Kirenaga Partners

David Scalzo, the firm's founder and Managing Partner, leads all investment decisions. Scalzo spent over two decades at KLA-Tencor in semiconductor imaging and metrology before transitioning to venture capital in 2013. His technical background in computer vision and sensor systems directly shapes the firm's hardware-aware diligence process. Kirenaga does not publicly list additional investment partners or a formal investment committee beyond Scalzo.

Kirenaga sources deals primarily through its embedded position in Central Florida's agricultural technology community, including relationships with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, local citrus cooperatives, and USDA-backed robotics initiatives. The firm leverages Scalzo's semiconductor network to identify imaging and sensor startups before they enter mainstream venture pipelines. A portion of deal flow also originates from Israel's ag-tech ecosystem, where Scalzo maintains ties dating to his KLA-Tencor tenure.

Kirenaga concentrates on seed and Series A rounds, occasionally entering at the pre-seed level for companies emerging from university labs or USDA research programs. The firm writes equity checks and convertible notes, typically as a lead or co-lead investor. Late-stage or growth-equity rounds fall outside Kirenaga's mandate, reflecting a deliberate early-entry posture designed to influence technical roadmaps before founders commit to product architecture.

Kirenaga maintains a strict ag-tech and industrial automation mandate and does not invest in consumer internet, enterprise SaaS lacking a physical-world interface, fintech, biopharma, or pure-play software without an imaging or robotics component. The firm has publicly stated that any deal without a defensible hardware layer — sensor, camera, actuator — fails its initial diligence screen. This hardware gatekeeper rule excludes the majority of generalist venture opportunities.

Kirenaga is structured as a classic venture capital firm, not a family office, though its lean team and concentrated portfolio give it the operational cadence of a principal-driven investment office. The firm raises capital from external limited partners, distinct from a single-family pool. Its fund-close history and AUM are not publicly disclosed, a posture consistent with sub-institutional managers operating outside major coastal fundraising circuits.

Kirenaga has historically led or co-led rounds rather than participating as a passive co-investor inside another manager's syndicate. The firm's technical diligence requirements — particularly hardware architecture reviews — favor active lead roles where Scalzo or his technical advisors can engage directly with founding teams. External GP co-investments, where Kirenaga lacks board access or due-diligence independence, are rare.

Kirenaga is a recognized investor within the Plant City agricultural robotics cluster, a USDA-backed initiative aimed at building automation, sensing, and AI capabilities for the Florida strawberry and specialty-crop industries. The firm's proximity to this cluster provides technical validation and customer-access pathways for portfolio companies like Harvest CROO Robotics. This USDA affiliation, while not a formal partnership, reinforces Kirenaga's franchise as a locally embedded technical capital provider.