Twelve, formerly known as Opus 12, is a Berkeley, California-based company that specializes in recycling carbon dioxide emissions into valuable chemicals and fuels. Founded in 2015, the company has developed innovative technology that can be integrated with any source of CO₂ emissions. By utilizing only water and electricity as inputs, Twelve transforms captured carbon dioxide into essential products such as methane, ethylene, and ethanol. The firm aims to provide a cost-competitive alternative to petroleum-derived chemicals and fuels, thereby addressing carbon emissions while simultaneously creating economically viable solutions.
Paysend
Equity Crowdfunding in 2019
PaySend is a financial technology platform founded in 2015 and headquartered in London, UK. It provides a secure solution for users to send and receive money globally using any bank card, including Visa and MasterCard. The platform allows users to transfer funds directly from card to card across over 60 countries, facilitating transactions in multiple currencies. PaySend’s application features proxy card technology to help customers avoid cross-border fees and manage their finances with real exchange rates, ensuring a transparent and cost-effective money transfer experience.
Diamond Foundry
Series B in 2018
Diamond Foundry Inc. is a United States-based manufacturer of diamonds for both the jewelry and semiconductor industries. The company utilizes proprietary technology to produce tetrahedrally crystallized carbon, which exhibits numerous extreme properties. Diamond Foundry's approach allows for diamond production at a scale comparable to traditional mining, but without the associated social and environmental impacts. Operating in a zero-emission foundry, the company emphasizes sustainability, offering high-quality diamonds that are equivalent to natural gems while eliminating the negative consequences of mining. Through its VRAI brand, Diamond Foundry provides innovative diamond jewelry directly to consumers, while also supplying semiconductor solutions that address critical performance challenges, such as heat dissipation in advanced technologies including electric vehicles and 5G communications.
Luminar
Seed Round in 2017
Luminar Technologies, Inc. is a vehicle sensor and software company based in Orlando, Florida, founded in 2012. The company operates primarily in two segments: Autonomy Solutions and Other Component Sales. The Autonomy Solutions segment focuses on the design, manufacture, and sale of lidar sensors and related perception and autonomy software for original equipment manufacturers in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors, including applications in robo-taxis. In addition, Luminar's Other Component Sales segment provides design, testing, and consulting services for non-standard integrated circuits aimed at government agencies and defense contractors. The company emphasizes enhancing safety and advancing autonomous technology in vehicles, particularly through advanced driver assistance systems that cater to a range of driving scenarios.
Storj is a company that specializes in decentralized cloud storage solutions. Their platform, Storj Decentralized Cloud Storage (DCS), prioritizes data privacy and security by design, offering an alternative to traditional centralized cloud object storage. The service ensures robust data protection and privacy, with affordable and predictable pricing. It is compatible with S3 standards and provides a comprehensive library of open-source technical documentation along with familiar development tools. This enables developers to easily integrate decentralized cloud storage into their applications while maintaining control over their data. Storj's platform leverages underutilized global resources to enhance security, durability, and performance, ensuring that clients can access their files securely without needing the corresponding private encryption key.
Mubert Inc. is a U.S.-based company that specializes in creating an AI-driven music licensing platform designed to serve a diverse range of users, including streamers, app developers, filmmakers, and content creators. The platform offers real-time generative music alongside a vast library of pre-made tracks, allowing users to access over one million high-quality music samples across more than 100 genres. Mubert's services include Mubert Play for background music, Mubert Pro for music creators, and Mubert Business, which provides royalty-free music for commercial use. By eliminating concerns about copyright and DMCA claims, Mubert enables users to freely incorporate music into their projects without the complications of traditional licensing. Additionally, the platform emphasizes artist collaboration, allowing musicians to monetize their work while providing creators with unique, customizable soundtracks tailored to their specific needs. Mubert's innovative approach positions it as a leading solution in the evolving landscape of music creation and licensing.
RoboCV
Venture Round in 2017
RoboCV, established in 2012 and headquartered in Moscow, specializes in developing intelligent autopilot systems for warehouses. Its flagship product, RoboCV X-MOTION NG, is a multifunctional system designed to automate floor movements of pallet goods. This system comprises an electric pallet truck and the RoboCV AUTOPILOT intelligent automation system, enabling it to operate offline without human intervention. It supports various operations such as accepting, shipping, cross-docking, and picking goods, serving warehouse operators (3PL), retail companies, and other businesses interested in warehousing.
Virool
Convertible Note in 2016
Virool, Inc. is a video advertising platform that specializes in native video advertising for brand marketers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in New York, St. Petersburg, Toronto, and Los Angeles, Virool allows brands to host videos, design campaigns, target specific audiences, and analyze results online. The platform serves both advertisers and publishers, offering a supply-side solution for publishers to optimize revenue and a programmatic distribution system for advertisers to enhance brand impact. Virool's technology empowers clients to engage audiences effectively through mobile devices and social media, utilizing programmatic strategies to ensure that video content reaches the right viewers at the right time. Over its history, Virool has facilitated video promotion for over 30,000 global advertisers, including major brands such as Coca-Cola and Disney, and has partnered with more than 100,000 online and mobile publisher properties.
Qwil PBC, established in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, operates a payment management platform tailored for independent contractors, freelancers, and small businesses. The company enables users to track, collect, and access their earnings early through its Qwil debit card, even before invoices are paid. This instant payment feature facilitates improved workforce recruitment and retention without affecting the cash flow of clients or marketplaces.
Pixlee TurnTo
Venture Round in 2016
Pixlee TurnTo is a marketing software company that focuses on enhancing brand promotion through the voice of customers. Formed from the merger of Pixlee and TurnTo in early 2021, the company offers a platform that integrates user-generated content (UGC), influencer marketing, and text-based customer content such as ratings and reviews. This approach allows marketers and e-commerce executives to create authentic customer-driven marketing strategies without necessitating additional technical resources. By placing customers at the core of marketing efforts, Pixlee TurnTo aims to boost revenue, brand loyalty, and consumer engagement. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and has additional offices in New York and Toronto.
Cherry Labs
Seed Round in 2016
Cherry Labs Inc. is a technology company based in Cupertino, United States, that specializes in manufacturing home security cameras equipped with artificial intelligence. The company is also focused on developing no-code computer vision solutions aimed at enhancing safety, security, and operational compliance in various industries, including manufacturing, servicing, and warehousing. By providing tools that enable operational managers to improve throughput and reduce risks, Cherry Labs serves a range of Fortune 500 clients, particularly in the food and beverage and oil and gas sectors. Its video analytics platform leverages computer vision to automatically identify and analyze complex human behaviors in video streams, allowing organizations to gain valuable insights into work processes, identify safety hazards, and enhance overall operational efficiency and worker safety.
Coub Ltd is an online platform and mobile application that allows users to create, edit, and share short looped videos, often enhanced with soundtracks. Founded in 2012 and based in Moscow, Russia, Coub facilitates the generation of viral content by enabling users to upload their own videos or extract clips from other sources, combining them into engaging loops. The platform has gained significant popularity, attracting over 11 million unique visitors per month. Coub operates as a subsidiary of Komitet and aims to build a community space for sharing and enjoying looped video content, while also offering users the opportunity to generate revenue based on the number of views their videos receive.
WISeKey
Venture Round in 2016
WISeKey is a global cybersecurity company specializing in integrated security solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital identity ecosystems. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company leverages its patented cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) to provide secure authentication and identification across both physical and virtual environments. WISeKey's offerings include a range of semiconductor chips, cybersecurity software, and managed public key infrastructure (PKI) services, all designed to protect users, devices, data, and transactions in an increasingly interconnected world. The company operates primarily through two business segments: the IoT segment, which focuses on the sale of secure semiconductor chips and is the main revenue driver, and the mPKI segment, which generates revenue through digital certificates. WISeKey's comprehensive solutions address significant gaps in cybersecurity and data protection, enabling clients to navigate the evolving landscape of digital devices without compromising their security.
Solomoto is a SaaS platform designed to assist small and medium-sized businesses in managing their digital marketing and customer relations effectively through a single, user-friendly dashboard. Founded in 2014 and based in Moscow, the company provides a comprehensive suite of tools that includes website creation, online commerce, content management, social media engagement, and digital advertising solutions. Solomoto's platform is tailored to meet the specific needs of various industries, including food, fashion, health and beauty, and pet care, enabling clients to craft websites, online magazines, community pages, and targeted advertising campaigns without the need for extensive technical expertise. By integrating the most efficient digital marketing applications, Solomoto allows businesses to maximize their online presence while focusing their resources on delivering quality service to customers. The company operates in multiple markets, including Russia, Latin America, and the USA, with offices in Tel Aviv, Miami, Sao Paulo, and Moscow.
Let'sMod
Angel Round in 2016
Let'sMod is a gaming platform headquartered in Saratoga, California. It specializes in creating short, engaging 3D minigames designed for users aged eight and above. The platform encourages user interaction by allowing players to modify, remix, and share their creations, fostering creativity and endless gameplay possibilities through generative artificial intelligence.
NoPassword
Venture Round in 2015
NoPassword, originally established as WiActs, is dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity and user privacy through its innovative identity and access management platform. The company provides a password-less authentication solution that leverages advanced technologies, including biometrics, geo-location, public key infrastructure, and hidden signatures. This approach enables businesses to streamline secure authentication processes while ensuring compliance with privacy and data protection regulations. By offering a user-friendly and intuitive alternative to traditional password systems, NoPassword aims to empower individuals and organizations to safeguard their online accounts and sensitive information effectively.
Omniscience
Convertible Note in 2015
Omniscience Corporation, founded in 2014 and based in Palo Alto, California, specializes in underwriting automation and risk intelligence. The company develops advanced distributed data-mining systems that utilize both open and internal data sources to enhance data research services. By employing complex machine learning algorithms, Omniscience generates accurate and scalable data clusters, providing insights across various sectors, including trading, finance, data science, and IT. Their suite of applications is designed to improve underwriting processes and capital management, assisting companies in areas such as brand perception, product safety, reliability, risk management, sales targeting, and regulatory compliance.
Storj
Venture Round in 2015
Storj is a company that specializes in decentralized cloud storage solutions. Their platform, Storj Decentralized Cloud Storage (DCS), prioritizes data privacy and security by design, offering an alternative to traditional centralized cloud object storage. The service ensures robust data protection and privacy, with affordable and predictable pricing. It is compatible with S3 standards and provides a comprehensive library of open-source technical documentation along with familiar development tools. This enables developers to easily integrate decentralized cloud storage into their applications while maintaining control over their data. Storj's platform leverages underutilized global resources to enhance security, durability, and performance, ensuring that clients can access their files securely without needing the corresponding private encryption key.
Kiana Analytics
Convertible Note in 2015
Kiana Analytics designs and develops cloud-based device detection and customer analytics software for operations and proximity marketing. Its Presence Analytics analyzes customer traffic and movements by leveraging Wi-Fi fingerprints from smartphones to help retailers and other venues improve store performance and sales conversion. The company provides predictive and behavioral insights of in-store traffic and serves retailers, shopping centers, restaurants, event venues, and other businesses worldwide. Founded in 2013 and based in Sunnyvale, California, Kiana Analytics also offers a privacy-centered cloud-based facilities management platform aimed at digital transformation, strengthening presence analytics, safety and security, and optimizing operations to support healthy workplaces for employees and visitors.
Astro Digital
Seed Round in 2015
Astro Digital designs, builds, and operates micro-satellite systems and infrastructure for earth observation, communications, science, and exploration. The company offers turn-key satellite systems under a Mission as a Service framework, enabling customers to access proprietary datasets and space-based services. Its constellations provide global coverage with high-frequency imaging suitable for analysis, delivering images ready for downstream business intelligence and applications. Astro Digital serves applications including agriculture, disaster and forest management, urban development, and other data-driven decision-making. Based in Mountain View, California, Astro Digital was founded in 2015.
I.Am+
Venture Round in 2014
I.Am+ is a technology company based in Hollywood that specializes in designing and manufacturing wearable products and consumer electronics. Founded in 2000 by innovator and global music artist will.i.am, the company is dedicated to creating technology that resonates within pop culture. Its mission is to foster a community of creators and coders, believing that the intersection of music and technology can lead to significant advancements through artificial intelligence. I.Am+ focuses on developing devices and platforms that provide contextual and proactive user experiences, aiming to influence the cultural landscape while promoting innovation.
OLSET, Inc. is an Information-as-a-Service software company based in San Francisco, California, that specializes in hotel booking technologies for the travel industry. Founded in 2012, OLSET employs natural language processing to develop tools that help online travel agencies and travel management companies provide travelers with personalized recommendations tailored to their preferences. The company offers APIs that facilitate the creation of traveler profiles and analyze hotel data to generate sentiment-based recommendations, thereby improving the booking experience for both known and new clients. Additionally, OLSET's solutions extend to non-travel partners, enhancing overall service offerings. The company is also known for its Cinch app, designed to enable repeat business travelers to complete highly personalized bookings with a single click. As of October 2017, OLSET operates as a subsidiary of Deem, Inc., and has demonstrated significant impact on conversion rates for its clients.
TravelTipz.ru
Series B in 2013
TravelTipz is a prominent social travel platform based in Moscow, Russia, that facilitates travel planning and sharing among users. Launched in April 2011, it has grown to become the largest site of its kind in Russia, surpassing both local and global competitors. The platform features over 650,000 user-generated reviews, with a significant portion contributed by "social" users, enhancing the relevance and reliability of the content. TravelTipz enables individuals to connect with friends to collaboratively plan and book their travels, leveraging social data to streamline the decision-making process. The company has garnered support from both Russian and international venture capitalists and angel investors, further solidifying its position in the travel industry.
Meograph
Angel Round in 2013
Meograph, Inc. is a technology company that operates a platform designed for creating multimedia stories on the web, integrating video, audio, images, text, links, maps, and timelines. Founded in 2012 and based in Sunnyvale, California, Meograph serves a diverse clientele, including media organizations, educational institutions, and individual storytellers. In addition to its storytelling platform, the company has developed an augmented reality application that transforms 2D video into 3D representations, allowing users to engage in AR and VR experiences using standard devices like smartphones and webcams. This innovative approach enables the capture of micro-expressions, enhancing user interaction in digital environments.
TravelTipz.ru
Series A in 2011
TravelTipz is a prominent social travel platform based in Moscow, Russia, that facilitates travel planning and sharing among users. Launched in April 2011, it has grown to become the largest site of its kind in Russia, surpassing both local and global competitors. The platform features over 650,000 user-generated reviews, with a significant portion contributed by "social" users, enhancing the relevance and reliability of the content. TravelTipz enables individuals to connect with friends to collaboratively plan and book their travels, leveraging social data to streamline the decision-making process. The company has garnered support from both Russian and international venture capitalists and angel investors, further solidifying its position in the travel industry.