Brightstone VIII

Brightstone VIII is a venture capital fund managed by Brightstone Venture Capital, a Minneapolis-based firm established in 1985. The firm focuses on early-stage investments in technology and life sciences companies across the United States. With a history of over 30 years, Brightstone Venture Capital partners with innovative entrepreneurs who have unique visions for addressing significant challenges in expanding markets. The firm aims to support these entrepreneurs in realizing their ambitions and driving growth within their respective industries.

Jeff Cowan

Managing Partner

36 past transactions

Xplore

Series A in 2022
Xplore Inc is a space technology company that develops spacecraft and offers a range of space-related services, including mission planning, spacecraft engineering, flight financing, payload insurance, communications, data management, and spacecraft operations. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Mercer Island, Washington, Xplore conducts commercial missions in Earth orbits using their XCRAFT™ spacecraft. The company caters to government agencies, commercial space enterprises, and educational institutions, facilitating a variety of missions that include expeditions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and asteroids. Xplore’s capabilities also encompass hosting mission-critical payloads, providing communication relay services, and delivering data through a multi-sensor platform designed for data fusion and on-orbit processing.

Xplore

Series A in 2022
Xplore Inc is a space technology company that develops spacecraft and offers a range of space-related services, including mission planning, spacecraft engineering, flight financing, payload insurance, communications, data management, and spacecraft operations. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Mercer Island, Washington, Xplore conducts commercial missions in Earth orbits using their XCRAFT™ spacecraft. The company caters to government agencies, commercial space enterprises, and educational institutions, facilitating a variety of missions that include expeditions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and asteroids. Xplore’s capabilities also encompass hosting mission-critical payloads, providing communication relay services, and delivering data through a multi-sensor platform designed for data fusion and on-orbit processing.

Mosaic

Series B in 2021
Mosaic Building Group, Inc. is a technology-focused construction company based in Phoenix, Arizona, with additional offices in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2015, the company provides a range of construction services to homebuilders, including general contracting, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, and site work. Mosaic specializes in single-family, multi-family, custom homebuilding, and build-to-rent projects. With a commitment to enhancing efficiency in the construction process, Mosaic employs advanced technologies and programming to automate various tasks, resulting in faster and more streamlined homebuilding. The company's mission centers on creating communities that foster a sense of connection and belonging, aiming to make beautiful living environments accessible to a broader audience.

Eternal

Seed Round in 2020
Eternal is a company that develops an avatar social network, which allows users to create and interact through personalized avatars. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company launched a private beta of its platform in January 2020. Eternal aims to provide a unique social experience by enabling users to express themselves and connect with others in a virtual environment.

Cryosa

Series A in 2020
CryOSA, Inc., a medical device company, develops novel treatments for patients with sleep disordered breathing. It offers therapies for obstructive sleep apnea. CryOSA, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Roseville, Minnesota.

Aria CV

Series B in 2020
Aria CV was founded in 2010 by Drs. John Scandurra and Karl Vollmers, formerly Fellows at the University of Minnesota’s Medical Devices Center. Aria has an exclusive license to certain patents from the University of Minnesota. Aria CV’s device has the potential to improve outcomes by reducing the workload on the right side of the heart.

VRChat

Series C in 2019
VRChat is a virtual reality social platform established in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It enables users to create and explore virtual worlds, allowing them to interact with others in a social setting. The platform facilitates the development of custom avatars and the building of 3D environments, which users can navigate together. Content creators can publish their virtual worlds and sell them through the VRChat marketplace, enhancing the platform's community-driven experience. By providing tools that allow for quick and easy world-building, VRChat fosters creativity and collaboration among its users, making it a unique space for social engagement in virtual reality.

Viosera

Seed Round in 2019
Viosera Therapeutics, Inc. is focused on developing therapies to combat antibiotic resistance, particularly targeting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Founded in July 2016, the company has its headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, and an additional office in St. Louis, Missouri. Viosera is known for its innovative approach that utilizes artificial intelligence to predict and block the evolution of drug resistance in both cancer and bacterial infections. Its primary product, VT1, is specifically designed to treat MRSA bloodstream infections, allowing healthcare providers to effectively manage and suppress antibiotic resistance, ultimately aiming to enhance patient outcomes.

Intact Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2019
Intact Therapeutics designs and develops a thermosensitive drug delivery platform for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Belmont, California.

StemoniX

Series B in 2019
StemoniX Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in stem cell technologies to enhance drug discovery and personalized medicine. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an additional office in La Jolla, California, StemoniX provides innovative platforms for pharmaceutical and research institutions. Its flagship solution focuses on the three-dimensional printing of stem-cell-derived human tissue, enabling the creation of living cells in larger formats. This technology is particularly beneficial for studying various diseases, including heart disease, dementia, breast cancer, autism, and ALS. By advancing the production and application of stem cell technologies, StemoniX aims to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

CodeStream

Seed Round in 2018
CodeStream, Inc. is a New York City-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in developing an integrated development environment (IDE) extension aimed at enhancing collaboration among software development teams. Its platform allows for seamless team communication directly within popular IDEs, facilitating discussions about code, code reviews, and knowledge retention. By streamlining communication, CodeStream helps teams accelerate their development cycles and minimize technical debt, ultimately enabling developers to create and modify code more efficiently. The company's tools are designed to support teams of all sizes, fostering an environment where software development becomes more collaborative and effective.

CNEX Labs

Series D in 2018
CNEX Labs, Inc. is a developer of semiconductor storage solutions, specializing in NVMe PCIe SSD controller ASICs that support LightNVM/Open-Channel operations. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Jose, California, the company also has offices in Copenhagen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Tokyo. CNEX's products are designed for cloud, hyperscale, and enterprise data centers, offering high performance, low and predictable latency, and flexibility for software-defined storage. The controllers facilitate enhanced capabilities in big data computing and analytics, allowing customers to create differentiated SSD solutions across various form factors such as M.2, U.2, and EDSFF. By partnering with solid-state storage manufacturers and systems customers, CNEX Labs aims to drive innovation in storage technologies necessary for modern data demands.

Vathys

Seed Round in 2018
Vathys, Inc. manufactures deep learning processor chips. The company was formerly known as Ingemini, LLC and changed its name in January 2018. Vathys, Inc. was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Wasabi

Series B in 2018
Wasabi Technologies, Inc. is a cloud storage provider that offers a fast and cost-effective platform for hybrid and multi-cloud media workflows. The company specializes in hot storage solutions compatible with Amazon S3, delivering average time-to-first-byte speeds of less than 15 milliseconds and ensuring data integrity with active checking. Wasabi's services support a variety of applications, including archiving, backup and recovery, content delivery, and data analytics, catering to sectors such as media and entertainment, education, healthcare, and law enforcement. The company provides a free trial capped at 1 TB of storage and offers flexible pricing options, ensuring that organizations can access secure and reliable data storage without complex pricing structures or unpredictable fees. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Wasabi was previously known as BlueArchive, Inc. before rebranding in 2017.

Jido

Seed Round in 2018
Jido is bringing in the next wave of AR where digital content can have a shared and persistent life in the real world. Our API uses intimate understanding of a users spatial context to preserve AR experiences across users and devices. Our research team came out of the Stanford Artifical Intelligence Labs and the Cornell Robot Learning Lab.

VRChat

Series A in 2017
VRChat is a virtual reality social platform established in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It enables users to create and explore virtual worlds, allowing them to interact with others in a social setting. The platform facilitates the development of custom avatars and the building of 3D environments, which users can navigate together. Content creators can publish their virtual worlds and sell them through the VRChat marketplace, enhancing the platform's community-driven experience. By providing tools that allow for quick and easy world-building, VRChat fosters creativity and collaboration among its users, making it a unique space for social engagement in virtual reality.

Wasabi

Series A in 2017
Wasabi Technologies, Inc. is a cloud storage provider that offers a fast and cost-effective platform for hybrid and multi-cloud media workflows. The company specializes in hot storage solutions compatible with Amazon S3, delivering average time-to-first-byte speeds of less than 15 milliseconds and ensuring data integrity with active checking. Wasabi's services support a variety of applications, including archiving, backup and recovery, content delivery, and data analytics, catering to sectors such as media and entertainment, education, healthcare, and law enforcement. The company provides a free trial capped at 1 TB of storage and offers flexible pricing options, ensuring that organizations can access secure and reliable data storage without complex pricing structures or unpredictable fees. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Wasabi was previously known as BlueArchive, Inc. before rebranding in 2017.

Wasabi

Seed Round in 2017
Wasabi Technologies, Inc. is a cloud storage provider that offers a fast and cost-effective platform for hybrid and multi-cloud media workflows. The company specializes in hot storage solutions compatible with Amazon S3, delivering average time-to-first-byte speeds of less than 15 milliseconds and ensuring data integrity with active checking. Wasabi's services support a variety of applications, including archiving, backup and recovery, content delivery, and data analytics, catering to sectors such as media and entertainment, education, healthcare, and law enforcement. The company provides a free trial capped at 1 TB of storage and offers flexible pricing options, ensuring that organizations can access secure and reliable data storage without complex pricing structures or unpredictable fees. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Wasabi was previously known as BlueArchive, Inc. before rebranding in 2017.

Atavium

Series A in 2017
Atavium, Inc. is a data management company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 2015. It specializes in developing a cloud-based platform that organizes, automates, manages, and stores unstructured data sets, whether located in a data center or in the cloud. The platform is designed to simplify the handling of large data volumes, enabling enterprises to efficiently store, share, and synchronize their data securely. Atavium's technology allows users to automate the lifecycle of their data from the point of creation, addressing the challenges posed by the growing complexity of unstructured data. The company operates as a subsidiary of Quantum Corporation and is backed by a team of experienced professionals with a history of delivering impactful products in the storage and networking sectors.

RealVision

Seed Round in 2017
Realvision is an immersive media technology company that builds 3D media solutions for the real estate industry. Realvision is a technology platform built to support real estate agents, created for professional photographers.

VRChat

Seed Round in 2016
VRChat is a virtual reality social platform established in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It enables users to create and explore virtual worlds, allowing them to interact with others in a social setting. The platform facilitates the development of custom avatars and the building of 3D environments, which users can navigate together. Content creators can publish their virtual worlds and sell them through the VRChat marketplace, enhancing the platform's community-driven experience. By providing tools that allow for quick and easy world-building, VRChat fosters creativity and collaboration among its users, making it a unique space for social engagement in virtual reality.

StemoniX

Seed Round in 2016
StemoniX Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in stem cell technologies to enhance drug discovery and personalized medicine. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with an additional office in La Jolla, California, StemoniX provides innovative platforms for pharmaceutical and research institutions. Its flagship solution focuses on the three-dimensional printing of stem-cell-derived human tissue, enabling the creation of living cells in larger formats. This technology is particularly beneficial for studying various diseases, including heart disease, dementia, breast cancer, autism, and ALS. By advancing the production and application of stem cell technologies, StemoniX aims to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

Bite Squad

Series A in 2015
In 2012, entrepreneurs Kian Salehi and Arash Allaei saw a need in their hometown community of Minneapolis for an easy, fast and affordable way to order delivery from all the wonderful restaurants in town. With years of restaurant experience under their belts, the pair decided to do something about it and Bite Squad was born. Bite Squad was created to be the last place you’ll ever have to go online to order cuisine for delivery or takeout. The company now partners with over 10,000 local restaurants in more than 400 cities nationwide, and employees over 5,000 drivers to deliver fresh food from the restaurant straight to the customer’s door—quickly and hassle-free!

TruBrain

Seed Round in 2015
truBrain is building the next generation performance food and beverage brand. We leverage neurotechnology to redesign solutions in food and beverage, starting by disrupting the energy drink market with products that support direct focus instead of caffeine-induced alertness. truBrain is backed by SherpaVentures, Brightstone Venture Capital, and the Start Engine accelerator fund.

TruBrain

Seed Round in 2015
truBrain is building the next generation performance food and beverage brand. We leverage neurotechnology to redesign solutions in food and beverage, starting by disrupting the energy drink market with products that support direct focus instead of caffeine-induced alertness. truBrain is backed by SherpaVentures, Brightstone Venture Capital, and the Start Engine accelerator fund.

Gravia

Series B in 2015
Gravie, Inc. operates a health insurance platform that facilitates the comparison and purchase of health insurance plans for individuals, families, and employers. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company provides a comprehensive solution for managing health insurance expenses through its mobile application and website. Gravie allows users to shop for insurance options available on government-run exchanges and directly from insurance companies. The platform also offers tools for employers to design custom benefits plans using a defined contribution approach, enabling them to set a fixed budget for employee health benefits. Additionally, Gravie provides year-round support, financial analysis, and services such as Gravie Care, which assists individuals in managing their healthcare expenses effectively.

FlipGrid

Series A in 2015
Flipgrid, Inc. is a video-based discussion platform that allows users to record, share, and view short video demonstrations. Founded in 2014 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Flipgrid serves a diverse range of sectors including education, business, government, and community organizations. The platform is utilized in over 40,000 classrooms and enterprises across 115 countries, facilitating active and social learning. It provides applications for iPad, Android, and iPhone, making it accessible for a wide audience. In June 2018, Flipgrid became a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, further expanding its reach and resources in the educational technology space.

HomeSpotter

Seed Round in 2015
HomeSpotter, LLC is a real estate technology company that develops mobile applications and web solutions aimed at providing real estate information and tools for agents, brokers, and multiple listing services across North America. Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, HomeSpotter offers a mobile platform that enables over 250,000 agents to access property listings and communicate effectively with clients through built-in chat features. The platform utilizes real-time data from multiple listing services to help agents create and manage targeted advertising campaigns on social media, enhancing their marketing efforts. HomeSpotter was previously known as MobileRealtyApps.com, LLC before rebranding in January 2015.

Fortus Medical

Venture Round in 2014
Fortus Medical is a provider of medical products and health care solutions. Forus' proprietary technology is used to harvest a patient's own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and then effectively and economically remove impurities and red blood cells (which impede bone growth) leaving a highly concentrated stem cell solution, which is combined with bone graft material to repair and promote new bone growth in the patient. It was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada, United States.

Celcuity

Series A in 2014
Celcuity Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, focused on advancing cancer care through innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions. The company's CELsignia diagnostic platform analyzes living tumor cells from patients to identify the specific abnormal cellular processes driving their cancer, enabling personalized treatment options. Celcuity is developing the CELsignia HSF test to diagnose new sub-types of HER2-negative breast cancer, as well as the CELsignia MP test to identify multiple cancer sub-types across various types, including breast, lung, colon, ovarian, kidney, and bladder cancers. In addition to its diagnostic efforts, Celcuity is advancing a lead therapeutic candidate, gedatolisib, a potent pan-PI3K and mTOR inhibitor, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. Founded in 2011, Celcuity aims to transform the treatment landscape for patients with cancer by providing targeted therapies tailored to their unique disease profiles.

Horizon Oilfield Services

Series A in 2013
At Horizon Oilfield Services, we deliver comprehensive oilfield wastewater disposal and gathering solutions for E&P Companies and for trucking companies. We own, operate and develop fully automated, state-of-the art, wastewater disposals and gathering systems at strategic locations for our customers.

HomeSpotter

Seed Round in 2013
HomeSpotter, LLC is a real estate technology company that develops mobile applications and web solutions aimed at providing real estate information and tools for agents, brokers, and multiple listing services across North America. Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, HomeSpotter offers a mobile platform that enables over 250,000 agents to access property listings and communicate effectively with clients through built-in chat features. The platform utilizes real-time data from multiple listing services to help agents create and manage targeted advertising campaigns on social media, enhancing their marketing efforts. HomeSpotter was previously known as MobileRealtyApps.com, LLC before rebranding in January 2015.

Bnocular

Seed Round in 2013
Provider of a task management platform for the mobile workforce. The company is a combination of a software as a service and a mobile application that organizes tasks and employee-incentive programs.

Miromatrix Medical

Venture Round in 2012
Miromatrix Medical Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing biological human organs and organ-derived products to address the shortage of transplantable organs. Utilizing patented perfusion decellularization and recellularization technology, the company creates fully biological organs and acellular products. Its offerings include MIROMESH, a non-crosslinked acellular surgical mesh designed for soft tissue repair in plastic and reconstructive surgeries, and various non-crosslinked acellular wound matrixes, such as MIRODERM, for managing different types of wounds, including chronic ulcers and surgical sites. Founded in 2009 and based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Miromatrix Medical serves a global customer base with innovative solutions for organ transplantation and advanced wound care.

Disc Dynamics

Series E in 2004
Disc Dynamics is a healthcare company. They design and develop medical products. The Company offers surgical alternatives for the treatment of lower back problems and disc diseases. It offers DASCOR Disc arthroplasty system, a catheter-based minimally invasive nucleus replacement technology for the treatment of degenerated lumbar discs. Disc Dynamics was founded by Jeffrey Felt in 2000 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Prolatus

Series C in 2001
Prolatus licenses software that allows customers to send large graphic files through regular telephone lines. The company targets pre-press, printing and content provider companies as its customers. See complete list.
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