Playground Global Fund IV

United States

Seed

About Playground Global Fund IV

Playground Global Fund IV is a $475M deep-tech fund closed $125M above its $350M target. Co-founded by Peter Barrett, Bruce Leak, Matt Hershenson, and Andy Rubin, the fund focuses on new compute architectures, semiconductor materials, terrestrial clean power, and AI-augmented science. Portfolio unicorns include PsiQuantum, Agility Robotics, Ayar Labs, d-Matrix, NextSilicon, Skydio, and Virta Health. MosaicML's $1.3B exit to Databricks is the marquee realisation. Total AUM over $1.6B.

Investment Focus

Location / RegionUnited States

Funding StageSeed

Industry Focus

Ai Ml

Deep Tech

Energy Tech

Robotics Automation

Semiconductors

Investor Signals Profile

active

Sweet Spot

Earliest-stage technical founder building impossible deep-tech at compute/biology/energy intersection

deep-tech

next-gen-compute

semiconductors

engineered-biology

energy-transition

automation

AI-augmented-science

synthetic-biology

programmable-matter

quantum-computing

Bullish Signals

$475M raised, $125M above targetblog

8 unicorns: PsiQuantum, Agility, Skydioblog

MosaicML $1.3B exit to Databricksblog

Expanding into engineered biology, automationwebsite

Explicitly earliest-stage investor in deep-techwebsite

Invests between improbable and impossiblewebsite

Biology now programmable, AI + syntheticwebsite

Portfolio creates categories, not fit themwebsite

Contrarian Signals

Deep-tech long timelines, slow DPIblog

Anti-consensus thesis may miss adjacent playsblog

Founder Do's

Build breakthrough compute, energy, or bio-tech

Target next-gen compute or novel architectures

Show 100x efficiency improvement thesis

Operate at science-to-company inflection point

Demonstrate programmable matter or bio platforms

Focus on improbable/impossible technical challenges

Deliver tangible ROI via automation/energy/biology

Founder Don'ts

Pitch pure software without hardware

Propose orbital data centre strategies

Ignore physical infrastructure fundamentals

Key GPs & Partners

Peter Barrett

Co-Founder & General Partner

deep-techcontrarianopinionated

Bruce Leak

Co-Founder & General Partner

deep-techex-Applehardware

Andy Rubin

Co-Founder

ex-foundertech-legendconnected

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Fund Overview

Fund Size$475M

Saves0

Website

Key People

Peter Barrett, Bruce Leak, Matt Hershenson, Andy Rubin

Peter BarrettCo-Founder & General Partner

Bruce LeakCo-Founder & General Partner

Andy RubinCo-Founder

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