An Introduction to Spike Ventures

Overview:

Todd McIntyre invests in transformative technologies that move markets and improve lives—where deep science, hardware innovation, and human health intersect. With 25+ years as both investor and operator, Todd has built, funded, and scaled companies from inception through exit. He focuses on opportunities where differentiated intellectual property and disciplined execution can create lasting value.

Before joining Alumni Ventures as Managing Partner of Spike Ventures (Stanford alumni fund), Todd co-founded Grey Sky Venture Partners, a healthtech venture capital fund that linked equity investment with fund-owned intellectual property. He sourced investments, guided portfolio companies as board member and mentor, and managed a 500+ patent portfolio. Earlier, as Vice President of Business Development at Invention Science Fund, he helped incubate and fund several landmark deep-tech startups, including TerraPower, Kymeta, Evolv Technologies, Echodyne, and Pivotal Commware.

Todd also played a leading role in growing Microvision from a three-person startup to a publicly traded innovator in display and imaging, and founded Lumera Corporation, a spinout focused on optical and biotech device technologies.

Funds Actively Worked On:

• Spike Ventures
• Deep Tech Fund

Investment Lens:

Across healthcare, hardware, and deep tech, Todd backs founders who bring breakthrough ideas into reality. He looks for entrepreneurs who don’t just imagine the future—they engineer it, protect it, and scale it.

Todd’s investment lens emphasizes diversified venture portfolios: sector, stage, geography, and vintage. He has extensive experience negotiating and closing deals across the capital structure—from seed and early-stage ventures to M\&A and public financings. His track record spans pioneering work in healthtech, complex patent licensing transactions, and syndicating deals alongside top-tier venture firms.

Learn How To Invest In Companies In This Sector With Alumni Ventures:

Healthtech Fund>>>
Deep Tech Fund>>>

Alim is a Partner at Spike Ventures, AV’s fund for Stanford alums. Before joining AV, he worked at American Express Ventures and GE Ventures, focusing on enterprise, B2B, fintech and AI/ML investments. Prior to investing, Alim worked in tech at Google, where he generated revenue for advertisers and managed a $100M book of business. He also spent time at PayPal in product marketing and Instart Logic, a startup backed by a16z and KPCB, where he focused on business development and partnerships. He holds a BS in Business and Accounting from the University of Southern California where he graduated magna cum laude, an MS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Naren combines a technical engineering background with experience at startups and VC firms. Before joining AV, he worked with the investing team at venture firm Data Collective (DCVC) looking at frontier tech deals. Before that, he was a Program Manager at Apple and Tesla and has worked for multiple consumer startups. Naren received a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In his free time, he enjoys teaching golf to beginners and composing music.