KB Partners

KB Partners, LLC is a venture capital firm based in Highland Park, Illinois, specializing in early-stage investments, particularly in the sports and technology sectors. Founded in 1996, the firm focuses on mezzanine investments, seed/startup funding, and growth capital for companies engaged in various industries, including technology products and services, communications, medical products, advertising, and consumer goods. KB Partners takes an active role in nurturing businesses by collaborating closely with talented entrepreneurs and experienced managers. The firm typically invests between $1 million and $5 million and prefers opportunities in the Chicago area and surrounding Midwestern and Central U.S. markets. Currently, it operates through the KB Partners Myriad Opportunity Fund, which emphasizes investments at the intersection of sports and technology.

Steve Ahern

Principal

Stephan Ahern

Partner

Keith Bank

Founder & Managing Partner

Lance Dietz

Partner

John Garabedian

Partner

53 past transactions

SIQ Basketball

Seed Round in 2022
SIQ Basketball, based in Los Angeles, California, specializes in developing innovative sports technology. The company has created a smart basketball that is approved for official gameplay by the International Basketball Federation. In addition to its hardware, SIQ Basketball offers sports analytics software tailored for sports organizations. This technology includes applications that provide customized video content, data collection, and advanced analysis through real-time tracking of players, teams, and equipment. By integrating statistics with video, SIQ Basketball enables teams, broadcasters, and fans to analyze games more efficiently, allowing coaches to deliver prompt feedback to players and significantly reducing scouting time.

nVenue

Seed Round in 2022
nVenue’s unmatched technology leverages the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to quickly and accurately generate probabilities for every outcome of a play.

GridRival

Seed Round in 2021
GridRival, Inc. is a company that has developed a mobile application designed for motorsports enthusiasts to engage with their favorite sports. The app allows users to create or join leagues, invite friends, and manage their teams while competing against others. Participants earn points based on the real-world performances of their chosen teams, enhancing the fantasy sports experience. GridRival aims to provide an authentic platform that features real-time cash-based fantasy games and fosters a community of like-minded race fans. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, GridRival was previously known as Fantasy Sport GP LLC and offers its application on both the App Store and Google Play.

Alembic

Seed Round in 2021
Alembic is a stealth phase startup in MarTech that is developing cutting edge new technology.

PickUp

Venture Round in 2021
PickUp is a fan opinion platform that makes content interactive by letting publishers embed contextual and shareable editorial. Their mission is to validate the fan opinion, and in the process, make sports content more fun. Launching summer 2020, get access to the fan opinion platform, and get in touch with the real fan conversations.

StatusPro

Seed Round in 2021
A sports technology company that combines data with augmented and virtual reality

kenshō

Seed Round in 2021
Kenshō is a health company that lives in LA, operates on the internet, and promotes a whole-person philosophy of care: mind, body, and spirit. The company, founded and led by proven entrepreneurs Krista Berlincourt and Danny Steiner, pairs scientific research with personalization technology to take the guesswork out holistic health, whether you're looking for an honest answer or a trusted provider. Berlincourt is known for nurturing and scaling some of the most loved emerging technology brands like Simple, Acorns, and Microsoft from the ground up. Steiner was a digital innovation change agent at NBC, Conde Nast, and Hulu before breaking into health and wellness with Brami, a venture-backed superfood company.

Asensei

Seed Round in 2021
Asensei, Inc. is a company that creates innovative apparel equipped with sensors to monitor posture and movement, offering real-time feedback to enhance athletic performance. Founded in 2014 and based in Greenbrae, California, Asensei's technology acts as a virtual coaching assistant, guiding users in their practice and tracking their progress over time. The mobile application associated with the smart sportswear provides personalized coaching content, empowering athletes to improve their skills and unlock their potential. This approach combines advanced technology with a focus on individual performance, making it a valuable tool for both instructors and athletes.

Compliable

Seed Round in 2021
Rebric uses machine learning and AI systems to help companies stay compliant with sanction list regulations and keep terrorists, human traffickers, and other criminals from receiving or sending money.

Phenix

Series B in 2021
Phenix Real Time Solutions, Inc. specializes in real-time video streaming solutions, providing a comprehensive platform that captures video signals, handles encoding, transcoding, and content delivery with minimal latency. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company has expanded its presence with additional offices in several U.S. cities and internationally. Phenix's technology allows for synchronous streaming to large audiences, making it a key player in enhancing interactive media experiences for rights holders and content creators. Its services cater to various sectors, including sports, esports, gaming, social media, and auctions, as well as network operators and cloud service providers. With a focus on developing and optimizing servers for real-time video encoding, Phenix aims to drive viewer engagement and retention across diverse platforms.

kenshō

Venture Round in 2021
Kenshō is a health company that lives in LA, operates on the internet, and promotes a whole-person philosophy of care: mind, body, and spirit. The company, founded and led by proven entrepreneurs Krista Berlincourt and Danny Steiner, pairs scientific research with personalization technology to take the guesswork out holistic health, whether you're looking for an honest answer or a trusted provider. Berlincourt is known for nurturing and scaling some of the most loved emerging technology brands like Simple, Acorns, and Microsoft from the ground up. Steiner was a digital innovation change agent at NBC, Conde Nast, and Hulu before breaking into health and wellness with Brami, a venture-backed superfood company.

Pandascore

Series A in 2020
PandaScore SAS, based in Paris, France, specializes in providing real-time data and statistics for the esports industry. Founded in 2015, the company develops an advanced application programming interface (API) that utilizes artificial intelligence to collect and normalize data from various reliable sources. This API offers comprehensive information on players, teams, matches, and tournaments across supported games. By analyzing video streams and other streaming platforms, PandaScore delivers thousands of data points every millisecond. Its services cater to a diverse clientele, including media organizations, professional esports teams, bookmakers, and fantasy app developers, all seeking accurate and timely esports data to enhance their projects and decision-making processes.

StreamLayer

Series A in 2020
StreamLayer is an online media platform founded in 2018 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The company specializes in developing an interactive viewing platform tailored for over-the-top (OTT) platforms and mobile video services. StreamLayer's technology enhances the video experience, fundamentally altering how users engage with content on smartphones and connected TVs.

Stadium Live Inc.

Seed Round in 2020
Stadium Live Inc. is a Toronto-based company that develops a sports application tailored for the next generation. Incorporated in 2020, the platform offers features such as live scores and interactive elements that allow users to play, earn, and shop while engaging with sports alongside friends. The application aims to create a fun and engaging environment for sports enthusiasts, appealing to a younger audience.

PickUp

Seed Round in 2020
PickUp is a fan opinion platform that makes content interactive by letting publishers embed contextual and shareable editorial. Their mission is to validate the fan opinion, and in the process, make sports content more fun. Launching summer 2020, get access to the fan opinion platform, and get in touch with the real fan conversations.

Hammerhead

Series A in 2020
Hammerhead Navigation offers a smartphone-based bike navigation device designed to provide cyclists with turn-by-turn instructions for optimal riding experiences. The system enables users to discover routes tailored to their preferences, such as hills, distance, scenery, and difficulty, while also allowing them to share these routes with a community of cyclists. The company operates an online store that serves customers in the United States and internationally. Based in New York City, Hammerhead focuses on integrating sophisticated software to help cyclists enhance their rides and reach their athletic potential.

Rupie Corp.

Seed Round in 2020
Rupie Corp. is a community-driven platform that integrates blockchain technology with video game crowdfunding, incubation, and digital distribution. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, the company connects players, developers, and content creators through a services marketplace focused on video game development, marketing, and distribution. Its platform facilitates collaboration by providing access to shared talent and third-party services for game projects. Additionally, Rupie Corp. offers a Milestone Escrow platform, which includes features such as fund release monitoring and a panic button for crypto and smart contracts. The asset marketplace allows developers to access a variety of resources, including audio, 3D models, and textures, while also providing tools for licensing and payments. Furthermore, the company supports a content bounty system that enables developers to acquire or rent game assets. Overall, Rupie Corp. caters to the video game industry by streamlining the development process and fostering a collaborative environment.

Phenix

Series A in 2020
Phenix Real Time Solutions, Inc. specializes in real-time video streaming solutions, providing a comprehensive platform that captures video signals, handles encoding, transcoding, and content delivery with minimal latency. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company has expanded its presence with additional offices in several U.S. cities and internationally. Phenix's technology allows for synchronous streaming to large audiences, making it a key player in enhancing interactive media experiences for rights holders and content creators. Its services cater to various sectors, including sports, esports, gaming, social media, and auctions, as well as network operators and cloud service providers. With a focus on developing and optimizing servers for real-time video encoding, Phenix aims to drive viewer engagement and retention across diverse platforms.

Alembic

Seed Round in 2020
Alembic is a stealth phase startup in MarTech that is developing cutting edge new technology.

Repeat

Seed Round in 2019
Repeat Gaming operates a prominent online platform for esports tournaments, allowing users to compete for cash prizes in popular games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, and Smite. Founded in 2013 and based in Coorparoo, Australia, the company facilitates both private and public challenges, enabling players to engage with others on their preferred consoles or personal computers. Additionally, Repeat Gaming organizes cash prize tournaments that offer participants opportunities to win free prizes, including games, consoles, and merchandise. The platform employs an asynchronous tournament format, automatically monitoring players' in-game statistics and awarding scores based on their performance, thus providing a streamlined and user-friendly competitive experience.

Upcomer

Seed Round in 2019
Upcomer is a new platform for esports fans to stay updated and engaged with esports. We're building a new kind of esports community and our mobile apps are currently rated 4.8/5 from 5K+ ratings. Try our product at www.upcomer.com

Workforce Athletics

Seed Round in 2019
Workforce Athletics is a sports company that specializes in the fields of culture building, team sports, diversity, and inclusion. The company is driven by its mission is to change corporate culture by delivering turnkey impactful sports experiences and leagues. Workforce Athletics was founded in 2016 and headquartered in California, United States.

Hammerhead

Seed Round in 2019
Hammerhead Navigation offers a smartphone-based bike navigation device designed to provide cyclists with turn-by-turn instructions for optimal riding experiences. The system enables users to discover routes tailored to their preferences, such as hills, distance, scenery, and difficulty, while also allowing them to share these routes with a community of cyclists. The company operates an online store that serves customers in the United States and internationally. Based in New York City, Hammerhead focuses on integrating sophisticated software to help cyclists enhance their rides and reach their athletic potential.

StreamLayer

Seed Round in 2018
StreamLayer is an online media platform founded in 2018 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The company specializes in developing an interactive viewing platform tailored for over-the-top (OTT) platforms and mobile video services. StreamLayer's technology enhances the video experience, fundamentally altering how users engage with content on smartphones and connected TVs.

Asensei

Seed Round in 2018
Asensei, Inc. is a company that creates innovative apparel equipped with sensors to monitor posture and movement, offering real-time feedback to enhance athletic performance. Founded in 2014 and based in Greenbrae, California, Asensei's technology acts as a virtual coaching assistant, guiding users in their practice and tracking their progress over time. The mobile application associated with the smart sportswear provides personalized coaching content, empowering athletes to improve their skills and unlock their potential. This approach combines advanced technology with a focus on individual performance, making it a valuable tool for both instructors and athletes.

Anglr

Series A in 2018
Anglr is an online platform established in 2016 that connects the global sport fishing community. It offers free mobile applications, patented IoT technologies, and a website designed to enhance the fishing experience. Anglr allows users to track and record details of their fishing adventures, including cast locations, bait used, weather conditions, and catch statistics. This functionality enables fishermen and women to document, analyze, and share their activities, fostering competition and camaraderie among users. By facilitating connections within the fishing community, Anglr transforms fishing into a more social activity, providing additional motivation and engagement even for those fishing alone.

Phenix

Series A in 2017
Phenix Real Time Solutions, Inc. specializes in real-time video streaming solutions, providing a comprehensive platform that captures video signals, handles encoding, transcoding, and content delivery with minimal latency. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company has expanded its presence with additional offices in several U.S. cities and internationally. Phenix's technology allows for synchronous streaming to large audiences, making it a key player in enhancing interactive media experiences for rights holders and content creators. Its services cater to various sectors, including sports, esports, gaming, social media, and auctions, as well as network operators and cloud service providers. With a focus on developing and optimizing servers for real-time video encoding, Phenix aims to drive viewer engagement and retention across diverse platforms.

SteadyMed Ltd.

Venture Round in 2012
SteadyMed Ltd. is a medical-device company pursuing innovative devices for delivering injectable therapeutic drugs for pain relief, diabetes and other chronic conditions. The company's products are pre-filled drug-infusion patches that will be sold in conjunction with a series of pharma and device companies. Specific applications of the device will be tailored in accordance with the requirements of the company's partners.

Active.com

Series F in 2008
Active.com is a prominent online platform catering to individuals seeking to discover, learn about, and participate in various sports and recreational activities. It serves millions of users monthly, providing access to the world's largest directory of over 66,000 events across more than 80 sports in 5,000 cities, including races, leagues, and camps. The site facilitates easy online registration, making participation quick and convenient. Active.com features a vibrant online community where users can interact through message boards, share content, and access training plans and fitness tips from professional coaches. Additionally, the platform offers a membership program, ActiveAdvantage, which provides discounts on sports gear and registration fees. As part of The Active Network, the site is backed by advanced technology solutions that enhance event management for organizers, ensuring efficient administration and increased participation.

Accumetrics

Series D in 2008
Accumetrics is a privately-held company based in San Diego, California, specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of the VerifyNow System. This system comprises a comprehensive suite of assays designed for the assessment of platelet function, which is crucial in various medical applications, particularly in cardiovascular care. Founded in 1996, Accumetrics was initially sold to Radiometer in 2000 but was repurchased by its management and investors in 2003. The company continues to focus on providing essential tools for healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes through effective monitoring of platelet activity.

Verax Biomedical

Series E in 2007
Verax Biomedical, Incorporated, a medical products company, develops rapid tests for the detection of bacterial contaminants in blood cells and tissues for transplantation and cellular therapies. It offers platelet, red cell, and cell therapy pan genera detection (PGD) tests. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Silver Creek Systems

Series C in 2007
Silver Creek Systems, Inc. designs and develops automated data mastering solutions. It offers DataLens System, which standardizes, enriches, matches, and repurposes product data from various sources; data service applications (DSA) that capture business rules and apply to data integration tasks; data lenses, a semantics-based approach to identify key information; and DataLens foundry, a pre-configured DSA that extracts, standardizes, and populates search dimensions. The company also provides business solutions, such as automation for information supply chains; and automated data mastering for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. In addition, it offers IT solutions, including automated data services for product data; and data mastering for product data integration, data quality, and data governance. The company's DataLens System creates data services for SOA, PIM and MDM, search optimization, ETL, data quality, data governance, system consolidation and data migration, and business intelligence applications. It serves companies in retail, distribution, manufacturing, high tech, healthcare, consumer electronics, food services, telecommunications, energy, and other sectors. Silver Creek Systems, Inc. was formerly known as OneRealm, Inc. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Westminster, Colorado. As of December 2009, Silver Creek Systems, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Oracle Corp..

Active.com

Series E in 2007
Active.com is a prominent online platform catering to individuals seeking to discover, learn about, and participate in various sports and recreational activities. It serves millions of users monthly, providing access to the world's largest directory of over 66,000 events across more than 80 sports in 5,000 cities, including races, leagues, and camps. The site facilitates easy online registration, making participation quick and convenient. Active.com features a vibrant online community where users can interact through message boards, share content, and access training plans and fitness tips from professional coaches. Additionally, the platform offers a membership program, ActiveAdvantage, which provides discounts on sports gear and registration fees. As part of The Active Network, the site is backed by advanced technology solutions that enhance event management for organizers, ensuring efficient administration and increased participation.

Active.com

Series D in 2006
Active.com is a prominent online platform catering to individuals seeking to discover, learn about, and participate in various sports and recreational activities. It serves millions of users monthly, providing access to the world's largest directory of over 66,000 events across more than 80 sports in 5,000 cities, including races, leagues, and camps. The site facilitates easy online registration, making participation quick and convenient. Active.com features a vibrant online community where users can interact through message boards, share content, and access training plans and fitness tips from professional coaches. Additionally, the platform offers a membership program, ActiveAdvantage, which provides discounts on sports gear and registration fees. As part of The Active Network, the site is backed by advanced technology solutions that enhance event management for organizers, ensuring efficient administration and increased participation.

Firefly Energy

Series B in 2006
[Firefly Energy](http://www.fireflyenergy.com/) is a developer of lead-acid battery technologies. The company's first applied technology is a microcell foam-based battery technology. Firefly Energy was launched as a spin-out from Caterpillar on May 1, 2003.

Verax Biomedical

Series B in 2005
Verax Biomedical, Incorporated, a medical products company, develops rapid tests for the detection of bacterial contaminants in blood cells and tissues for transplantation and cellular therapies. It offers platelet, red cell, and cell therapy pan genera detection (PGD) tests. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Silver Creek Systems

Series C in 2005
Silver Creek Systems, Inc. designs and develops automated data mastering solutions. It offers DataLens System, which standardizes, enriches, matches, and repurposes product data from various sources; data service applications (DSA) that capture business rules and apply to data integration tasks; data lenses, a semantics-based approach to identify key information; and DataLens foundry, a pre-configured DSA that extracts, standardizes, and populates search dimensions. The company also provides business solutions, such as automation for information supply chains; and automated data mastering for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. In addition, it offers IT solutions, including automated data services for product data; and data mastering for product data integration, data quality, and data governance. The company's DataLens System creates data services for SOA, PIM and MDM, search optimization, ETL, data quality, data governance, system consolidation and data migration, and business intelligence applications. It serves companies in retail, distribution, manufacturing, high tech, healthcare, consumer electronics, food services, telecommunications, energy, and other sectors. Silver Creek Systems, Inc. was formerly known as OneRealm, Inc. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Westminster, Colorado. As of December 2009, Silver Creek Systems, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Oracle Corp..

Firefly Energy

Series A in 2004
[Firefly Energy](http://www.fireflyenergy.com/) is a developer of lead-acid battery technologies. The company's first applied technology is a microcell foam-based battery technology. Firefly Energy was launched as a spin-out from Caterpillar on May 1, 2003.

Accumetrics

Series B in 2004
Accumetrics is a privately-held company based in San Diego, California, specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of the VerifyNow System. This system comprises a comprehensive suite of assays designed for the assessment of platelet function, which is crucial in various medical applications, particularly in cardiovascular care. Founded in 1996, Accumetrics was initially sold to Radiometer in 2000 but was repurchased by its management and investors in 2003. The company continues to focus on providing essential tools for healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes through effective monitoring of platelet activity.

Mezzia,Inc.

Series C in 2004
Mezzia,Inc. develops on-demand capital spending management solutions for the healthcare industry. The company’s web-based capital spending management system enables healthcare organizations to manage the end-to-end capital cycle of planning, budgeting, spending, and reporting. Mezzia,Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rubicon Technology

Venture Round in 2002
Rubicon Technology, Inc. is a materials provider specializing in monocrystalline sapphire for optical and industrial applications. The company manufactures and sells a variety of sapphire products, including windows, wafers, domes, tubes, and rods, catering to sectors such as defense, aerospace, specialty lighting, instrumentation, and semiconductor processing. It also produces sapphire substrates for light-emitting diodes and radio frequency integrated circuits, providing products in different categories such as core, as-cut, as-ground, and polished. Rubicon Technology markets its offerings through a direct sales force across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a customer base that includes defense subcontractors, industrial manufacturers, and semiconductor device manufacturers. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bensenville, Illinois, the company operates its facility in the region, ensuring effective management and shipping of its products. In addition to its sapphire segment, the company also provides medications and vitamins to patients discharged from skilled nursing facilities.

Sarvega

Series A in 2001
Sarvega provides XML-based security, routing, processing, and web service solutions. The company’s products include Guardian Security Gateway which delivers firewall capabilities by detecting and protecting against XML web services denial-of-service (DoS) or service misuse threats and Guardian Security Accelerator that provides orders-of-magnitude acceleration for XML digital signatures signing and verification, encryption, and decryption. It also offers Context Router that offers content-level security and flow-control as well as Speedway Accelerator which is an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) acceleration product. In addition, Sarvega offers consulting, deployment, maintenance, project management, training, and support services. It caters to financial services, telecommunication carriers, healthcare, manufacturing, and government agencies. It has strategic partnerships with IBM, Lucent Technologies, Fujitsu, and AmberPoint and its clients include EDS, Practical Law, 3Com, Fujitsu, and Access Community Health Network. Sarvega was founded in 2000 and is based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

Mezzia,Inc.

Series B in 2001
Mezzia,Inc. develops on-demand capital spending management solutions for the healthcare industry. The company’s web-based capital spending management system enables healthcare organizations to manage the end-to-end capital cycle of planning, budgeting, spending, and reporting. Mezzia,Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Corona Optical Systems

Series A in 2001
Corona Optical Systems is a Midwest-based high-technology company with headquarters in Lombard, Illinois. Additional facilities are located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and San Jose, California. Corona's key technologies focus on high-speed optoelectronic components and subsystems for carrier-class equipment. Founded in February 2000, Corona is a privately held, venture capital funded corporation. Following an initial angel round, Corona completed its first institutional investment round in March 2001. Funds raised in this Series A round totaled $12.4 Million. Led by Intel Capital, this round included Chicago based venture capital firm KB Partners, Madison, Wisconsin based Venture Investors and the Geometry Group of New York City.

Data TV Networks

Venture Round in 2001
Data TV Networks is a web-based engine that provides services enabling realtors to deliver information to homebuyers.

Cognitive Concepts

Series B in 2000
Cognitive Concepts is a company providing educational services and products.

EthnicGrocer.com

Series C in 2000
EthnicGrocer.com

ILink Global

Venture Round in 2000
ILink Global provides real-time shipment pricing and logistics solutions for e-commerce companies and online shoppers. The company provides a carrier neutral model that enables an e-commerce site to ship legal commodities internationally. It estimates costs and tracks shipments by providing shipping quotes and various options for tracking and tracing as well as facilitates and manages the transportation of goods to purchasers. iLink Global was formerly known as TraffiCop, Inc. It was founded in January 1999 and is based in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

MST Analytics

Venture Round in 1999
MST Analytics sells products to the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

LeagueLink

Venture Round in 1999
LeagueLink was founded in 1999 and is based in Westminster, Colorado. The company is dedicated to making sports leagues easier to manage and more fun to participate in. The company has created powerful internet-based software that is free to both leagues and athletes.