Grit is a community of technologists and builders with a
vision for a better future.
TEAM Members
Jennifer Gill Roberts
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Jennifer Roberts leads investments that are applying AI to the physical world, including industrial automation, advanced manufacturing and logistics.
Before founding Grit, Jennifer spent several decades as a technologist, repeat entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Jennifer started her venture career at top tier firm, Sevin Rosen Funds, where she co-led the telecom practice, investing in seed-stage market-leading companies in optical and wireless equipment including Ciena (NYSE:CIEN), Diamond Lane Communications (Nokia), Monterey Networks (Cisco), Lightspeed (Cisco), Sentient (Cisco), Metawave communications (MTWV), Everypath, Shomiti (Finisar), and Kabira (Tibco).
Jennifer is devoted to serving universities through formal and informal advisor roles. Jennifer chairs Grit's Academic Council and is on numerous Advisory Councils at the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, UC Santa Cruz, and Stanford.
As an early champion of women entrepreneurs, Jennifer co-founded Watermark in 1992. She has been dedicated to creating opportunities for women in technology ever since.
Jennifer has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and MBA from Stanford University and an M.S in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
About me:
I grew up in Berkeley in the 70s. In the 5th grade I learned Swahili, Transcendental Meditation, and had a pen pal at San Quentin Prison. I also hung out at the Lawrence Hall of Science where I learned entomology and coding.
My father was one of the original founders and VCs in Silicon Valley and he influenced my passion for technology and entrepreneurship. My parents are Texans and since my mother was a teacher, we spent every summer of my childhood in Houston, Galveston and East Texas.
I have three adult children. None of them have pursued technical or business careers. My husband and I have watched thousands of movies, so maybe we shouldn't be surprised that our son decided to become a screenwriter. I love to cook. Right now, I'm making every recipe in Gaby's three cookbooks. I also love biking, hiking and just enjoying nature. My husband and I are working our way through National Parks in the US.
Selected Current Investments
Industrial Automation: Agtonomy, Apptronik, Canvas, Diligent, Fleet Robotics, Renovate Robotics, RIOS, ViaBot
Manufacturing and Digital Transformation: OPT Industries
Physical AI: Integral, Second-Nature, Trustwise
Space: Cognitive
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Get in touch with Jennifer
Xiao Yin
Managing Partner
Xiaoming Yin is a Managing Partner at Grit Ventures, where she leads investments at the frontier of compute infrastructure, quantum systems, next-gen semiconductors, space technology, and industrial supply chains.
Before founding Grit, Xiaoming spent eight years at Lockheed Martin Ventures, where she led 26 investments across strategic domains including space technology, AI, autonomy, communications infrastructure, sensing, data analytics, quantum computing, and advanced materials. Her notable investments include IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Tempo Automation (NASDAQ: TMPO), DarwinAI (acquired by Apple), Ayar Labs, Atom Computing, and ABL Space Systems.
Earlier in her career, Xiaoming was a Fintech Associate at Pivotus Ventures, where she developed investment theses and product strategies for next-generation digital banking. She began her career as a Quantitative Analyst in Citigroup’s Option Market Making division, working at the intersection of technology and financial markets in the post-crisis era.
Xiaoming holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University, where her research was published in international journals and conferences. She also earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from Rice University.
Selected Past Investments
AI/Compute: Ayar Labs, Darwin AI (acq by APPLE), Mythic AI, Latent AI, Vayu Robotics (acq. by SERV)
Quantum: IonQ, Atom Computing, Lightsynq (acq by IonQ), Q-Ctrl
Space: Long Wall, Inversion Space, SatVu, Orbit Fab, Antaris Space
Manufacturing & Digital Transformation: Tempo Automation, Brelyon, Dust Identity
