Investor directory

Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Focus

Pre Seed RoundSeed RoundArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningSeries AShow more
http://techstars.com/ventures
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https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=431767203
https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=14977

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Market Research

ToMarket

Non Equity Assistance in 2022
To Market is a platform that connects purveyors of local edible goods directly to restaurants and chefs that need them the most. The company serves as a simple online marketplace for sourcing and selling the highest quality local goods. For farmers, the company allows them to track their inventory online and it automatically becomes available to local Chefs for easy online ordering. Meanwhile for the chefs, they can have and order the finest products from the local farms, just a click away with easy online ordering and tracking.

Sensai Analytics

Pre Seed Round in 2021
The world’s leading companies generate more than a quarter of their annual revenue and profits from new product launches. In the US each year, however, over $8Bn in revenue is not captured, because companies manufacturing operations can’t respond quickly enough, when new products take off and demand exceeds expectations. At Sensai Analytics, we are passionate about making manufacturing more sustainable using AI. Building on our team’s experience at MIT developing new machine learning methods that require less training data, we are working to fill the massive market need for better forecasting for new product introductions, provided in a no-code, easy to use product. We have developed a demand forecasting engine that learns from all types of data sources from within and outside a company and are now building and testing this product with a number of early partners. Sensai Analytics is part of Schneider Electric’s Bold Ideas Challenge 2020 and the Stanley Black & Decker + Techstars accelerator.

AGTools

Pre Seed Round in 2020
AgTools provides game-changing intelligence to the agriculture market through up-to-the-moment statistics that affect time, cost, supply, demand, alternatives and more throughout the produce chain of food from farm to table on all levels. With data structured, unstructured and word mining data from government agencies, universities, industry associations, research institutes, weather APIs, AGTools has over 71 million records of market data plus 25 years on a national and global scale.

Peekage

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Peekage is an online product sampling platform that helps CPG companies to increase brand awareness, boost sales, fetch early market feedback and build brand loyalty. With Peekage, marketers can target a specific audience, have a gamified two-way communication channel with consumer and retarget samplers based on their behaviour.

PeakMetrics

Pre Seed Round in 2020
PeakMetrics delivers insights to create actionable, real-time predictions of how messages will develop and spread online. We do this by aggregating both social and traditional media and then utilizing machine learning to extract behavioral trends from the millions of unstructured, cross-channel datasets. PeakMetric’s is battle-tested on some of the most complex media issues today – from crisis management situations to combating state-sponsored disinformation. Our clients include some of the world’s largest brands, advertising and government agencies.

asgard.ai

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Asgard is a market intelligence company that helps businesses to track any market or company's activity. Its AI-powered detection and matching engine identify companies that have expressed the right buying signals for your solution.

Versus Africa

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Versus is a tool that combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insight for the African market. Working with global clients both within Africa and beyond, we seek to help brands have a better understanding of the African consumer.

WeStock

Pre Seed Round in 2019
WeStock is leading the next phase of retail by empowering brands and their followers with industry-leading tools to measure and facilitate consumer demand WeStock empowers brands by empowering their customers. They streamline the product request process and ensure that you have the leads, consumer data and velocity solutions that your brand needs to thrive in market and succeed on the shelf.

Sentiment Search

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Sentiment Search Limited operates an online platform that collects and analyzes reviews, tweets, blog posts, and news articles related to restaurants in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2015 and based in London, the company utilizes artificial intelligence to track customer feedback across various social platforms. By generating insights at the location, brand, and industry levels, Sentiment Search enables restaurants to assess their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to competitors. This information helps businesses optimize menus, enhance staff performance, and identify underperforming locations, ultimately aiming to improve their online ratings and customer perceptions. The platform offers a comprehensive understanding of customer sentiment over time, allowing restaurants to benchmark their performance effectively within their respective markets.

Sentiment Search

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Sentiment Search Limited operates an online platform that collects and analyzes reviews, tweets, blog posts, and news articles related to restaurants in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2015 and based in London, the company utilizes artificial intelligence to track customer feedback across various social platforms. By generating insights at the location, brand, and industry levels, Sentiment Search enables restaurants to assess their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to competitors. This information helps businesses optimize menus, enhance staff performance, and identify underperforming locations, ultimately aiming to improve their online ratings and customer perceptions. The platform offers a comprehensive understanding of customer sentiment over time, allowing restaurants to benchmark their performance effectively within their respective markets.

Grips Intelligence

Seed Round in 2018
Peekd mission is to help clients excel by providing perfect market insights.

TO THE MARKET

Pre Seed Round in 2018
TO THE MARKET specializes in the ethical manufacturing and sourcing of apparel, accessories, and home goods. Established in 2016 and based in the United States, the company collaborates with artisan groups and suppliers globally to provide sustainable solutions. Its services encompass design, production, compliance, sourcing, logistics, and reporting, catering to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, brands, and retailers. By focusing on transparency, sustainability, and authenticity, TO THE MARKET aims to create products that resonate with a new generation of consumers, while promoting a supply chain that empowers communities and protects the environment.

TO THE MARKET

Pre Seed Round in 2018
TO THE MARKET specializes in the ethical manufacturing and sourcing of apparel, accessories, and home goods. Established in 2016 and based in the United States, the company collaborates with artisan groups and suppliers globally to provide sustainable solutions. Its services encompass design, production, compliance, sourcing, logistics, and reporting, catering to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, brands, and retailers. By focusing on transparency, sustainability, and authenticity, TO THE MARKET aims to create products that resonate with a new generation of consumers, while promoting a supply chain that empowers communities and protects the environment.

BigTeam

Pre Seed Round in 2018
BigTeam, Inc. is a marketing analytics platform that enables users to collect feedback from colleagues, clients, and external stakeholders throughout various project stages, facilitating a more efficient process from discovery to delivery. Established in 2017 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, the platform offers features such as a question builder, team builder, and automated feedback capture and analysis. It serves diverse teams, including those in human resources, innovation, marketing, product development, brand management, and customer service. The platform is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses, startups, and eCommerce brands, allowing them to generate actionable insights, test new ideas, diagnose issues, and improve customer relationships. BigTeam, Inc. was acquired by The Rocket Science Group, LLC in June 2020.

RetailQuant

Seed Round in 2018
RetailQuant is a retail analytics company that makes it easy for physical retailers to collect, analyse and interpret customer information at scale.

RetailQuant

Pre Seed Round in 2018
RetailQuant is a retail analytics company that makes it easy for physical retailers to collect, analyse and interpret customer information at scale.

Grips Intelligence

Seed Round in 2018
Peekd mission is to help clients excel by providing perfect market insights.

RefineAl

Seed Round in 2017
RefineAI is a market research platform for video content creators.

RefineAl

Seed Round in 2017
RefineAI is a market research platform for video content creators.

Epinium

Seed Round in 2017
In 2016, the world’s top 500 consumer brands spent over $800 billion extending, developing, commercializing and marketing their products. Almost 80% of these same companies experienced a decline in market share that year. Global brands need a faster, more effective and less expensive way to make data-driven marketing decisions in an omnichannel world. Epinium lets brands discover their next best seller based on Big Data and Machine Learning. They are their personal CDO (Chief Data officer), driving commercial decision-making faster with less risks and higher probabilities of success.

Trevor.io

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Trevor is a data browser that enables product and marketing teams to easily access, explore, and learn from their company database.

Grips Intelligence

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Peekd mission is to help clients excel by providing perfect market insights.

Mark Labs

Seed Round in 2016
Mark Labs Inc. is a data analytics software company that specializes in providing a platform for nonprofits and their donors to understand and communicate social impact data. Founded in December 2015 and based in Washington, D.C., with an additional location in London, the company enables donors to track, analyze, and report the impact of their grant-making and sustainability initiatives. Nonprofits benefit from the platform by tracking their activities and reporting outcomes to funders. Mark Labs employs artificial intelligence and innovative methodologies to assess the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of investments. By offering actionable insights into ESG risks and opportunities, the company empowers clients to make informed investment decisions and effectively communicate the impact of their portfolios to stakeholders.

Mark Labs

Convertible Note in 2016
Mark Labs Inc. is a data analytics software company that specializes in providing a platform for nonprofits and their donors to understand and communicate social impact data. Founded in December 2015 and based in Washington, D.C., with an additional location in London, the company enables donors to track, analyze, and report the impact of their grant-making and sustainability initiatives. Nonprofits benefit from the platform by tracking their activities and reporting outcomes to funders. Mark Labs employs artificial intelligence and innovative methodologies to assess the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of investments. By offering actionable insights into ESG risks and opportunities, the company empowers clients to make informed investment decisions and effectively communicate the impact of their portfolios to stakeholders.

Big Data for Humans

Seed Round in 2014
Big Data for Humans Ltd. is a London-based company that focuses on providing a customer marketing platform tailored for supermarkets, fashion and luxury retailers, and airlines. Established in 2014, the company has created an automated customer insights engine that leverages network analysis to help businesses understand their customers better. This platform enables management, marketing teams, and data scientists to develop personalized marketing campaigns and execute them across various channels. By democratizing customer insights, Big Data for Humans empowers business leaders to stay attuned to their customers' needs, facilitating the generation of actionable insights and smarter trading strategies. The company's solutions aim to enhance revenue generation and promote agile data management practices.

Market IQ

Seed Round in 2014
Market IQ is a predictive analytics platform that provides actionable insights to assist businesses in making data-driven decisions. Utilizing a combination of natural language processing and artificial intelligence, the platform aggregates real-time data from both structured and unstructured sources, specifically catering to the needs of financial institutions. Its technology enables users to conduct peer-relative and time-series analyses, enhancing their ability to identify potential crises and mitigate reputational risks. Fortune 1000 companies and buy-side professionals leverage Market IQ's insights to improve investment decision-making and discover alpha-generating opportunities. Founded in December 2012, Market IQ is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

Shoppermotion

Seed Round in 2014
Shoppermotion, founded in 2013 and based in the United States, specializes in designing and developing system software that prioritizes privacy while providing insights into consumer behavior. The company's proprietary indoor mapping technology enables retailers to track customer flow, identify correlations between different areas in stores, and uncover blind spots to optimize staffing. By passively and anonymously monitoring the complete journey of each visitor, Shoppermotion transforms this data into actionable analytics. Their data analytics platform offers businesses the ability to gauge shopper behavior, enhance product placement, and improve consumer engagement rates through ad hoc dashboards and business intelligence reports. This comprehensive approach allows enterprises to make informed operational and strategic decisions, ultimately maximizing sales and improving the overall shopping experience.

Shoppermotion

Pre Seed Round in 2014
Shoppermotion, founded in 2013 and based in the United States, specializes in designing and developing system software that prioritizes privacy while providing insights into consumer behavior. The company's proprietary indoor mapping technology enables retailers to track customer flow, identify correlations between different areas in stores, and uncover blind spots to optimize staffing. By passively and anonymously monitoring the complete journey of each visitor, Shoppermotion transforms this data into actionable analytics. Their data analytics platform offers businesses the ability to gauge shopper behavior, enhance product placement, and improve consumer engagement rates through ad hoc dashboards and business intelligence reports. This comprehensive approach allows enterprises to make informed operational and strategic decisions, ultimately maximizing sales and improving the overall shopping experience.

Embrace

Seed Round in 2013
For the average retailer, 50% of revenues and 80% of profits come from just 10% of the customer base. And this 10% values service and experience over anything else. We help retailers build authentic, long-term relationships with their most valuable customers by telling them when, why, and how to proactively reach out for personal conversations.

SocialCrunch

Seed Round in 2013
SocialCrunch LLC, founded in 2012 and based in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in building a behavior graph of individuals online. The company focuses on gathering information that aids businesses in creating relevant marketing content by utilizing insights derived from audience data. SocialCrunch offers services in deep profiling, data capture, and trend research, enabling brands and agencies to unlock significant human insights. As of January 2015, SocialCrunch operates as a subsidiary of Tastebud Technologies, Inc.

Kimetric

Seed Round in 2012
Kimetric is a consumer analytics company focused on brick-and-mortar environments, offering them data capabilities similar to those available in the digital realm. The company has developed a platform that utilizes facial and skeleton recognition technology to provide real-time insights into consumer behavior. By analyzing the entire purchasing process, Kimetric enables retailers to gather valuable information that helps them make informed decisions and enhance profitability. The company's innovative approach aims to bridge the gap between physical retail and consumer analytics, empowering brands to better understand and respond to consumer needs.

Visible Market Inc.

Convertible Note in 2012
Visible Market Inc. is a financial data visualization platform that offers financial information products for mobile devices. The company was formerly known as Related Market LLC. Visible Market Inc. was launched in 2010 and is based in New York, United States.

GoSpotCheck

Seed Round in 2011
GoSpotCheck, Inc. is a Software-as-a-Service company that provides web and mobile applications designed for field-based teams to streamline surveys, audits, and reports. The platform enables businesses to utilize their employees to gather real-time retail intelligence, which is then displayed on a web dashboard for managers to identify trends and urgent issues. GoSpotCheck's solutions encompass areas such as audits and inspections, field sales performance, merchandising, marketing, food safety, quality assurance, human resources, and asset management. The company serves a wide range of industries, including consumer goods, retail, restaurants, facilities management, healthcare, and the alcoholic beverage sector. Founded in 2011, GoSpotCheck is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and operates as a subsidiary of WorldAPP, Inc.

Meal Ticket

Seed Round in 2011
Meal Ticket offers a software platform that provides actionable BI for food manufacturers and distributors. Its software platform provides actionable business intelligence and enables a direct marketing channel to the restaurant operator. It was launched in 2010 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.