 920 Broadway 11th Floor, New York NY 10010), fund entities: Lux Ventures II LP (CIK 0001592755), Lux Ventures IV LP (CIK 0001633331), Lux Venture Partners IV LLC (CIK 0001633332), Lux Co-Invest Partners LLC (CIK 0001722021), Lux Co-Invest Opportunities LP (CIK 0001722022), Lux Health Tech Acquisition Corp (CIK 0001823767, SPAC). 14 filings from management entity including SC 13D/13G ownership filings on public portfolio companies (Science 37, Recursion Pharma, Evolv Technologies). Co-invest vehicles suggest syndication deals alongside main funds.

Lux Capital FEC donations: leadership donates predominantly Democratic, contrasting Thiel-network VCs

FEC records show Lux Capital partners donate predominantly to Democrats, contrasting sharply with Founders Fund/8VC Republican alignment. Josh Wolfe (co-founder): $7K to Mark Warner (D-VA, 2025), $5.8K to Maggie Hassan (D-NH, 2022), $1K to Pat Ryan/Maria Cantwell, $2K to Pete Visclosky (D-IN, 2007). Peter Hebert (co-founder): $7K to Haley Stevens (D-MI, 2025), $7K to Eric Jones (D, 2025). Deena Shakir (partner): $7K+ to Ro Khanna (D-CA), $7K Jon Ossoff (D-GA), $7K Pat Ryan (D-NY), $5K Next 50 PAC. All ActBlue-routed. Combined identified Lux employee donations are exclusively Democratic. This positions Lux as the bipartisan bridge in defense-tech VC: they co-invest with Thiel/Founders Fund/a16z on defense companies while their leadership funds the opposing party.

Lux Capital lobbying: $240K+ via Invariant LLC on AI policy and China policy (2023-2024)

Senate LDA filings show Lux Capital retained Invariant LLC as lobbyist from Q2 2023 through Q3 2025. Reported amounts: Q2 2023 $30K, Q3 2023 $70K, Q4 2023 $30K, Q1 2024 $30K, Q2 2024 $30K, Q3 2024 $30K, Q4 2024 $20K = $240K total. Lobbying issues: Science/Technology (all quarters) and Foreign Relations (Q2-Q3 2023). Specific activities: 'Educate policymakers about artificial intelligence policy' and 'Educate policymakers about China related policy developments.' Lobbyists: Jennifer Jacoby, Joel Richard, Melanie Harris, Samual Love. Q1-Q3 2025 filings show continued engagement but no reported amounts. Invariant LLC is a well-connected DC lobbying firm.

Lux Capital fund scale: $1.5B Fund IX (Jan 2026) + $200M dedicated defense fund, total AUM approaching $7B

Lux Capital closed Fund IX at $1.5B in Jan 2026, their largest ever. Additionally raising $200M for Lux Defense Leaders, their first industry-specific vehicle dedicated entirely to defense tech. Prior funds include Lux Ventures II through VIII. Total AUM approaching $7B per MainStreet Media analysis. Founded 2000 by Josh Wolfe, Peter Hebert, Robert Paull. HQ: 920 Broadway, 11th Floor, New York NY 10010 with Menlo Park CA office. Key defense-tech portfolio: Anduril (seed investor 2017), Saildrone (Series A 2016), Hadrian (co-led $260M Series C with Founders Fund, Jul 2025), Astranis, Planet, Primer AI, Evolv Technologies, Echodyne.

Lux Capital defense portfolio: $102M+ traceable USASpending contracts across 6 portfolio companies (excluding Anduril billions)

USASpending analysis of Lux Capital's defense-tech portfolio companies reveals $102M+ in traceable government contracts (excluding Anduril, which has billions in classified/IDIQ contracts): Echodyne Corp $54.9M (16 contracts: State Dept counter-drone/Ukraine, CBP border radar, Navy, Air Force, NASA), Astranis Space Technologies $18.9M (7 contracts: Air Force protected comms satellites, NASA), Saildrone Inc $17.6M (20 contracts: Coast Guard maritime ISR, Navy, NOAA), Applied Intuition $5.8M (5 contracts: Army/Air Force sensor simulation, has dedicated govt subsidiary), Primer Technologies $4.5M (5 contracts: SOCOM social media monitoring, Air Force), Evolv Technologies $0.1M (1 contract: Army screening equipment). Agencies represented: DoD (Army, Navy, Air Force, SOCOM, MDA), DHS (Coast Guard, CBP), State Dept, NASA, NOAA, USGS, DOT/FAA, DOC. The State Dept $50M to Echodyne for Ukraine counter-drone operations is particularly notable for its scale and geopolitical significance.

Lux Capital complete fund genealogy from EDGAR Form D filings: 9 generations of funds (2000-2026)

EDGAR Form D filings reveal the complete Lux fund architecture across 9 generations, all Delaware LPs (except Cayman III): Lux Ventures II LP (CIK 0001592755), Lux Ventures III LP (CIK 0001534238, filed Nov 2011), Lux Ventures III Special Founders Fund LP (CIK 0001534241, filed Jan 2012), Lux Ventures Cayman III LP (CIK 0001569760, Cayman Islands E9, filed Feb 2013), Lux Ventures IV LP (CIK 0001633331, filed Feb 2015), Lux Ventures V LP (CIK 0001698008, filed Mar 2017), Lux Ventures VI LP (CIK 0001783918, filed Aug 2019), Lux Ventures VI Sidecar LP (CIK 0001783917, filed Aug 2019), Lux Ventures VII LP (CIK 0001864660, filed Jun 2021), Lux Ventures VII Entrepreneurs Fund LP (CIK 0001864659, filed Jun 2021), Lux Ventures VIII LP (CIK 0001970486, filed Apr 2023), Lux Ventures VIII Entrepreneurs Fund LP (CIK 0001970485, filed Apr 2023), Lux Ventures IX LP (CIK 0002090925, filed Dec 2025, $1.5B), Lux Ventures IX Entrepreneurs Fund LP (CIK 0002101310, filed Jan 2026). Also Lux Health Tech Acquisition Corp (CIK 0001823767, SPAC, EIN 852825321). GP entities: Lux Capital Management LLC (CIK 0001592843), Lux Venture Partners IV LLC (CIK 0001633332), Lux Co-Invest Partners LLC (CIK 0001722021), Lux Co-Invest Opportunities LP (CIK 0001722022).

Lux Capital was investor in FTX (now bankrupt); also invested in Hugging Face, Ramp, Yonder (disinformation detection)

LittleSis relationship data shows Lux Capital ownership positions in several notable companies beyond defense: FTX (Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange, filed for bankruptcy Nov 2022 in one of the largest financial frauds in US history), Hugging Face (leading open-source AI/ML platform, two separate ownership entries), Ramp (corporate fintech), Yonder/formerly New Knowledge (disinformation detection startup, invested 2018), Nervana (AI chip company acquired by Intel), Strateos (robotic cloud laboratory), EvolutionaryScale (AI for biological research), Planet (satellite imaging), 3scan (microscopy AI). The FTX investment represents a notable loss; the Hugging Face and Planet investments represent AI/space infrastructure plays. Yonder/New Knowledge is interesting given Lux's national security focus -- it was a disinformation detection company.

Lux Capital military-intelligence revolving door: former CIA Director, SOCOM Commander, and Navy acquisition chief as partners

Lux Capital has recruited three senior former military/intelligence officials as partners: (1) R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence (CIA Director 1993-1995), joined as Partner circa 2011. (2) Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III, former Commander of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), joined as Venture Partner in Jan 2020. (3) James F. Geurts, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RDA) -- the Navy's top procurement official -- joined as Venture Partner in Jan 2022. This represents a systematic pipeline from the highest levels of defense/intelligence leadership directly into a VC fund investing in companies that sell to those same agencies. Geurts in particular oversaw Navy R&D acquisition, then joined a fund that invests in Anduril, which sells autonomous systems to the Navy.

Lux Capital co-investment overlap map: Hadrian co-led with Founders Fund, shared investors across Anduril/Saronic/defense network

Lux Capital and Founders Fund co-led Hadrian's $260M Series C (Jul 2025), with a16z also participating. This is a direct co-investment between the two funds. Lux is also a seed/early investor in Anduril alongside Founders Fund and a16z. Portfolio company Saildrone competes in autonomous maritime domain with Saronic (backed by a16z, 8VC, General Catalyst -- not Lux). Evolv Technologies (EVLV, Lux portfolio) received government security contracts. Key co-investment overlaps: Lux + Founders Fund (Hadrian, Anduril, Erebor Bank), Lux + a16z (Hadrian, Anduril), Lux + 8VC (Anduril). Unlike Founders Fund and 8VC where the overlap is driven by shared founders (Thiel, Lonsdale), the Lux overlap is purely co-investment based.

Brett McGurk (Biden's top Middle East envoy) joins Lux Capital as Venture Partner, Feb 2025

Brett McGurk, former Deputy Assistant to President Biden and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, joined Lux Capital as Venture Partner in February 2025. McGurk served as Special Presidential Envoy under Obama and Trump, led the 80-nation coalition to defeat ISIS, and led secret negotiations with Iran for hostage releases. At Lux, he helps founders navigate international cooperation and defense-tech diplomacy. This adds to Lux's pattern of recruiting senior national security officials: CIA Director Woolsey (2011), SOCOM Commander Tony Thomas (2020), and now McGurk (2025). This bipartisan approach (Obama/Trump/Biden official) differentiates Lux from the partisan Thiel network.

SYSTEMIC: Lux Capital occupies unique bipartisan position in defense-tech VC ecosystem -- Democratic donors with Republican co-investors, bipartisan advisors spanning CIA/SOCOM/White House

Lux Capital occupies a structurally unique position in the defense-tech VC ecosystem. Unlike Founders Fund (Thiel, heavily Republican), 8VC (Lonsdale, Republican), or a16z (mixed but trending Republican), Lux leadership donates exclusively Democratic while co-investing with all three Republican-aligned funds. Key structural elements: (1) BIPARTISAN ADVISOR PIPELINE: Former CIA Director Woolsey (2011), former SOCOM Commander Tony Thomas (2020), former Biden Middle East envoy Brett McGurk (2025) -- spanning intelligence, military, and diplomatic leadership from both parties. (2) CO-INVESTMENT BRIDGES: Lux co-led Hadrian with Founders Fund, co-invested in Anduril alongside FF/a16z, led Erebor Bank round with FF/8VC/a16z. (3) DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL COVER: FEC shows Wolfe donates to Warner, Hassan; Hebert to Stevens; Shakir to Khanna, Ossoff. Combined with $240K lobbying on AI/China policy. (4) DEFENSE PORTFOLIO: $22M+ traceable government contracts across portfolio (Saildrone $17.6M, Primer $4.5M, Matterport $8K, plus untraceable Anduril billions). (5) SCALE: $1.5B Fund IX + $200M dedicated defense fund, approaching $7B total AUM. 9 fund generations since 2000. This makes Lux the connective tissue between the Republican-aligned Thiel defense network and the Democratic establishment -- a bridge investor that ensures defense-tech companies have political access regardless of which party controls government.

CORRECTION: LittleSis incorrectly lists James Geurts as Lux Capital Venture Partner; he is actually at Anzu Partners

LittleSis entity 271769 shows James F Geurts as having a position (Venture Partner) at Lux Capital since Jan 2022. However, web search confirms Geurts actually joined Anzu-Green Critical Technologies Fund as Venture Partner (announced Dec 2024). Geurts served as ASN RD&A (2017-2021) and Under Secretary of the Navy. The LittleSis data appears to be an error. Confirmed Lux Capital venture partners/advisors are: R. James Woolsey (CIA Director, since 2011), Gen. Tony Thomas (SOCOM, since 2020), Brett McGurk (Biden Middle East envoy, since Feb 2025), Robert Paull (co-founder), Zack Schildhorn, Thomas Reardon.