PurPics, LLC, based in Austin, Texas, operates a platform and application designed to connect brands with Gen Z consumers through student organizations. Founded in 2015, the platform enables members of these organizations to promote brand partners by posting pictures on their personal Instagram accounts. In return for increased engagement, brands can make donations for each like these posts receive. By customizing audience targeting based on factors such as region and campus, PurPics facilitates tailored marketing campaigns that enhance brand awareness and consumer interaction. This innovative approach offers brands a more effective means of engaging with their target demographics compared to traditional advertising methods. Through its SaaS-enabled marketplace, PurPics has collaborated with various brands to execute campaigns that drive foot traffic, boost in-store sales, and gather valuable consumer insights.
BIOHM Health
Seed Round in 2023
BIOHM Health is a pioneering company in the field of microbiome research, focusing on the role of fungi in digestive health. Founded by Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, who has conducted over 20 years of NIH-supported research, BIOHM offers whole probiotics and gut microbiome testing kits. The company's innovative approach targets digestive plaque, a destructive film formed by bad bacteria and fungi that disrupts the natural balance of the digestive system. BIOHM's dual-action technology breaks down this plaque and neutralizes harmful microorganisms, promoting optimal digestive health. Their products provide consumers with insights into their gut health and personalized recommendations for diet, lifestyle, and supplements to support overall well-being.
BrightSpec
Series C in 2022
BrightSpec is a company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, specializing in advanced analytical chemistry solutions through its innovative Fourier transform molecular rotational resonance (FT-MRR) spectroscopy platform. This technology, developed by researchers at the University of Virginia, enables comprehensive characterization of chemical molecules, with the capability to differentiate between stereoisomers and isotopes. BrightSpec's platform addresses high-value, time-sensitive analytical challenges that conventional spectroscopy techniques struggle to meet. By eliminating the need for reference samples or separations, its solutions enhance the analysis of complex mixtures, making them particularly valuable for applications in manufacturing process control, quality assurance, environmental monitoring, and formulation research. The company aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of chemical analysis, thereby transforming the landscape of sample analytics in various industries.
Fringe is a lifestyle benefits marketplace founded in 2018 and based in Richmond, Virginia. The company offers a proprietary platform designed to provide personalized and self-selected benefits for employees. By enabling individuals to choose benefits that directly impact their daily lives, Fringe aims to reduce stress, enhance family dynamics, and foster overall well-being. The platform addresses the diverse needs of the modern workforce, promoting increased loyalty and happiness among employees. Additionally, it empowers users to manage their benefits in a way that saves them money and aligns with their personal preferences, ultimately enhancing their work-life balance.
Floreo Inc., founded in 2016 and based in Washington D.C., develops a virtual reality learning app designed to teach social and communication skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, as well as those with ADHD and anxiety. The platform allows supervising adults to monitor and guide activities, making it a valuable tool for therapy clinics and school districts. Floreo is used by over 100 therapy clinic businesses and school districts, and has partnered with Meta to expand its reach in public schools.
TRAXyL, Inc. is a technology company based in Warrenton, Virginia, founded in 2014. The company specializes in the innovative installation of optical fiber through its FiberTRAX system, which allows for the direct application of optical fiber onto road surfaces without the need for traditional trenching. This method significantly simplifies the deployment of broadband communications, making it particularly beneficial for municipalities, internet service providers, and various organizations looking to enhance connectivity. By enabling the rapid rollout of optical fiber, TRAXyL aims to bridge the digital divide and improve access to high-speed internet in underserved areas, including campuses, hospitals, and military bases, while also supporting the expansion of 5G networks.
Starchive
Seed Round in 2021
Starchive is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that specializes in digital asset management (DAM) solutions tailored for the needs of content creators and owners. Its platform employs artificial intelligence to facilitate the organization and management of digital media assets, enabling clients to efficiently handle large volumes of content and associated metadata. Starchive serves as a central digital content hub, allowing teams and partners to collaborate, share, and distribute assets seamlessly. By bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3, Starchive supports both on-chain and off-chain asset management, making it a trusted choice for organizations such as the Bob Dylan Music Company. The platform's user-friendly dashboards and data intelligence capabilities enhance the experience of finding, updating, and sharing digital assets, ultimately driving value for its clients.
Pearl Certification
Series A in 2021
Pearl Certification, established in 2015 and headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, specializes in third-party certification of residential properties. The company assesses and documents homes' energy efficiency, comfort, indoor air quality, and safety features. By working with real estate agents, contractors, and builders, Pearl helps homeowners recoup investment costs and increases buyer confidence during property transactions. This promotes sustainable building practices, benefiting homeowners, the real estate market, and the environment.
Fringe is a lifestyle benefits marketplace founded in 2018 and based in Richmond, Virginia. The company offers a proprietary platform designed to provide personalized and self-selected benefits for employees. By enabling individuals to choose benefits that directly impact their daily lives, Fringe aims to reduce stress, enhance family dynamics, and foster overall well-being. The platform addresses the diverse needs of the modern workforce, promoting increased loyalty and happiness among employees. Additionally, it empowers users to manage their benefits in a way that saves them money and aligns with their personal preferences, ultimately enhancing their work-life balance.
Trilogy Mentors, LLC, operating as Trilogy Mentors.com, is a mentorship company based in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 2015. It provides tutoring and mentoring services through a software-as-a-service platform that facilitates online learning. The platform connects families and parents with local university students, offering academic tutoring and athletic training tailored to help children achieve their educational and personal goals. Trilogy Mentors aims to empower students during critical moments, transforming challenges into academic successes through personalized learning solutions designed to accommodate diverse backgrounds. The company has also established a strategic partnership with Tuscany Strategy Consulting to enhance its offerings.
Caretaker Medical
Series B in 2020
Caretaker Medical, LLC is a developer and manufacturer of wireless patient monitoring devices, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, with additional locations in Surrey, United Kingdom, and Beijing, China. The company offers an innovative wearable monitoring system that utilizes a simple finger cuff to continuously measure vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and other hemodynamic parameters. This device allows clinicians to securely transmit data over cellular networks or Bluetooth, enabling real-time monitoring and improving patient outcomes across the continuum of care—within hospitals, during transport, and after discharge. The system is designed to enhance mobility, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness while ensuring compliance with health regulations. By providing accurate, ICU-level monitoring in a non-invasive format, Caretaker Medical aims to improve patient comfort and facilitate better healthcare delivery.
PurPicks
Pre Seed Round in 2020
PurPicks is a user-generated reviews platform specializing in organic and non-toxic beauty and skincare products. It provides an unfiltered space for users to share their experiences and opinions, helping others make informed purchasing decisions and avoid potentially harmful ingredients.
Yogi is a company that specializes in creating a customer feedback analytics platform. This platform helps organizations gain valuable insights from customer reviews and sentiment analysis. By analyzing customer reviews and ratings data, Yogi's technology provides actionable insights that enable clients to enhance their brand reputation and improve product experiences efficiently. The focus of the business is on streamlining the process of understanding customer feedback to drive meaningful improvements in products and services.
Mission Secure
Series A in 2018
Mission Secure, Inc. is a cybersecurity firm specializing in the protection of operational technology and control systems for critical industries such as oil and gas, power, chemicals, and defense. Established in 2014 and headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, with additional offices in Houston, Texas, and Cheltenham, United Kingdom, the company has developed the MSi Platform, which provides comprehensive cyber defense solutions. This platform integrates features such as visibility, segmentation, protection, threat hunting, and incident response, thereby delivering robust security against cyber threats, supply chain risks, and insider attacks. Mission Secure’s offerings are designed to be user-friendly, allowing non-IT professionals to effectively manage and deploy cybersecurity measures, ensuring that essential operations remain safe and uninterrupted. The company has formed a strategic partnership with Comodo Cybersecurity to enhance its service capabilities.
Haven IAQ
Funding Round in 2018
Haven IAQ is a provider of advanced air cleaning services that focuses on optimizing indoor air quality. The company offers a comprehensive solution for managing the home environment, utilizing a central air monitor and controller that automates various air quality equipment. This system enhances the functionality of HVAC systems by monitoring and controlling key parameters such as filtration, ventilation, humidity, and airflow. Additionally, Haven IAQ provides custom ventilation scheduling and analyzes air quality issues to recommend effective solutions. By automating equipment functions like dehumidifiers and filtration systems, Haven IAQ creates a smarter and more efficient approach to indoor air management.
Parse.ly is an engagement analytics platform designed for online publishers to enhance their understanding of digital audience engagement. The company offers an innovative content analytics system that focuses on metrics such as engaged time and engagement rate, providing businesses with a more accurate insight into their website traffic. By utilizing Parse.ly's real-time and historical analytics dashboard, application programming interface, and data pipeline, organizations can analyze and optimize their content strategies. This enables them to demonstrate the value of their content effectively, ultimately increasing website traffic and ensuring that their digital efforts yield meaningful results.
Haven IAQ
Angel Round in 2016
Haven IAQ is a provider of advanced air cleaning services that focuses on optimizing indoor air quality. The company offers a comprehensive solution for managing the home environment, utilizing a central air monitor and controller that automates various air quality equipment. This system enhances the functionality of HVAC systems by monitoring and controlling key parameters such as filtration, ventilation, humidity, and airflow. Additionally, Haven IAQ provides custom ventilation scheduling and analyzes air quality issues to recommend effective solutions. By automating equipment functions like dehumidifiers and filtration systems, Haven IAQ creates a smarter and more efficient approach to indoor air management.
codeSpark
Seed Round in 2016
codeSpark is an educational technology company based in Pasadena, California, founded in 2014. It specializes in developing interactive learning games aimed at teaching computer science concepts to children aged five to eight. The company's flagship product, codeSpark Academy, features The Foos, a self-directed game platform that accommodates various learning styles and fosters inclusive education. With a blend of structured challenges and imaginative play, the platform enables children to master fundamental programming skills and apply them creatively by designing, coding, and sharing their own video games. codeSpark's games have reached millions of children across 201 countries, highlighting its global impact on early childhood education in technology.
MightyHive
Seed Round in 2014
MightyHive is a leading Programmatic Solutions Partner that assists marketers and agencies in achieving programmatic self-sufficiency. The company specializes in online advertising and marketing services, providing clients with a technology platform that enables them to build data-driven organizations. MightyHive offers a range of services including programmatic insourcing, full-service management, and strategic advisory support. As one of the largest and fastest-growing programmatic buyers globally, it has successfully helped hundreds of clients adopt programmatic strategies. With a significant international presence, MightyHive operates offices in major cities such as San Francisco, New York, Sydney, London, and Singapore.