Elementum Ventures

General Partners Ben Chelf, Ben Patterson, and Kurt Keilhacker collectively manage investment decisions. Each brings direct operating experience: Chelf co-founded and served as COO/CTO of Coverity, Patterson ran IT infrastructure at Stanford and advised the Coors family's 10k Investments, and Keilhacker co-founded over 50 companies through TechFund. Ted Callahan, the firm's co-founder, advises the partnership while holding a leadership role at Intuit.

Deal flow draws heavily from the partners' operating networks. Ben Patterson's advisory role with the 1517 Fund and 10k Investments provides university and family-office connectivity, while Kurt Keilhacker's European track record via TechFund Europe extends reach across the Atlantic. Ben Chelf's Stanford ties and Coverity alumni network further deepen the top-of-funnel. The firm does not publicly detail a centralized sourcing platform.

Elementum engages in both direct seed investments and fund commitments. Its portfolio includes direct stakes in companies like Anduril, Twelve, and Slingshot Aerospace, alongside fund commitments to the 1517 Fund and Sterling Road. This blended approach allows the firm to access deal flow through emerging managers while writing direct checks into companies where the partnership can add operational value.

Elementum focuses on early-stage companies, specifically at the seed stage. The portfolio ranges from pre-revenue technical startups like Circe (decarbonized chemical manufacturing) to post-launch growth stories like Loom. The firm's general partners typically engage from the first institutional round, reflecting their own experience as company builders.

The firm's portfolio demonstrates an emphasis on deep technology, including defense (Anduril), space infrastructure (Slingshot Aerospace), carbon transformation (Twelve), advanced computing (Fathom Radiant), and AI-driven enterprise tools (Loom). It also invests in platforms that improve communication and workforce productivity, indicating a broad mandate within technical sectors.