Level Up Ventures

ClearCOGS is an AI-powered software-as-a-service platform designed to enhance the operational efficiency and profitability of restaurants, particularly mid-market chains in the fast-casual and quick-service restaurant segments. By utilizing advanced predictive forecasting, ClearCOGS provides insights on individual menu item and ingredient demand, helping to reduce waste and operational costs. The platform offers detailed daily reports that guide restaurants on how much food to prepare, ensuring optimal inventory management and ordering recommendations. ClearCOGS integrates seamlessly with leading point-of-sale systems to deliver a comprehensive view of restaurant operations. By synthesizing data from various sources, including POS systems, back-of-house software, and external factors like weather and events, the platform aims to act as a fractional digital CFO/COO for local restaurants. This technology enables restaurants to operate more efficiently, potentially increasing profits by an average of 40% through improved forecasting and inventory management.

Otis connects pet owners with professionals for virtual pet health consultations and prescriptions.

SmartWiz is an AI-enabled platform that streamlines the tax preparation process for small businesses and individuals. By connecting advanced technology with experienced tax professionals, SmartWiz offers a secure portal for clients to store their documents safely. The company focuses on delivering a high level of integrity and professionalism, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive support for their financial needs. SmartWiz's technology automates and simplifies complex tasks, allowing tax professionals to work more efficiently and effectively, which in turn helps clients maximize their financial outcomes. With a commitment to exceptional client service, SmartWiz aims to enhance the overall finance experience for its users.

Sunthetics is a developer of innovative electrochemical reactors designed to enhance the efficiency of chemical manufacturing, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. By leveraging advanced hardware and machine-learning software, the company enables process chemists to create electrochemical lead molecules in a fraction of the time typically required, achieving process development in one-tenth of the conventional duration. This approach not only accelerates development timelines but also provides significant operational and cost advantages, including a 40% reduction in energy use and the elimination of toxic chemicals and waste. While its primary focus is on pharmaceuticals, Sunthetics' scalable platform technology has the potential to be applied to other markets, such as agrochemicals and specialty chemicals, promoting the electrification of the broader chemical industry.

LoanWell LLC, established in 2017 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, specializes in providing a customizable loan origination system for community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Their platform automates key processes such as loan application intake, closing, signing, disbursement, and repayment. By streamlining these procedures, LoanWell enables CDFIs to deliver more capital efficiently, fostering economic growth by providing affordable financing options to individuals and small businesses.

SmartWiz is an AI-enabled platform that streamlines the tax preparation process for small businesses and individuals. By connecting advanced technology with experienced tax professionals, SmartWiz offers a secure portal for clients to store their documents safely. The company focuses on delivering a high level of integrity and professionalism, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive support for their financial needs. SmartWiz's technology automates and simplifies complex tasks, allowing tax professionals to work more efficiently and effectively, which in turn helps clients maximize their financial outcomes. With a commitment to exceptional client service, SmartWiz aims to enhance the overall finance experience for its users.

EMTECH is a New York-based fintech company established in 2019, specializing in modernizing central banking infrastructure for enhanced financial inclusion and market resilience. The company offers an API-First Platform that facilitates collaboration between central banks and fintechs, ensuring embedded regulatory compliance and enabling the integration of central bank digital currencies. EMTECH's cloud-based software suite includes digital regulatory sandboxes, digital cash solutions, and cross-border currency integrators, empowering central banks to upgrade their operations and boost efficiency in the Web3 era.

ConnectCareHero is a digital community platform focused on enhancing social engagement among older adults. The platform facilitates activity programming by providing curated entertainment options tailored to the interests of senior citizens. By managing activities and utilizing culturally relevant content, ConnectCareHero helps organizations foster meaningful connections within the aging community. This approach aims to combat social isolation among seniors, promoting healthy aging and improving overall health outcomes.

Pryze is an innovative operating system tailored for deskless workers, aimed at enhancing productivity, retention, and employee satisfaction within organizations that employ hourly staff. Founded by restaurant owners seeking effective solutions for employee engagement, Pryze leverages behavioral trends and positive psychology to encourage task completion and minimize distractions from personal mobile device usage during work hours. The platform features a mobile app that includes goal tracking, phone usage monitoring, and a customizable rewards program, allowing businesses to set specific objectives, monitor progress in real-time, and incentivize employees effectively. By addressing the unique challenges faced by deskless workers, Pryze helps companies improve their workplace culture and ultimately bolster their financial performance.

Encounter AI is a technology company specializing in voice ordering systems designed to automate the ordering process in the restaurant industry. Its innovative solutions integrate seamlessly with drive-thru systems, kiosks, and tablets, allowing customers to place orders, receive confirmations, and potentially make payments without the need for human interaction. By leveraging a technology stack developed from research by SRI International, Encounter AI enhances operational efficiency and improves the customer experience for businesses in the food service sector.

Sortile develops textile recycling technology that uses near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning to identify fiber composition, enabling accurate sorting by fiber type and supporting textile-to-textile recycling. The company’s data-analytics capabilities provide visibility into the waste stream and traceability across the value chain, helping textile brands and recyclers recover valuable materials and improve circularity in the fashion industry. By improving identification, sorting, and data transparency, Sortile aims to advance a sustainable, circular model for textiles and reduce landfill and incineration.

Sunthetics is a developer of innovative electrochemical reactors designed to enhance the efficiency of chemical manufacturing, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. By leveraging advanced hardware and machine-learning software, the company enables process chemists to create electrochemical lead molecules in a fraction of the time typically required, achieving process development in one-tenth of the conventional duration. This approach not only accelerates development timelines but also provides significant operational and cost advantages, including a 40% reduction in energy use and the elimination of toxic chemicals and waste. While its primary focus is on pharmaceuticals, Sunthetics' scalable platform technology has the potential to be applied to other markets, such as agrochemicals and specialty chemicals, promoting the electrification of the broader chemical industry.

EMTECH is a New York-based fintech company established in 2019, specializing in modernizing central banking infrastructure for enhanced financial inclusion and market resilience. The company offers an API-First Platform that facilitates collaboration between central banks and fintechs, ensuring embedded regulatory compliance and enabling the integration of central bank digital currencies. EMTECH's cloud-based software suite includes digital regulatory sandboxes, digital cash solutions, and cross-border currency integrators, empowering central banks to upgrade their operations and boost efficiency in the Web3 era.

ShearShare, Inc., also known as HAIRbnb, is a mobile platform that connects salon and barbershop owners with licensed beauty professionals, allowing them to rent unused suites and booths on demand. Founded in 2015 and based in McKinney, Texas, the company serves a diverse clientele, including beauty and barber school graduates, seasoned stylists, and various beauty service providers such as makeup artists, estheticians, and massage therapists. ShearShare offers the largest database of on-demand salon and barbershop space rentals, providing affordable leases and usage-based liability insurance to self-employed stylists. In addition to its core services, the platform also offers advertising opportunities, catering to the needs of both service providers and salon owners in the United States and internationally.

ByteChek is a Miami-based company founded in 2020 by AJ Yawn, specializing in cybersecurity solutions for businesses. The company offers a compliance platform that assists organizations of all sizes in assessing and enhancing their cybersecurity posture. Its platform includes tools such as an information security policy generator, risk manager, system description generator, and automated recommendations, all designed to streamline the establishment of security programs. Additionally, ByteChek provides real-time chat functionality to support clients in automating their readiness assessments and completing audits. By focusing on building robust cybersecurity programs, ByteChek helps businesses enhance their sales efforts and foster trust with customers.

Options MD is a telemedicine platform that employs AI-driven algorithms to match individuals with severe or treatment-resistant mental illnesses to personalized care options. It then connects these patients with in-house psychiatric experts for appropriate medical assistance.

Tensor9 is a data security company that specializes in helping software and AI vendors securely run their products within their customers' clouds. Its platform ensures data privacy by enabling secure application integration, real-time monitoring, and tailored security measures, allowing enterprise clients to meet diverse data residency and security requirements. This approach helps vendors access customers who previously couldn't share sensitive data, thereby expanding their market reach.