Cleveland Avenue

Cleveland Avenue is a venture capital investment firm established in 2015 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm specializes in investing in a range of sectors, including food and beverage companies, lifestyle consumer brands, agricultural technology, and technology firms. As a registered investment adviser, Cleveland Avenue focuses on seed-stage, early-stage, later-stage, and growth-stage opportunities, aiming to support innovative companies that align with its strategic interests.

Matthew Wellington Burns

Senior Associate, Investments

Fernando Carranza

Venture Investor

Harry Coaxum

Managing Partner, Operations

Walker Cullinan

Analyst

Ellen Federbush

Project Manager, Office of the CEO

Mingu Lee

Managing Partner

Jason Mercer

Principal

Fabian Gosselin Paliza

Investor

Veronica Pierce

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Ryan Tlusty

CFO

Robert Wietecki

Senior Associate, Investments

Taylor Williams

Venture Investor

Andrea Zopp

Managing Partner

Past deals in Illinois

Innovare

Seed Round in 2023
Innovare is the edtech and data strategy app helping education leaders visualize, analyze, and use data to positively impact the communities they serve.

Five to Nine

Seed Round in 2022
Five to Nine offers a culture engagement solution aimed at enhancing workplace connectivity and inclusion. The company has developed an online employee engagement platform that focuses on the management and evaluation of both virtual and in-person internal programs. This platform integrates workflows and collects event analytics and feedback, allowing human resource teams to assess employee participation and sentiments effectively. By fostering communities of interest within organizations, Five to Nine helps promote a more inclusive workplace environment, enabling companies to improve the overall employee experience.

Unreal Estate

Funding Round in 2022
Unreal Estate helps people buy and sell homes at a fraction of the cost of traditional brokers. We charge low, flat fees nationwide, enabling sellers to rapidly list thousands of homes on the relevant Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Leaving one-dimensional real estate search engines behind, we simplify the home buying and selling headache by packaging all services in one user-friendly location and guiding people through the step-by-step process with ease. Our clients save 3% of the home cost and over $11,000 on average. Their team learned from personal experience that this process was simply too painful in its current form. They saw enough up close and personal to know that much of the stress and confusion could be solved by creating easy-to-use software to guide everyone in the process and enable buyers and the professionals to collaborate in real-time. Throughout the history of real estate, people have used more and more data to make better decisions. Yet in the past, most of that data has been hard to access or even understand as it was held in the hands of the few. Their mission is to make this data more transparent and easy to understand for everybody (not just real estate agents).

Every Body Eat

Grant in 2021
Every Body Eat specializes in creating plant-based snacks that cater to a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions. Their product lineup includes gluten-free options such as cheese-less snacks, chia seed crackers, and various flavored crispbreads, including sea salt, chive and garlic, and fiery chile lime. The company focuses on producing allergen-free snacks that are not only flavorful but also enjoyable for sharing among family and friends. By offering a diverse selection of snacks, Every Body Eat aims to provide delicious food experiences that unite consumers, regardless of their dietary needs. In addition to their products, the company also engages in e-commerce, making their snacks accessible to a broader audience.

TackleAI

Funding Round in 2021
TackleAI is a software company that specializes in developing an artificial intelligence platform designed to locate, analyze, and organize unstructured data across various document types. The company's technology automates workflows involving large volumes of documents and datasets, significantly enhancing speed and efficiency while minimizing human error. TackleAI's software is particularly valuable in sectors such as healthcare, legal, and finance, where it helps users access critical information within complex documents, including contracts and medical records. By streamlining data processing, TackleAI enables organizations to reduce workflow time and eliminate the need for offshore outsourcing.

86 Repairs

Seed Round in 2021
86 Repairs is a Chicago-based software company that offers a subscription platform for managing the entire repair process for restaurant groups. Founded in 2018, the company provides a comprehensive maintenance management solution that covers equipment repairs for appliances such as ice machines, dishwashers, and ovens. With 24/7 support from a team of experts, 86 Repairs helps restaurant owners streamline their operations by relieving them of repair-related burdens, allowing them to concentrate on customer service. The platform delivers actionable insights to enhance back-of-house operations and ensures complete management of the service process, thereby improving efficiency and reducing downtime for restaurants.

Dom's Kitchen & Market

Venture Round in 2021
Dom's Kitchen & Market is an operator of a grocery store chain designed to combine shopping, restaurant dining, and home delivery. The company was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Bartesian

Series A in 2021
Bartesian Inc. is a Chicago-based company that manufactures a capsule-based cocktail machine, designed to enable users to create customized, bar-quality cocktails at home. Founded in 2014 and originally known as MaxMixology Inc., the company rebranded in 2015. The Bartesian machine operates using pre-mixed ingredient capsules, which include a variety of alcoholic choices, allowing consumers to prepare drinks such as martinis and cosmopolitans at the touch of a button. The system combines specialty pods containing liquors, bitters, extracts, and juice concentrates, making it possible for users to enjoy authentic cocktails without the need for extensive bartending skills.

86 Repairs

Seed Round in 2021
86 Repairs is a Chicago-based software company that offers a subscription platform for managing the entire repair process for restaurant groups. Founded in 2018, the company provides a comprehensive maintenance management solution that covers equipment repairs for appliances such as ice machines, dishwashers, and ovens. With 24/7 support from a team of experts, 86 Repairs helps restaurant owners streamline their operations by relieving them of repair-related burdens, allowing them to concentrate on customer service. The platform delivers actionable insights to enhance back-of-house operations and ensures complete management of the service process, thereby improving efficiency and reducing downtime for restaurants.

SupplyHive

Seed Round in 2021
SupplyHive is Supplier Performance Review Software. By enabling easy input of reviews, and employing artificial intelligence, the entire SupplyHive now elevates, every time a review or rating is posted - or accessed. SupplyHive was founded by Mike Anguiano, a serial entrepreneur who worked with a few key influencers across procurement, investors, leadership, and well-known suppliers. In January 2021, The board of directors brought on serial entrepreneur and innovative business leader Lou Sandoval to refine, build and scale the company. Sandoval successfully led the Seed financing round to raise $2M in a priced round with a valuation of $12M.

ViuHealth

Non Equity Assistance in 2020
ViuHealth (formerly DrugViu) combines data from FDA clinical trials, with physician and pharmacist expertise plus demographic relevant crowdsourced reviews to give you and your family trusted medication information. They have intentionally focused on Asian, Black, Latino, and Native American populations because these groups have traditionally been underrepresented in medicine starting with clinical trials to measuring outcomes. They strongly believe everyone is important and everyone’s experiences matter. They believe that information is power not just for one’s self but when shared can really change communities.

FoodBoss

Venture Round in 2019
FoodBoss is an online food delivery search engine that aggregates various food delivery options and fees from numerous restaurants, including those using third-party services and those with their own ordering systems. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the platform allows users to explore over 30,000 restaurants available for delivery in over 44 major metropolitan markets. It provides comprehensive information on delivery options, enabling consumers to compare menu items, prices, delivery times, and fees, ultimately helping them find the best deals for their food orders. Formerly known as Bootler, LLC, FoodBoss aims to streamline the food ordering process for users by presenting all available options in one convenient location.

Farmer's Fridge

Convertible Note in 2018
Farmer’s Fridge operates automated smart fridges that provide a variety of fresh meals, including salads, bowls, and snacks. Founded in 2013 and based in Chicago, Illinois, the company aims to make healthy eating accessible and convenient. Its fridges are equipped with technology that allows for real-time demand monitoring, ensuring that customers receive fresh, chef-curated meals quickly. Additionally, unsold items from the fridges are donated to local food pantries, supporting community members in need with responsibly sourced nutrition. This approach reflects the founder's commitment to addressing the lack of healthy, affordable food options for individuals on the go.

Farmer's Fridge

Series C in 2018
Farmer’s Fridge operates automated smart fridges that provide a variety of fresh meals, including salads, bowls, and snacks. Founded in 2013 and based in Chicago, Illinois, the company aims to make healthy eating accessible and convenient. Its fridges are equipped with technology that allows for real-time demand monitoring, ensuring that customers receive fresh, chef-curated meals quickly. Additionally, unsold items from the fridges are donated to local food pantries, supporting community members in need with responsibly sourced nutrition. This approach reflects the founder's commitment to addressing the lack of healthy, affordable food options for individuals on the go.

SomruS

Venture Round in 2017
SomruS is a producer of cream liqueurs that combines distilled rum, dairy cream, and natural flavors to create a variety of unique beverages. The company's product lineup includes flavors such as bourbon chai, raspberry mango cooler, urban bourbon lift, iced dirty chai latte, mango fizz, chairish toast, mango bean, and mango colada. SomruS aims to deliver rich and flavorful liqueurs crafted from natural recipes, allowing consumers to enjoy their favorite drinks at affordable prices while promoting a sense of indulgence and enjoyment.

Farmer's Fridge

Series B in 2017
Farmer’s Fridge operates automated smart fridges that provide a variety of fresh meals, including salads, bowls, and snacks. Founded in 2013 and based in Chicago, Illinois, the company aims to make healthy eating accessible and convenient. Its fridges are equipped with technology that allows for real-time demand monitoring, ensuring that customers receive fresh, chef-curated meals quickly. Additionally, unsold items from the fridges are donated to local food pantries, supporting community members in need with responsibly sourced nutrition. This approach reflects the founder's commitment to addressing the lack of healthy, affordable food options for individuals on the go.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.