Newark Venture Partners

Newark Venture Partners is a venture capital firm based in Newark, New Jersey, that specializes in early-stage investments, including pre-seed and Series A funding. Founded in 2015, the firm focuses on B2B technology companies across various sectors, with particular interest in healthtech, supply chain, and audio/voice technology. Newark Venture Partners typically invests up to $2 million in initial funding and takes a five percent stake in portfolio companies. In addition to providing capital, the firm offers company-building services and runs an accelerator program to support entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses, thereby contributing to economic development and job creation in the Newark area.

Daniel Borok

Managing Partner

Vaughn Crowe

Managing Partner

Joanne Lin

Senior Investment Associate

Chika Ogele

Associate

Kevin Petry

Director of Growth

Sean Simons

Associate

Jennifer Solomon

Communications, Media Relations

Allison Williams

Principal

Past deals in New Jersey

Agilis Chemicals

Seed Round in 2020
Agilis is a commerce platform purpose-built for the chemical industry. With Agilis, global chemical producers and distributors can launch their own cloud-based branded e-commerce portals, fully optimized and equip with modern marketing tools and analytics. Agilis offers chemical suppliers an easy and cost-effective way to attract and engage customers via secure digital sales and marketing channels. Headquartered in Newark, NJ, Agilis combines industry experience and technology expertise in building advanced, scalable technology solutions.

MindRight Health

Seed Round in 2020
MindRight Health, Inc. is a Newark, New Jersey-based company founded in 2019 that focuses on providing mental health coaching via text messages. The company aims to advance health equity by making mental health care accessible and inclusive for communities of color and low-income families. MindRight partners with healthcare payers and providers to deliver culturally responsive coaching, offering members personalized support from a team of coaches seven days a week, year-round. This service addresses the stigma and barriers associated with traditional clinical mental health services, creating a continuum of nonclinical support for youth. Additionally, MindRight provides real-time data to its partners, highlighting community mental health needs to help prevent crises and promote overall well-being.

Optimal Dynamics

Seed Round in 2020
Optimal Dynamics, Inc. develops artificial intelligence (AI) based software that provides carriers with load recommendations. The company provides SMART-TL, an application that automates the process of searching for loads and recommends loads to the right carrier. It serves the logistics and supply chain sector. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

Wellsheet

Series A in 2020
Wellsheet organizes clinical information with machine learning to predict and visualize the most relevant information for patient care in a physician-friendly format within the existing EHR (Electronic Health Record). By allowing providers to arrive at clinical insights faster, Wellsheet improves early intervention and hospital efficiency, with proven impact in a 10,000 physician health system in NJ. Wellsheet has partnered with major EHR vendors including Epic and Cerner to distribute the Wellsheet product through SaaS-based model for health system customers.

1Huddle

Series A in 2020
1Huddle, Inc. is a company that specializes in staff training and consulting services globally, utilizing an interactive mobile game platform designed to enhance employee onboarding and skills development. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, 1Huddle enables organizations across various sectors—including professional sports, healthcare, finance, and retail—to transform traditional training materials into engaging, competitive mobile games. This approach allows employees to access training anytime and anywhere, facilitating quick learning and retention. With over 70 paying clients and more than 20,000 users, the platform boasts a library of five million game questions, serving notable organizations such as ESPN, Madison Square Garden, and Loews Hotels. 1Huddle has gained recognition in major media outlets, highlighting its innovative contribution to workforce readiness.

ABF Creative

Seed Round in 2019
ABF Creative is an audio-first media agency based in Newark, New Jersey, founded in 2017. The company specializes in producing multicultural branded and scripted audio experiences, primarily targeting Fortune 500 companies. As a significant multiethnic podcast network, ABF Creative seeks to bridge the gap between culture and media, aiming to reach and impact 100 million people of color through its original and branded podcast offerings.

MindRight Health

Pre Seed Round in 2019
MindRight Health, Inc. is a Newark, New Jersey-based company founded in 2019 that focuses on providing mental health coaching via text messages. The company aims to advance health equity by making mental health care accessible and inclusive for communities of color and low-income families. MindRight partners with healthcare payers and providers to deliver culturally responsive coaching, offering members personalized support from a team of coaches seven days a week, year-round. This service addresses the stigma and barriers associated with traditional clinical mental health services, creating a continuum of nonclinical support for youth. Additionally, MindRight provides real-time data to its partners, highlighting community mental health needs to help prevent crises and promote overall well-being.

Speak2

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Speak2 Software LLC specializes in voice command solutions tailored for senior citizens, enhancing their ability to request non-healthcare services such as housekeeping and food delivery. Founded in 2018 and based in Morganville, New Jersey, Speak2 utilizes widely available devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to facilitate these requests. The software integrates with existing pull cord systems and smart technology, allowing residents in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities to control their environment effectively. By streamlining communication and service requests, Speak2 aims to improve care quality while reducing the risk of falls and other injuries among seniors. Additionally, the platform offers recreational benefits, including access to music, audiobooks, and news, fostering better connections with family and friends. Overall, Speak2 is committed to enhancing the lives of aging individuals through innovative voice command technology.

PeduL

Seed Round in 2019
PeduL Inc. is a crowdfunding platform based in Newark, New Jersey, founded in 2016. The platform is designed to help students raise funds for their higher education, addressing the financial challenges many face when pursuing college degrees. By providing a dedicated space for education crowdfunding, PeduL enables students to connect with potential donors who can assist in alleviating the costs associated with higher education. This innovative approach aims to change the traditional methods of funding college expenses, offering an alternative solution for students in need of financial support.

Agilis Chemicals

Seed Round in 2019
Agilis is a commerce platform purpose-built for the chemical industry. With Agilis, global chemical producers and distributors can launch their own cloud-based branded e-commerce portals, fully optimized and equip with modern marketing tools and analytics. Agilis offers chemical suppliers an easy and cost-effective way to attract and engage customers via secure digital sales and marketing channels. Headquartered in Newark, NJ, Agilis combines industry experience and technology expertise in building advanced, scalable technology solutions.

Upsider

Seed Round in 2018
Upsider, Inc. is a recruiting management platform founded in 2015 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. The company leverages artificial intelligence to enhance candidate identification and streamline the recruitment process. Its system automates a significant portion of the hiring workflow, including predictive forecasting, automated sourcing, and email campaigns, which allows organizations to efficiently manage the recruiting process from job requisition to the initial screening calls. Additionally, Upsider offers comprehensive support services, including onboarding and screening, aimed at reducing hiring costs and improving the speed at which qualified candidates are filled.

1Huddle

Series A in 2018
1Huddle, Inc. is a company that specializes in staff training and consulting services globally, utilizing an interactive mobile game platform designed to enhance employee onboarding and skills development. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, 1Huddle enables organizations across various sectors—including professional sports, healthcare, finance, and retail—to transform traditional training materials into engaging, competitive mobile games. This approach allows employees to access training anytime and anywhere, facilitating quick learning and retention. With over 70 paying clients and more than 20,000 users, the platform boasts a library of five million game questions, serving notable organizations such as ESPN, Madison Square Garden, and Loews Hotels. 1Huddle has gained recognition in major media outlets, highlighting its innovative contribution to workforce readiness.

Inpensa

Series A in 2018
Inpensa Inc. is a SaaS technology and advisory services company based in Edison, New Jersey, dedicated to providing investment advisory solutions for corporate executives. The company offers a suite of products designed for enterprise business value management, including PlanIQ for project portfolio strategic planning, CaseIQ for business case management, and TracIQ for tracking return on investment and value realization. Additionally, Inpensa provides VendorIQ for vendor analysis and cost optimization, and MetricsIQ for key performance indicators and metrics management. Founded by professionals from Fortune 500 firms, Inpensa leverages extensive expertise in financial management, project portfolio management, and enterprise cost optimization to help organizations effectively prioritize projects, analyze costs, and track the benefits of their investments.

Vydia

Series A in 2018
Vydia, Inc. operates a centralized platform designed for video creators to effectively manage their content. Founded in 2013 and based in Freehold, New Jersey, Vydia provides services that include monetization analytics, multi-network publishing, rights management, and mobile access. The platform caters to a diverse clientele, including multi-platinum artists, independent musicians, social influencers, and entertainment agencies. With a focus on empowering creators, Vydia handles the complexities of content monetization, distribution, rights management, and payments, enabling artists to realize their creative and financial potential. The company has been instrumental in promoting notable talents such as Lil Pump, Fetty Wap, Post Malone, and Bhad Bhabie, solidifying its position in the video technology landscape.

Inpensa

Convertible Note in 2018
Inpensa Inc. is a SaaS technology and advisory services company based in Edison, New Jersey, dedicated to providing investment advisory solutions for corporate executives. The company offers a suite of products designed for enterprise business value management, including PlanIQ for project portfolio strategic planning, CaseIQ for business case management, and TracIQ for tracking return on investment and value realization. Additionally, Inpensa provides VendorIQ for vendor analysis and cost optimization, and MetricsIQ for key performance indicators and metrics management. Founded by professionals from Fortune 500 firms, Inpensa leverages extensive expertise in financial management, project portfolio management, and enterprise cost optimization to help organizations effectively prioritize projects, analyze costs, and track the benefits of their investments.

Futurestay

Venture Round in 2017
Futurestay, Inc. is a company that develops a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed for vacation rental owners and managers. The platform provides a comprehensive do-it-yourself management system, enabling users to create, market, book, and manage their vacation rental websites. Futurestay offers a range of tools to help owners rent their properties online, manage client data and reservations, and reduce vacancies through effective advertising. Its Vacation Rental Management Software facilitates guest control, bookings, and communication, while the ListingSync Channel Manager ensures that various channel listings are kept current. The company serves a diverse clientele, including owners of hostels, private homes, bed and breakfasts, small hotels, condos, villas, cottages, chalets, apartments, and luxury accommodations. Established in 2011 and headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Futurestay has grown to support over 110,000 vacation rentals across 120 countries, making it a leading independent solution in the vacation rental market.

Enhatch

Seed Round in 2017
Enhatch Inc. develops a platform technology that helps companies understand how digital marketing and sales tools tie to revenue and increase customer satisfaction. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

botique.ai

Seed Round in 2017
Botique.ai Inc. specializes in developing an AI-powered conversational process automation platform aimed at enhancing customer interactions in contact centers. Founded in 2017 and based in Newark, New Jersey, the company offers a solution that automates chat interactions, alleviates workload on human agents, and increases overall availability. The platform utilizes advanced Conversational Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing algorithms, enabling it to effectively simulate human-like interactions. This technology seamlessly integrates into existing service workflows, requiring minimal training and resource commitment from companies. Botique.ai has already demonstrated its effectiveness in large commercial enterprises, where it has successfully reduced personnel costs without compromising the quality of customer interactions. The company currently serves five paying enterprises, achieving an annual recurring revenue of $100,000.

Wellsheet

Seed Round in 2017
Wellsheet organizes clinical information with machine learning to predict and visualize the most relevant information for patient care in a physician-friendly format within the existing EHR (Electronic Health Record). By allowing providers to arrive at clinical insights faster, Wellsheet improves early intervention and hospital efficiency, with proven impact in a 10,000 physician health system in NJ. Wellsheet has partnered with major EHR vendors including Epic and Cerner to distribute the Wellsheet product through SaaS-based model for health system customers.

Galactic Fog

Seed Round in 2017
Galactic Fog IP, Inc. develops a cloud-native management platform for companies to build future-proofed applications. The company offers lambda application server, a lambda service that runs on .Net, Javascript, Java, Scala, Ruby, and Python lambdas to integrate with other systems, including message queuing or notification systems. It also provides container management solutions; policy engine that allows users to control various aspects of lambda and container deployment and usage; and integration services. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is based in South Orange, New Jersey.

Modelshop

Seed Round in 2017
Modelshop, Inc. operates an enterprise platform that automates critical analyses, transitioning traditional spreadsheet-based processes into a collaborative, scalable, and real-time environment. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, with an office in New York City, the company focuses on the financial services sector. Its platform enables business analysts to model decisions, simulate outcomes, and deploy applications in real-time, enhancing capabilities in areas such as credit origination, credit risk management, pricing optimization, investment portfolio optimization, and regulatory reporting. By facilitating the rapid development of intelligent business applications, Modelshop allows teams to deliver sophisticated analytics and insights significantly faster than traditional coding methods.

AeroFarms

Series C in 2017
AeroFarms is an urban agricultural company with a mission to transform agriculture by building and operating environmentally responsible farms throughout the world. It provides an aeroponic growing system that grows and produces with neither soil or sun, in any location. This is all possible due to the nature of their modular stackable systems which are easy to store as well as enabling of local production of pesticide-free, greens. This allows the food production system to become more sustainable, efficient, and safe by creating commercial-scale farming in urban centers. AeroFarms was founded in 2004 and is based in Newark, New Jersey. It is a recipient of the Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for 2018 and 2019. The company was also among the Inc Magazine's "25 Most Disruptive Companies" for the year 2017.
POM Partners provides life and workforce safety solutions through its security platform that pioneers leading-edge personal and enterprise-level security innovation to mitigate security risk

Trendalyze

Seed Round in 2017
Trendalyze Inc. is a Newark, New Jersey-based company that specializes in cloud-based data analytics solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 2014, Trendalyze has developed a platform focused on the discovery, analysis, and monitoring of recurring time-series patterns, particularly in healthcare IoT data. Its unique approach allows users to visualize and search for motifs in large datasets using a powerful, user-friendly interface that employs deep learning techniques. The platform enables business professionals to identify data patterns that uncover the root causes of events and set up real-time monitoring and alert systems, enhancing decision-making and outcomes without requiring extensive technical expertise.

1Huddle

Seed Round in 2017
1Huddle, Inc. is a company that specializes in staff training and consulting services globally, utilizing an interactive mobile game platform designed to enhance employee onboarding and skills development. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, 1Huddle enables organizations across various sectors—including professional sports, healthcare, finance, and retail—to transform traditional training materials into engaging, competitive mobile games. This approach allows employees to access training anytime and anywhere, facilitating quick learning and retention. With over 70 paying clients and more than 20,000 users, the platform boasts a library of five million game questions, serving notable organizations such as ESPN, Madison Square Garden, and Loews Hotels. 1Huddle has gained recognition in major media outlets, highlighting its innovative contribution to workforce readiness.

Inpensa

Venture Round in 2017
Inpensa Inc. is a SaaS technology and advisory services company based in Edison, New Jersey, dedicated to providing investment advisory solutions for corporate executives. The company offers a suite of products designed for enterprise business value management, including PlanIQ for project portfolio strategic planning, CaseIQ for business case management, and TracIQ for tracking return on investment and value realization. Additionally, Inpensa provides VendorIQ for vendor analysis and cost optimization, and MetricsIQ for key performance indicators and metrics management. Founded by professionals from Fortune 500 firms, Inpensa leverages extensive expertise in financial management, project portfolio management, and enterprise cost optimization to help organizations effectively prioritize projects, analyze costs, and track the benefits of their investments.

Galactic Fog

Venture Round in 2016
Galactic Fog IP, Inc. develops a cloud-native management platform for companies to build future-proofed applications. The company offers lambda application server, a lambda service that runs on .Net, Javascript, Java, Scala, Ruby, and Python lambdas to integrate with other systems, including message queuing or notification systems. It also provides container management solutions; policy engine that allows users to control various aspects of lambda and container deployment and usage; and integration services. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is based in South Orange, New Jersey.

Vydia

Seed Round in 2016
Vydia, Inc. operates a centralized platform designed for video creators to effectively manage their content. Founded in 2013 and based in Freehold, New Jersey, Vydia provides services that include monetization analytics, multi-network publishing, rights management, and mobile access. The platform caters to a diverse clientele, including multi-platinum artists, independent musicians, social influencers, and entertainment agencies. With a focus on empowering creators, Vydia handles the complexities of content monetization, distribution, rights management, and payments, enabling artists to realize their creative and financial potential. The company has been instrumental in promoting notable talents such as Lil Pump, Fetty Wap, Post Malone, and Bhad Bhabie, solidifying its position in the video technology landscape.

Navinata Health

Convertible Note in 2016
Navinata Health, Inc operates Pharma-MD, a knowledge exchange platform designed to optimize 2-way knowledge exchange between pharma and physicians with a primary focus on cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. Its platform enables to share insight and educational needs via short insight studies; learn about innovative therapies; and connect w/experts. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

UpChannel

Convertible Note in 2016
Upchannel, Inc. operates as a platform that helps Internet of things manufacturers create relationships with their customers. It enables manufacturers to generate revenue and create cost savings across the life cycle of each device that they manufacture and sell. It provides features that include connect with customers, slash the cost of customer support, diagnose hardware issues, and customer needs. Upchannel, Inc. was formerly known as AppCow. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Newark, New Jersey.

Futurestay

Venture Round in 2016
Futurestay, Inc. is a company that develops a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed for vacation rental owners and managers. The platform provides a comprehensive do-it-yourself management system, enabling users to create, market, book, and manage their vacation rental websites. Futurestay offers a range of tools to help owners rent their properties online, manage client data and reservations, and reduce vacancies through effective advertising. Its Vacation Rental Management Software facilitates guest control, bookings, and communication, while the ListingSync Channel Manager ensures that various channel listings are kept current. The company serves a diverse clientele, including owners of hostels, private homes, bed and breakfasts, small hotels, condos, villas, cottages, chalets, apartments, and luxury accommodations. Established in 2011 and headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Futurestay has grown to support over 110,000 vacation rentals across 120 countries, making it a leading independent solution in the vacation rental market.

Radius8

Seed Round in 2016
Radius8, Inc. is a software company that specializes in enhancing the retail experience by connecting online consumer behavior with local physical stores. Founded in 2014 and based in Princeton, New Jersey, Radius8 offers a localization platform that enables retailers to provide store-centric online experiences tailored to local digital demand. Their software targets nearby customers by ensuring they encounter local content across social networks and online searches, ultimately driving foot traffic to stores. Radius8 can be implemented quickly, typically within 30 days, without necessitating changes to existing technology or store operations. Its solutions aim to improve profitability through increased consumer engagement. The company has established partnerships and serves notable clients such as GUESS, John Varvatos, and Academy Sports + Outdoors, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving retail landscape.

Navinata Health

Convertible Note in 2015
Navinata Health, Inc operates Pharma-MD, a knowledge exchange platform designed to optimize 2-way knowledge exchange between pharma and physicians with a primary focus on cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. Its platform enables to share insight and educational needs via short insight studies; learn about innovative therapies; and connect w/experts. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

KiDCASE

Seed Round in 2014
KiDCASE manufactures iPad smart cases. The company offers KiDCASE, a kid-friendly smart case that dock onto child’s iPad. Its product monitors usage, sets daily time limits, and restricts certain times of the day via the companion app, as well as enables users to automatically reward their child with bonus time for making better content choices or hitting their daily fitness goals. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Parsippany, New Jersey.