# Fontinalis Partners

Fontinalis Partners is a Venture Capital based in Detroit, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Detroit, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Detroit, MI, United States
- **Founded:** 2009
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** fontinalis.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/fontinalis-partners

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 161242
- **SEC file number:** 802-75804
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/161242

## About

Fontinalis invests in early-stage startups on the new frontiers of mobility, industrial innovation, and energy. Fontinalis backs ambitious founders building iconic companies. It partners as early as possible with ambitious founders who see around the curve.

## Sectors

- Mobility & Transportation
- Industrial Tech
- Energy Transition & Renewables

## Offices

- Boston, MA, United States

## People

- Chris Cheever — Founder & Managing Partner
- Laura Petterle — Managing Partner & CFO
- Chris Stallman — Managing Partner
- Dan Ratliff — Partner
- Ralph Booth — Founder Emeritus
- Bill Ford — Founder Emeritus
- Mark Schulz — Founder Emeritus

## Questions

### How does Fontinalis source proprietary deal flow?

Fontinalis was founded in Detroit with deep ties to Ford Motor Company and the automotive supply chain. The firm's origination advantage derives from a network of relationships across OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and fleet operators that generalist venture firms do not possess. Its Boston office provides a secondary node for sourcing from the robotics, AI, and advanced-manufacturing clusters in the Northeast.

### Does Fontinalis invest only in automotive-transportation companies?

No. While mobility anchors the thesis, Fontinalis explicitly invests in "horizontal" enabling technologies with applications that cut across transportation, industrial automation, and energy. The firm targets sensor systems, autonomy software stacks, electrification components, and logistics orchestration platforms that serve multiple end-markets rather than individual vehicle models or form factors.

### What investment stages does Fontinalis typically target?

Fontinalis targets pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds, positioning as an earliest-check partner. The firm states it leads, co-leads, or participates depending on the syndicate dynamic, which distinguishes it from passive seed investors that only follow priced rounds.

### How is Fontinalis related to Ford Motor Company or the Ford family?

Executive Chairman Bill Ford is a co-founder and holds the title of Founder Emeritus, but Fontinalis operates as an independent venture capital firm, not a corporate venture arm of Ford Motor Company. The firm's capital base and governance are separate from the automaker's balance sheet.

### Does Fontinalis disclose its assets under management?

No. Fontinalis does not publicly report AUM and has not disclosed fund sizes through regulatory filings, press releases, or its website. The firm's total capital base remains undisclosed.

## Related profiles

- [Fongit Seed Invest](https://altss.com/profile/fongit-seed-invest)
- [Fontus Capital](https://altss.com/profile/fontus-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:06:49.768Z

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