Hard Yaka

Hard Yaka, Inc., established in 2010 and headquartered in Crystal Bay, Nevada, is a private equity firm focusing on buyout and distressed investments. It specializes in investing in companies that facilitate digital transformation, such as those focused on portable identity, payments, and marketplaces. The firm typically seeks majority stakes in its investments. Additionally, Hard Yaka makes early round investments in startup companies within the exchange space, targeting verticals in specific exchange markets or horizontal services providers across various exchange sectors.

Jun Hiraga

Partner

Kevin Leiske

Partner

Margaret Slemmer

Partner, Co-COO

Katie Sullivan

Partner

Past deals in Mobile Apps

Goin

Series A in 2025
Goin is a mobile application focused on enhancing users' financial health by integrating with their traditional banking systems. The app offers a range of innovative tools that assist users in saving, investing, and smart shopping. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, Goin analyzes users' banking information and spending habits to provide personalized insights and recommendations. It encourages users to accumulate savings through small daily actions, such as rounding up their payments. Additionally, Goin enables users to easily transfer funds to various investment options, including cryptocurrencies and equity funds, as well as manage their finances more effectively. Through these features, Goin aims to empower users to improve their financial well-being and lifestyle.

Aeldra

Series A in 2022
Aeldra is a financial services company that provides mobile banking, card services, remittance, and foreign exchange solutions specifically for residents outside the United States. The company offers a banking platform that allows individuals, particularly Indians, to open savings accounts with U.S. banks. Aeldra's services include savings and current accounts, debit cards for personal and corporate use, money transfers, and bill payments. By facilitating quick and secure banking transactions, Aeldra aims to simplify overseas banking for its users.

Goin

Seed Round in 2021
Goin is a mobile application focused on enhancing users' financial health by integrating with their traditional banking systems. The app offers a range of innovative tools that assist users in saving, investing, and smart shopping. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, Goin analyzes users' banking information and spending habits to provide personalized insights and recommendations. It encourages users to accumulate savings through small daily actions, such as rounding up their payments. Additionally, Goin enables users to easily transfer funds to various investment options, including cryptocurrencies and equity funds, as well as manage their finances more effectively. Through these features, Goin aims to empower users to improve their financial well-being and lifestyle.

ZELF

Pre Seed Round in 2021
ZELF is a neobank fintech company that aims to make financial services accessible to younger generations globally. Operating in both the EU and the US, ZELF allows users to access banking services through popular social messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord, Telegram, and Viber. The company focuses on providing a seamless money-transfer platform that supports artificial intelligence-powered voice control, enabling users to send and receive money, create invoices, and manage reminders for unpaid transactions easily. In June 2022, ZELF launched its "Bank of the Metaverse" campaign, integrating traditional fiat currency with game loot and NFTs, further enhancing its innovative banking offerings.

Aeldra

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Aeldra is a financial services company that provides mobile banking, card services, remittance, and foreign exchange solutions specifically for residents outside the United States. The company offers a banking platform that allows individuals, particularly Indians, to open savings accounts with U.S. banks. Aeldra's services include savings and current accounts, debit cards for personal and corporate use, money transfers, and bill payments. By facilitating quick and secure banking transactions, Aeldra aims to simplify overseas banking for its users.

EMQ

Series B in 2020
EMQ Limited is a Hong Kong-based financial technology startup established in 2014, with additional offices in Taiwan and China. The company focuses on creating a financial network across Asia, emphasizing remittance services. EMQ partners with financial institutions and strategic allies in various countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, to facilitate and settle cross-border remittances. The company has developed a mobile application that allows clients to borrow and transfer money efficiently. EMQ holds a Money Service Operator license from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and a Fund Transfer Operator license from Bank Indonesia, enabling it to provide affordable, secure, and real-time financial settlement services for users and global businesses.

Goin

Venture Round in 2020
Goin is a mobile application focused on enhancing users' financial health by integrating with their traditional banking systems. The app offers a range of innovative tools that assist users in saving, investing, and smart shopping. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, Goin analyzes users' banking information and spending habits to provide personalized insights and recommendations. It encourages users to accumulate savings through small daily actions, such as rounding up their payments. Additionally, Goin enables users to easily transfer funds to various investment options, including cryptocurrencies and equity funds, as well as manage their finances more effectively. Through these features, Goin aims to empower users to improve their financial well-being and lifestyle.

OpenPhone

Seed Round in 2020
OpenPhone Technologies, Inc., established in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializes in developing a business phone application for startups, small businesses, and individuals. Its core product, OpenPhone, offers unlimited messaging and calling, along with features such as assignable business phone numbers, contact separation, and call automation. The application is available on both mobile and desktop platforms, utilizing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology for communication.

Everykey

Venture Round in 2019
Everykey, Inc. is a technology company based in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 2015. The company specializes in a Bluetooth device that replaces traditional keys and passwords. This device not only stores and generates secure passwords for various online accounts but also facilitates automatic logins when users visit websites. By streamlining access to both physical and digital spaces, Everykey aims to enhance security and convenience for its users.

Prepaid2Cash

Venture Round in 2019
Prepaid2Cash, established in 2010 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, specializes in redeeming network-branded prepaid cards. Through its web-based platform, users can convert balances from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover prepaid cards into direct deposits or mailed checks, with a service fee applied. The company ensures secure transactions through data encryption and robust security measures.

Reby

Angel Round in 2019
Reby Inc is a European multinational company based in Barcelona, Spain, that specializes in the development of software for electric scooter sharing. Founded in 2018, Reby's software enables users to locate and unlock nearby electric scooters using a QR code, compatible with both Android and iOS devices. In addition to its software solutions, Reby is involved in the design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of public sharing transport infrastructure, and the company manufactures its own scooters, opting not to use Chinese-made vehicles.

TomoCredit

Seed Round in 2019
TomoCredit LLC is a financial technology company based in San Francisco, California, that focuses on providing credit solutions for individuals with no credit history or score, particularly targeting Millennials and immigrant populations. Founded in 2018, the company uses alternative data sources analyzed through a proprietary algorithm to assess creditworthiness, allowing users to build their credit and qualify for loans. TomoCredit's product includes a digital credit card that not only helps users establish credit but also offers the opportunity to earn rewards in cryptocurrency. Additionally, the company provides a mobile application that facilitates account management and enhances user engagement. The founding team, comprised of professionals with backgrounds from notable organizations such as Coinbase and Google, aims to address the challenges faced by foreign nationals in obtaining credit.

Uphold

Series C in 2019
Uphold, Inc. is a digital money platform that facilitates the buying, holding, sending, receiving, and exchanging of a wide range of currencies and commodities. Established in 2013 and based in San Francisco, California, Uphold offers a cloud-based service that allows users to add funds via bank transfers, credit and debit cards, or cryptocurrencies. The platform supports transactions across 84 currencies, commodities, and equities, providing a secure and efficient means for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits to manage their financial activities. Uphold features an innovative "Anything-to-Anything" trading experience, enabling users to trade directly between different asset classes while minimizing fees. The platform integrates blockchain technology and traditional banking systems, allowing for instant peer-to-peer transactions and spending through the Uphold debit MasterCard, which is available in over 150 countries.

Cuenca

Seed Round in 2018
Cuenca is a FinTech company based in San Francisco, California, established in 2016. It operates a mobile-based bill payment platform, enabling users to conveniently pay their mobile, electricity, water, and other bills through their smartphones. Additionally, Cuenca offers online banking services, including savings accounts with competitive interest rates and digital loan facilities, allowing users to securely deposit, borrow, and repay funds at their convenience.

Lightning Labs

Seed Round in 2018
Lightning Labs is focused on creating advanced decentralized financial infrastructure utilizing blockchain technology and smart contracts. The company has developed the Lightning Network Daemon (lnd), which serves as a leading implementation of the Lightning Network protocol, allowing for efficient and private transactions. Additionally, Lightning Labs offers Neutrino, an open platform that enables users to conduct blockchain and Lightning Network transactions easily via mobile devices. By enhancing the capabilities of cryptocurrency transactions, Lightning Labs aims to facilitate financial cooperation globally, making transactions accessible and efficient for users of all sizes.

Voatz

Seed Round in 2018
Voatz, Inc. is a mobile application developer specializing in secure voting solutions for elections. Founded in 2014 and based in Brookline, Massachusetts, the company offers a mobile-first elections platform that utilizes a blockchain infrastructure and biometric authentication to ensure voter security and accessibility. Voatz has successfully facilitated over 5 million votes across 140 elections in seven countries, including the first mobile voting in U.S. Federal Election history in 2018 and participation in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections. Its technology generates real-time, voter-verified paper ballots for record-keeping, allowing voters to cast their ballots using their mobile devices while assisting election administrators in managing the voting process efficiently. The platform has been adopted by multiple jurisdictions, including 15 cities in Canada for the 2022 Ontario Municipal Elections, and it played a role in the historic 2024 Presidential Elections in Mexico.

Finerio Connect

Seed Round in 2017
Finerio is a personal finance platform based in Mexico that offers an automated and free service to help users manage their finances effectively. The platform allows individuals to link their debit and credit accounts from major Mexican banks, enabling them to monitor and track their expenses, view financial information, and analyze their consumption patterns. Finerio's features include custom budgeting tools and data analysis capabilities, which aim to enhance users' financial planning and savings. By leveraging open finance principles, Finerio empowers users to take control of their financial well-being through insightful data-driven insights.

Castle

Seed Round in 2016
Castle is a technology company that specializes in user account fraud detection and prevention for online businesses. It offers API-based solutions that enable businesses, regardless of size, to protect their customers' accounts from unauthorized access. Castle's platform tracks and analyzes user behavior in real-time, using a wide range of signals such as device fingerprints, keystroke dynamics, and browsing history. When suspicious activity is detected, both the business administrator and the account owner are promptly alerted, allowing for swift and appropriate action.

Earny

Seed Round in 2016
Earny Inc. is a Los Angeles-based company that offers a mobile application designed to provide money protection and refund services to consumers. Founded in 2016, the application functions as a personal assistant that automatically identifies lower prices for items users have previously purchased, allowing them to receive refunds for the difference. Earny's goal is to enhance consumer confidence by ensuring that users never overpay for their purchases, enabling them to shop freely without concerns about pricing discrepancies.

MONI

Seed Round in 2015
MONI Nordic Oy, based in Helsinki, Finland, is a company that specializes in providing prepaid MasterCards to facilitate both online and offline payments. Founded in 2013, MONI aims to create accessible mobile personal banking tools that allow users to manage their financial activities, such as making purchases, sending and receiving money, obtaining credit, and withdrawing cash. The company develops a virtual banking platform that enables users to access essential financial services from any mobile device, thus bridging traditional banking with modern technologies like cryptocurrencies. By reducing system complexity and eliminating intermediaries, MONI's technology aims to lower costs and decrease fraud, thereby enhancing the overall banking experience for individuals worldwide.

Verse

Seed Round in 2015
Verse is a payments technology platform based in Barcelona, Spain, that simplifies the process of storing, spending, and sharing money. Its mobile application allows users to easily and instantly share payments without hidden fees, offering the option to keep transactions private or public. The platform enables users to pay and request money from friends using their phone contacts, facilitating global money transfers in less than two business days. Founded in 2016, Verse aims to enhance financial interactions by reducing friction in transactions. The application is available for both Android and iOS devices, catering to a wide user base.

Roomi

Seed Round in 2015
Roomi, Inc. operates a mobile application and website that facilitates the connection between individuals seeking roommates and those offering available rooms. Launched in 2013 and based in New York, Roomi provides a user-friendly platform where listings are generated and verified by its members, ensuring authenticity. Users can easily post their available rooms, browse through listings based on lifestyle preferences, engage with potential roommates via in-app chat, and manage rental applications and payments seamlessly. Roomi's focus on peer-to-peer interactions fosters a safe and convenient environment for finding flexible and affordable co-living solutions, distinguishing it from traditional housing platforms that aggregate listings.

Bitso

Seed Round in 2015
Bitso is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. The company specializes in facilitating the buying and selling of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, providing users with a marketplace where they can trade fractions of various digital assets. Bitso's platform is designed for ease of use, allowing customers to conduct transactions and make payments via mobile devices. By focusing on the fintech and blockchain sectors, Bitso aims to enhance accessibility to cryptocurrency trading for users in Mexico and beyond.

Grand Junction

Angel Round in 2015
Grand Junction, Inc., based in San Francisco, California, operates a Software-as-a-Service platform that facilitates local deliveries across the United States and Canada. Acquired by Target Corporation in 2017, the company has managed nearly 100 million deliveries to date and is recognized as the sole provider of same-day delivery in every market within these regions. Grand Junction's technology platform supports a diverse range of clients, including small to medium-sized businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and individual consumers, by connecting them with a network of 700 local carriers. The platform offers various delivery options, including on-demand, same-day, scheduled, and two-person deliveries, providing users with tools such as dashboards, GPS alerts, and invoice auditing. This comprehensive approach enhances customer experience while significantly reducing delivery costs. By allowing clients to customize their service offerings, Grand Junction empowers businesses to optimize their local delivery processes.

Bitso

Venture Round in 2014
Bitso is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. The company specializes in facilitating the buying and selling of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, providing users with a marketplace where they can trade fractions of various digital assets. Bitso's platform is designed for ease of use, allowing customers to conduct transactions and make payments via mobile devices. By focusing on the fintech and blockchain sectors, Bitso aims to enhance accessibility to cryptocurrency trading for users in Mexico and beyond.

Authy

Venture Round in 2014
Authy specializes in two-factor authentication solutions, offering a smartphone application for consumers, a REST API for developers, and a comprehensive authentication platform for enterprises. The service allows users and organizations to customize their security settings and rules, ensuring robust protection against unauthorized access. Authy supports a wide range of applications, including popular platforms like Facebook, Gmail, and Dropbox, and provides various login verification methods, such as unique verification codes, text messages, and security questions. The company adheres to stringent compliance standards, including PCI, HIPAA, and FIPS 140, ensuring its services meet regulatory requirements across different regions. By integrating two-factor authentication into websites and applications, Authy helps organizations reduce security risks while improving user experience.

AirHelp

Venture Round in 2014
AirHelp is an organization dedicated to enhancing passenger rights and experiences worldwide by assisting travelers in obtaining compensation from airlines for flight cancellations, delays, and overbookings. The company streamlines the claims process by managing essential documentation and legal complexities, thus enabling passengers to assert their rights under relevant laws. In addition to flight compensation services, AirHelp offers subscription-based disruption coverage and parametric travel insurance products. Founded in 2013 by Greg Roodt, Henrik Zillmer, and Nicolas Michaelsen, AirHelp operates globally, providing support to millions of travelers in 18 languages, with offices located in major cities including Berlin, Barcelona, Gdansk, and Sao Paulo. The current CEO, Tomasz Pawliszyn, has led the company since January 2022.

chat.center

Seed Round in 2014
Chat Center is the best way to help customers or friends connect with you for Chat. Once you install the app you can claim a Chat Name. This name can be expressed as a URL. For example, the Chat Name for Chat Center Customer Care is http://chatcenter.me/cc. Anybody who clicks on the name is instantly in a chat with you. Because the name is a URL it can be shared anywhere. -- Businesses can put it on a web site to enable "Click to Chat" for customers. -- It can be placed in an email signature. -- Social Network members can place it in their profile to enable "Click to Chat" from the social network to the name owner. This works great on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Ello for example. -- Including it in blog posts or other web pages, -- Share it in Tweets or Instagram messages, -- Or just share it with customers, friends and family privately. Our vision is that every business and individual on earth can have a Chat Name that links to their iPhone, allowing each of us to be connected to each other through a simple name. This approach means that those trying to chat with you do not need to have the Chat Center App. All they need is the name or a link. Most Names are Free. However we do have Premium Names for $1.99 a month or $19.99 annually. These are short names and familiar names, including Brands and Trademarks, Places, Common Names. But we have gone one step further. We have made every mobile number on earth a Chat Address for outbound messaging. Chat Center imports your contacts from your address book into the app. From the very start, and with no effort, you can start a chat with any of your contacts for whom you already have a mobile number. They will reply to you right in chat center. This is Free outbound messaging. No SMS bills. By installing Chat Center on your iPhone or iPad you will get alerts and notifications for all inbound chats. Of course you can choose to answer or block any chat request.

Summon

Series A in 2013
Summon is an on-demand transportation service operating in San Francisco that connects riders with taxis and vetted drivers through its mobile application. Users can easily request a ride by entering their credit or debit card information, which is used to pay for fares and tips after reaching their destination. The service emphasizes fair pricing for riders and transparent policies for drivers, enhancing the overall experience for both parties. Summon was inspired by a personal experience of its founder, who faced significant delays while waiting for public transportation, ultimately leading to the creation of a more efficient ride-hailing solution.

Parking Panda

Series A in 2013
Parking Panda Corp. operates a community marketplace for parking in North America, allowing parking space owners to rent out underutilized spots to drivers through its mobile application. The platform enables users to search for, compare, and reserve guaranteed parking in over 40 cities. Additionally, Parking Panda provides a suite of parking management tools that address common industry challenges, including on-site payment processing, inventory tracking, and ticket creation. The company also offers PandaScan, a cloud-based solution that integrates hardware scanning technology with its digital parking services. Founded in 2011 and based in Baltimore, Maryland, Parking Panda became a subsidiary of SpotHero Inc. in 2017.

Parking Panda

Venture Round in 2013
Parking Panda Corp. operates a community marketplace for parking in North America, allowing parking space owners to rent out underutilized spots to drivers through its mobile application. The platform enables users to search for, compare, and reserve guaranteed parking in over 40 cities. Additionally, Parking Panda provides a suite of parking management tools that address common industry challenges, including on-site payment processing, inventory tracking, and ticket creation. The company also offers PandaScan, a cloud-based solution that integrates hardware scanning technology with its digital parking services. Founded in 2011 and based in Baltimore, Maryland, Parking Panda became a subsidiary of SpotHero Inc. in 2017.

Hailo Network

Series B in 2012
Hailo Network, established in 1947, is a global manufacturer and supplier of ladder systems, steps, and waste bins, renowned for its innovative products and safety features. The company, headquartered in Germany, operates in over 60 countries worldwide, distributing its products through a extensive network of retailers and wholesalers. Hailo's commitment to quality, safety, and innovation has positioned it as a leading provider in its industry.

Game Play Network

Seed Round in 2012
Game Play Network (GPN) specializes in mobile gambling platforms, focusing on online horse race betting. Utilizing patented Reveal Technology, GPN enables gaming companies to connect their brands with players both online and in land-based venues across 22 U.S. states, reaching over 50% of the U.S. population. The platform offers a unique blend of the excitement of horse racing with the convenience of mobile gaming, allowing users to place legal wagers and potentially win cash prizes. GPN's innovative approach and extensive patent library position it as a leader in the iGaming sector, catering to a growing market eager for interactive and engaging betting experiences.

MightyText

Venture Round in 2012
MightyText is a messaging application based in the Bay Area of California, designed to enhance the experience of sending and receiving SMS text messages and phone calls. Founded by a team with backgrounds at prominent companies such as Google, Zynga, and Cisco, the platform allows users to manage SMS and MMS communications from their computers or tablets using their existing phone numbers. This functionality ensures that messages remain synchronized with the phone's SMS inbox, allowing users to stay updated without missing notifications. MightyText aims to simplify communication for individuals who rely heavily on text messaging and phone calls.

Lovely

Venture Round in 2012
Lovely is an innovative online rental marketplace designed to streamline the process of finding and renting homes. Based in San Francisco, California, the company aims to simplify the rental experience for both tenants and property owners. For renters, Lovely offers a comprehensive suite of search tools accessible via desktop and mobile devices, enabling users to quickly locate their ideal homes. Property owners and managers benefit from Lovely Pro, a professional platform that provides essential tools to identify and connect with suitable tenants. With a dedicated team of 15 passionate individuals, Lovely focuses on enhancing transparency and efficiency in the rental market, addressing common challenges faced by both renters and landlords.

Proven

Venture Round in 2012
Proven operates as a hiring tool intended for small businesses. The platform takes hiring on the go with fully native apps for iOS and Android. Employers can review resumes, respond to candidates, and even post a new job all from a smartphone. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in San Francisco, California.
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