Third Sphere

Third Sphere

Third Sphere was founded as Urban.Us in 2013 by Shaun Abrahamson, Stonly Baptiste, and Tim He, initially operating as a network of angel investors focused on urban technology before formalizing as a venture firm. Its origins in urban problems — congestion, energy consumption, building efficiency — gave it an early exposure to the convergence of software and physical infrastructure, a theme that now anchors its investment activity. The rebrand to Third Sphere signaled an expanded mandate beyond cities to the broader planetary systems that shape climate and resource economics. The firm is headquartered in New York. Third Sphere runs a concentrated early-stage strategy, typically leading or co-leading pre-seed and seed rounds with initial check sizes ranging from a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars. It reserves capital for follow-on investments into Series A and beyond. The portfolio spans software and hard-tech companies across energy transition, mobility, industrial automation, and the built environment. Known positions include BlocPower, which decarbonizes urban buildings; ChargerHelp!, which handles EV charging station maintenance; and Cove.Tool, a building-performance simulation platform. The firm invests primarily across North America, with portfolio companies operating in the United States and Canada. Its fund structure blends traditional LP commitments with a connector-network of founders and operators who contribute deal flow and sector expertise. Third Sphere manages an undisclosed amount of capital and does not publicly report assets under management. Its team size is not disclosed, though managing partners Shaun Abrahamson, Stonly Baptiste, and Tim He lead all investment decisions from the New York headquarters. In June 2024, Third Sphere hosted its second annual Credit Collective summit in New York, convening climate-tech lenders and growth-stage companies to address the financing gap between venture equity and infrastructure debt (per the firm, June 2024). Philanthropic or adjacent vehicles are not disclosed. Third Sphere's structural identity sits between a generalist seed fund and a deep-tech incubator: it sources companies through a thematic lens that requires physical-world insight — building codes, grid interconnection, urban land use — that pure software funds rarely cultivate in-house. This gives the firm an unusual ability to lead rounds in categories where technical due diligence demands fluency in both code and concrete. The partner group's tenure together since 2013 also provides a governance continuity uncommon among smaller climate managers.