Overwater Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm supporting the next generation of founders in human and planet health. The firm makes strategic investments in early-stage companies that are pushing the boundaries of biology, healthcare, AI, robotics, climate tech, and the future of food. At its helm as Founder and Managing Partner is Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate Kristina Simmons.

Simmons is a former partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Chief of Staff and Investor at Khosla Ventures.

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“Some of the greatest innovation, with the highest potential for societal and economic impact, is happening in digital health, biotech, and climate right now," Simmons told Businesswire. “I created Overwater to help founders more easily bridge the gap between a successful technology and a scalable business that people love.”

On April 12, 2023, Overwater was excited to announce the close of its $20 million inaugural fund. Simmons has said that the company’s mission is to “create a firm that entrepreneurs associate with industry-disrupting breakthrough companies.”

Overwater’s Fund I has already invested in a number of portfolio companies that reflect its mission, including Overstory, a company that successfully reduced power outages and wildfires thanks to its analysis of over 500 million hectares of land; fertility based companies Conceive, which has helped 64% of its users to become pregnant within 6 months; and Overture Life, which is focused on egg freezing and IVF. Overwater’s portfolio also includes Zero Acre Farms, which launched a cooking oil made by fermentation to reduce deforestation and improve human health and recently announced an investment from Chipotle; and Prose Foods, which is focused on building a protein discovery platform for healthier and more sustainable foods.

Simmons’s first big break came after sending Lululemon a presentation explaining why it should launch an e-commerce business, only to be rejected. Undeterred, she flew to Vancouver and convinced the then brick-and-mortar-focused retailer’s CEO to take a meeting in 2008. She then served in various social media, marketing, and digital roles, eventually leading its emerging products group before moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 2013 for a job at Andreessen Horowitz as a young investor. She launched Overwater Ventures in 2021.