Leader Ventures

Leader Ventures is a private investment firm based in Palo Alto, California, specializing in providing debt and equity financing to a diverse portfolio of early and late-stage private companies. Established in 2005, the firm primarily operates in the United States and focuses on sectors such as information technology, life sciences, and clean technology. Leader Ventures offers venture loans to companies that may not qualify for traditional debt financing, utilizing various loan structures tailored to the developmental stages of the businesses. The firm's investment team, which has extensive experience in lending, investing, and managing startups, seeks to support high-growth potential companies by financing specific equipment purchases and providing growth capital. With offices in Menlo Park and San Francisco, Leader Ventures is well-positioned to identify and nurture promising investment opportunities.

Brian Best

Managing Director

Robert Molke

Managing Director

20 past transactions

Dynair Korea

Seed Round in 2019
Dynair Korea is a kitchen appliance company that designs air purifiers.

Sky Wing

Series A in 2018
Beijing Sky Wing Technology Development Co., Ltd. specializes in the design and development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) tailored for the agricultural sector. Established in 2011 and headquartered in Beijing, the company produces two primary drone models, the TY4SA-10 and HWX220, which are specifically engineered for automatic spraying applications in agriculture. Sky Wing aims to enhance agricultural efficiency through innovative drone technology.

Avalanche Technology

Series C in 2012
Avalanche Technology, Inc. is a technology company based in Fremont, California, specializing in the development and marketing of non-volatile spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices. Founded in 2006, the company provides innovative memory solutions aimed at enhancing speed, endurance, and energy efficiency across a range of applications, including mobile devices, the Internet of Things, enterprise storage, computing, networking, telecommunications, and automotive industries. Avalanche Technology's products serve as alternatives to traditional static random access memory, flash, and read-only memory, utilizing perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction technology to deliver low power consumption. With a strong focus on research and development, the company holds a substantial portfolio of over 200 patents related to its cell, circuit, process, and system innovations, positioning itself as a leader in the evolving landscape of memory technology.

PneumRx

Venture Round in 2011
PneumRx, Inc. is a medical device company founded in 2004 and based in Mountain View, California. The company specializes in developing minimally invasive treatments specifically for patients suffering from emphysema. Its primary product is the RePneu Lung Volume Reduction Coil, an investigational device designed to improve lung function and quality of life for individuals affected by this chronic respiratory condition.

PayScale

Venture Round in 2010
PayScale, Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based compensation software designed to assist organizations in making informed pay decisions. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with additional offices in Louisville, Denver, and Cary, the company offers a range of services, including Insight Expert, which streamlines salary benchmarking and pay adjustment processes. PayScale utilizes big data and advanced algorithms to deliver comprehensive compensation management solutions for various industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services. Its platform supports over 8,000 customers, including small businesses and Fortune 500 firms, by providing crucial insights that enable fair compensation practices. Additionally, PayScale offers professional services to evaluate and optimize compensation structures, ensuring organizations can effectively communicate and manage employee compensation.

CollabNet

Debt Financing in 2010
CollabNet, Inc. is a provider of cloud-based application lifecycle management solutions aimed at enhancing enterprise agility and governance. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, the company offers a range of products including TeamForge, an enterprise agile platform that streamlines user workflows, and CloudForge, which allows developers to code and deploy projects in various cloud environments. CollabNet also provides ScrumWorks Pro for agile planning, Subversion Edge for managing Subversion installations, and Enterprise Git for control and compliance in source code management. Additional offerings include GitEye, a graphical Git client, and various integration plugins to connect popular development tools. CollabNet serves diverse industries such as finance, government, and healthcare, and supports its clients with consulting, training, implementation, and hosted services. The company has a strategic partnership with Clarive Software and maintains a global presence with offices in locations including Texas, Singapore, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Lytx

Venture Round in 2009
Lytx, Inc. is a provider of video-based driver safety and fleet management solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency and safety for commercial and public sector fleets. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company offers a range of services including the DriveCam system, which focuses on identifying and correcting poor driving behaviors, and the RAIR suite of compliance services that assist carriers with regulatory requirements. Lytx utilizes advanced machine vision and artificial intelligence technology to enhance its offerings, allowing clients to access historical data, optimize current operations, and foster better driver behavior for the future. The company serves a diverse clientele across various industries, including trucking, construction, distribution, and government, both in the United States and internationally.

Innovalight

Venture Round in 2009
Innovalight, founded by Conrad Burke, specializes in the development of high-efficiency, low-cost solar modules utilizing innovative silicon-based technology. The company has created a unique silicon ink, which has been in development since 2005, enabling a shift in manufacturing processes by employing liquid-based processing instead of traditional solid or gas methods. This approach aims to significantly enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of solar modules. Innovalight's products are designed for both residential and commercial applications, focusing on ultra thin-film power modules to support grid-connected solar power generation.

Vindicia

Series D in 2009
We enrich e-commerce connections and transform them to feel simple and personal anytime, anywhere. If you’re like us, you want more of what you love. At Vindicia, we offer the industry’s #1 failed payment recovery solution. We take the work out of subscriptions, so you can delight your customers, build and retain long-lasting relationships, and maximize recurring revenue and lifetime value. Our payment recovery solution goes far beyond standard authentication tools to automatically resolve up to 50% of declined card transactions. Fueled by two decades of data intelligence and deep payment expertise, we help you launch, scale, engage, delight, and retain your customers. We understand that acquisition is not the end game, and customers are not just rows on your balance sheet. Your customers expect seamless, fresh, and delightful experiences. That’s why we help remove friction and empower you to build and retain long-term customer relationships.

Tagged

Debt Financing in 2008
Tagged.com was launched in 2004, and is an explosively growing social-networking portal developed specifically for teens aged 13 through 19. Emerging as the premier brand in the lucrative teen demographic, Tagged.com is rapidly becoming the number one teen site on the web.

if

Debt Financing in 2008
if(we), formerly Tagged Inc., is a profitable startup focused on developing social products that foster meaningful connections among individuals, particularly teenagers. Established in 2014 by the team behind Tagged, which launched in 2004, the company continues to grow its successful platforms, Tagged and hi5, while also creating new social networking products for mobile and other key platforms. The company's offerings include features such as user profiles, integrated video, and chat functionalities, enabling users to stay connected with friends and meet new people.

Revance Therapeutics

Debt Financing in 2008
Revance Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the development, manufacture, and commercialization of neuromodulators for aesthetic and therapeutic indications. The company's lead product, DaxibotulinumtoxinA for injection (DAXI), is undergoing various stages of clinical trials for treatments including glabellar lines, cervical dystonia, adult upper limb spasticity, plantar fasciitis, and chronic migraine. Revance is also advancing DAXI for aesthetic applications such as forehead lines and lateral canthal lines. Additionally, the company is developing DaxibotulinumtoxinA Topical for both therapeutic and aesthetic uses, alongside a biosimilar formulation akin to BOTOX. Revance has established collaboration agreements for the development and commercialization of its biosimilar products. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Newark, California, Revance was previously known as Essentia Biosystems, Inc., having rebranded in 2005. The company is committed to enhancing its portfolio in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, including a range of dermal fillers and a platform for aesthetic services.

MobiTV

Series D in 2008
MobiTV, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in cloud-enabled streaming video solutions, allowing operators to launch branded and compliant pay TV services efficiently. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Emeryville, California, MobiTV provides managed services for delivering live and on-demand television content across various devices, including mobile devices, tablets, and smart televisions. Its platform supports a seamless viewing experience by enabling users to shift between live and on-demand content while managing playback features such as pause and resume. MobiTV’s solutions cater to IPTV operators and mobile TV service providers, addressing the complexities of delivering video across different networks and devices. The company’s clients include major telecommunications companies, enhancing their ability to provide a comprehensive television experience to consumers. MobiTV was formerly known as Idetic, Inc. before rebranding in 2005.

Vindicia

Series C in 2008
We enrich e-commerce connections and transform them to feel simple and personal anytime, anywhere. If you’re like us, you want more of what you love. At Vindicia, we offer the industry’s #1 failed payment recovery solution. We take the work out of subscriptions, so you can delight your customers, build and retain long-lasting relationships, and maximize recurring revenue and lifetime value. Our payment recovery solution goes far beyond standard authentication tools to automatically resolve up to 50% of declined card transactions. Fueled by two decades of data intelligence and deep payment expertise, we help you launch, scale, engage, delight, and retain your customers. We understand that acquisition is not the end game, and customers are not just rows on your balance sheet. Your customers expect seamless, fresh, and delightful experiences. That’s why we help remove friction and empower you to build and retain long-term customer relationships.

VoloMedia

Series C in 2008
VoloMedia specializes in providing advertising and reporting solutions tailored for downloadable media, particularly focusing on video and audio content such as podcasts. The company's patented technologies facilitate dynamic advertising insertion and rotation, as well as comprehensive targeting, measurement, reporting, and campaign management across various media consumption devices. By offering a user-friendly web-based interface, VoloMedia enables media companies to effectively manage their media inventory and ad campaigns, thereby enhancing the monetization of downloadable media. Leveraging these capabilities, VoloMedia helps advertisers reach and engage high-value audiences accurately, unlocking significant value for both content providers and advertisers in the evolving digital landscape.

LS9

Debt Financing in 2008
LS9, based in South San Francisco, California, is a privately-held industrial biotechnology company focused on developing renewable petroleum biofuels and sustainable chemicals. Utilizing advanced synthetic biology techniques, LS9 creates patent-pending UltraClean fuels, emphasizing both innovation and sustainability in the energy sector. The company's goal is to produce hydrocarbon biofuels that serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional fossil fuels, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future.

GlassHouse Technologies

Convertible Note in 2007
GlassHouse Technologies (acquired by Signature Technology Group in 2014) is a global provider of data center consulting services. GlassHouse consultants offer a vendor-independent approach to architect, implement and operate IT environments that drive high performance and agility. GlassHouse delivers its services through TransomSM, a unique delivery framework comprised of proprietary software tools, methodologies and domain expertise that offer unprecedented visibility into enterprise infrastructures. With this insight, GlassHouse enables customers to identify and mitigate operational inefficiencies, yielding significant cost savings, reducing risk and creating a more stable environment to ensure service levels are continually met.

Biofisica

Debt Financing in 2007
BIOFiSICA is a world leader in using innovative technology to treat hard-to-heal wounds. At BIOFiSICA, they understand the lives of patients and the needs of the clinicians who manage them. Mission is to develop, manufacture and supply medical devices that trigger the healing process in wounds that fail to heal on their own. These exclusive devices use bio-electric stimulation therapy (bio-current) to restore the conditions which promote natural healing.

SideStep

Series C in 2007
SideStep is a metasearch engine designed to assist travelers by searching over 200 travel websites to find the best deals on flights, hotels, and other travel-related services. The company generates revenue through advertising and referral fees. SideStep has expanded its offerings by acquiring TripUp, a social network focused on travel, and TravelPost.com, a hotel ratings site, aiming to become a leading source of online travel information. Additionally, SideStep has developed Facebook applications such as Trips, which offers trip planning services with over 150,000 users, and Extended Info, allowing users to customize their Facebook profiles. The company was acquired by Kayak in December 2007 for approximately $180 million.

Enpocket

Debt Financing in 2006
Enpocket, acquired by Nokia in 2007, allows brands to plan, create, execute, measure and optimize mobile advertising campaigns around the world. The Enpocket platform is a mobile advertising campaign management and delivery system distinguished by advanced consumer insight, targeting, and measurement. The platform can deliver mobile advertising across multiple formats including SMS, MMS, mobile Internet advertising, and video.
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