a16z Cultural Leadership Fund

Slingshot AI is an AI research company focused on enhancing global access to mental healthcare. With a mission to address the significant gap between the demand for mental health support and the availability of providers, which currently stands at 10,000:1, Slingshot AI develops advanced technology to assist individuals in improving their mental well-being and adaptability. The company specializes in creating large language models that grasp the intricacies of human psychology, enabling users to navigate daily challenges effectively. Based in New York City and London, Slingshot AI's multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers, and mental health experts is committed to creating tools that empower individuals to overcome obstacles and foster better connections.

The world's first self-organizing workspace.

Pave, Inc. is a compensation management platform that provides companies with tools to effectively plan and communicate employee wages. Founded in 2012 and based in New York, Pave offers an integrated solution that connects with existing payroll systems to verify critical details such as past performance, equity vesting status, and compensation benchmarks. This functionality streamlines the salary planning process, allowing businesses to enhance their total rewards programs and address employee uncertainties regarding compensation. Pave's platform is utilized by a variety of notable companies to ensure that their compensation decisions are informed and equitable.

Orbit operates a platform that leverages community engagement as the primary driver for business growth. Its core offering is a community experience platform designed to build, grow, and measure communities across diverse tools and channels. The platform tracks and measures community activity, facilitates searches for individuals or groups across integrated channels, and provides an open-source alternative to traditional sales and marketing strategies. This enables clients to enhance their return on investment by fostering stronger community connections.

Rasa Technologies GmbH, founded in 2016 and based in Berlin, Germany, specializes in developing machine learning tools for creating conversational software, including chatbots and virtual assistants. The company offers a suite of products, notably Rasa Open Source, a widely adopted framework for building text- and voice-based AI assistants, and Rasa X, a toolset designed to enhance and share these assistants. Rasa Enterprise provides an enterprise-grade solution for developing contextual assistants at scale. Rasa's platform is utilized across various industries, including healthcare, insurance, banking, telecommunications, and travel, focusing on applications such as lead generation, internal process automation, and customer service. The company is known for its commitment to data privacy and security, catering to both startups and large enterprises.

Balsa is a San Francisco-based company founded in 2020 that develops software tools aimed at enhancing the productivity of builders by integrating existing platforms like Jira, GitHub, and Figma into a unified interface. By creating a second screen specifically designed for builders, Balsa enables users to streamline their workflows and focus on their projects, ultimately amplifying their impact. The company's approach emphasizes the importance of providing tailored tools that cater to the needs of builders, facilitating a more efficient and effective development process.

Odyssey Interactive Inc is a Canadian video game development studio founded in 2020 and located in Grand Valley, Canada. The company focuses on creating games that foster emotional connections and engage players long after they have finished playing. With a mobile-first approach, Odyssey aims to cater to the next generation of gamers, who are increasingly connected and diverse, viewing their devices as extensions of themselves. The founding team consists of four former leads from Riot Games, known for their work on popular titles such as League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. Odyssey Interactive is dedicated to building games that resonate with players, emphasizing challenges rooted in purpose, community, and longevity to enhance the gaming experience.