Austin Ventures

Austin Ventures, founded in 1979 and based in Austin, Texas, was a venture capital and private equity firm that specialized in a wide range of investment stages, including seed, early-stage, growth capital, and middle market investments. The firm primarily focused on sectors such as enterprise information technology, internet, digital media, business services, and energy services. For early-stage investments, it typically made initial investments ranging from $0.5 million to $10 million, while growth and expansion stage investments ranged from $1 million to $40 million. In middle market investments, the firm sought to invest between $25 million and $75 million in companies with EBITDA between $10 million and $40 million. Austin Ventures aimed to partner with talented executives and entrepreneurs, often seeking a board seat in more than 90 percent of its investments. Although it has ceased active investments, the firm played a significant role in supporting businesses primarily located in Texas, particularly in the Austin and Houston areas.

Joe Aragona

General Partner

David Benton

CIO and VP of Technology

Kenneth DeAngelis

General Partner

John Dirvin

Partner / Chief Operating Officer

Scott Donaldson

Partner

Michael Hathaway

Venture Partner

Kevin Kunz

Chief Financial Officer

Donald Park

Senior Associate

Past deals in Southern US

Veros Systems

Series C in 2020
Veros Systems enables industrial customers to maximize production by providing actionable intelligence on their electrically-driven machines. Their web-based Predictive Intelligence Platform uses completely nonintrusive monitors that can be installed in hours. PIP offers real-time predictive reliability and energy efficiency intelligence on electromechanical systems, and seamlessly integrates with leading Enterprise Asset Management applications. At last, engineers, managers, and executives have a means to see the future: to plan better, reduce costs, and improve a facility’s overall availability.

Vyze

Series C in 2017
Vyze, Inc. is a financial technology company based in Austin, Texas, founded in 2008. It offers a platform that connects retailers with multiple lenders, providing various consumer financing options such as bankcards, revolving credit, loans, and lease purchase products. The platform supports diverse sales channels, including point of sale, web portals, self-service kiosks, tablets, and e-commerce solutions. Vyze's services are utilized by Fortune 500 companies and retailers across several industries, including furniture, jewelry, home improvement, electronics, and general consumer goods. The company's focus is on enhancing the consumer financing experience while enabling retailers to implement innovative lending programs that drive sales and provide greater control over their financing options. In April 2016, Vyze changed its name from NewComLink, Inc., and as of April 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Mastercard Incorporated.

FLASH

Venture Round in 2016
FlashParking is the total simple approach to parking with their integrated suite of hardware and subscription solutions for parking operators and asset owners to manage their gated, parking lot, and valet operations. With their award-winning parking solutions, FlashParking's customers can take control of their revenue.

Onit

Venture Round in 2016
Onit, Inc. specializes in developing legal project management and workflow automation software designed to enhance productivity and streamline operations across various business departments. The company's offerings include Enterprise Legal Management, Matter Management, Legal Spend Management, Contract Lifecycle Management, and Legal Holds, which collectively facilitate the efficient handling of legal matters and spending. Additionally, Onit provides a self-service portal for Legal Service Requests and tools like Apptitude for workflow automation and Precedent, an artificial intelligence platform. By allowing users to create custom applications without reliance on IT support, Onit simplifies business processes that are typically manual and cumbersome. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Austin, Auckland, and Pune, Onit serves a diverse range of industries, including technology, insurance, healthcare, and finance, helping clients to automate processes, reduce costs, and maximize productivity.

Ambiq Micro

Series C in 2016
Ambiq Micro is an early-stage fabless semiconductor company that is developing ultra-low-power mixed-signal solutions for a new generation of wireless electronics. Ambiq Micro was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics. Through the use of their pioneering ultra-low-power technology, they help innovative companies around the world develop differentiated solutions that reduce or eliminate the need for batteries, lower overall system power, and maximize industrial design flexibility.

Vyze

Series B in 2016
Vyze, Inc. is a financial technology company based in Austin, Texas, founded in 2008. It offers a platform that connects retailers with multiple lenders, providing various consumer financing options such as bankcards, revolving credit, loans, and lease purchase products. The platform supports diverse sales channels, including point of sale, web portals, self-service kiosks, tablets, and e-commerce solutions. Vyze's services are utilized by Fortune 500 companies and retailers across several industries, including furniture, jewelry, home improvement, electronics, and general consumer goods. The company's focus is on enhancing the consumer financing experience while enabling retailers to implement innovative lending programs that drive sales and provide greater control over their financing options. In April 2016, Vyze changed its name from NewComLink, Inc., and as of April 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Mastercard Incorporated.

Khoros

Series F in 2016
Khoros is a software company that specializes in customer engagement solutions, providing a centralized cloud-based platform designed to enhance digital customer experiences. Its platform allows businesses to manage social media, monitor customer interactions, and scale their social marketing and customer service efforts. By facilitating millions of conversations, Khoros helps brands make informed decisions through data insights. The company aims to turn isolated knowledge into valuable enterprise insights, fostering stronger connections between businesses and their customers while anticipating customer needs to drive sales, loyalty, and innovation.

Bloomfire

Series B in 2016
Bloomfire, Inc. is a knowledge-sharing platform that facilitates the discovery and sharing of information among employees. Founded in 2010 and based in Austin, Texas, Bloomfire provides a cloud-based solution that allows users to capture, display, and share various types of content, thereby connecting individuals with knowledge to those who require it. The platform enhances social learning, supports customer service initiatives, and aligns sales and marketing efforts by uncovering valuable insights that may be overlooked in traditional communication methods. It empowers organizations to manage and distribute research insights effectively, streamlining information access and improving overall team performance. Bloomfire serves a diverse range of industries both in the United States and internationally, while also providing help desk services to further support its users.

Liquibase

Series B in 2016
Liquibase, powered by open-source innovation, simplifies and automates database deployment and configuration for applications that eliminate risk from the deployment process. Its platform removes database deployments as a barrier and eliminates the security vulnerabilities, errors, data loss, and downtime associated with current database deployment methods that enable enterprises to shorten the time it takes to bring application innovation to the market.

Civitas Learning

Series D in 2015
Civitas Learning’s student success intelligence platform leverages each institution’s unique data to help them chart the best course to improved outcomes for students. The platform is grounded in unparalleled work in data science, built into workflows with integrated applications, and implemented on-site with seasoned strategic service teams. Today, Civitas Learning works with 375 colleges and universities, serving nearly 8 million students. Together with their growing community of customers, Civitas Learning is making the most of the world’s learning data to help graduate a million more students per year by 2025.

Liquibase

Series A in 2015
Liquibase, powered by open-source innovation, simplifies and automates database deployment and configuration for applications that eliminate risk from the deployment process. Its platform removes database deployments as a barrier and eliminates the security vulnerabilities, errors, data loss, and downtime associated with current database deployment methods that enable enterprises to shorten the time it takes to bring application innovation to the market.

Civitas Learning

Series C in 2015
Civitas Learning’s student success intelligence platform leverages each institution’s unique data to help them chart the best course to improved outcomes for students. The platform is grounded in unparalleled work in data science, built into workflows with integrated applications, and implemented on-site with seasoned strategic service teams. Today, Civitas Learning works with 375 colleges and universities, serving nearly 8 million students. Together with their growing community of customers, Civitas Learning is making the most of the world’s learning data to help graduate a million more students per year by 2025.

Ambiq Micro

Series C in 2014
Ambiq Micro is an early-stage fabless semiconductor company that is developing ultra-low-power mixed-signal solutions for a new generation of wireless electronics. Ambiq Micro was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics. Through the use of their pioneering ultra-low-power technology, they help innovative companies around the world develop differentiated solutions that reduce or eliminate the need for batteries, lower overall system power, and maximize industrial design flexibility.

TrackingPoint

Venture Round in 2014
TrackingPoint is a Pflugerville-based that focuses on creating advanced technology optics that produce pinpoint accuracy when paired with quality firearms. With fighter jet lock-and-launch technology, TrackingPoint enables incredible accuracy at long-range distances, transforming rifles into Precision-Guided Firearms (PGFs). TrackingPoint offers the first and only rifle with a fire control system that guides the release of ordnance, and virtually eliminates human error. It’s the first significant small-arms innovation since 1844’s release of the telescopic scope and puts the power of accuracy into the hands of any level of shooter. With a variety of semi-automatic and bolt-action models available, users of any skill level can bypass decades of training to enjoy even first-time success hunting or on the range. Internet-enabled, PGFs allow hunters and sport shooters to stream live video and audio using its ShotView app, available on Android and iPhone.

Eagle Eye Networks

Series B in 2014
Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. specializes in cloud-based video surveillance solutions that incorporate both cloud and on-premise recording. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company provides a range of products, including a video management system (VMS) that enables secure recording, camera management, mobile viewing, and alerts. Its offerings include Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS, Eagle Eye Cloud-Premise Flex Storage for cloud storage, and Eagle Eye Complete Privacy Encryption for data security. The company also features advanced analytics, including AI and Big Data tools, to optimize business operations and enhance security measures. Additionally, Eagle Eye Networks provides an open API for seamless integration of video data with other business processes. Its services cater to various sectors, including education, retail, government, and commercial enterprises. The company collaborates with resellers and offers consultation, system design, and support services to ensure effective implementation and management of its solutions.

Unbill

Seed Round in 2014
Unbill is a mobile application that pays its users’ bills on behalf of them. Additionally, developers can use its biller API inside their own apps. It enables consumers to easily manage and pay all their bills through intelligent bill payment technologies. Unbill is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 2013 by Jordan Wright and Scott Weinert.

Veros Systems

Series A in 2014
Veros Systems enables industrial customers to maximize production by providing actionable intelligence on their electrically-driven machines. Their web-based Predictive Intelligence Platform uses completely nonintrusive monitors that can be installed in hours. PIP offers real-time predictive reliability and energy efficiency intelligence on electromechanical systems, and seamlessly integrates with leading Enterprise Asset Management applications. At last, engineers, managers, and executives have a means to see the future: to plan better, reduce costs, and improve a facility’s overall availability.

Edgecase

Series B in 2014
Edgecase is a company based in Austin, Texas, specializing in shopping software that enhances online clothing discovery by mimicking the experience of window shopping. Founded in 2012 and originally known as Compare Metrics, Edgecase offers an Adaptive Experience Platform that features product discovery tools, personalized navigation, and human-driven content curation. This platform allows retailers to provide tailored shopping experiences that adapt to individual customer preferences and styles. By integrating advanced machine learning and merchandising data, Edgecase helps retailers engage with consumers more effectively, ultimately improving user experience and driving revenue. The company serves a range of retailers and operates as a subsidiary of GroupBy Inc., having undergone a name change in August 2014.

SAM

Venture Round in 2014
Founded in 1994, SAM, Inc. is a leading provider of complete geospatial data solutions using advanced surveying and mapping technologies. We’re one of the largest geospatial companies in North America. With more than 100 field crews, we’ve become a market leader in services for oil and gas, electric, rail, transportation, telecommunications, and public sector clients. Our wholly owned subsidiary, SAM-Construction Services, Inc. (SAM-CS, Inc.), also delivers a wide range of construction phase services. We’ve invested heavily in technology across the enterprise and continue to advance our geospatial technology expertise.

Innography

Series B in 2014
Innography delivers a correlation, visualization, and collaboration analytics software platform that enables companies to fully manage, protect, and exploit patent portfolios. It focuses on answering IP questions more quickly, more accurately, and more insightfully than was possible before. Every feature and visualization is designed to solve a business need, not just present pretty graphs or list out reams of data. Innography was launched on 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Khoros

Series D in 2014
Khoros is a software company that specializes in customer engagement solutions, providing a centralized cloud-based platform designed to enhance digital customer experiences. Its platform allows businesses to manage social media, monitor customer interactions, and scale their social marketing and customer service efforts. By facilitating millions of conversations, Khoros helps brands make informed decisions through data insights. The company aims to turn isolated knowledge into valuable enterprise insights, fostering stronger connections between businesses and their customers while anticipating customer needs to drive sales, loyalty, and innovation.

Liquibase

Series A in 2013
Liquibase, powered by open-source innovation, simplifies and automates database deployment and configuration for applications that eliminate risk from the deployment process. Its platform removes database deployments as a barrier and eliminates the security vulnerabilities, errors, data loss, and downtime associated with current database deployment methods that enable enterprises to shorten the time it takes to bring application innovation to the market.

Lynx Laboratories

Seed Round in 2013
Lynx Laboratories, Inc. specializes in developing software applications and hardware for 3D imaging, catering to various sectors including 3D printing, surveying, engineering, design, biometrics, and construction measurements. The company is known for its mobile structural capture device, which effectively captures the shape and motion of environments. Based in Austin, Texas, Lynx Laboratories boasts a team with over twenty years of combined experience in machine learning, contributing to numerous publications and several patents. The company has garnered recognition through various awards, including 1st Place in both the Idea2Product Texas and Global competitions, as well as accolades as one of the Top 10 Dell Innovators. Additionally, Lynx has benefited from National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research funding, underscoring its innovative capabilities in the field.

Veros Systems

Series A in 2013
Veros Systems enables industrial customers to maximize production by providing actionable intelligence on their electrically-driven machines. Their web-based Predictive Intelligence Platform uses completely nonintrusive monitors that can be installed in hours. PIP offers real-time predictive reliability and energy efficiency intelligence on electromechanical systems, and seamlessly integrates with leading Enterprise Asset Management applications. At last, engineers, managers, and executives have a means to see the future: to plan better, reduce costs, and improve a facility’s overall availability.

Ambiq Micro

Series B in 2013
Ambiq Micro is an early-stage fabless semiconductor company that is developing ultra-low-power mixed-signal solutions for a new generation of wireless electronics. Ambiq Micro was founded in 2010 on the simple yet powerful notion that extremely low power semiconductors are the key to the future of electronics. Through the use of their pioneering ultra-low-power technology, they help innovative companies around the world develop differentiated solutions that reduce or eliminate the need for batteries, lower overall system power, and maximize industrial design flexibility.

TrueAbility

Series A in 2013
TrueAbility Inc. offers a managed service for skills-based assessments through its cloud-based platform, which facilitates performance-based evaluations for a variety of professions, including data scientists, developers, and engineers. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the company provides global certification programs, remote training, and talent assessments to help organizations accurately evaluate job candidates' skills. TrueAbility's innovative approach combines traditional assessment methods with advanced performance-based technology, creating a comprehensive environment for individuals to learn and demonstrate their abilities. This platform serves both end-users and organizations, effectively bridging the gap between skill measurement and workforce development.

Veros Systems

Series A in 2013
Veros Systems enables industrial customers to maximize production by providing actionable intelligence on their electrically-driven machines. Their web-based Predictive Intelligence Platform uses completely nonintrusive monitors that can be installed in hours. PIP offers real-time predictive reliability and energy efficiency intelligence on electromechanical systems, and seamlessly integrates with leading Enterprise Asset Management applications. At last, engineers, managers, and executives have a means to see the future: to plan better, reduce costs, and improve a facility’s overall availability.

Civitas Learning

Series B in 2013
Civitas Learning’s student success intelligence platform leverages each institution’s unique data to help them chart the best course to improved outcomes for students. The platform is grounded in unparalleled work in data science, built into workflows with integrated applications, and implemented on-site with seasoned strategic service teams. Today, Civitas Learning works with 375 colleges and universities, serving nearly 8 million students. Together with their growing community of customers, Civitas Learning is making the most of the world’s learning data to help graduate a million more students per year by 2025.

Edgecase

Series A in 2013
Edgecase is a company based in Austin, Texas, specializing in shopping software that enhances online clothing discovery by mimicking the experience of window shopping. Founded in 2012 and originally known as Compare Metrics, Edgecase offers an Adaptive Experience Platform that features product discovery tools, personalized navigation, and human-driven content curation. This platform allows retailers to provide tailored shopping experiences that adapt to individual customer preferences and styles. By integrating advanced machine learning and merchandising data, Edgecase helps retailers engage with consumers more effectively, ultimately improving user experience and driving revenue. The company serves a range of retailers and operates as a subsidiary of GroupBy Inc., having undergone a name change in August 2014.

Dachis Group

Series C in 2013
Founded in 2008 by Jeffrey Dachis, Dachis Group was created to unlock the value of social business for large corporate enterprises and brands through their social marketing optimization software and solutions. The company's strategy is backed by a commitment from Austin Ventures to build and grow organically and through acquisitions.

Bloomfire

Series A in 2013
Bloomfire, Inc. is a knowledge-sharing platform that facilitates the discovery and sharing of information among employees. Founded in 2010 and based in Austin, Texas, Bloomfire provides a cloud-based solution that allows users to capture, display, and share various types of content, thereby connecting individuals with knowledge to those who require it. The platform enhances social learning, supports customer service initiatives, and aligns sales and marketing efforts by uncovering valuable insights that may be overlooked in traditional communication methods. It empowers organizations to manage and distribute research insights effectively, streamlining information access and improving overall team performance. Bloomfire serves a diverse range of industries both in the United States and internationally, while also providing help desk services to further support its users.

Khoros

Series C in 2013
Khoros is a software company that specializes in customer engagement solutions, providing a centralized cloud-based platform designed to enhance digital customer experiences. Its platform allows businesses to manage social media, monitor customer interactions, and scale their social marketing and customer service efforts. By facilitating millions of conversations, Khoros helps brands make informed decisions through data insights. The company aims to turn isolated knowledge into valuable enterprise insights, fostering stronger connections between businesses and their customers while anticipating customer needs to drive sales, loyalty, and innovation.

Adometry

Series D in 2012
Adometry by Google transforms the way the world’s top brands improve marketing performance. Acting as marketing's “system of record,” Adometry solves the complex challenge of integrating, measuring, and optimizing marketing performance across all channels―both online and offline. Combining and interpreting previously silo’d sources of data; the Adometry Marketing Intelligence Platform provides data-driven attribution, marketing mix modeling, and intelligent optimization recommendations across and within channels. As a result, marketers are able to identify their true impact on the customer journey and generate actionable insights that improve ROI.

Calxeda

Series C in 2012
Calxeda provides revolutionary efficiency to the data center. Leveraging ultra-low power technology from ARM, servers built on Calxeda’s silicon and software platform consume a fraction of the power and space of today’s best-in-class servers, enabling data centers to realize significant reduction in capital and operating expenses. The Calxeda platform scales efficiently to thousands of server nodes, with unique network and storage acceleration, and is enhanced with management technology to deliver true “energy-proportional” computing. The result is a stunning breakthrough in performance efficiency, density, and scalability.

Flash Valet

Series A in 2012
Flash Valet, an Austin, TX-based developer of a cloud-based mobile management system for the valet parking industry. Led by Alex Broeker, chairman of the board, Flash Valet provides cloud-based software that streamlines operations for parking providers who have the opportunity to operate away from cash registers and paper tickets by channeling communications and payment through mobile phones. They can track vehicles in real time to control and boost their revenue, manage employee time and attendance (including payroll integration), accept credit cards at the curb and through mobile payments, etc.

OutboundEngine

Series A in 2012
OutboundEngine is an Austin, TX-based marketing technology company that helps businesses grow by making online marketing simple. The company’s SaaS platform automates email marketing, social media posting, online review collection and more for over 10,000 customers. Founded in 2012, OutboundEngine is ranked No. 95 on the Inc. 5000 and has been consistently named a top workplace in Austin. For more information, please visit www.outboundengine.com

Liquibase

Seed Round in 2012
Liquibase, powered by open-source innovation, simplifies and automates database deployment and configuration for applications that eliminate risk from the deployment process. Its platform removes database deployments as a barrier and eliminates the security vulnerabilities, errors, data loss, and downtime associated with current database deployment methods that enable enterprises to shorten the time it takes to bring application innovation to the market.

Umbel

Venture Round in 2012
Umbel Corp., founded in 2010 and based in Austin, Texas, specializes in cloud-based customer data software solutions aimed at sports and entertainment companies. The company offers a data management platform that helps organizations unify and access their customer data, facilitating engagement and enhancing audience insights. Its suite of tools includes audience activators for collecting identity data, Digital Genome for audience analysis, and a CRM Acquisition Tool for gathering first-party data. Umbel's intelligent segmenting solutions allow users to analyze their audience based on various demographics and behaviors, thereby driving revenue and increasing fan loyalty. The company serves a diverse clientele that includes brands, retailers, teams, and venues, and it has established a strategic partnership with R/GA. In February 2018, Umbel was acquired by MVPindex, Inc.

Bloomfire

Series A in 2012
Bloomfire, Inc. is a knowledge-sharing platform that facilitates the discovery and sharing of information among employees. Founded in 2010 and based in Austin, Texas, Bloomfire provides a cloud-based solution that allows users to capture, display, and share various types of content, thereby connecting individuals with knowledge to those who require it. The platform enhances social learning, supports customer service initiatives, and aligns sales and marketing efforts by uncovering valuable insights that may be overlooked in traditional communication methods. It empowers organizations to manage and distribute research insights effectively, streamlining information access and improving overall team performance. Bloomfire serves a diverse range of industries both in the United States and internationally, while also providing help desk services to further support its users.

Black Sand Technologies

Series C in 2012
Black Sand Technologies, Inc., is a fabless semiconductor company dedicated to building solutions for the wireless industry by combining sensitive analog and powerful digital circuits in silicon. Black Sand’s unique combination of patented mixed-signal technology and industry experience will lead the way to new levels of cost and performance in wireless products of the future. Based in Austin, Texas, Black Sand is funded by Austin Ventures and Northbridge Venture Partners. Black Sand's innovative technology will enable wireless devices in the future to achieve higher performance while at the same time reducing total cost and size. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Onit

Series B in 2012
Onit, Inc. specializes in developing legal project management and workflow automation software designed to enhance productivity and streamline operations across various business departments. The company's offerings include Enterprise Legal Management, Matter Management, Legal Spend Management, Contract Lifecycle Management, and Legal Holds, which collectively facilitate the efficient handling of legal matters and spending. Additionally, Onit provides a self-service portal for Legal Service Requests and tools like Apptitude for workflow automation and Precedent, an artificial intelligence platform. By allowing users to create custom applications without reliance on IT support, Onit simplifies business processes that are typically manual and cumbersome. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Austin, Auckland, and Pune, Onit serves a diverse range of industries, including technology, insurance, healthcare, and finance, helping clients to automate processes, reduce costs, and maximize productivity.

Khoros

Series B in 2011
Khoros is a software company that specializes in customer engagement solutions, providing a centralized cloud-based platform designed to enhance digital customer experiences. Its platform allows businesses to manage social media, monitor customer interactions, and scale their social marketing and customer service efforts. By facilitating millions of conversations, Khoros helps brands make informed decisions through data insights. The company aims to turn isolated knowledge into valuable enterprise insights, fostering stronger connections between businesses and their customers while anticipating customer needs to drive sales, loyalty, and innovation.

Vyze

Series B in 2011
Vyze, Inc. is a financial technology company based in Austin, Texas, founded in 2008. It offers a platform that connects retailers with multiple lenders, providing various consumer financing options such as bankcards, revolving credit, loans, and lease purchase products. The platform supports diverse sales channels, including point of sale, web portals, self-service kiosks, tablets, and e-commerce solutions. Vyze's services are utilized by Fortune 500 companies and retailers across several industries, including furniture, jewelry, home improvement, electronics, and general consumer goods. The company's focus is on enhancing the consumer financing experience while enabling retailers to implement innovative lending programs that drive sales and provide greater control over their financing options. In April 2016, Vyze changed its name from NewComLink, Inc., and as of April 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Mastercard Incorporated.

Civitas Learning

Series A in 2011
Civitas Learning’s student success intelligence platform leverages each institution’s unique data to help them chart the best course to improved outcomes for students. The platform is grounded in unparalleled work in data science, built into workflows with integrated applications, and implemented on-site with seasoned strategic service teams. Today, Civitas Learning works with 375 colleges and universities, serving nearly 8 million students. Together with their growing community of customers, Civitas Learning is making the most of the world’s learning data to help graduate a million more students per year by 2025.

Mavenir

Series E in 2011
Mavenir is a cloud-native network software provider that focuses on transforming network infrastructure for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio that spans all layers of network infrastructure, including 5G applications, packet core, and radio access networks (RAN). Mavenir's innovative solutions have established it as a leader in evolved networking, with notable advancements in technologies such as VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging, and virtualized RAN. The company serves over 250 CSP customers in more than 130 countries, impacting more than half of the world's subscribers. By leveraging disruptive technologies and business models, Mavenir aims to enhance service agility, flexibility, and efficiency while helping CSPs reduce costs and protect revenue.

Spiceworks

Series D in 2011
Spiceworks is the marketplace that connects the IT industry to help tech buyers and sellers get their jobs done, every day. The company helps people in the world’s businesses find, adopt, and manage the latest technologies while also helping IT brands build, market, and support better products and services. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks empowers people to use technology to make their organizations, their communities, and the world better.

Boundless Network

Venture Round in 2011
Boundless Network is a full-service promotional products company that connects buyers across organizations to create efficiencies of scale and reduce the cost of branded merchandise.

Key Ring

Series A in 2011
Key Ring is a simple app for smart phones that puts the customer in control, allowing them to consolidate all of their cards, coupons, weekly ads, and shopping lists into one spot. However, the benefit extends well beyond the customer. Key Ring works with retailers and brands to drive in-store transactions through promotional content such as weekly ads, promoted/featured products, recipes, and coupons. In addition Key Ring can help extend the capabilities of a retailers loyalty program by helping them acquire more customers and reengage inactive members.

Emerus Hospital Partners

Venture Round in 2011
Emerus Hospital Partners LLC, a Texas-based system of licensed hospitals and satellite facilities.

Dachis Group

Series B in 2011
Founded in 2008 by Jeffrey Dachis, Dachis Group was created to unlock the value of social business for large corporate enterprises and brands through their social marketing optimization software and solutions. The company's strategy is backed by a commitment from Austin Ventures to build and grow organically and through acquisitions.

Solar Power Technologies

Series A in 2011
Solar Power Technologies provides intelligent power optimization, monitoring and control systems for commercial and utility scale solar power sites. The Clarityâ„¢ optimization and monitoring system is a complete site performance optimization and management solution built around an innovative combination of advanced power control technology, wireless communications and web based data management. The company aims to maximize energy harvest potential, while allowing maximum flexibility for [large scale, solar PV array] site designers and owners. By adapting to any solar panel type, inverter, storage element or wiring topology, the Clarityâ„¢ optimization and monitoring system can be deployed in any new solar design, as well as bringing instant energy and financial performance benefits to existing sites.

Gazzang

Series A in 2010
Gazzang specializes in data security solutions designed to help enterprises safeguard sensitive information while maintaining performance in big data and cloud environments. The company's technology is utilized by various sectors, including SaaS vendors, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and public sector agencies, to achieve regulatory compliance, protect personally identifiable information, and prevent unauthorized access to critical data and systems. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Gazzang focuses on creating products that ensure data remains secure, accessible, and actionable in cloud settings. Their offerings include security solutions for big data applications and databases running on Linux, along with high-performance monitoring, alerting, and analysis capabilities for cloud environments. Additionally, Gazzang provides a universal key and secrets management service to safeguard essential corporate information.

RetailMeNot

Series B in 2010
RetailMeNot is a marketplace for online coupons and deals that operates a portfolio of coupon and deal websites. The company's websites enable consumers across the globe seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers. RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 450 million consumer visits to its sites in 2012. The RetailMeNot, Inc., portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the leading online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the leading online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.ActiePagina.nl in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading discount offer site in North America.

Silverback Enterprise Group

Seed Round in 2010
Silverback Enterprise Group, based in Austin, Texas, specializes in acquiring and optimizing enterprise software businesses that create cloud-based mission-critical products for enterprise clients. Founded in 2010, the company focuses on consolidating smaller, subscale software companies to enhance their value and capabilities. Through its strategic acquisitions and development efforts, Silverback aims to provide comprehensive, long-term solutions to its customers, thereby fostering growth within the enterprise software sector. The company was previously known as Silverback Acquisition Corporation before rebranding in 2011.

Workstreamer

Series A in 2010
Workstreamer was created with the idea that business professionals need a way to receive relevant company news, social media conversations, contact updates and other related business information happening on the web. Actively listening to myriads of sources such as news sites, blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn, workstreamer filters, processes, ranks and streams only relevant pieces of business information related to a users role in an organization.

AstroWatt

Venture Round in 2010
AstroWatt technology reduces the cost of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells by half while meeting market high-efficiency cell requirements.

Adometry

Series C in 2010
Adometry by Google transforms the way the world’s top brands improve marketing performance. Acting as marketing's “system of record,” Adometry solves the complex challenge of integrating, measuring, and optimizing marketing performance across all channels―both online and offline. Combining and interpreting previously silo’d sources of data; the Adometry Marketing Intelligence Platform provides data-driven attribution, marketing mix modeling, and intelligent optimization recommendations across and within channels. As a result, marketers are able to identify their true impact on the customer journey and generate actionable insights that improve ROI.

Mavenir

Series D in 2010
Mavenir is a cloud-native network software provider that focuses on transforming network infrastructure for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio that spans all layers of network infrastructure, including 5G applications, packet core, and radio access networks (RAN). Mavenir's innovative solutions have established it as a leader in evolved networking, with notable advancements in technologies such as VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging, and virtualized RAN. The company serves over 250 CSP customers in more than 130 countries, impacting more than half of the world's subscribers. By leveraging disruptive technologies and business models, Mavenir aims to enhance service agility, flexibility, and efficiency while helping CSPs reduce costs and protect revenue.

Virtual Bridges

Venture Round in 2010
Virtual Bridges provide desktop virtualization for private, public and hybrid cloud environments.

Sipera Systems

Series D in 2010
Sipera Systems is a leader in providing solutions for the secure adoption of Unified Communications (UC), enabling users worldwide to protect their VoIP, video, collaboration, and messaging applications. The company's innovative "Borderless UC" framework allows for secure communications across various devices and locations. With a strong focus on VoIP and UC security, Sipera supports enterprises in implementing secure remote work, distributed call centers, and effective business continuity strategies. Their comprehensive offerings include protection against toll fraud, secure SIP trunks, and provisions for media logging and archiving. Backed by the research from the Sipera VIPER Lab, Sipera Systems delivers high-performance security solutions that enhance communication while minimizing risks for clients in converged internet protocol networks.

Vovici

Series C in 2010
Vovici is a SaaS company that helps companies like Oracle, Cisco, Marriott, Honda, and Coca-Cola engage their customers and increase customer loyalty through innovative Voice of the Customer technology solutions. Our survey, panel management, and community tools help organizations turn feedback into action by integrating customer and employee opinions into a company's strategic direction so that it can innovate and deliver the solutions that are in demand. Organizations worldwide, including more than half of the Fortune 500, rely on Vovici for Enterprise Feedback Management.

Khoros

Series A in 2010
Khoros is a software company that specializes in customer engagement solutions, providing a centralized cloud-based platform designed to enhance digital customer experiences. Its platform allows businesses to manage social media, monitor customer interactions, and scale their social marketing and customer service efforts. By facilitating millions of conversations, Khoros helps brands make informed decisions through data insights. The company aims to turn isolated knowledge into valuable enterprise insights, fostering stronger connections between businesses and their customers while anticipating customer needs to drive sales, loyalty, and innovation.

FameCast

Venture Round in 2010
FameCast, Inc. operates an online talent competition and community for the entrepreneurial musicians. Its platform enables music fans, corporations, and artists to participate and vote in online contests for driving marketing campaigns. The company organize premium branded contests, entertainment properties, and digital campaigns. FameCast, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Innography

Series B in 2010
Innography delivers a correlation, visualization, and collaboration analytics software platform that enables companies to fully manage, protect, and exploit patent portfolios. It focuses on answering IP questions more quickly, more accurately, and more insightfully than was possible before. Every feature and visualization is designed to solve a business need, not just present pretty graphs or list out reams of data. Innography was launched on 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Verde

Series A in 2010
Verde is an award-winning desktop management and provisioning solution that leverages virtualization to deliver desktops either on-premises or in the cloud. VERDE helps enterprises transform TCO by simplifying desktop management, improving security and compliance, and increasing the organizational agility across both Windows and Linux environments. Offering multiple display protocols and unparalleled support for disconnected users (including from a portable drive), VERDE delivers a high-fidelity desktop experience to end users on any client machine both online and offline. With on-premise or VERDE hosted in the public cloud powered by companies like Savvis or Rackspace, Virtual Bridges sets a new standard for the ease of deployment and management for administrators. Virtual Bridges is headquartered in Austin.

Spiceworks

Series C in 2010
Spiceworks is the marketplace that connects the IT industry to help tech buyers and sellers get their jobs done, every day. The company helps people in the world’s businesses find, adopt, and manage the latest technologies while also helping IT brands build, market, and support better products and services. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks empowers people to use technology to make their organizations, their communities, and the world better.

Boundless Network

Venture Round in 2009
Boundless Network is a full-service promotional products company that connects buyers across organizations to create efficiencies of scale and reduce the cost of branded merchandise.

RetailMeNot

Series A in 2009
RetailMeNot is a marketplace for online coupons and deals that operates a portfolio of coupon and deal websites. The company's websites enable consumers across the globe seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers. RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 450 million consumer visits to its sites in 2012. The RetailMeNot, Inc., portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the leading online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the leading online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.ActiePagina.nl in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading discount offer site in North America.

Zeno Corporation

Venture Round in 2009
Zeno Corporation is the maker of health and beauty products. They specifically focus on thermal-based, over-the-counter products for skin. Their primary product is called Zeno HOT SPOT and is centered around patented technology ClearPointâ„¢

Black Sand Technologies

Series B in 2009
Black Sand Technologies, Inc., is a fabless semiconductor company dedicated to building solutions for the wireless industry by combining sensitive analog and powerful digital circuits in silicon. Black Sand’s unique combination of patented mixed-signal technology and industry experience will lead the way to new levels of cost and performance in wireless products of the future. Based in Austin, Texas, Black Sand is funded by Austin Ventures and Northbridge Venture Partners. Black Sand's innovative technology will enable wireless devices in the future to achieve higher performance while at the same time reducing total cost and size. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Paymetric

Series B in 2009
Paymetric, Inc. is the standard in secure and integrated payments. Our innovative payment acceptance solutions expedite and secure the order-to-cash process, improve ePayment acceptance rates, and reduce the scope and financial burden of PCI compliance. Leading global brands rely on Paymetric for the only fully integrated, processor-agnostic tokenization solution, supported by dedicated customer service. Paymetric is a nationally award-winning industry leader recognized for continual innovation, SAP partnership and world-class support since 1998. For more information, visit www.paymetric.com.

Pyxis Technology

Series C in 2009
Pyxis Technology has created advanced analog routing engines specifically designed to handle the complexities and capacity of nanoscale IC designs. Pyxis Technology enables assisted custom design automation with integrated analysis for a true "what-if" exploration of custom analog design, and fast, high-capacity automated routing to complete IC layout. Pyxis technology will soon be integrated into Mentor’s custom IC solution, IC Station, providing advanced automated analog routing functionalities not currently available in the market today.

Workstreamer

Seed Round in 2009
Workstreamer was created with the idea that business professionals need a way to receive relevant company news, social media conversations, contact updates and other related business information happening on the web. Actively listening to myriads of sources such as news sites, blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn, workstreamer filters, processes, ranks and streams only relevant pieces of business information related to a users role in an organization.

Paymetric

Venture Round in 2009
Paymetric, Inc. is the standard in secure and integrated payments. Our innovative payment acceptance solutions expedite and secure the order-to-cash process, improve ePayment acceptance rates, and reduce the scope and financial burden of PCI compliance. Leading global brands rely on Paymetric for the only fully integrated, processor-agnostic tokenization solution, supported by dedicated customer service. Paymetric is a nationally award-winning industry leader recognized for continual innovation, SAP partnership and world-class support since 1998. For more information, visit www.paymetric.com.

Vyze

Series A in 2008
Vyze, Inc. is a financial technology company based in Austin, Texas, founded in 2008. It offers a platform that connects retailers with multiple lenders, providing various consumer financing options such as bankcards, revolving credit, loans, and lease purchase products. The platform supports diverse sales channels, including point of sale, web portals, self-service kiosks, tablets, and e-commerce solutions. Vyze's services are utilized by Fortune 500 companies and retailers across several industries, including furniture, jewelry, home improvement, electronics, and general consumer goods. The company's focus is on enhancing the consumer financing experience while enabling retailers to implement innovative lending programs that drive sales and provide greater control over their financing options. In April 2016, Vyze changed its name from NewComLink, Inc., and as of April 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Mastercard Incorporated.

Mavenir

Series C in 2008
Mavenir is a cloud-native network software provider that focuses on transforming network infrastructure for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio that spans all layers of network infrastructure, including 5G applications, packet core, and radio access networks (RAN). Mavenir's innovative solutions have established it as a leader in evolved networking, with notable advancements in technologies such as VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging, and virtualized RAN. The company serves over 250 CSP customers in more than 130 countries, impacting more than half of the world's subscribers. By leveraging disruptive technologies and business models, Mavenir aims to enhance service agility, flexibility, and efficiency while helping CSPs reduce costs and protect revenue.

Alereon

Venture Round in 2008
Alereon is a fabless semiconductor company developing innovative Ultrawideband (UWB) wireless chipsets. Their mission is to simplify networking by removing cables, allowing effortless connections between PCs, consumer electronics, peripherals and mobile devices. We want to change the way consumers connect to the world.

SailPoint

Series C in 2008
SailPoint Technologies develops identity governance software solutions that assist organizations in managing digital identities and access rights across various environments, including on-premises, cloud, and mobile applications. Their offerings include IdentityIQ, a comprehensive on-premises identity governance tool that provides visibility and control over user access; IdentityNow, a cloud-based governance platform; and IdentityAI, which utilizes artificial intelligence to identify potential security threats. Additionally, SailPoint's products feature functionalities for role management, access request management, and compliance management, aimed at streamlining IT compliance processes and mitigating fraud risks. The company serves a diverse clientele, including commercial enterprises, financial institutions, and government entities, through direct sales and partnerships with system integrators and technology resellers. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, SailPoint has established itself as a leader in the identity governance space.

Innography

Series A in 2008
Innography delivers a correlation, visualization, and collaboration analytics software platform that enables companies to fully manage, protect, and exploit patent portfolios. It focuses on answering IP questions more quickly, more accurately, and more insightfully than was possible before. Every feature and visualization is designed to solve a business need, not just present pretty graphs or list out reams of data. Innography was launched on 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Zeno Corporation

Series E in 2008
Zeno Corporation is the maker of health and beauty products. They specifically focus on thermal-based, over-the-counter products for skin. Their primary product is called Zeno HOT SPOT and is centered around patented technology ClearPointâ„¢

Bazaarvoice

Series C in 2008
Bazaarvoice, Inc. is a software as a service (SaaS) company that specializes in helping brands and retailers understand consumer sentiment through customer-generated content. The Bazaarvoice platform allows clients to capture, manage, and display a variety of content types, including ratings, reviews, photos, and videos. Additionally, it integrates content from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, enabling businesses to enhance their online presence. The platform supports the creation of branded communities to foster engagement and gather valuable insights for product launches. Clients utilize this content across multiple channels, including websites, mobile applications, and in-store displays, to influence purchasing decisions and enhance marketing strategies. Bazaarvoice serves a diverse range of industries such as retail, technology, and healthcare, and operates in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Bazaarvoice has established partnerships to further enhance its offerings and continues to leverage customer intelligence to drive business decisions.

Prenova

Venture Round in 2008
Prenova helps companies control energy spend by reducing utility costs and improving energy efficiency. They work hand-in-hand with their customers to develop an energy strategy that fits their unique business needs. Then they help them implement this plan consistently across their organization by providing services that span the entire energy lifecycle. From sourcing energy to controlling energy consumption, Prenova's solutions help customers reduce energy spend by 10-20%. They're able to do this because energy management is their core expertise. They understand the factors that drive energy spend and they provide specific solutions for addressing them.

Vovici

Series B in 2008
Vovici is a SaaS company that helps companies like Oracle, Cisco, Marriott, Honda, and Coca-Cola engage their customers and increase customer loyalty through innovative Voice of the Customer technology solutions. Our survey, panel management, and community tools help organizations turn feedback into action by integrating customer and employee opinions into a company's strategic direction so that it can innovate and deliver the solutions that are in demand. Organizations worldwide, including more than half of the Fortune 500, rely on Vovici for Enterprise Feedback Management.

Adometry

Series B in 2008
Adometry by Google transforms the way the world’s top brands improve marketing performance. Acting as marketing's “system of record,” Adometry solves the complex challenge of integrating, measuring, and optimizing marketing performance across all channels―both online and offline. Combining and interpreting previously silo’d sources of data; the Adometry Marketing Intelligence Platform provides data-driven attribution, marketing mix modeling, and intelligent optimization recommendations across and within channels. As a result, marketers are able to identify their true impact on the customer journey and generate actionable insights that improve ROI.

Pyxis Technology

Series B in 2008
Pyxis Technology has created advanced analog routing engines specifically designed to handle the complexities and capacity of nanoscale IC designs. Pyxis Technology enables assisted custom design automation with integrated analysis for a true "what-if" exploration of custom analog design, and fast, high-capacity automated routing to complete IC layout. Pyxis technology will soon be integrated into Mentor’s custom IC solution, IC Station, providing advanced automated analog routing functionalities not currently available in the market today.

Caringo

Venture Round in 2008
Caringo Inc. is an innovative software provider focused on delivering the most advanced object-based technology for accessing, storing and distributing unstructured or file-based data. Its flagship product, CAStor, enables private cloud storage that dramatically improves the scope and economics of storing content by enabling customers to implement robust storage clusters without being locked into proprietary hardware. Founded on the operating principle that things should be made as simple as possible and a customer-first focus, Caringo makes content and file storage affordable, scalable, fast and easy.

NetStreams

Series B in 2008
NetStreams is an undisputed world leader in digital entertainment networks based on Internet protocol (IP) technology. NetStreams' IP-Based & IP-controlled systems, designed for residential and commercial use, handle any number of digital or analog sources and deliver uncompressed content, including high definition audio and video, to an unlimited number of zones. By combining content and control signals in one data stream, NetStreams systems offer new levels of affordability, simplicity, reliability, and expandability, benefiting both installers and end-users with lower costs for installation, set-up, and support.

LabNow

Series B in 2007
LabNow, Inc. is a company specializing in point-of-care diagnostic. It uses a lab-on-a-chip sensor technology that is capable of automating complex fluid analysis quickly, easily, and accurately. This technology converges the main advances in nanochemistry, microfluids, imaging analysis, and digital fluorescence microscopy. Certain specific functions will soon be applied to HIV/AIDS care and other pertinent diseases.

BreakingPoint Systems

Series C in 2007
BreakingPoint unleashes Internet-scale cyber war in a controlled environment to measure the resiliency—performance, security and stability—of network and data center infrastructures, conduct repeatable experiments, and train cyber warriors. Powered by a patented innovation in network processors, a single BreakingPoint Cyber Tomography Machine™ replaces a complex, multi-million dollar cyber range with an easy-to-use, comprehensive, and low maintenance solution that includes a scientific Resiliency Score™ methodology.

FiveRuns

Series B in 2007
FiveRuns specializes in monitoring products designed for Rails and related open source and commercial systems. Their offerings are built on the Rails framework and delivered as a hosted service, enabling users to effectively manage the complete lifecycle of Rails applications, from installation through to production.

Sipera Systems

Series C in 2007
Sipera Systems is a leader in providing solutions for the secure adoption of Unified Communications (UC), enabling users worldwide to protect their VoIP, video, collaboration, and messaging applications. The company's innovative "Borderless UC" framework allows for secure communications across various devices and locations. With a strong focus on VoIP and UC security, Sipera supports enterprises in implementing secure remote work, distributed call centers, and effective business continuity strategies. Their comprehensive offerings include protection against toll fraud, secure SIP trunks, and provisions for media logging and archiving. Backed by the research from the Sipera VIPER Lab, Sipera Systems delivers high-performance security solutions that enhance communication while minimizing risks for clients in converged internet protocol networks.

Alereon

Series B in 2007
Alereon is a fabless semiconductor company developing innovative Ultrawideband (UWB) wireless chipsets. Their mission is to simplify networking by removing cables, allowing effortless connections between PCs, consumer electronics, peripherals and mobile devices. We want to change the way consumers connect to the world.

divorce360

Series A in 2007
Divorce360 is an online platform designed to assist individuals navigating the divorce process. The website aims to offer comprehensive advice, support, and guidance from those who have experienced divorce firsthand. It is organized into time-based categories that cover various stages of the divorce journey, from the initial decision to divorce through to the process of moving on afterward. Each category features sub-categories focused on legal, financial, emotional, and child-related issues. The site includes a range of content types, such as articles contributed by journalists, user-generated blogs, a Q&A section, and videos. This diverse content fosters a sense of community, allowing users to connect and share experiences, which can provide essential support for those dealing with the challenges of divorce. As of December 2007, Divorce360 operates without direct competitors in the market.

Bazaarvoice

Series B in 2007
Bazaarvoice, Inc. is a software as a service (SaaS) company that specializes in helping brands and retailers understand consumer sentiment through customer-generated content. The Bazaarvoice platform allows clients to capture, manage, and display a variety of content types, including ratings, reviews, photos, and videos. Additionally, it integrates content from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, enabling businesses to enhance their online presence. The platform supports the creation of branded communities to foster engagement and gather valuable insights for product launches. Clients utilize this content across multiple channels, including websites, mobile applications, and in-store displays, to influence purchasing decisions and enhance marketing strategies. Bazaarvoice serves a diverse range of industries such as retail, technology, and healthcare, and operates in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Bazaarvoice has established partnerships to further enhance its offerings and continues to leverage customer intelligence to drive business decisions.

Spiceworks

Series B in 2007
Spiceworks is the marketplace that connects the IT industry to help tech buyers and sellers get their jobs done, every day. The company helps people in the world’s businesses find, adopt, and manage the latest technologies while also helping IT brands build, market, and support better products and services. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks empowers people to use technology to make their organizations, their communities, and the world better.

Black Sand Technologies

Series A in 2007
Black Sand Technologies, Inc., is a fabless semiconductor company dedicated to building solutions for the wireless industry by combining sensitive analog and powerful digital circuits in silicon. Black Sand’s unique combination of patented mixed-signal technology and industry experience will lead the way to new levels of cost and performance in wireless products of the future. Based in Austin, Texas, Black Sand is funded by Austin Ventures and Northbridge Venture Partners. Black Sand's innovative technology will enable wireless devices in the future to achieve higher performance while at the same time reducing total cost and size. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Austin, Texas.

HomeAway

Series C in 2007
HomeAway online vacation rental services in the United States and global sectors.

Thoof

Seed Round in 2007
Thoof is a late entry to the personalized/social news arena. As many Digg clones and alternative models are failing or have failed to take hold of a substantial user base, Thoof brings a slightly new take on getting your daily stories which it hopes will attract more than a niche audience. Thoof is an automated news recommender of sorts. It works similarly to many music recommendation engines such as [Last.fm](http://crunchbase.com/organization/last.fm) and [Pandora](http://crunchbase.com/organization/pandora), by displaying articles you might like based upon your past reading history. Readers submit articles in a Digg-like fashion, but don't vote to get the articles on the front page. Founder Ian Clarke, formerly of video site [Revver](http://crunchbase.com/organization/revver), claims that with video as well as news, many people may read articles but few will vote on them. Clarke hints that the passivity of news and video consumption may ultimately weed out news aggregators that cannot automatically deliver customized news. However, Thoof users are allowed to edit the news by suggesting alternative links. If link changes are to stand they must get enough votes from the rest of the community. Thoof has many web 2.0 elements including article tagging, wiki features and aforementioned recommendation engine. It isn't an exact clone of any one social news site, but can be considered a competitor to sites like [Digg](http://crunchbase.com/organization/digg), [Netscape](http://crunchbase.com/organization/netscape) and [Y Combinator](http://crunchbase.com/organization/y-combinator) company [Reddit](http://crunchbase.com/organization/reddit).

FameCast

Series A in 2007
FameCast, Inc. operates an online talent competition and community for the entrepreneurial musicians. Its platform enables music fans, corporations, and artists to participate and vote in online contests for driving marketing campaigns. The company organize premium branded contests, entertainment properties, and digital campaigns. FameCast, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Navini Networks

Series F in 2007
Navini Networks provides portable, plug-n-play broadband wireless access solutions in the United States. Its pre-Mobile WiMAX solutions include The Ripwave MX product line comprising Ripwave MX portable products, such as base stations, modems, radio frequency combiners, and element management systems. Navini Networks, Inc. also provides Smart WiMAX, a mobile WiMAX with beamformed MIMO and smart beamforming technology for the broadband wireless market to deliver personal broadband to the mass market. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.