Pilgrim Secures $25 Million Seed Round for Defense Biotech

Pilgrim has successfully closed a $25 million seed funding round, pushing the Redwood City based biotechnology firm to a valuation of $150 million. The company, which is focused on creating advanced biological solutions for national security and defense applications, is spearheaded by founder Jake Adler.

A Diverse Investor Base

The funding round was led by Buckley Ventures. The cap table includes a notable cohort of technology leaders and venture firms, including Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam, Karim Atiyeh, Bryan Johnson, Paul Sciarra, and Peter Thiel. Additional participation came from Dylan Field, Charlie Songhurst, Cory Levy, Logan Graham, Sholto Douglas, The Chainsmokers, Conviction, and Cantos.

The Strategic Defense Pivot

The Scale Report understands that the influx of capital will allow Pilgrim to accelerate the development of its specialized defense biotechnology. As government interest in dual use technologies intensifies, this investment underscores a broader trend of Silicon Valley capital flowing into the modernization of national security infrastructure.

Historically, defense tech has struggled to attract venture interest due to long sales cycles and regulatory hurdles. However, the success of companies like Pilgrim suggests that elite investors are increasingly comfortable backing startups that blend high end biotech research with public sector contracting, signaling a shift in how early stage capital evaluates long term hardware and scientific risk.