TEC Ventures

TriLite Technologies GmbH manufactures and sells ultra-small RGB laser beam scanners. The company’s products are used in AR/MR/VR head-mounted-devices, and head-up-displays, as well as other projections such as Pico or smart home applications. The company is based in Vienna, Austria.

Silicon Valley Open Doors 2016 Pitch Competition - Second Runner-up Witlee is a commerce platform for influencers, who've built an audience and inspire purchases through their engaging content. By implementing e-commerce best practices, we help this underserved market grow both their audience and revenue significantly. The problem we are solving-->> Online retailers excel at the bottom of the purchase funnel: search and decision, but fail in inspiration and browse. Consumers visit retail sites with a product in mind, and never browse the inventory retailers try to promote and expose. Online influencers have really figured out inspiration. They have a dedicated audience that comes for inspiration and ends up purchasing based on what they read and see. But the whole shopping experience for these influencers is based on simple text links, lacking all the standard best practices we're used to in e-commerce experiences (similar items, hotness signals, recommendations, search or browse paths). Our solution-->> Witlee bridges that gap by providing the best e-commerce solution for influencers today. We provide influencers with a retail standard, e-commerce storefront that's fully based on their images, and implement all the current e-commerce best practices across desktop and mobile. Our Witlee store is a fully automated solution that creates an intuitive shopping experience for their audience. Their great content, and our store, enhances conversion and engagement tremendously.

PastureMap, Inc., founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, develops innovative software aimed at enhancing grazing and ranching practices. As a subsidiary of Soilworks Natural Capital, the company focuses on helping ranchers and farmers improve profitability while promoting healthy grasslands. Its software leverages intelligent mobile records, aerial imaging, soil maps, and rainfall data to optimize land use and grazing practices. This technology enables users to effectively map and subdivide pastures, monitor herd details, and plan essential resources like water and infrastructure. By supporting regenerative agriculture, PastureMap contributes to restoring soil health, sequestering carbon, and providing clean water, ultimately benefiting local communities and advancing sustainable farming practices.

Espresa is an all-in-one culture benefits platform designed to assist HR and people teams in developing, implementing, and managing employee programs that enhance work-life balance and productivity. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company provides a cloud-based platform and a network of service partners to deliver flexible and inclusive global benefits. Espresa's offerings include lifestyle spending accounts, well-being initiatives, recognition programs, and community-building activities, all aimed at improving employee experience and engagement. By alleviating administrative burdens, Espresa helps organizations attract and retain top talent while fostering a positive workplace culture.

Gooddler operates a goods donation platform that simplifies the process of donating items to charitable organizations. By digitizing the supply chain of local retailers and farmers, the platform allows local NGOs to create wishlists based on their inventory needs. This system enables individuals and communities to contribute effectively by purchasing requested goods directly from these local retailers. Gooddler aims to foster systemic change by enhancing collaboration and maximizing the impact of humanitarian efforts.

Mozio, Inc. operates an online airport transportation search and booking engine, enabling travelers to find and reserve various ground transportation options, including shared ride shuttles, private vans, taxis, limousines, and SUVs from airports across the globe. The platform aggregates local transportation services in regions such as the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, simplifying the process of navigating from the airport to the final destination. Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, Mozio also offers API and affiliate programs, allowing travel websites and agents to sell transportation services. The company's mission is to enhance the travel experience by providing users with comprehensive information and the best deals for their ground transportation needs.

Ittavi, Inc. was the original creator of SupportPay, a payment platform designed to assist single, divorced, separated, and blended families in managing their financial relationships. The platform enabled parents to handle child support and shared expenses, facilitating direct communication and transactions between them. Users could track expenses, store receipts, dispute items, and process payments through the application. However, Ittavi, Inc. was liquidated in early 2018, and its assets, including SupportPay, were acquired by Smart Family Tech, Inc., which now operates the platform.

Silo is a platform for professional helpful communities. Silo allows professionals to connect, share unpublished opportunities and help others with intros, advice and more. On Silo professionals can meet their peers, discover insider opportunities, benefit from trusted networks and help others to help themselves. Silo was launched in 2013 and is based in San Jose, California.

zyBooks, founded in 2012 by Smita Bakshi and Frank Vahid, focuses on enhancing the educational experience for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students. Recognizing that over half of STEM students do not complete their degrees, zyBooks offers a web-native learning platform designed to address the challenges posed by traditional textbooks. By leveraging interactivity, zyBooks minimizes text and replaces it with question sets, animations, and embedded homework, allowing students to learn through practical engagement. The content is collaboratively developed by a team of experienced professors and content creators, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness. Since its inception, zyBooks has expanded from a few universities to over 200 colleges and universities, along with several high schools, providing a cost-effective and supportive alternative to conventional learning materials.

Their story started with a group of young professionals who struggled with how hard it was to find art for their home. They were tired of the generic, cookie-cutter posters, and desired something more meaningful. But, they didn’t know how where to start - galleries were intimidating, online sites overwhelming, and the pricing of it all was a confusing black box. Why did it have to be so hard to Be Original? At the same time, they thought of their friends and family who were artists - making beautiful art, but they had to abandon their creative talents so they could pay the bills. Something just didn’t make sense. After continuing to ask questions, they realized they were not alone, so they started to build, test, and tinker until…they launched ARTtwo50 in July 2013. Nine months later, May 1, 2014, ARTtwo50 was reborn as Vango along with the launch of a smaller version of their iPad app on the iPhone. The reason they changed from 'ARTtwo50' was that they wanted a name that was catchy and did not box us in on price. Given that they are a marketplace, they mashed up things that take two people (Tango) and key components of their app (Visualization). ‘Vango’ just came out and they loved the sound and energy.

BuildersCloud makes sharing, accessing and working with construction documents incredibly easy. Top construction industry leaders have endorsed BuildersCloud for: •document and communication exchange between offices/field •patent-pending technology to process data in cloud (creates zero-latency in exchange of information) •instant SMS, Web, and Email sharing of critical updates (mobile, PC, tablets) •PDF, image and photo collaboration tools •remote productivity controls •customer-friendly and intuitive design

OwnerListens offers a mobile messaging platform that facilitates real-time, location-aware communication between businesses and customers. By enabling direct text messaging, the platform addresses the challenges businesses face in engaging with customers effectively, particularly in environments like hotels or retail stores where immediate responses are crucial. OwnerListens captures and routes customer messages, allowing on-site employees to respond promptly and improve customer relationships. The service is not only cost-effective compared to traditional phone calls but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing timely responses. Additionally, OwnerListens equips businesses with analytics and reporting tools that generate insights into performance, helping to hold employees accountable and improve overall service quality. This platform positions businesses to capitalize on immediate customer interactions, ultimately leading to better revenue retention and enhanced customer experiences.

Ittavi, Inc. was the original creator of SupportPay, a payment platform designed to assist single, divorced, separated, and blended families in managing their financial relationships. The platform enabled parents to handle child support and shared expenses, facilitating direct communication and transactions between them. Users could track expenses, store receipts, dispute items, and process payments through the application. However, Ittavi, Inc. was liquidated in early 2018, and its assets, including SupportPay, were acquired by Smart Family Tech, Inc., which now operates the platform.

Ittavi, Inc. was the original creator of SupportPay, a payment platform designed to assist single, divorced, separated, and blended families in managing their financial relationships. The platform enabled parents to handle child support and shared expenses, facilitating direct communication and transactions between them. Users could track expenses, store receipts, dispute items, and process payments through the application. However, Ittavi, Inc. was liquidated in early 2018, and its assets, including SupportPay, were acquired by Smart Family Tech, Inc., which now operates the platform.

Minbox Inc. is a company that specializes in designing and developing a cloud storage application aimed at enhancing file management and collaboration. Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, California, Minbox offers a platform that connects to various cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. This integration allows users to sync specific files or folders, facilitating easy sharing and collaboration with colleagues and clients. The platform features real-time commenting and annotation capabilities, enabling users to engage in discussions directly related to files or projects. By providing an aggregated search function, Minbox helps users efficiently locate files across multiple cloud storage services, making file management more streamlined and user-friendly.

TranscribeMe Inc. develops a mobile audio transcription platform that converts audio and video content into searchable and shareable text. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and utilizes proprietary micro-tasking technology to deliver high-quality transcriptions, including speaker identification and time coding. Its services cater to various sectors, including medical, market research, education, and corporate environments, enabling clients such as medical professionals, conference organizers, writers, podcasters, and academics to analyze and monetize their audio content. By processing audio in parallel, TranscribeMe effectively handles complex recordings with multiple speakers and overlapping conversations, ensuring accurate and efficient transcription.

GetGoing is a San Francisco-based startup focused on transforming leisure travel by making it more enjoyable and affordable. The company collaborates with major airlines and hotels to help travelers discover new destinations while offering significant savings, potentially up to 40%. GetGoing operates a platform that sells unused flight seats at discounted rates, enabling airlines to fill unsold inventory by targeting price-sensitive leisure travelers. Customers select two destinations and make a non-refundable purchase, with one destination revealed after booking. The platform currently covers over 2,000 global destinations and is designed specifically for travelers with flexible plans, excluding business travelers and those visiting friends or family. GetGoing holds eight U.S. and international patents and is actively expanding its intellectual property in innovative pricing and customer segmentation methods.