Robert G. Hisaoka
About Robert G. Hisaoka
Robert G. Hisaoka graduated from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in 1979. He began as a CPA at a large local accounting firm. He then moved into retail automotive, where he co-owned and operated some of the largest dealerships in the country.
After selling several dealerships in 2006, he focused on investing in private companies with disruptive technology, and on philanthropy. Maryland Smith lists him as chairman and CEO of RGH Capital and a partner in a group of automotive dealerships. He is also chairman of the Inova Health Foundation and founder of the Joan Hisaoka "Make A Difference" Gala for people living with cancer.
He has said he uses his tax, accounting and auditing background to understand a business and its industry. He has also said that philanthropy is what drives his startup investing.
Maryland Smith describes him as an active angel and venture investor who sits on the boards of several startups. It names board roles at Sionic Mobile, Precise Target, Mars Reel and Mplex, a board observer seat at Mint House, and a past board seat at Hungry Marketplace.
PitchBook lists 10 investments from 2014 to 2024, and NFX Signal lists seven. Technical.ly reported that he led the $10M Series C1 for the catering marketplace Hungry in 2023. He has been an investor in Venture Philanthropy Partners since 2007.
His AI round on the Lounge deals desk is Proxy Foods AI, a $6M seed announced in August 2026. Proxy Foods AI is a Washington, DC company with an agentic AI platform for food and beverage product development and formulation. Ted Leonsis led the round. Press coverage names Hisaoka as a participant, and some outlets describe him as a lead participant. SWaN & Legend Venture Partners also took part.
We found no other public AI investments by him.
Hisaoka has described his focus as disruptive industries. His known investments span media, entertainment software, consumer products, drug discovery, food technology and AI. Most are US companies, with a base in the Washington, DC area. They range from startups to later-stage rounds.
He has made no public statement on check size. NFX Signal, a third-party profile, lists a range of $5K to $50K with a $25K sweet spot. Treat that as unconfirmed.
- Proxy Foods AI: agentic AI platform for food and beverage R&D; $6M seed, August 2026
- Hungry: online catering marketplace; led the $10M Series C1 in 2023, and earlier rounds in 2018 and 2021
- VLP Therapeutics: vaccine and drug discovery company; invested in 2021
- Mars Reel: publishing and media company; invested in 2018, and he holds a board seat
- MPLEX: seed investor in 2019 and a board member
- ViewLift: entertainment software company; invested in 2016
- Carsquare: invested in 2014
- synbiobeta.com/read/proxy-foods-ai-secures-6-million-seed-round-to-enh
- finsmes.com/2026/08/proxy-foods-ai-raises-6m-in-seed-funding.html
- pulse2.com/proxy-foods-ai-raises-6-million-seed-round-to-expand-ai-nat
- rhsmith.umd.edu/smith-profiles/autos-philanthropy-driven-make-differen
- rhsmith.umd.edu/offices/alumni-relations/our-community/hall-fame
- rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-initiatives/dingman-lamone-center/events/rober
- technical.ly/startups/hungry-raise-catering-tech
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/106130-17
Investing activity
Robert G. Hisaoka appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk, and led 1 of them. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $6M. The most recent is Proxy Foods (Seed, $6M, Aug 2026).
Robert G. Hisaoka most often invests alongside Ted Leonsis, SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, Roger Ferguson and Jeff Skoll, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Robert G. Hisaoka
Who is Robert G. Hisaoka?
He is chairman and CEO of RGH Capital and a partner in a group of automotive dealerships. He is also an angel and venture investor and a philanthropist in the Washington, DC area.
What AI startups has Robert G. Hisaoka invested in?
The AI investment we could confirm is Proxy Foods AI, a $6M seed round announced in August 2026 and led by Ted Leonsis. We found no other public AI investments.
How much does Robert G. Hisaoka invest per check?
He has not stated a check size publicly. NFX Signal, a third-party profile, lists $5K to $50K with a $25K sweet spot, but we could not confirm it.
What stage does Robert G. Hisaoka invest in?
His known deals run from early startups to later rounds, including a seed round in Proxy Foods AI and a Series C1 he led in Hungry. He has not published a stage focus.
What does Robert G. Hisaoka look for in a company?
He has said he focuses on disruptive industries and uses his accounting and auditing background to understand the business. He has not published a detailed thesis.
Where is Robert G. Hisaoka based?
Sources place him in the Washington, DC area. PitchBook lists an office in Bethesda, MD, and Tracxn lists McLean, VA.
Is Robert G. Hisaoka an angel investor?
Yes. Robert G. Hisaoka invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Robert G. Hisaoka invested in?
Robert G. Hisaoka's AI investments include Proxy Foods. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Robert G. Hisaoka invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Robert G. Hisaoka has invested at Seed, with a median round of $6M. Robert G. Hisaoka led 1 of those rounds.
Who does Robert G. Hisaoka co-invest with?
Robert G. Hisaoka's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Ted Leonsis (1 deal), SWaN & Legend Venture Partners (1 deal), Roger Ferguson (1 deal), Jeff Skoll (1 deal) and Evee Moscahlaidis (1 deal).