There is a huge opportunity to transform manufacturing, but it’s an industry that can be difficult to get traditional VCs excited about. Not Matt— his deep experience with and excitement for digital manufacturing is unique among the investor community. We feel incredibly grateful to have partnered with Matt.
- Josh Gomes, Co-Founder and CEO, Parallel Fluidics
Matt has been a terrific investor, advisor, and partner for Xometry from our Series A through our IPO. His experience and participation were instrumental to help secure our early financings. Matt energetically helped recruit A-level talent, and he’s always provided thoughtful, well-reasoned, and timely advice on critical strategic topics and decisions. Matt is a good person, with high ethical and moral standards. You would be lucky to have him on your team.
- Randy Altschuler, Co-Founder and CEO, Xometry (NASDAQ: XMTR)
Matt has been a fantastic advisor, active board member, and an energetic contributor on multiple levels to Proto Labs…as a CEO, I would strongly recommend Matt as an investor and as a board member. I’d hire him without reservations. Here’s why: Matt is 100% honest and very principled. I never doubt his integrity. You can always have confidence that Matt is telling you the truth and that he is sincere. He works hard to find ways to contribute. You will find him understated, humble, and easy to get along with.
- Brad Cleveland, Former CEO of Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB)
Matt is an exceptional collaborator who adds value from day one. His expertise in manufacturing is unparalleled in the venture world, and he brings uncompromising integrity to everything he does. Working with Matt is truly a pleasure, and he’s an invaluable asset to any team.
- Drura Parrish, CEO and Co-Founder, Purchaser
Matt’s a great partner and we were thrilled to have him as an investor in our A round. His knowledge of digital manufacturing and experience set are unique. The clarity of his vision stands out and he’s right to focus on this, not just selfishly for us. We see his thesis clearly, but most VCs don’t. I have no doubt great founders will want to partner with him early. I’m excited to see what he builds with Praxis.
- Adam Keating, Co-founder and CEO of CoLab
Matt is a technology investor and entrepreneur, based in San Francisco. He is the Founder and General Partner of Praxis. Matt was an early investor and board member at Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB) and an early investor and advisor to Xometry (NASDAQ: XMTR). Matt also serves as a Senior Advisor to Vector Capital, where he was previously a Managing Director. Before Vector, Matt was a General Partner at North Bridge Growth Equity. Matt is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Put Me In!, a nonprofit that increases access to sports for children experiencing parental incarceration. Matt holds a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.
Matt Blodgett
Founder & General Partner
As a Principal at Praxis, Greg draws upon his deep background in product engineering and research to identify key investment opportunities and support portfolio companies. He has built and led teams spanning product, hardware, materials, and software engineering. Greg is an inventor on 8 patents, and his research and entrepreneurship experience crosses polymer chemistry, 3D printing, soft robotics, bioelectronics, and orthopedic devices. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Greg Ellson, Ph.D.
Principal
Dale is a serial entrepreneur and venture partner at Praxis Ventures, specializing in investments that bridge software, hardware, and marketplaces within advanced manufacturing. As the founder and former CEO of Mytide Therapeutics, he pioneered robotic biomimetic manufacturing, secured VC funding, and scaled the team to >25 professionals. Under his leadership, Mytide built a software marketplace tied to a robotic manufacturing system to deliver exceptional speed, quality, and customization for biotech and major pharmaceutical companies. Dale holds a PhD and an MEngM from MIT, as well as a BS from Maine Maritime Academy. His extensive Mechanical and Chemical Engineering background informs his multidisciplinary contributions across robotics, digital chemistry, renewable energy, and marine engineering. With over seven patents, several of his innovations have been licensed by industry leaders such as Tesla, Ambri, Cambrex (formerly Snapdragon), Amide Technologies, and Mytide Therapeutics. Dale currently resides in Boston, MA, where he continues to drive innovation in advanced manufacturing.
Dale Thomas, PhD
Venture Partner
As an Associate at Praxis, Alyssa works closely with the General Partner and Principal on all prospective investments, portfolio companies, and firm operations. Alyssa previously worked at Cooley LLP in Palo Alto (2022-2023), Covington & Burling LLP in San Francisco (2021), and at Stanford Medical School. She previously counseled or-profit and nonprofit entrepreneurs affiliated with Yale Ventures through the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Clinic at Yale Law School. Alyssa serves on three nonprofit boards focused on criminal justice reform and direct services for system-impacted communities. She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. in Legal Studies and Philosophy, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Alyssa Tamboura
Associate
David is an expert on machine learning for manufacturing and mechanical engineering. He has built and deployed machine learning systems for organizations spanning Fortune 50 companies to agile startups across diverse applications, from conceptual design to aerospace optimization. He holds a BS in Mechanical and Ocean Engineering from MIT and a PhD in human factors in engineering design automation from Singapore University of Technology and Design, where he explored the integration of ML into engineering and manufacturing. His postdoctoral research focused on inverse design through simulation-driven ML, accelerating innovation in engineering processes. David founded Engora, an early genAI startup for manufacturing workforce development.
David Anderson
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Scott is the Chief Technology Officer of Digital Manufacturing Systems. He is a software engineer with 27 years of technology and advanced manufacturing leadership experience, including 10 years at Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB), where he led software development and global technology services from 2007 to 2017. During this period, revenue and earnings increased by 14x+ and the company achieved a market capitalization of $2.5B
Scott Johnson
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Darnell is the Founder and CEO of Thurgood Industries. He is an alumnus of Yale Law School, Lincoln Technical Institute (CNC Machining and Manufacturing Technology), and Cornell University. While earning honors at Yale, in 2021, Darnell joined Praxis Ventures as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, enrolled in evening classes at a Connecticut trade school and proudly earned a diploma in Manufacturing Technology and CNC Machining in 2023. Darnell has been a featured speaker on the IMTS+ Main Stage and has been published in Slate Magazine, The New York Times, and the Harvard Blackletter Law Journal, among others.
Darnell Epps
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
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