UrbanStems Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based company that specializes in on-demand flower delivery services. Founded in 2014, it offers fresh flowers and seasonal stems tailored for various occasions, including handcrafted bouquets for businesses and personal gifts. The company emphasizes a thoughtful gifting experience by providing personalized notes and care instructions with each delivery. UrbanStems also features a subscription service for regular flower deliveries, ensuring convenience for its customers. Its services are available through an online portal and a mobile application, catering to customers in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The company is committed to delivering quality floral arrangements promptly, often within minutes of order placement, and includes free shipping with every delivery.
Class Technologies specializes in online learning solutions, focusing on enhancing the educational experience through its software. The company offers a virtual classroom platform that integrates with Zoom, allowing educators to manage attendance, distribute assignments, conduct assessments, and engage in individual student interactions. Key features of the software include a seating chart, ID verification, proctored exams, and participation tracking, which help optimize teaching effectiveness and student performance management. Additionally, Class provides courses in core subjects, electives, and skills development, along with program implementation services to support educational institutions in delivering effective remote education.
UrbanStems Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based company that specializes in on-demand flower delivery services. Founded in 2014, it offers fresh flowers and seasonal stems tailored for various occasions, including handcrafted bouquets for businesses and personal gifts. The company emphasizes a thoughtful gifting experience by providing personalized notes and care instructions with each delivery. UrbanStems also features a subscription service for regular flower deliveries, ensuring convenience for its customers. Its services are available through an online portal and a mobile application, catering to customers in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The company is committed to delivering quality floral arrangements promptly, often within minutes of order placement, and includes free shipping with every delivery.
Cava Group, Inc. is a culinary brand that operates a chain of Greek and Mediterranean restaurants, offering a diverse menu that includes salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, the company focuses on providing modern and authentic Mediterranean cuisine through its fast-casual dining establishments. Cava Group also emphasizes a digital platform that allows customers to order and enjoy Mediterranean food in both physical and online environments. The company has established strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Garden School Foundation and Urban Roots, enhancing its community engagement and outreach efforts.
Mindshow operates a virtual production platform that simplifies the animation creation process using real-time technology. Its enterprise software solution allows entertainment brands to produce studio-quality animations more quickly, reducing production time while preserving creative control. The platform incorporates advanced voice technology, virtual studio cameras, motion capture, and asset management tools, making it a valuable resource for major brands like Mattel, ESPN, Netflix, and Pepsi. Mindshow's three-dimensional animation studio enables users to create animated films in virtual reality, allowing for the integration of voice and body movements and the recording of actions from various angles. With a team of over 40 experts in technology, gaming, visual effects, animation, and media, Mindshow is dedicated to empowering entertainment brands to bring stories to life with increased efficiency. Based in Los Angeles, the company focuses on delivering premium animated content that aligns with the creative ambitions of its partners.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) operates as a mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that provides a structured platform for individual fighters. Founded in 2017 and based in McLean, Virginia, PFL organizes competitions featuring a regular season, playoffs, and championship events, allowing athletes to earn bonuses and participate in pay-per-view experiences. The league engages in three main business segments: media, live events, and consumer products. The media segment focuses on producing and monetizing content across various platforms, including traditional television and digital channels. The live events segment handles ticket sales, event services, and travel packages related to its competitions. PFL's events are broadcast live in primetime on ESPN2 and ESPN+, reaching audiences in the United States and over 160 countries globally.
UrbanStems Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based company that specializes in on-demand flower delivery services. Founded in 2014, it offers fresh flowers and seasonal stems tailored for various occasions, including handcrafted bouquets for businesses and personal gifts. The company emphasizes a thoughtful gifting experience by providing personalized notes and care instructions with each delivery. UrbanStems also features a subscription service for regular flower deliveries, ensuring convenience for its customers. Its services are available through an online portal and a mobile application, catering to customers in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The company is committed to delivering quality floral arrangements promptly, often within minutes of order placement, and includes free shipping with every delivery.
Private Equity Round in 2019
Custom Ink is the leader in custom apparel and accessories for groups, events, and special occasions. Custom Ink helps group organizers bring together their families, friends, teammates, and colleagues with inspired designs they are proud to wear. Custom Ink makes the ordering process fun with easy-to-use design tools, caring customer service, creative design concepts, and high-quality merchandise. Custom Ink Fundraising helps people raise money and awareness for charities and personal causes. Another part of its business, Represent by Custom Ink, helps influencers like actors, athletes, musicians, and thought leaders create and sell limited-run t-shirts and merchandise to their fans. Custom Ink is based in Fairfax, Virginia with other locations that include Charlottesville, Virginia; Reno, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, California.
One Night, Inc. operates a mobile application that facilitates hotel bookings, specializing in same-night reservations. Launched in 2006 and headquartered in New York, the platform offers users access to unsold rooms at a curated selection of independent hotels in major cities, including New York and Los Angeles. By starting at noon each day, the app allows users to secure spontaneous stays at competitive rates, providing an exceptional experience for those seeking last-minute accommodations. In addition to booking features, the application includes an hour-by-hour timeline with tips, enhancing the user experience for travelers looking for immediate lodging solutions.
SHOWFIELDS is the most interesting store in the world; a revolutionary retail concept that invites you to discover and engage with the brands of tomorrow.
Standard International is a dynamic hospitality management company. the company has built a reputation for pioneering design and creating vibrant social spaces that serve as cultural hubs for guests. Its services include room facilities, guest rooms, accommodation, restaurants, spas, and leisure services.
Founded in 2010, Mars Reel is a global lifestyle brand focused on high school sports and youth culture. Mars Reel has built one of the largest high school sports platforms in the United States reaching a community of more than 30M viewers per month across basketball and soccer. The company produces original shows, highlights, web series, experiential activations, and luxury apparel through it's apparel brand, The Future is on Mars®. The company is based in Los Angeles and is backed by some of the most well-known and respected investors and advisors across the sports, media, entertainment, and technology sectors including Warner Media, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Dwyane Wade, Drake, Nas, Jean Pigozzi, Brian Lee, Jason Robins, and others.
Veritonic, Inc. is a marketing analytics company based in New York that specializes in audio research and analytics. Founded in 2015, Veritonic offers a platform designed to measure, compare, and test various audio assets, including music, voiceovers, and jingles, to assess their effectiveness across different audience segments. The platform provides qualitative and quantitative insights into marketing responses, allowing brands, agencies, and publishers to evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of their audio campaigns before, during, and after execution. By leveraging artificial intelligence metrics, Veritonic helps clients optimize their audio marketing strategies, mitigate risks, and enhance consumer engagement through impactful audio experiences.
Framebridge is a custom framing startup that provides an online custom framing service. The company has tackled the painful, inconvenient and costly process of custom framing an item, replacing it with an experience that places the customer first. Through a tech-forward experience and an obsessive focus on quality and materials, they have introduced a new generation of customers to the tradition of custom manufacturing. Framebridge customers can choose from a curated selection of on-trend frame styles, then upload their photos to the Framebridge website, or ship their items directly to Framebridge in prepaid packaging. The expert team at Framebridge will receive their items and handcraft beautiful custom frames to each customer's exact specifications. The finished pieces ship directly to consumers, arriving in days, ready to hang. Framebridge's transparent pricing, which is determined by the size of each item, begins at $39 and includes free shipping. Framebridge launched in 2014 as a solution to founder Susan Tynan’s ongoing frustration over getting her travel art custom framed. Framebridge investors include New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Revolution Ventures, and SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, as well as seasoned retail and technology executives with industry experience at Crate & Barrel, Rent the Runway, and LivingSocial. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC and operates manufacturing facilities in Richmond, KY, and Lanham, MD.
The goal of Real Time Cases is to change the landscape of higher education for professors and students through experiential learning. The company believes that contemporary education neglects to adequately prepare students for the professional work environment. Education should reward creativity while being fun, relevant, practical, interactive, and up-to-date. They foster these values by equipping students with the tools they need to approach and resolve issues for real and established companies. Real Time Cases allows students to gain experience through helping real companies assess opportunities and resolve issues in the marketplace. For the first time ever, students and professors have exclusive access to information directly from the CEOs of startup, high-growth, and mature companies from around the globe. Bridging the gap between the intellectual classroom and the dynamic professional work environment, we allow students to incorporate their own personal experiences, critical thinking skills, unique creative potential, and research capabilities into assignments from top-level management.
Wthn is a natural wellness brand offering herbal medicine & acupuncture treatments. The brand makes acupuncture and herbs accessible to everyone and aims to demystify and educate its clients around the benefits of natural healing. Its mission is to help others heal their bodies and relax their minds in order to lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives every day by stimulating and unlocking the body’s natural healing defenses. Michelle Larivee and Shari Auth founded the brand in New York, New York in 2017.
Framebridge is a custom framing startup that provides an online custom framing service. The company has tackled the painful, inconvenient and costly process of custom framing an item, replacing it with an experience that places the customer first. Through a tech-forward experience and an obsessive focus on quality and materials, they have introduced a new generation of customers to the tradition of custom manufacturing. Framebridge customers can choose from a curated selection of on-trend frame styles, then upload their photos to the Framebridge website, or ship their items directly to Framebridge in prepaid packaging. The expert team at Framebridge will receive their items and handcraft beautiful custom frames to each customer's exact specifications. The finished pieces ship directly to consumers, arriving in days, ready to hang. Framebridge's transparent pricing, which is determined by the size of each item, begins at $39 and includes free shipping. Framebridge launched in 2014 as a solution to founder Susan Tynan’s ongoing frustration over getting her travel art custom framed. Framebridge investors include New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Revolution Ventures, and SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, as well as seasoned retail and technology executives with industry experience at Crate & Barrel, Rent the Runway, and LivingSocial. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC and operates manufacturing facilities in Richmond, KY, and Lanham, MD.
UrbanStems Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based company that specializes in on-demand flower delivery services. Founded in 2014, it offers fresh flowers and seasonal stems tailored for various occasions, including handcrafted bouquets for businesses and personal gifts. The company emphasizes a thoughtful gifting experience by providing personalized notes and care instructions with each delivery. UrbanStems also features a subscription service for regular flower deliveries, ensuring convenience for its customers. Its services are available through an online portal and a mobile application, catering to customers in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The company is committed to delivering quality floral arrangements promptly, often within minutes of order placement, and includes free shipping with every delivery.
Cava Group, Inc. is a culinary brand that operates a chain of Greek and Mediterranean restaurants, offering a diverse menu that includes salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, the company focuses on providing modern and authentic Mediterranean cuisine through its fast-casual dining establishments. Cava Group also emphasizes a digital platform that allows customers to order and enjoy Mediterranean food in both physical and online environments. The company has established strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Garden School Foundation and Urban Roots, enhancing its community engagement and outreach efforts.
Noodle is a U.S.-based organization that specializes in enhancing online and hybrid education programs while also improving traditional classroom models. Founded in 2010 by John Katzman, the creator of The Princeton Review and 2U, Noodle collaborates with universities to develop certificate and degree programs. Its services encompass marketing, student recruitment, enrollment, curriculum design, and support services, helping institutions create tailored educational offerings. Additionally, Noodle provides students with unbiased data and real-world advice to assist them in making informed decisions about their educational paths. By connecting students with schools, programs, and resources, Noodle aims to facilitate a comprehensive and supportive educational experience.
Optoro, Inc. operates a robust reverse logistics platform aimed at managing distressed inventory for retailers, manufacturers, and third-party providers. Established in 2004 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an additional location in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Optoro specializes in asset recovery solutions, facilitating the remarketing of customer returns, overstock, and refurbished products through various online channels. The company offers a comprehensive returns management system that encompasses the entire returns lifecycle, from initiation to resale, while also providing inventory management services including warehousing, fulfillment, and eco-friendly disposal. By leveraging data analytics and multi-channel marketing, Optoro enables clients to optimize the recovery of returned and excess inventory, thereby minimizing environmental waste and enhancing operational efficiency. The company serves a diverse clientele both in the United States and internationally.
UrbanStems Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based company that specializes in on-demand flower delivery services. Founded in 2014, it offers fresh flowers and seasonal stems tailored for various occasions, including handcrafted bouquets for businesses and personal gifts. The company emphasizes a thoughtful gifting experience by providing personalized notes and care instructions with each delivery. UrbanStems also features a subscription service for regular flower deliveries, ensuring convenience for its customers. Its services are available through an online portal and a mobile application, catering to customers in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The company is committed to delivering quality floral arrangements promptly, often within minutes of order placement, and includes free shipping with every delivery.
Framebridge is a custom framing startup that provides an online custom framing service. The company has tackled the painful, inconvenient and costly process of custom framing an item, replacing it with an experience that places the customer first. Through a tech-forward experience and an obsessive focus on quality and materials, they have introduced a new generation of customers to the tradition of custom manufacturing. Framebridge customers can choose from a curated selection of on-trend frame styles, then upload their photos to the Framebridge website, or ship their items directly to Framebridge in prepaid packaging. The expert team at Framebridge will receive their items and handcraft beautiful custom frames to each customer's exact specifications. The finished pieces ship directly to consumers, arriving in days, ready to hang. Framebridge's transparent pricing, which is determined by the size of each item, begins at $39 and includes free shipping. Framebridge launched in 2014 as a solution to founder Susan Tynan’s ongoing frustration over getting her travel art custom framed. Framebridge investors include New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Revolution Ventures, and SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, as well as seasoned retail and technology executives with industry experience at Crate & Barrel, Rent the Runway, and LivingSocial. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC and operates manufacturing facilities in Richmond, KY, and Lanham, MD.
Cava Group, Inc. is a culinary brand that operates a chain of Greek and Mediterranean restaurants, offering a diverse menu that includes salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, the company focuses on providing modern and authentic Mediterranean cuisine through its fast-casual dining establishments. Cava Group also emphasizes a digital platform that allows customers to order and enjoy Mediterranean food in both physical and online environments. The company has established strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Garden School Foundation and Urban Roots, enhancing its community engagement and outreach efforts.
Quad Learning, Inc., operating as American Honors, was founded in 2012 and is based in Washington, D.C. The company focuses on creating more affordable pathways for students seeking to complete their bachelor's degrees at prestigious institutions. It develops a two-year honors program tailored for high-achieving students, offering essential academic support and personalized advising services, including course planning and career exploration. Additionally, Quad Learning collaborates with community colleges to deliver this competitive program, providing marketing strategies, recruitment, selective admissions, and faculty development services. The company also features an online learning platform, enhancing the educational experience for students and facilitating their transition to four-year universities.
Cava Group, Inc. is a culinary brand that operates a chain of Greek and Mediterranean restaurants, offering a diverse menu that includes salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, the company focuses on providing modern and authentic Mediterranean cuisine through its fast-casual dining establishments. Cava Group also emphasizes a digital platform that allows customers to order and enjoy Mediterranean food in both physical and online environments. The company has established strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Garden School Foundation and Urban Roots, enhancing its community engagement and outreach efforts.
Veritonic, Inc. is a marketing analytics company based in New York that specializes in audio research and analytics. Founded in 2015, Veritonic offers a platform designed to measure, compare, and test various audio assets, including music, voiceovers, and jingles, to assess their effectiveness across different audience segments. The platform provides qualitative and quantitative insights into marketing responses, allowing brands, agencies, and publishers to evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of their audio campaigns before, during, and after execution. By leveraging artificial intelligence metrics, Veritonic helps clients optimize their audio marketing strategies, mitigate risks, and enhance consumer engagement through impactful audio experiences.
Optoro, Inc. operates a robust reverse logistics platform aimed at managing distressed inventory for retailers, manufacturers, and third-party providers. Established in 2004 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an additional location in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Optoro specializes in asset recovery solutions, facilitating the remarketing of customer returns, overstock, and refurbished products through various online channels. The company offers a comprehensive returns management system that encompasses the entire returns lifecycle, from initiation to resale, while also providing inventory management services including warehousing, fulfillment, and eco-friendly disposal. By leveraging data analytics and multi-channel marketing, Optoro enables clients to optimize the recovery of returned and excess inventory, thereby minimizing environmental waste and enhancing operational efficiency. The company serves a diverse clientele both in the United States and internationally.
Echo360, Inc. is a provider of a Software-as-a-Service learning and analytics platform primarily designed for higher education institutions. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the company offers a comprehensive solution that allows users to capture, share, and enhance classroom recordings through features such as polls, quizzes, and instructional videos. The platform facilitates global connectivity between students and instructors while providing learning analytics that help identify student engagement and performance issues before exams. Additionally, Echo360 offers universal capture software compatible with Mac and Windows devices, enabling users to record lectures and manage video content effectively. The platform also includes a learning library for storing educational materials and supports various services aimed at improving the overall learning experience in educational, corporate, and government settings.
La Lumière is a skincare device company focused on making advanced skincare technologies accessible for home use. It has created a proprietary line of light therapy devices marketed under the brand illuMask, specifically designed to address issues such as acne and signs of aging. The company utilizes a combination of red and infrared light-emitting diode (LED) technology in its wearable masks, providing users with effective treatment options. La Lumière's team comprises experts in product development, manufacturing, and health and beauty marketing, along with guidance from notable dermatologists and plastic surgeons, ensuring a well-rounded approach to skincare innovation.
Quad Learning, Inc., operating as American Honors, was founded in 2012 and is based in Washington, D.C. The company focuses on creating more affordable pathways for students seeking to complete their bachelor's degrees at prestigious institutions. It develops a two-year honors program tailored for high-achieving students, offering essential academic support and personalized advising services, including course planning and career exploration. Additionally, Quad Learning collaborates with community colleges to deliver this competitive program, providing marketing strategies, recruitment, selective admissions, and faculty development services. The company also features an online learning platform, enhancing the educational experience for students and facilitating their transition to four-year universities.
Tango Card provides leading incentive-delivery technology to organizations in the B2B space. Globally, enterprise companies use this technology to deliver an extensive catalog of domestic and global e-gift cards as part of consumer loyalty programs, sales incentive programs, health and wellness engagement, and employee recognition. Tango Card believes instantly delivering the most desirable rewards maximizes impact and drives real business results. This belief is woven into Tango Card’s industry-leading products: RaaS API, which integrates digital rewards into web platforms and applications, and Rewards Genius™, a self-serve portal for administering rewards.
Optoro, Inc. operates a robust reverse logistics platform aimed at managing distressed inventory for retailers, manufacturers, and third-party providers. Established in 2004 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an additional location in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Optoro specializes in asset recovery solutions, facilitating the remarketing of customer returns, overstock, and refurbished products through various online channels. The company offers a comprehensive returns management system that encompasses the entire returns lifecycle, from initiation to resale, while also providing inventory management services including warehousing, fulfillment, and eco-friendly disposal. By leveraging data analytics and multi-channel marketing, Optoro enables clients to optimize the recovery of returned and excess inventory, thereby minimizing environmental waste and enhancing operational efficiency. The company serves a diverse clientele both in the United States and internationally.
SocialRadar is building technology that makes people aware of the people and connections around them. Developing leading-edge technologies in the mobile, social and location space, SocialRadar is building applications on iPhone, Android and Google Glass that will change the way people connect.
Tango Card provides leading incentive-delivery technology to organizations in the B2B space. Globally, enterprise companies use this technology to deliver an extensive catalog of domestic and global e-gift cards as part of consumer loyalty programs, sales incentive programs, health and wellness engagement, and employee recognition. Tango Card believes instantly delivering the most desirable rewards maximizes impact and drives real business results. This belief is woven into Tango Card’s industry-leading products: RaaS API, which integrates digital rewards into web platforms and applications, and Rewards Genius™, a self-serve portal for administering rewards.
Ordergroove, Inc. is a New York-based company that specializes in subscription enablement technology and analytics platforms tailored for brands and retailers. Founded in 2008, it offers a cloud-based platform known as the Relationship Commerce Cloud, which facilitates a range of subscription-based services, including recurring revenue programs, memberships, and predictive reordering. This AI-driven solution helps businesses transition from one-time transactions to sustainable, recurring revenue streams, enhancing customer engagement and retention. Ordergroove's technology is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing systems and is compatible with both online and in-store environments, supporting over 5,000 retail locations and more than 100 eCommerce sites. The platform aims to optimize the subscriber experience, resulting in significant increases in consumer spending and lifetime value within months of enrollment.