Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio has joined Tampa-based Florida Funders in investing in an Orlando space technology startup.
DiCaprio, who is known for starring in blockbuster hits like Titanic and Wolf of Wall Street, announced Monday he joined a slew of investors in NUVIEW, a geospatial-focused technology company.
Florida Funders, Industrious, Broom Ventures, Cortado, Liquid2, and Veto Capital are all investors, with Texas-based MaC Venture Capital leading the round for an undisclosed amount.
"We are thrilled to have Mr. DiCaprio's support and other environmental advocates onboard that share our NUVIEW values to address global environmental challenges," said Clint Graumann, CEO of NUVIEW, in a statement. "NUVIEW is committed to ensuring that our premier technology contributes to a more sustainable future for our planet."
The company is utilizing a light detection and ranging technology, using satellite constellations to produce representations of Earth down to a centimeter level. It is intended to bring a more accurate depiction of Earth, beyond standard satellite images and help fight climate change. According to TechCrunch, NUVIEW has now raised $15 million.
"NUVIEW's cutting-edge technology will set itself apart ... intending to improve our ability to monitor and protect the planet with much more accuracy," DiCaprio said in a statement. "This unprecedented dataset will help enable scientists, policymakers, and conservationists to make more informed decisions and uncover valuable new insights in climate science."
Florida Funders first announced its investment in NUVIEW in early May, when the company emerged from stealth mode. It is Florida Funders' first foray into the space technology world.
"I think all of us have grown up knowing space was the next frontier, and while there is massive opportunity, it is a very difficult 'space' to invest, having long time horizons, crazy valuations, and a ton of unknowns," said Ryan Whittemore, partner at Florida Funders, in an email to the Business Journal. "Precise mapping of the earth's surface is a big need commercially and for our government organizations, and we believe Nuview is poised to take this market. And it was very cool and validating to find out that a prolific angel investor such as Leo DiCaprio saw what we saw and has decided to invest alongside us and the lead MaC VC in this round."
