Origin Ventures

Origin Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm established in 1999, with offices in Chicago and Salt Lake City. The firm specializes in investing in high-growth software, online marketplaces, and digital content businesses that are transforming the Digital Native Economy. Origin Ventures focuses on opportunities located "between the coasts" in North America and typically invests in Series A rounds, with check sizes ranging from $500,000 to $4 million. The firm has achieved top-tier performance, ranking in the top 5% of venture capital firms nationally based on realized returns. In 2015, Origin Ventures launched the Origin Ventures Network, fostering collaboration and support among its portfolio companies and their employees. Select successful exits include notable companies such as Grubhub and BacklotCars.

Bruce N. Barron

Co-Founder and Founding Partner

Carolina Galdiz

Investor

Jason Heltzer

Managing Partner

Brent Hill

Managing Partner

Steven N. Miller

Co-Founding Partner

Prashant Shukla

Partner

Jacquie Marshall Siegmund

Principal

Angela Smith

Investor

Scott Stern

Partner

Linda Watchmaker

CFO

Past deals in Illinois

Prisidio

Seed Round in 2021
Prisidio is a life organizer that allows you to securely store, organize, manage, and share key documents and information with your family and trusted advisors. With Prisidio, it’s easy to keep your affairs in order and yourself prepared for whatever may happen in life.

Anthill

Seed Round in 2021
Anthill AI is a software company that offers personal and actionable workforce development. The company was founded by Muriel Clauson and Young-Jae Kim and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Cameo

Series C in 2021
Cameo is a marketplace that enables fans to book personalized video shoutouts from a wide range of celebrities and influencers. The platform focuses on providing authentic and tailored fan experiences by allowing users to connect with their favorite personalities for custom video messages. Cameo partners with thousands of talents across various fields, offering customers an opportunity to share unique, personalized content. The company's mission centers on enhancing fan engagement through these bespoke interactions, creating memorable experiences that resonate with users. Based in Chicago, Cameo is a key player in the technology and startup ecosystem, facilitating a creative outlet for both fans and celebrities.

Tovala

Series C in 2021
Tovala, operating under Maestro Food Co., specializes in the production and supply of a smart oven, known for its steam-based cooking technology. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a countertop appliance that integrates with a meal kit subscription service. This system allows users to enjoy chef-crafted meals prepared with fresh ingredients, which can be cooked effortlessly by simply scanning a barcode. Tovala aims to simplify dinner preparation for busy individuals, providing a convenient way to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without extensive cooking time. Additionally, the company offers an application that provides recipes, further enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Prisidio

Seed Round in 2021
Prisidio is a life organizer that allows you to securely store, organize, manage, and share key documents and information with your family and trusted advisors. With Prisidio, it’s easy to keep your affairs in order and yourself prepared for whatever may happen in life.

Anthill

Seed Round in 2021
Anthill AI is a software company that offers personal and actionable workforce development. The company was founded by Muriel Clauson and Young-Jae Kim and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Tovala

Series B in 2020
Tovala, operating under Maestro Food Co., specializes in the production and supply of a smart oven, known for its steam-based cooking technology. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a countertop appliance that integrates with a meal kit subscription service. This system allows users to enjoy chef-crafted meals prepared with fresh ingredients, which can be cooked effortlessly by simply scanning a barcode. Tovala aims to simplify dinner preparation for busy individuals, providing a convenient way to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without extensive cooking time. Additionally, the company offers an application that provides recipes, further enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Tock

Series C in 2020
Tock, Inc. operates a comprehensive platform designed for managing reservations, guest interactions, and table logistics for restaurants, wineries, and pop-up venues worldwide. Established in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Tock provides a multifaceted system that allows users to manage reservations, delivery, and event planning while capturing essential guest information to develop targeted marketing strategies. The platform includes features such as automated waitlists, text confirmations, and customizable booking options like wine pairings and cookbooks. Additionally, Tock integrates with various reservation systems and marketing tools, enabling seamless connections with social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. This service is tailored for hospitality businesses of all sizes, facilitating efficient management of bookings and operational reporting.

Trala

Seed Round in 2018
Trala, Inc. develops a violin teaching application for students and teachers. It offers Trala, an application that enables students to get instant feedback on mistakes, view tutorial videos, learn daily lessons, chat with a teacher, learn songs, and practice journals. The company’s application also enables teachers to list of pieces practiced, measure information on students' progress, snapshot practice activities, and give feedback to students. Trala, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Tock

Series B in 2018
Tock, Inc. operates a comprehensive platform designed for managing reservations, guest interactions, and table logistics for restaurants, wineries, and pop-up venues worldwide. Established in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Tock provides a multifaceted system that allows users to manage reservations, delivery, and event planning while capturing essential guest information to develop targeted marketing strategies. The platform includes features such as automated waitlists, text confirmations, and customizable booking options like wine pairings and cookbooks. Additionally, Tock integrates with various reservation systems and marketing tools, enabling seamless connections with social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. This service is tailored for hospitality businesses of all sizes, facilitating efficient management of bookings and operational reporting.

Cameo

Series A in 2018
Cameo is a marketplace that enables fans to book personalized video shoutouts from a wide range of celebrities and influencers. The platform focuses on providing authentic and tailored fan experiences by allowing users to connect with their favorite personalities for custom video messages. Cameo partners with thousands of talents across various fields, offering customers an opportunity to share unique, personalized content. The company's mission centers on enhancing fan engagement through these bespoke interactions, creating memorable experiences that resonate with users. Based in Chicago, Cameo is a key player in the technology and startup ecosystem, facilitating a creative outlet for both fans and celebrities.

Cameo

Seed Round in 2018
Cameo is a marketplace that enables fans to book personalized video shoutouts from a wide range of celebrities and influencers. The platform focuses on providing authentic and tailored fan experiences by allowing users to connect with their favorite personalities for custom video messages. Cameo partners with thousands of talents across various fields, offering customers an opportunity to share unique, personalized content. The company's mission centers on enhancing fan engagement through these bespoke interactions, creating memorable experiences that resonate with users. Based in Chicago, Cameo is a key player in the technology and startup ecosystem, facilitating a creative outlet for both fans and celebrities.

Tovala

Series A in 2017
Tovala, operating under Maestro Food Co., specializes in the production and supply of a smart oven, known for its steam-based cooking technology. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a countertop appliance that integrates with a meal kit subscription service. This system allows users to enjoy chef-crafted meals prepared with fresh ingredients, which can be cooked effortlessly by simply scanning a barcode. Tovala aims to simplify dinner preparation for busy individuals, providing a convenient way to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without extensive cooking time. Additionally, the company offers an application that provides recipes, further enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Curiosity

Series A in 2017
Why do people sneeze in sunlight? Why is a black hole called a "singularity"? Why aren't fish electrocuted when lightning hits the water? Curiosity answers the questions you never knew to ask, and digs into the things you've always wondered about. The company spun out of Discovery in 2014 and today reaches an audience of 70 million a month globally through a website, iOS and Android app, weekly podcast, daily email, Chrome extension, and Amazon Alexa skill. With five new stories on a variety of topics every day (plus thousands more to discover), it helps people have fun learning about everything from the scientific and relatable to the awe-inspiring and downright weird. Count on Curiosity to explain even the densest subjects in a way that's entertaining, witty, and easy to understand.

Tovala

Seed Round in 2016
Tovala, operating under Maestro Food Co., specializes in the production and supply of a smart oven, known for its steam-based cooking technology. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a countertop appliance that integrates with a meal kit subscription service. This system allows users to enjoy chef-crafted meals prepared with fresh ingredients, which can be cooked effortlessly by simply scanning a barcode. Tovala aims to simplify dinner preparation for busy individuals, providing a convenient way to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without extensive cooking time. Additionally, the company offers an application that provides recipes, further enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Tock

Series A in 2016
Tock, Inc. operates a comprehensive platform designed for managing reservations, guest interactions, and table logistics for restaurants, wineries, and pop-up venues worldwide. Established in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Tock provides a multifaceted system that allows users to manage reservations, delivery, and event planning while capturing essential guest information to develop targeted marketing strategies. The platform includes features such as automated waitlists, text confirmations, and customizable booking options like wine pairings and cookbooks. Additionally, Tock integrates with various reservation systems and marketing tools, enabling seamless connections with social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. This service is tailored for hospitality businesses of all sizes, facilitating efficient management of bookings and operational reporting.

TransparentCareer

Seed Round in 2016
TransparentCareer is a career management platform designed to assist job seekers and employers by providing access to extensive compensation and career path data. The platform collects and analyzes crowdsourced information to offer insights into various career trajectories, salaries, and job satisfaction. This enables professionals and students to understand fair pay and make informed decisions about their career growth. By personalizing insights based on individual backgrounds and providing longitudinal data, TransparentCareer allows users to visualize the potential impacts of their career choices over time, distinguishing it from other offerings in the market.

Riviter

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Riviter, Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in visual search technology that leverages image recognition to connect products in images with items in retailers' inventories. The company's innovative visual search algorithm helps brands anticipate consumer demand by analyzing social images and videos, enabling more effective online shopping experiences. By addressing issues such as stockouts and irrelevant product suggestions, Riviter’s tools allow retailers to enhance their offerings and drive sales, ultimately increasing revenue by aligning product recommendations with customer preferences.

Tovala

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Tovala, operating under Maestro Food Co., specializes in the production and supply of a smart oven, known for its steam-based cooking technology. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a countertop appliance that integrates with a meal kit subscription service. This system allows users to enjoy chef-crafted meals prepared with fresh ingredients, which can be cooked effortlessly by simply scanning a barcode. Tovala aims to simplify dinner preparation for busy individuals, providing a convenient way to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without extensive cooking time. Additionally, the company offers an application that provides recipes, further enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Avant

Series E in 2015
Avant, LLC is an online marketplace lending platform that provides consumers access to personal loans for various purposes, including debt consolidation, medical expenses, and vacations. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with additional offices in Los Angeles and London, the company collaborates with banks and financial institutions to enhance its offerings. Utilizing big data and machine-learning algorithms, Avant delivers a tailored approach to streamline credit options for its users. In addition to serving individual consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom, Avant operates an institutional marketplace that allows investors to purchase loans generated through its technology platform. The company also focuses on risk and fraud verification, credit policy adherence, and analytics to support its lending processes.

Whittl

Series A in 2015
Whittl allows consumers to compare prices for local services such as child care, guitar classes, housekeeping, dog grooming, and others. Whittl (formerly MyServista) empowers consumers to share and compare prices for 100s of local services. For the first time, people can compare prices for services just as easily as they can for airline tickets and TVs.

Persio

Series A in 2015
Persio Inc. operates a multi-channel marketing and decision-making platform designed specifically for retail marketers. The platform enables users to build customer profiles, execute campaigns, and synchronize data while offering solutions for identity resolution, shopping behavior analysis, and demographic insights. Persio facilitates campaign automation through content management, audience segmentation, and analytics, allowing marketers to manage both online and offline campaigns effectively. By integrating clients' existing data sources and technology solutions into a unified interface, Persio empowers marketers to create personalized, data-driven campaigns across various channels, including web, email, SMS, and mobile applications. Founded in 2007 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Persio was previously known as Iris Mobile Corporation and is now a subsidiary of Clutch Holdings, LLC.

Curiosity

Series A in 2014
Why do people sneeze in sunlight? Why is a black hole called a "singularity"? Why aren't fish electrocuted when lightning hits the water? Curiosity answers the questions you never knew to ask, and digs into the things you've always wondered about. The company spun out of Discovery in 2014 and today reaches an audience of 70 million a month globally through a website, iOS and Android app, weekly podcast, daily email, Chrome extension, and Amazon Alexa skill. With five new stories on a variety of topics every day (plus thousands more to discover), it helps people have fun learning about everything from the scientific and relatable to the awe-inspiring and downright weird. Count on Curiosity to explain even the densest subjects in a way that's entertaining, witty, and easy to understand.

Rivet

Venture Round in 2014
Rivet Radio, Inc. is a Chicago-based company that creates and distributes audio news and feature stories on a global scale. It offers a range of products, including business podcasts, national and international news, corporate reports, and training materials for employee communications and compliance. Rivet provides an API that allows businesses to access and integrate its audio content into their own distribution channels, enhancing their communication strategies. Additionally, the company produces custom branded audio content for corporate websites and offers a mobile app that delivers personalized audio news. Founded in 2012 and originally known as HearHere Radio, Rivet has established itself as a notable player in the audio news industry, providing services that cater to both individual consumers and enterprise clients.

DialogTech

Series E in 2014
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.

DialogTech

Series D in 2014
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.

Persio

Series A in 2013
Persio Inc. operates a multi-channel marketing and decision-making platform designed specifically for retail marketers. The platform enables users to build customer profiles, execute campaigns, and synchronize data while offering solutions for identity resolution, shopping behavior analysis, and demographic insights. Persio facilitates campaign automation through content management, audience segmentation, and analytics, allowing marketers to manage both online and offline campaigns effectively. By integrating clients' existing data sources and technology solutions into a unified interface, Persio empowers marketers to create personalized, data-driven campaigns across various channels, including web, email, SMS, and mobile applications. Founded in 2007 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Persio was previously known as Iris Mobile Corporation and is now a subsidiary of Clutch Holdings, LLC.

Doggyloot

Series A in 2013
[doggyloot](http://www.doggyloot.com) is the top flash sales site for dogs and dog owners that offers discounts on dog-related products to members nationwide. doggyloot offers several new deals on products each day, including dog toys, treats, chews, accessories and more, at 25 to 75 percent off retail price and with free shipping. doggyloot aims to introduce members to new, unique, and high-quality products for their dogs, while offering them at a discounted price. In September 2011, doggyloot launched an online content community for dog owners called [doggywoof](http://woof.doggyloot.com). The site posts articles and responds to questions on dog training, health, DIYs and recipes, and more, including posts from certified veterinarians and trainers. doggyloot was founded in December 2010 by Ryan Schoop, Nick Rosa, and Millie Tadewaldt. In May 2012, the team welcomed Jeff Eckerling as CEO.

Aisle50

Series A in 2013
Aisle50, Inc. is a Chicago-based company that provides a web portal for consumers to access discounted grocery offers, which can be redeemed at participating retailers. Founded in 2011, Aisle50 operates primarily by partnering with food manufacturers and retailers to facilitate grocery deals that are purchased online and redeemed at traditional grocery stores. The platform typically integrates with retailers' loyalty card systems, although participation does not require a loyalty card. Aisle50 aims to enhance the shopping experience for consumers by offering larger discounts than typically available, while also delivering significant benefits to food manufacturers and retailers, such as increased sales and customer engagement. As a subsidiary of Groupon, Aisle50 focuses on creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem that drives traffic to grocery stores and provides value to consumers.

Whittl

Venture Round in 2013
Whittl allows consumers to compare prices for local services such as child care, guitar classes, housekeeping, dog grooming, and others. Whittl (formerly MyServista) empowers consumers to share and compare prices for 100s of local services. For the first time, people can compare prices for services just as easily as they can for airline tickets and TVs.

Pangea Money Transfer

Seed Round in 2013
Pangea Money Transfer is an award-winning mobile-centric money transfer platform that allows on-the-go users to send money from the U.S. to 15 countries across Latin America and Asia in less than 30 seconds -- all for a low flat fee. Receivers can collect the cash at thousands of retail locations or have it directly deposited into any bank account or onto a debit card. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

CityScan

Seed Round in 2013
CityScan, a Chicago venture-backed software company, is leading the field in intelligent data collection and integration for Smart Cities and Utilities. Their patented process integrates private and municipal data with the most advanced 3D visual data collection methods available, resulting in improved efficiency operations while reducing overall costs. Their technology provides clients a solution to manage their assets, ensure businesses are operating within local ordinances and provide a safe environment for their residents. CityScan is a proud member of Industrious Chicago.

DialogTech

Series B in 2010
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.

Grubhub

Series B in 2009
Grubhub is an online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace that connects nearly 24 million active diners with a vast network of restaurant partners. With a portfolio that includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus, and MenuPages, the company features approximately 300,000 restaurants across more than 4,000 cities in the United States. Grubhub's platform allows users to order food from their favorite local restaurants, offering live order tracking and additional discounts, ensuring that meals are delivered fresh and on time. The company is dedicated to enhancing the food ordering experience through innovative technology and user-friendly interfaces.

DialogTech

Venture Round in 2008
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.

Grubhub

Series A in 2007
Grubhub is an online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace that connects nearly 24 million active diners with a vast network of restaurant partners. With a portfolio that includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus, and MenuPages, the company features approximately 300,000 restaurants across more than 4,000 cities in the United States. Grubhub's platform allows users to order food from their favorite local restaurants, offering live order tracking and additional discounts, ensuring that meals are delivered fresh and on time. The company is dedicated to enhancing the food ordering experience through innovative technology and user-friendly interfaces.

DialogTech

Series A in 2007
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.

Assignment Editor

Venture Round in 2001
Assignment Editor is an online web-based platform that enables reporters, writers, producers, and assignment editors to find stories and do research on the internet. The platform was created in July 1999 by [Jim Lichtenstein](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/jim-lichtenstein). As the managing editor at CBS/WBBM-TV in Chicago, he wanted a resource that could help individuals with their research on the internet. That resource didn’t exist, so he decided to build it himself.

iNest Realty

Venture Round in 2000
iNest Realty is a real estate brokerage firm focused on newly-constructed homes. It provides consumers with a database of new home builders and communities with flexible search options and a network of local field agents to enable individuals to find new homes. iNest Realty was founded in 1997 and is based in Bloomingdale, Illinois, the United States.

iNest Realty

Venture Round in 1999
iNest Realty is a real estate brokerage firm focused on newly-constructed homes. It provides consumers with a database of new home builders and communities with flexible search options and a network of local field agents to enable individuals to find new homes. iNest Realty was founded in 1997 and is based in Bloomingdale, Illinois, the United States.
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