Lightship Capital

Lightship Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2018 and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It specializes in investing in technology-driven startups at the seed and Series A stages, with a focus on sectors such as artificial intelligence, consumer packaged goods, sustainability, e-commerce, and healthcare. The firm is dedicated to supporting underrepresented founders, including those from BIPOC communities, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with disabilities. Lightship Capital primarily targets companies located in the Midwest, deliberately avoiding investments in traditional hubs like Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston. By providing an alternative funding model, Lightship aims to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs and help them navigate the challenges of securing traditional venture capital.

Alexis Alston

Partner

Brian Brackeen

General Partner

Candice Brackeen

General Partner

Candice Matthews

General Partner

12 past transactions

Vyrill

Seed Round in 2022
Vyrill Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in the discovery and analytics of user-generated video content (UGVC). Founded in 2015, Vyrill provides a platform that aggregates various types of videos related to consumer products, including demos, commercials, unboxing, and reviews. This platform not only helps retailers and brands leverage authentic video content to enhance revenue and attract new customers but also offers insights for demand generation and content marketing. Vyrill's website features guidance on product pricing, purchasing options, and related product recommendations, while also generating relevant hashtags for each video. By focusing on video commerce, Vyrill aims to facilitate a deeper connection between brands and consumers through engaging visual content.

Bootup

Seed Round in 2022
Bootup operates a marketplace designed to connect tech talent with technology companies facing talent shortages. Its platform offers tools that assist individuals seeking economic mobility, educators who support their development, and enterprises in need of skilled personnel. Utilizing matching algorithms and employer-sponsored certifications, Bootup helps companies track and manage the upskilling and reskilling of their workforce, ensuring program completion and knowledge retention. Through personalized career guidance and concierge services, Bootup aims to fill talent gaps in the technology sector while empowering individuals to achieve their career aspirations.

Proov

Series A in 2021
Proov rapid response urine progesterone test strips empower women to know more about their cycles. Current in home, rapid response tests measure hormones in the first half of the menstrual cycle that are predictive of ovulation – LH, FSH, and Estrogen. But Proov tests enable a more complete picture by measuring progesterone, a hormone critical to conception and pregnancy and the ONLY hormone that allows women to confirm that ovulation has occurred. Don’t just predict ovulation. Proov it!

Boddle

Seed Round in 2021
Boddle Learning, Inc. is a Kansas City-based company that specializes in a game-based learning platform designed for K-12 education. Founded in 2019, Boddle focuses on enhancing academic outcomes in STEM subjects by providing teachers with tools to assess and differentiate student learning. The platform incorporates gameplay and adaptive learning technology to actively engage students, fostering their growth and development. Additionally, it transforms student responses into actionable reports, enabling educators to make informed decisions regarding their students' progress and needs.

Femi Secrets

Venture Round in 2021
Femi Secrets provides the ultimate protection to women of all ages during their monthly menstrual cycle. Their premiere product, Pretty Panty, guarantees no leaks! Femi Secrets specializes in eco friendly, healthy and savvy options for women. Keeping women beautiful, comfortable and confident.

VisuWall

Seed Round in 2021
VisuWall Technologies Inc., founded in 2015 and based in New York, specializes in advertising services that leverage computer vision technology in commercial real estate. The company transforms vacant storefront windows into smart billboards, utilizing artificial intelligence and mobile proximity technologies to enhance advertising effectiveness. VisuWall's platform captures data on consumer traffic and engagement, providing advertisers with real-time analytics through a user-friendly dashboard. This innovative approach allows businesses to connect directly with consumers and optimize their advertising strategies based on measurable responses.

Healthy Roots

Seed Round in 2021
Healthy Roots is a toy company that utilizes a doll, book and app to teach natural hair care to young girls of color. Our dolls come in different skin tones, facial features and hair textures to represent the diversity of the african diaspora. Our dolls hair can be styled in a variety of ways with the guidance of the Big Book of Hair. The big Book of Hair is an illustrated manual to natural hair care. Our app allows users to track their hair health and get curated content for their specific hair needs based on data they input. All three products culminate to the perfect teaching tool for children in a language they understand.

Kare

Venture Round in 2020
Kare Mobile Inc. is a Louisville, Kentucky-based company that provides mobile dental services through its innovative application. Founded in 2017, the platform connects patients with dentists based on factors such as location, availability, insurance, and the specific dental procedures required. By utilizing mobile dental units, Kare aims to increase access to oral healthcare and address inequities in dental services, ensuring that individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds can receive comprehensive care. The company's approach focuses on delivering concierge-style dental treatment on demand, effectively bridging the gap between patients and dental professionals.

Undock

Seed Round in 2020
Undock is a SaaS platform for scheduling, coordinating, and hosting meetings. Their predictive AI model instantly discovers the ideal meeting time for participants by comparing availability, preferences, and behavior. Undock uniquely gives teams and organizations a single place for collaborative agendas and notes that overlay on any conferencing platform. The company was founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York, United States.

Amulet

Seed Round in 2020
Allergy Amulet Inc. is a Madison, Wisconsin-based company founded in 2016 that specializes in the manufacturing and sale of consumer food allergen sensors. Its flagship product, the Allergy Amulet, is recognized as the world's smallest and fastest device for testing food for common allergens, providing results in seconds. Designed for portability, it can be conveniently carried on a keychain, necklace, or wristband, allowing users to maintain safety while enjoying meals. With food allergies affecting approximately 32 million Americans and millions more worldwide, Allergy Amulet aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals with food allergies or intolerances. The company serves a diverse clientele, including families, individuals, and businesses, addressing the critical need for rapid allergen detection in everyday situations.

Proov

Seed Round in 2020
Proov rapid response urine progesterone test strips empower women to know more about their cycles. Current in home, rapid response tests measure hormones in the first half of the menstrual cycle that are predictive of ovulation – LH, FSH, and Estrogen. But Proov tests enable a more complete picture by measuring progesterone, a hormone critical to conception and pregnancy and the ONLY hormone that allows women to confirm that ovulation has occurred. Don’t just predict ovulation. Proov it!

FreshFry

Venture Round in 2020
FreshFry LLC, based in Louisville, Kentucky, specializes in frying oil purification solutions to enhance the quality and longevity of cooking oil. The company offers the FreshFry Pod, a filtration product that captures and removes dissolved impurities from frying oil. Made with a natural adsorbent material, the Pod effectively cleanses the oil by soaking up free fatty acids and polar molecules, resulting in cleaner and brighter cooking oil. This innovative approach not only extends the life of frying oil but also ensures that food retains its fresh and natural taste without introducing harmful chemicals. FreshFry's solutions aim to simplify oil management for food businesses, contributing to a better working environment for restaurant teams while allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality food.
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