Keystone Innovation Fund II, a partnership between 1855 Capital, White Rose Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA, is proud to announce that it has invested in Surface Design Solutions, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company bringing artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing. The investment marks Keystone Innovation Fund II’s first commitment to a new portfolio company since the fund’s first close earlier this year—an exciting milestone as the fund begins deploying capital into the next generation of Pennsylvania technology companies.
Surface Design Solutions is commercializing technology developed at the University of Pittsburgh, using physics-informed machine learning to analyze and optimize the surfaces of manufactured parts. Its software helps manufacturers measure surface quality with a consistency and precision that traditional inspection can’t match—so they can raise quality, reduce waste, and get more out of the equipment they already run. Founded by University of Pittsburgh researcher Tevis Jacobs, the company pairs deep scientific research with a clear, practical value proposition for the factory floor.
For Keystone Innovation Fund II, the investment is a natural expression of the fund’s thesis: backing exceptional founders building high-growth technology companies across Pennsylvania, with a return-first approach and a commitment to long-term value creation in the Commonwealth. Surface Design Solutions also extends the fund’s reach into Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania—another step in the new fund’s mission of turning regional momentum into statewide acceleration.
“We started Keystone Innovation Fund II to back the kind of exceptional, research-driven founders that Pennsylvania produces, and Surface Design Solutions is exactly that,” said Keystone Innovation Fund II Partner Alec Galanti. “Tevis and his team are solving a real, hard problem for manufacturers, and we’re thrilled to support them as the fund’s first new portfolio investment.
“Our pre-seed was about building the technology and proving product-market fit, and our Series A will be about scaling aggressively—this Seed round is the bridge, establishing the proof points and repeatable, scalable processes that get us there. We’re thrilled to welcome Keystone Innovation Fund II as we make this transition,” said Surface Design Solutions CEO Tevis Jacobs.
Keystone Innovation Fund II looks forward to supporting the Surface Design Solutions team in the years ahead, and to sharing more new investments in the months to come.
About Surface Design Solutions
Surface Design Solutions, Inc. is a Pittsburgh-based software company applying physics-informed machine learning to industrial surface metrology, helping manufacturers improve quality and efficiency.
About Keystone Innovation Fund II
Keystone Innovation Fund II, L.P. is an early-stage venture fund managed by White Rose Ventures and 1855 Capital, in partnership with Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA, backing high-growth technology companies across Pennsylvania from the earliest stages with a return-first approach.