Ground Up Ventures

Pillar Security specializes in AI security, offering a unified platform that helps businesses safely and swiftly deploy AI applications. Their solution proactively identifies and mitigates risks throughout the AI lifecycle, providing features like AI fingerprinting, asset inventory, tailored adversarial testing, and adaptive guardrails. This enables enterprises and AI development teams to accelerate deployment while minimizing security and compliance risks.

The Jones Agency, Inc. is a liability insurance underwriting company that specializes in serving general construction and property management contractors. Founded in 2016 and based in New York, it provides insurance solutions tailored for various professions, including contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, and landscapers. In addition to its underwriting services, Jones offers a software platform designed to streamline liability management for real estate companies, addressing the complexities of insurance compliance. This innovative approach aims to simplify the traditionally cumbersome process of managing insurance certificates for owners, managers, and developers within the commercial real estate sector. Through its services, Jones seeks to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in insurance management for its clients.

Panjaya specializes in generative-AI dubbing technology that localizes video content for a diverse range of industries. Founded in 2022 and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company offers a platform that translates, voice clones, and lip-syncs videos, allowing content creators to engage global audiences effectively. By preserving the original speakers' voice and lip movements, Panjaya ensures that keynote speeches and conference talks maintain their style and intent, making them accessible to international viewers. This innovative approach enables businesses to recreate videos accurately, enhancing their global reach and audience engagement.

OurRitual is a digital platform dedicated to enhancing and nurturing relationships through personalized guidance and support. It offers an online therapy service specifically designed for couples, focusing on mental health and relationship improvement. Users can access therapy sessions led by experienced clinicians, along with supplementary digital resources such as quizzes, video lessons, and video journaling prompts. This comprehensive approach equips couples with the necessary tools to improve communication, effectively resolve conflicts, and strengthen their emotional connections. Through its innovative offerings, OurRitual aims to foster healthier and more resilient relationships.

Producer of defense products intended to ensure safety for military professionals. The company offers defense products made using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, enabling military professionals to use weapons with efficacy.

Draftboard is an online platform designed to enhance the hiring process by allowing companies to publicly post new-hire referral bonuses. The platform serves as a tool for human resources recruiting, providing access to open roles at leading companies and fostering a network of referrals. It offers a unique pool of pre-qualified talent while integrating seamlessly with existing applicant tracking systems (ATS). Additionally, Draftboard enables companies to define incentive terms, facilitating the recruitment of suitable candidates for specific roles.

Refine Intelligence specializes in anti-money laundering software designed to assist banks in managing the rising operational costs associated with financial crime. The company employs a unique approach that utilizes proprietary AI technology to analyze anti-money laundering alerts from transaction monitoring systems. By identifying legitimate customer activity, the software significantly reduces the time required for investigations. Additionally, it offers protection against various financial crimes, including check fraud, scams, and money mules. Refine Intelligence's system maps the life events that influence changes in users' financial behavior, establishing a baseline of normal activity. This allows the AI to effectively benchmark alerts, minimizing false positives and enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of investigations. Ultimately, the company's solutions aim to improve risk management for financial institutions while fostering trust in financial transactions.

OurRitual is a digital platform dedicated to enhancing and nurturing relationships through personalized guidance and support. It offers an online therapy service specifically designed for couples, focusing on mental health and relationship improvement. Users can access therapy sessions led by experienced clinicians, along with supplementary digital resources such as quizzes, video lessons, and video journaling prompts. This comprehensive approach equips couples with the necessary tools to improve communication, effectively resolve conflicts, and strengthen their emotional connections. Through its innovative offerings, OurRitual aims to foster healthier and more resilient relationships.

Fondue operates a mobile application that transforms refunds into a strategic growth channel for e-commerce and retail businesses. By streamlining refund processing, the application replaces traditional discount codes, allowing shoppers to select incentives that best resonate with them. This approach not only enhances customer engagement but also fosters long-term loyalty. Fondue's model promotes higher average order values, improves profitability on initial purchases, and helps businesses effectively reconnect with their customers. The innovative design of the CashBack feature ensures that discounts cannot be disseminated through discount aggregation sites, further protecting the value proposition for both businesses and consumers.

Demoleap is an Israeli-founded company that offers an AI-powered live demo assistant and sales discovery platform designed to enhance the effectiveness of sales teams. With offices in Delaware, Israel, and Ireland, Demoleap provides technology that allows sales representatives to conduct improved demos by shifting focus from merely operating demos to delivering value. Its platform automatically offers insights, tracks and logs demo activities, which helps sales teams increase efficiency and execute more compelling demonstrations. The company is backed by notable US investors and firms, including former Cisco CMO Blair Christie and Aforza CEO Dominic Dinard.

TermScout is a sales intelligence company that specializes in providing actionable tenant information for business-to-business sales professionals. Founded in 2013 and based in Louisville, Colorado, TermScout offers a range of products, including CRE Scout for commercial real estate brokers, Retail Scout for retailers to monitor competitor lease expirations, and Move Scout for service providers to track corporate relocations. The company aims to enhance contract transparency, thereby facilitating trust and fostering healthy relationships between buyers and vendors. TermScout delivers summaries of vendor contracts, enabling buyers to compare terms against competitors, which helps streamline the contract review process and achieve significant cost savings. Additionally, TermScout provides vendors with data products such as Industry Reports and Contract TermSheets, which assist legal teams and sales departments in improving contract negotiations and closing deals more efficiently. The company's focus spans commercial real estate, communications, and enterprise technology sectors.

Flyp is a company focused on addressing landfill waste by utilizing artificial intelligence to resell used goods through a decentralized network of online sellers. By empowering everyday individuals, such as stay-at-home parents and small entrepreneurs, Flyp provides the technology and capital necessary to divert over $200 billion worth of used items from landfills each year. The company's AI-driven platform connects individual consumers and businesses with resellers who sell pre-owned items on various online marketplaces for a commission. Flyp also offers a free automation suite that significantly reduces the time resellers spend on inventory and sales management, allowing them to operate more efficiently. This approach not only facilitates the resale of millions of items, thereby reducing environmental impact, but also creates jobs and generates income for resellers. Additionally, Flyp aims to provide consumers with affordable shopping options while fostering a circular economy that benefits both the environment and the economy.

SellX is a sales platform that provides businesses with on-demand access to top sales talent, facilitating collaboration and enhancing sales efforts. The platform offers a suite of integrated sales and marketing tools that allow companies to track performance, automate workflows, and manage payments. With features such as AI-matching, targeted customer segments, and various campaign types, SellX enables clients to launch customizable marketing campaigns aimed at a network of high-performing sales representatives. This approach helps businesses generate and qualify leads more effectively through personalized outreach and real-time analytics.

Dayslice is a company focused on providing part-time earning solutions through its innovative software designed for solopreneurs. The platform enables individuals, including parentpreneurs and independent coaches, to establish storefronts that streamline their business operations. By simplifying the management of business tasks, Dayslice allows users to dedicate more time to their core activities and creative pursuits. The company's mission is to create a flexible work environment that accommodates the diverse needs of those seeking part-time opportunities while enhancing productivity and value delivery to their audiences. Dayslice is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.

Accrue Savings is an online savings platform designed to assist customers in planning and saving for future purchases. The platform offers merchant-embedded savings accounts that allow users to set aside money for specific items while earning cash rewards. This approach not only encourages responsible saving but also enhances the shopping experience by providing incentives directly linked to customer savings goals. By collaborating with various brands, Accrue Savings enables shoppers to receive cash rewards as they work towards their desired purchases, promoting a more strategic approach to managing everyday expenses.

Accrue Savings is an online savings platform designed to assist customers in planning and saving for future purchases. The platform offers merchant-embedded savings accounts that allow users to set aside money for specific items while earning cash rewards. This approach not only encourages responsible saving but also enhances the shopping experience by providing incentives directly linked to customer savings goals. By collaborating with various brands, Accrue Savings enables shoppers to receive cash rewards as they work towards their desired purchases, promoting a more strategic approach to managing everyday expenses.

BrightHire is a company that specializes in developing an interview intelligence platform aimed at enhancing the hiring process for recruiting teams. Its technology is designed to optimize performance in talent acquisition by providing visibility and insights from candidate conversations. This platform enables organizations to fill roles more efficiently, improve recruiter success, and capture valuable candidate information, ultimately transforming the human aspect of hiring.

PrettyDamnQuick is an order management platform designed to streamline the order-to-delivery workflow for eCommerce businesses. By segmenting customers and conducting A/B testing, it optimizes the checkout experience to maximize profitability. The platform features a Delivery Workspace that ensures timely order fulfillment at the lowest possible shipping rates, effectively reducing delays and errors through instant fraud detection and address validation. It excels in managing the logistics of over 25 million checkouts monthly for more than 250 brands, allowing users to easily connect and track various carriers and services. By assigning each order to the most efficient delivery option based on cost and speed, PrettyDamnQuick enhances the overall customer experience while supporting the operational needs of fast-growing brands.

Disco is a company that specializes in AI-driven partnership software, designed to foster collaboration among brands while enhancing customer acquisition. Its platform enables brands to share insights about their customers, thereby improving merchandising distribution and reducing customer acquisition costs. Through its innovative widget tool, merchants can recommend additional products to consumers immediately after their initial purchase, effectively capitalizing on the customer's buying mindset. This approach not only drives traffic to merchants' sites but also supports ongoing lead nurturing and retargeting efforts, ultimately facilitating a cycle of increased sales and stronger customer relationships.

BrightHire is a company that specializes in developing an interview intelligence platform aimed at enhancing the hiring process for recruiting teams. Its technology is designed to optimize performance in talent acquisition by providing visibility and insights from candidate conversations. This platform enables organizations to fill roles more efficiently, improve recruiter success, and capture valuable candidate information, ultimately transforming the human aspect of hiring.

TULU is a company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, that specializes in on-demand rentals of household and lifestyle products through its application. The company offers tenants in residential buildings, student housing, and offices access to a wide range of brand-name appliances, grocery staples, and entertainment devices. Utilizing IoT-based smart rental units, TULU customizes its offerings to meet the needs of urban dwellers, while leveraging data to analyze usage patterns and optimize inventory. This approach not only enhances the user experience but also aims to reduce waste and maximize space utilization. TULU operates in 15 cities across the United States and Europe, collaborating with major landlords and top brand manufacturers to provide quality products and services to its customers.

Dandelion Energy, Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in affordable geothermal heating and cooling solutions. The company replaces traditional air conditioning and heating systems with an innovative home geothermal system that utilizes a powerful heat pump and underground pipes to transfer heat between the earth and the residence. This system is designed to harness thermal energy from below the earth's surface to regulate indoor temperatures and provide hot water, allowing homeowners to transition from conventional heating fuels to a more sustainable geothermal alternative. Dandelion Energy is committed to making renewable heating and cooling accessible and cost-effective for homeowners.

Flyp is a company focused on addressing landfill waste by utilizing artificial intelligence to resell used goods through a decentralized network of online sellers. By empowering everyday individuals, such as stay-at-home parents and small entrepreneurs, Flyp provides the technology and capital necessary to divert over $200 billion worth of used items from landfills each year. The company's AI-driven platform connects individual consumers and businesses with resellers who sell pre-owned items on various online marketplaces for a commission. Flyp also offers a free automation suite that significantly reduces the time resellers spend on inventory and sales management, allowing them to operate more efficiently. This approach not only facilitates the resale of millions of items, thereby reducing environmental impact, but also creates jobs and generates income for resellers. Additionally, Flyp aims to provide consumers with affordable shopping options while fostering a circular economy that benefits both the environment and the economy.

Wellory Inc. is a nutrition and wellness application company based in Brooklyn, New York, established in 2018. The Wellory app enables users to create personalized nutrition plans and health goals with the assistance of nutritionists, dietitians, and health coaches. It emphasizes one-on-one relationships through a live messaging platform, allowing for ongoing communication and support. Users benefit from personalized meal planning, photo-based meal logging, and tailored feedback, fostering the development of healthy eating habits. Wellory's approach combines certified expertise with data-rich profiles that track consumer health and behavior trends over time. The company also offers subscription services to enhance accessibility and affordability in healthy eating.

BigBrain is a developer of interactive platforms focused on digital entertainment. The company has launched a trivia game that allows users to participate in live, multi-player quizzes centered on topical trivia. Participants have the opportunity to win real-money prizes, combining education with entertainment. BigBrain's platform is designed to engage users while providing a fun and rewarding experience.

Dandelion Energy, Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in affordable geothermal heating and cooling solutions. The company replaces traditional air conditioning and heating systems with an innovative home geothermal system that utilizes a powerful heat pump and underground pipes to transfer heat between the earth and the residence. This system is designed to harness thermal energy from below the earth's surface to regulate indoor temperatures and provide hot water, allowing homeowners to transition from conventional heating fuels to a more sustainable geothermal alternative. Dandelion Energy is committed to making renewable heating and cooling accessible and cost-effective for homeowners.

Fast's mission is to make buying online faster, safer and easier for everyone. Its Fast Login and Fast Checkout product enable a one-click sign-in and purchasing experience that makes it easier for people to buy and merchants to sell. The company's products work on any browser, device or platform for consistent, stress-free purchasing, either on a merchants own domain or through headless checkout on any other website. Fast invests heavily in its user privacy and security, with a Zero Fraud Guarantee on chargebacks for sellers. Headquartered in San Francisco, Fast is a privately held company founded by Domm Holland and Allison Barr Allen and funded by Stripe, Addition, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures and Sugar Capital. Headquartered in San Francisco, Fast is a privately held company funded by Stripe, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and Brian Sugar – who also serves on the board.

BuildOps, Inc. is a software company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California. It specializes in providing an all-in-one operational software solution tailored for commercial HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors. The platform streamlines various aspects of business management, including invoicing and billing, scheduling, customer management, estimates, proposals, payments, and financial reporting. By integrating essential functions into a single cloud-based system, BuildOps enhances operational efficiency and profitability for subcontractors. The software is designed to support technicians and office staff by automating workflows, enabling mobile invoicing, and facilitating real-time communication and documentation. With its foundation in the experiences of subcontractors and expertise from skilled engineers, BuildOps aims to empower businesses to optimize their operations and drive growth.

The Jones Agency, Inc. is a liability insurance underwriting company that specializes in serving general construction and property management contractors. Founded in 2016 and based in New York, it provides insurance solutions tailored for various professions, including contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, and landscapers. In addition to its underwriting services, Jones offers a software platform designed to streamline liability management for real estate companies, addressing the complexities of insurance compliance. This innovative approach aims to simplify the traditionally cumbersome process of managing insurance certificates for owners, managers, and developers within the commercial real estate sector. Through its services, Jones seeks to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in insurance management for its clients.

ShapeShift Gaming Ltd. is a company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, founded in 2018, that develops Jumper.tv, a streaming content aggregator and viewership platform. This platform captures, tracks, and analyzes live video game streams from various streaming services, enhancing the viewing experience for gamers. By leveraging proprietary computer vision and machine learning algorithms, the platform allows users to track every moment of gameplay, creating an interactive and engaging environment for viewers. ShapeShift Gaming aims to elevate the gaming and eSports viewing experience, ensuring that fans can enjoy a unique and dynamic way to connect with their favorite streamers.

EliseAI is an artificial intelligence company specializing in a conversational platform designed for business automation, particularly within the real estate sector. Their virtual leasing assistant assists real estate management companies by managing inquiries, scheduling property viewings, and ensuring consistent follow-up with prospects to prevent lost leads. This platform enables apartment managers to enhance customer service, optimize revenue, and lower property management costs. By leveraging machine learning, EliseAI's solution streamlines operations for real estate professionals of all sizes, fostering improved engagement with prospective tenants and facilitating efficient management of leasing processes.

Neighborhood Goods, Inc. operates a department store that features a diverse array of apparel, accessories, cosmetics, and groceries. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company provides an evolving selection of brands and products while also creating community spaces for social engagement. Neighborhood Goods offers both in-store and online shopping experiences, allowing customers to explore and purchase a variety of daily use items. The store also hosts events and activities, fostering connections among visitors through immersive content and live discussions.

Dandelion Energy, Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in affordable geothermal heating and cooling solutions. The company replaces traditional air conditioning and heating systems with an innovative home geothermal system that utilizes a powerful heat pump and underground pipes to transfer heat between the earth and the residence. This system is designed to harness thermal energy from below the earth's surface to regulate indoor temperatures and provide hot water, allowing homeowners to transition from conventional heating fuels to a more sustainable geothermal alternative. Dandelion Energy is committed to making renewable heating and cooling accessible and cost-effective for homeowners.

Dandelion is a developer and provider of a marketing platform designed to facilitate the seamless discovery of content and commerce. The company enables sellers and service providers to utilize existing content, such as product catalogs and marketplace listings, to create effective advertisements. These ads can be deployed across social media channels, thereby enhancing marketing efforts. Dandelion's vision is to empower individuals and businesses to easily engage in marketing activities, fostering an environment where anyone can participate as a marketer in addition to being a seller.

Beyond is a company based in New York, founded in 2015, that specializes in the manufacturing and rental of electric scooters through a subscription model. This innovative approach aims to enhance convenience, accessibility, safety, and environmental sustainability in transportation. By offering advanced micromobility vehicles, Beyond seeks to empower individuals to travel freely and encourages exploration of their surroundings.

Upfort is a cybersecurity and insurance platform that delivers comprehensive protection for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) against evolving cyber threats. The platform integrates various services, allowing organizations to manage their cybersecurity needs effectively. Upfort's software includes tools for phishing simulation, public Wi-Fi protection, inbox protection, and password management, alongside offering cyber liability insurance. This all-in-one solution enables clients to safeguard their business activities and address potential risks in today’s digital landscape.

Pact Insurance Services LLC is an online insurance brokerage based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2016. The company specializes in providing instant and affordable car insurance, offering a platform that allows consumers to manage their insurance needs efficiently through a mobile application. Pact focuses on creating personalized insurance plans that include both liability and non-liability coverages, allowing customers to have greater control over their insurance choices. By integrating consumer behavior with flexible coverage technology, Pact aims to deliver insurance solutions that align with modern mobility, ultimately saving users time, money, and energy.

Neighborhood Goods, Inc. operates a department store that features a diverse array of apparel, accessories, cosmetics, and groceries. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company provides an evolving selection of brands and products while also creating community spaces for social engagement. Neighborhood Goods offers both in-store and online shopping experiences, allowing customers to explore and purchase a variety of daily use items. The store also hosts events and activities, fostering connections among visitors through immersive content and live discussions.

The Jones Agency, Inc. is a liability insurance underwriting company that specializes in serving general construction and property management contractors. Founded in 2016 and based in New York, it provides insurance solutions tailored for various professions, including contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, and landscapers. In addition to its underwriting services, Jones offers a software platform designed to streamline liability management for real estate companies, addressing the complexities of insurance compliance. This innovative approach aims to simplify the traditionally cumbersome process of managing insurance certificates for owners, managers, and developers within the commercial real estate sector. Through its services, Jones seeks to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in insurance management for its clients.

Dandelion Energy, Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in affordable geothermal heating and cooling solutions. The company replaces traditional air conditioning and heating systems with an innovative home geothermal system that utilizes a powerful heat pump and underground pipes to transfer heat between the earth and the residence. This system is designed to harness thermal energy from below the earth's surface to regulate indoor temperatures and provide hot water, allowing homeowners to transition from conventional heating fuels to a more sustainable geothermal alternative. Dandelion Energy is committed to making renewable heating and cooling accessible and cost-effective for homeowners.

Frank’s online platform streamlines and simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) application process. Its mission is to help students reach their greatest potential by getting the most value from their education. Frank aims to assist each student and help them get their maximum financial aid.

The Jones Agency, Inc. is a liability insurance underwriting company that specializes in serving general construction and property management contractors. Founded in 2016 and based in New York, it provides insurance solutions tailored for various professions, including contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians, and landscapers. In addition to its underwriting services, Jones offers a software platform designed to streamline liability management for real estate companies, addressing the complexities of insurance compliance. This innovative approach aims to simplify the traditionally cumbersome process of managing insurance certificates for owners, managers, and developers within the commercial real estate sector. Through its services, Jones seeks to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in insurance management for its clients.

Portless is a logistics company based in Exeter, Pennsylvania. It specializes in streamlining e-commerce supply chains by directly fulfilling orders from China and shipping them to customers worldwide. Portless offers seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms and customizable packaging and shipping services, providing businesses with a hassle-free, global logistics solution.