Macroscopic Ventures (formerly Center for Emerging Risk Research / CERR, then Polaris Ventures) is a Swiss nonprofit based in Basel that makes grants and investments aimed at reducing existential risks and improving the quality of life for future generations, with a focus on AI safety. It is known as an early investor in Anthropic, participating in the company's Series A and Series B rounds.
80% of their portfolio is in AI. They made 1 investment in the last 12 months. Their most common stage is seed (40% of deals). Average disclosed round size is $74.7M (across 3 rounds with reported amounts).
Portfolio
3
Fund Size
—
Top Stage
Seed
Last 12 Mo
1
Team
Jonas Vollmer
Co-founder, Director
Jesse Clifton
Principal Researcher
Michael St. Jules
Grants Associate (Animal Welfare)
Nick Marsh
Grants Associate
David Althaus
Co-founder, Strategic Advisor
Ruairí Donnelly
Co-founder, President
Lisa Wolff
Operations Manager
Portfolio Breakdown
Stage Distribution
Investment Activity
Portfolio
Top Co-Investors
Last updated: 7 October 2026