Lofty Ventures

Science On Call is a subscription-based tech support platform for restaurants. Help with POS, internet, Wi-Fi, online ordering & more—just one call or text away, even on nights & weekends! A Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator portfolio company (2021), Food Foundry (2020)

Mycocycle is an environmental remediation company that offers a process to decarbonize waste streams using fungi via mycoremediation. Treatment through our engineered ecosystems renders a non-toxic biomass available for use in the manufacture of new products. Our clients are waste management companies, landfill operators, material recycling facilities, manufacturers of petrochemical materials who want to become closed-loop in their process, and advanced materials manufacturers.

SmartCert supports the entire product development lifecycle and optimizes and accelerates parts purchasing and selling for global supply chains. The network’s unparalleled offering of lot traceability in the sub-tier supply chain sets it apart as a catalyst for exponential growth, welcoming over 100 new companies monthly and enabling seamless document transmission across 25+ diverse industries.

ANKA is an e-commerce platform dedicated to the discovery, purchase, and sale of African fashion, arts, and crafts. Founded in 2015 and based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, ANKA aims to connect lovers of African creations with local artisans, enabling creators to monetize their work while allowing customers worldwide to access unique products. The platform facilitates direct transactions and exchanges between buyers and sellers, ensuring a user-friendly and secure experience. ANKA offers a diverse range of items, including clothing, jewelry, accessories, and art, promoting the rich cultural heritage and creativity of Africa.

Project Admission, Inc. is a digital ticketing platform based in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2017. The company specializes in the purchase, sales, and distribution of digital tickets, offering a solution that enables ticketing businesses and venues to manage ticket exchanges effectively. By facilitating secure and simplified ticket transfers, Project Admission allows clients to track tickets from purchase to event, gaining insights into customer identity and behaviors. The platform helps brands, influencers, and fans buy and sell authentic tickets through various channels, ultimately enhancing revenue and expanding audience reach within the live event industry.

PechaKucha, which translates to "chit chat" in Japanese, is a storytelling platform designed to enable individuals to share their passions and knowledge through personal presentations. The platform aims to improve storytelling skills and enhance virtual events by offering a user-friendly interface that combines elements of social media and presentation tools. PechaKucha has garnered over 65,000 sign-ups for its beta product, PK Create, and has established a global presence, with users in more than 140 countries. The company, based in Chicago, is led by CEO Sean Smyth, who has extensive experience in the tech industry, and CTO John Brooks, a former startup CEO. PechaKucha focuses on fostering positive conversations and behaviors, helping users overcome challenges and transform their lives through motivational storytelling. Currently, the company is seeking to raise $3 million in seed funding to further its mission and connect with potential investors.

Ascent Integrated Tech develops a hardware-enabled software platform focused on enhancing situational awareness for first responders and military personnel. Its Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) integrates with smartwatches and existing equipment to provide real-time location tracking and physiological alerting, significantly improving safety and operational decision-making during emergencies. The platform offers comprehensive monitoring and mapping capabilities in hazardous environments, enabling incident commanders to assess the status of their teams and make informed evacuation decisions through a biometric tracking system. Ascent’s technology is utilized by major metropolitan fire departments across the United States and is expanding internationally through strategic partnerships. The company is supported by government contracts and venture funding, positioning itself as a leader in redefining emergency response effectiveness.

Inverse is a metaverse game platform and studio focused on developing next-generation digital communities and social experiences. The company offers a virtual events platform designed to create and monetize events, engaging both attendees and sponsors. By merging elements of online gaming and video conferencing within a browser-based environment, Inverse enables businesses to connect with their audience and collaborate with other brands. Their offerings include customizable and monetizable multiplayer games, virtual events, and branded worlds that can be enhanced with NFTs, fostering immersive experiences for users.

Kanary provides solutions to assist people in protecting their digital identities. Kanary detects and removes unnecessary personal data from any website that could put people in danger. Kanary monitors the locations of people's data on the internet. Kanary specializes in data used in account takeovers, impersonation attempts, and spam.

Upkey is a company that offers remote career readiness and talent engagement tools designed for students, universities, and companies. Founded in 2016 by Amir Badr, Mark Pawloski, and Mo Bitar, Upkey's platform includes innovative resources such as personal branding services, access to a wide network of job opportunities, and on-demand professional services tailored to individual needs. This comprehensive approach helps students enhance their personal branding and presentation skills, thereby improving their competitiveness as they transition into the professional world. By focusing on virtual internship programs and career development, Upkey aims to support students in achieving their career goals.

ReloShare is an innovative hotel booking platform designed specifically for government and social services organizations. It enables care workers to efficiently book hotel rooms for clients using an alias, ensuring privacy and safety. The platform features real-time inventory display, automated billing, and reservation management, streamlining the booking process from days to mere minutes. By focusing on the unique needs of social service agencies, ReloShare provides a vital tool that enhances operational efficiency, saves time and money, and ensures secure accommodations for clients.

Havoc Shield, Inc. is a cybersecurity company based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in developing comprehensive security programs for small businesses. Founded in 2019, the company offers an all-in-one information security platform designed to address the unique needs of startups and small enterprises. This platform features user-friendly modules that clearly map security and compliance requirements, guiding businesses through the implementation of necessary tools, policies, and changes to safeguard against threats such as data breaches, phishing, and dark web activity. By providing these resources at a low cost, Havoc Shield enables small businesses to effectively protect themselves from cyber-attacks.

Fluent Forever Inc. is a language learning application founded in 2013 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The app provides users with resources to learn and retain foreign languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese. Its platform features a variety of learning tools such as customized guides, pictures, animated templates, grammar resources, voice training tips, dictionaries, and online vocabulary lists. This comprehensive approach allows users to tailor their learning experience, enhancing pronunciation and fluency while facilitating fast and effective language acquisition.

Retail Aware Inc. is a technology company that specializes in developing a real-time sensor-informed analytics platform designed to assist brands and retailers in analyzing consumer behavior and optimizing merchandising strategies. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Retail Aware provides wireless sensors that track various metrics, including foot traffic, product engagement, dwell time, and environmental factors like temperature, without relying on cameras. Their platform delivers actionable insights through a web portal and integrates with existing tools via an API, enabling users to uncover shelf-level opportunities and enhance the return on investment for marketing initiatives. The company serves a diverse clientele, including brands, retailers, and advertisers, focusing on improving retail execution and driving sales through data-driven decision-making.

Resonado Labs specializes in audio hardware solutions that enhance sound reproduction across various applications. The company focuses on transducer design and engineering, creating innovative products such as miniaturized sub-woofer drivers for integrated sound bars and advanced sonic projection arrays that can deliver sound over distances exceeding 1500 meters. Resonado aims to revolutionize the audio market through continuous experimentation with materials, motor structures, and industrial designs, all conducted at their headquarters in Chicago. By leveraging proprietary audio tools, Resonado enables clients to develop sound field control technologies that combine design innovation with high-fidelity acoustic performance, thereby expanding the potential applications of their technology across different industries.

Inverse is a metaverse game platform and studio focused on developing next-generation digital communities and social experiences. The company offers a virtual events platform designed to create and monetize events, engaging both attendees and sponsors. By merging elements of online gaming and video conferencing within a browser-based environment, Inverse enables businesses to connect with their audience and collaborate with other brands. Their offerings include customizable and monetizable multiplayer games, virtual events, and branded worlds that can be enhanced with NFTs, fostering immersive experiences for users.