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 is a microbiome-focused company specializing in digestive health. It offers a range of whole probiotics and gut microbiome testing services. Founded on over two decades of research by Dr. Ghannoum, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), BIOHM's innovative approach addresses the critical role of fungi in maintaining digestive health.
BrightSpec
Series C in 2022
BrightSpec specializes in innovative analytical chemistry services, utilizing its proprietary Fourier transform molecular rotational resonance (FT-MRR) technology. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the company delivers immediate results to clients, addressing high-value, time-sensitive challenges not well served by other spectroscopy techniques. Its platform offers configurations for manufacturing process control, quality control, environmental monitoring, and formulation research.
Founded in 2018, Fringe is a benefits marketplace that personalizes employee benefits based on individual preferences. Its platform offers a curated selection of services designed to improve employees' daily lives, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
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 is a national firm that provides third-party certification of healthy, safe, comfortable, energy- and water-efficient homes. It works with real estate agents, contractors, and builders to help sellers illustrate the value of home investments and increase buyer confidence in major transactions. The company uses a proprietary algorithm that integrates safety, comfort, operating efficiency, resilience, and energy profile to make home performance visible and measurable, enabling homeowners, buyers, and real estate professionals to unlock value in properties and promote higher-performance building practices.
Founded in 2018, Fringe is a benefits marketplace that personalizes employee benefits based on individual preferences. Its platform offers a curated selection of services designed to improve employees' daily lives, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
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 develops wireless patient monitoring devices. Its flagship product, CareTaker, is a wearable system that measures continuous beat-by-beat blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and other hemodynamic parameters using only a finger cuff. The device securely transmits data over cellular networks or Bluetooth to enable remote patient monitoring within hospitals and during transport.
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.