Peter Barrett
General Partner
Deep science, computing and technology-company formation
LinkedIn profile ↗United States / Direct investor
Playground: Deep tech, made real.
Engineering-led early-stage investing in next-generation computing, automation, energy and biology.
Connect NowFund III initial cheque, 2023$1M-$20M
ApproachEarliest stages
Fund IV, announced May 2026$475M
Published portfolio46 companies
01 / The fund
From scientific proof to useful products
Playground Global backs technical founders at the earliest stages, sometimes before a product or even a company name exists. Its investment focus spans next-generation computing, automation, energy transition and engineered biology. The firm combines investment work with engineering, product and company-building help. This support is not a promise of funding or a customer contract.
Fund IV was announced at $475M on May 18, 2026. A July 2, 2026 SEC filing records $475M sold for Playground Ventures IV. The announcement describes investing in new computing architectures, semiconductor materials and packaging, power systems, physical infrastructure and biotechnology. This is a named fund amount, not a fundraising target presented as already closed.
The $1M-$20M initial-investment range comes from the firm’s December 14, 2023 Fund III announcement, which described seed and Series A investments from that $410M fund. It is preserved as a dated Fund III range. A fresh numeric first-cheque range for Fund IV was not independently verified and is not inferred from Fund III.
Fund IV announcement ↗ · Fund IV SEC filing ↗ · Dated Fund III cheque range ↗02 / Portfolio
Explore by sector
46 companies in the current official published portfolio, not an all-time investment total. Sector groups below are DTT technology groupings. Historical acquired companies remain visible with their status. A merger, acquisition or public listing does not prove that the fund sold its entire holding for cash.
BioTech 10
AI-assisted drug discovery combining computational models with automated laboratory work.
Holding source ↗
RNA-editing medicines designed to change RNA without permanently changing DNA.
Holding source ↗
Antibody-discovery platforms based on the diversity of the human immune system.
Holding source ↗
Cyclic-peptide medicines designed to reach inside cells and potentially be taken orally.
Holding source ↗
High-throughput testing and AI design of biological medicines in living systems.
Holding source ↗
Programmable messenger-RNA therapies designed to target cancer and other diseases.
Holding source ↗
Antibody-drug conjugates that link targeted antibodies with cancer-fighting medicines.
Holding source ↗
High-throughput DNA-sequencing systems designed to lower the cost of reading genomes.
Holding source ↗Energy & Materials 4
Engineering systems that increase the output of existing nuclear reactors.
Holding source ↗
Electrochemical processes for producing iron and other metals with renewable electricity.
Holding source ↗
Underground imaging using cosmic-ray particles to map mineral deposits.
Holding source ↗
Long-duration offshore energy storage using pumped brine and marine structures.
Holding source ↗Physical AI 8
Humanoid robots designed to work in warehouses, logistics and manufacturing.
Holding source ↗
Robotic warehouse systems for storing, picking and fulfilling customer orders.
Holding source ↗
AI-based driver monitoring and fleet-safety technology.
Nexar and Nauto are now Empiric Earth. The July agreement alone was conditional; the current combined-company site confirms the new business.
Holding source ↗
Intelligent video-conferencing cameras, microphones and speakers for hybrid meetings.
Holding source ↗
Collaborative mobile robots designed to work alongside people in warehouses.
Holding source ↗
Industrial metal 3D printers and software for making complex, mission-critical parts.
The fund description retains a historical NYSE: VLD reference. That ticker is not presented as the current listing.
Holding source ↗Semiconductors 11
Optical connections that move data between chips using light instead of electrical signals.
Holding source ↗
AI-inference chips using in-memory computing to reduce data movement and power use.
Holding source ↗
Historical deep-learning software and accelerator technology acquired by Intel.
Linked to Intel’s historical acquisition-agreement notice, not a current standalone Nervana business. The fund’s portfolio labels it acquired.
Holding source ↗
Computing architectures designed to accelerate scientific and other high-performance software.
Holding source ↗
Low-power optical connections for moving data in AI and supercomputing systems.
Holding source ↗
Power-delivery chiplets for AI processors and other high-performance chips.
Holding source ↗
Superconducting computing systems designed to improve speed and energy efficiency at very low temperatures.
Holding source ↗
Electrochemical manufacturing of dense connections between semiconductor chips.
Holding source ↗
New computing approaches designed to make AI more energy efficient.
Holding source ↗
Vertical gallium-nitride power semiconductors designed to improve electrical efficiency.
Holding source ↗Quantum 3
Quantum-enhanced imaging and sensing, including technology for studying metabolism with MRI.
Holding source ↗
Quantum algorithms for solving materials-science and optimisation problems.
Holding source ↗Space Tech 1
Reusable rockets and manufacturing systems for launching payloads into space.
Holding source ↗Others 9
A connected scale that tracks signs of fluid changes in people with heart failure.
Holding source ↗
Deep links and measurement tools that connect mobile users with relevant application content.
Holding source ↗
Machine learning and enzyme engineering to improve photosynthesis in crops.
Holding source ↗
Tools for training and deploying AI models, now part of Databricks.
Databricks confirmed completion on July 19, 2023. Linked to the specific acquisition notice rather than an unrelated redirect.
Holding source ↗
Software that connects emergency services with data from phones, devices and other systems.
Holding source ↗
Flexible warehouse space, shipping and operating services for product-based businesses.
Holding source ↗03 / Team & connect
Investment team
Marissa Ramirez de Chanlatte
Principal
Quantum, advanced computing and robotics; Genesis Fund leadership
LinkedIn profile ↗
Matt Hershenson
Venture Partner
Life sciences, computing, robotics and company formation
LinkedIn profile ↗
Sasha Ostojic
Venture Partner
Automation, computing and portfolio technology strategy
LinkedIn profile ↗
These 15 people appear in the current official Investment category and have direct personal LinkedIn checks supporting their identity and role. Venture partners retain that title and are included where official biographies show investment focus, portfolio work or board responsibilities. Nicole Sonnert’s current header says Senior Associate; an older body-text title is not used. Technical, platform, finance and investor-relations-only staff outside the investment remit are excluded.
Official fund website ↗04 / Fund network
Limited partners
Two independently verified institutional LP relationships, with vehicle and date kept explicit. No individual personal LP was independently verified. A person’s investing job or a corporate customer relationship is not treated as proof of being a fund LP.
GlobalFoundries
Corporate LP: Fund IV, May 2026
GlobalFoundries explicitly identifies itself as a limited partner in Fund IV through GF Accelerate. The amount is not disclosed. A portfolio-company investment or commercial partnership alone is not used as LP proof.
Investor source ↗New Mexico State Investment Council
Public commitments: named vehicles, 2023 and 2025
The official 2025 venture-program report lists $35M to Playground Ventures III and Leader Fund in March 2023. June 2025 entries separately list $50M for Playground Next-Gen Compute: New Mexico and $35M for Fund IV and Leader Fund II. These are commitments, not a statement that all capital has been paid in or that the whole $85M went into Fund IV.
Investor source ↗