Vela Partners

Auxia is a composable, AI-based platform aimed at accelerating product-led growth for businesses. It provides a suite of tools that drive product growth, enhance customer activation and engagement, and facilitate the monetization of customer interactions. The platform enables companies to create and deploy hyper-personalized campaigns and growth experiments by utilizing machine learning models that adapt to user actions and preferences. Auxia's offerings allow businesses to achieve measurable results and sustained growth while reinventing the ways they activate, engage, monetize, and retain customers, all without the need for coding expertise.

Vieu offers a comprehensive AI-generated execution strategy, from prospecting to proposal to procurement.

Cartken is a developer of delivery robots that focus on transporting goods over short distances within neighborhoods. The company's robots are equipped with advanced sensors and cameras, enabling them to navigate safely by avoiding obstacles and selecting the safest routes. Cartken's delivery solutions cater to local businesses and customers, providing a reliable and efficient means of delivery. The company also offers a quick deploy option that simplifies the setup process, allowing users to start using the service without extensive integration requirements.

Goooods provides engagement in the development and operation of B2B commerce.

Nominal empowers the next-generation economy. Nominal modernizes and automates accounting and financial management, providing robust reporting, multi-entity consolidation, workflow automation (including accruals and revenue), lease compliance (ASC 842/IFRS 16), period-end close collaboration, and much more. Nominal's generative subledgers transform business logic into actions and insights using Generative AI - without the need for costly engineering or lengthy IT projects. Our shadow-ledger is implemented in days, not months, and seamlessly integrates with existing general ledgers and ERPs.

LeakSignal operates a data plane security platform focused on safeguarding microservice and serverless environments. Recognizing the challenges posed by the rapid growth of microservices and their associated risks, the company provides solutions for microsegmentation, API security, and data loss prevention in transit. Utilizing machine learning, LeakSignal's platform effectively identifies and blocks the unauthorized exfiltration of sensitive data, helping organizations ensure data protection and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. By offering enhanced insights and controls, LeakSignal addresses the critical need for security in complex service mesh environments.

Base Operations Inc. specializes in providing street-level threat analysis services through a comprehensive threat intelligence platform. Founded in 2015 and based in Washington, D.C., the company aggregates and visualizes both crowdsourced and official data to assist organizations in mitigating risks and ensuring the safety of their personnel and operations in emerging markets. Their offerings include detailed threat assessments, neighborhood threat ratings, and AI-powered predictive analytics, which enable clients to gain actionable insights for improved response times and security management. Additionally, the platform features a dashboard for security personnel, facilitating communication with field employees and enhancing trip management to safeguard against potential threats.

Cerby, Inc., founded in 2020 and based in Alameda, California, specializes in cybersecurity tools that address the challenges of managing disconnected applications. The company offers a comprehensive access management platform that automates security tasks by leveraging identity providers, thereby eliminating the need for manual tools and compensating controls like enterprise password managers. Cerby's patent-pending access orchestration engine facilitates passwordless authentication for applications that do not support standard protocols such as SSO, SAML, or SCIM. By automating processes such as offboarding and two-factor authentication enrollment, Cerby enhances visibility and control for identity and access management professionals, ultimately reducing risks and costs while increasing organizational productivity.

Lightup is a no-code data quality platform that enables enterprises to achieve 100% data quality coverage 10x faster than legacy tools, across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments, on batch or streaming data – scalable in minutes, not months. With prebuilt pushdown data quality checks, AI-powered anomaly detection, real-time incident alerts, and integrated issue resolution management, Lightup empowers data teams to proactively monitor data health at fine granularity and quickly pinpoint bad data flowing in good data pipelines to ensure reliable, accurate business-critical data and prevent costly data outages, before they occur. Founded in 2019, with headquarters in Mountain View, CA, Lightup Data, Inc. is a Series A private startup company, backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Spectrum28.

Vartana is a payments platform founded in 2020 by Kush Kella in San Francisco, California. The company aims to enhance the purchasing power of businesses by providing flexible financing alternatives. Its all-in-one platform simplifies the sales process by offering a co-branded digital checkout experience, real-time support, and automated payment plan offers integrated directly within customer relationship management (CRM) systems. With pre-approved payment plans and a central dashboard for managing the deal process, Vartana enables sales teams to close deals more efficiently while allowing finance teams to optimize cash flow.

Axiom Cloud Inc. specializes in artificial intelligence solutions for the commercial refrigeration sector, primarily targeting supermarkets in North America. Founded in 2020 and based in Oakland, California, the company offers a power management and maintenance platform designed to address significant energy and maintenance challenges in the cooling and refrigeration industry. Its innovative applications include Virtual Technician, which autonomously anticipates system failures and enhances performance, and Virtual Battery, which mimics the benefits of traditional lithium-ion batteries by intelligently managing cooling loads. Customers, primarily in the retail grocery segment, pay an initial setup fee for the installation and configuration of the IoT platform, along with ongoing subscription fees for the cloud-based software applications. Axiom Cloud's technology also focuses on improving sustainability by reducing refrigerant leaks and integrating renewable energy sources into cooling systems.

Rewind is a personalized AI powered by everything you’ve seen, said, or heard.

Golden is a developer of a self-constructing knowledge platform designed to aggregate information from various public and private sources, creating a comprehensive repository. The platform offers structured representations of entities and topics, facilitating easy access to detailed information through a powerful search capability. By utilizing natural language processing, it interprets user queries, enabling researchers and academics to find relevant information efficiently. Additionally, Golden enhances collaboration and operational efficiency by providing semi-automatic research assistance that identifies knowledge gaps, allowing users to stay informed about the latest trends in their respective industries. Through the integration of human effort and machine intelligence, Golden simplifies the process of gathering and communicating knowledge.

Goooods provides engagement in the development and operation of B2B commerce.

DagKnows develops a collaboration and automation platform aimed at enhancing incident troubleshooting and remediation for site reliability engineering. The platform allows users to transform operational knowledge into structured knowledge graphs, which can then be utilized to create automation playbooks. By minimizing escalations and automating troubleshooting processes, DagKnows effectively reduces the mean time to resolution for incidents. The structured graphs not only streamline the diagnosis and resolution of reliability issues but also facilitate the organization and reuse of captured tribal knowledge, thereby empowering DevOps and site reliability engineers in their efforts to maintain system reliability.

BlueQubit is a company dedicated to advancing quantum computing technologies and solutions. By harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics, BlueQubit aims to address complex challenges that exceed the capabilities of traditional computers. The company specializes in developing software and algorithms tailored for quantum computing platforms, facilitating optimizations across various sectors, including finance, pharmaceuticals, logistics, and materials science. Additionally, BlueQubit creates a universal software library for quantum computers and offers operating systems designed to support gate-based quantum algorithms. This enables organizations to effectively utilize quantum computing power for enhanced problem-solving and process improvement.

Phaidra, Inc. is an AI solutions provider based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 2019. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-powered control systems tailored for large industrial facilities. Phaidra's technology analyzes vast amounts of sensor data to create intelligent agents that optimize complex operations. This virtual plant operator enhances the performance of mission-critical facilities by improving energy efficiency, stability, and sustainability. Through its closed-loop AI control service, Phaidra enables operations teams to achieve significant operational improvements, thereby maximizing yield and enhancing safety within industrial environments.

Promoted unifies organic search, promotions, and ads in one optimized system for marketplaces. They sort your marketplace search and promote the best listings at the top to increase revenue.

SKAEL, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that operates a digital workforce platform designed to enhance automation and streamline business processes. Founded in 2016, the company provides a hyper-automation solution that integrates automation and conversational AI technologies, allowing organizations to create digital employees that assist human workers. Its platform facilitates plug-and-play integration with various back-end workflows, enabling the automation of repetitive tasks and the management of data across multiple sources and applications. SKAEL's offerings include data flow engines, cloud solutions, and chatbot services, all aimed at reducing human error, bias, and delays while delivering predictive insights. This innovative approach empowers businesses to improve efficiency and productivity in their operations.

Cerby, Inc., founded in 2020 and based in Alameda, California, specializes in cybersecurity tools that address the challenges of managing disconnected applications. The company offers a comprehensive access management platform that automates security tasks by leveraging identity providers, thereby eliminating the need for manual tools and compensating controls like enterprise password managers. Cerby's patent-pending access orchestration engine facilitates passwordless authentication for applications that do not support standard protocols such as SSO, SAML, or SCIM. By automating processes such as offboarding and two-factor authentication enrollment, Cerby enhances visibility and control for identity and access management professionals, ultimately reducing risks and costs while increasing organizational productivity.

Promoted unifies organic search, promotions, and ads in one optimized system for marketplaces. They sort your marketplace search and promote the best listings at the top to increase revenue.

Axiom Cloud Inc. specializes in artificial intelligence solutions for the commercial refrigeration sector, primarily targeting supermarkets in North America. Founded in 2020 and based in Oakland, California, the company offers a power management and maintenance platform designed to address significant energy and maintenance challenges in the cooling and refrigeration industry. Its innovative applications include Virtual Technician, which autonomously anticipates system failures and enhances performance, and Virtual Battery, which mimics the benefits of traditional lithium-ion batteries by intelligently managing cooling loads. Customers, primarily in the retail grocery segment, pay an initial setup fee for the installation and configuration of the IoT platform, along with ongoing subscription fees for the cloud-based software applications. Axiom Cloud's technology also focuses on improving sustainability by reducing refrigerant leaks and integrating renewable energy sources into cooling systems.

Polymer is a business intelligence platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to enhance data exploration and analysis. It offers a search and discovery engine designed to streamline access to internal business information. By transforming raw spreadsheet data into a user-friendly interface, Polymer enables users to interact with their data without the need for technical expertise. The platform automatically generates insights and reveals relationships within the data, empowering clients to make informed strategic decisions based on structured information.

Grabango is a technology company that specializes in checkout-free shopping solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2016 and based in Berkeley, California, Grabango develops a system that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to enhance the shopping experience in existing grocery and convenience stores. By employing cameras and shelf sensors, the technology identifies items as customers pick them up and adds them to a virtual basket. After selecting their items, shoppers can simply scan a code in the Grabango app to pay via their registered payment method and exit the store without waiting in line. This innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping process, making it faster and more convenient for customers, while also ensuring privacy through anonymized data handling. Grabango partners with large-scale retailers to retrofit their stores, eliminating traditional checkout lines and setting a new standard in retail shopping.

Cartken is a developer of delivery robots that focus on transporting goods over short distances within neighborhoods. The company's robots are equipped with advanced sensors and cameras, enabling them to navigate safely by avoiding obstacles and selecting the safest routes. Cartken's delivery solutions cater to local businesses and customers, providing a reliable and efficient means of delivery. The company also offers a quick deploy option that simplifies the setup process, allowing users to start using the service without extensive integration requirements.

Axiom Cloud Inc. specializes in artificial intelligence solutions for the commercial refrigeration sector, primarily targeting supermarkets in North America. Founded in 2020 and based in Oakland, California, the company offers a power management and maintenance platform designed to address significant energy and maintenance challenges in the cooling and refrigeration industry. Its innovative applications include Virtual Technician, which autonomously anticipates system failures and enhances performance, and Virtual Battery, which mimics the benefits of traditional lithium-ion batteries by intelligently managing cooling loads. Customers, primarily in the retail grocery segment, pay an initial setup fee for the installation and configuration of the IoT platform, along with ongoing subscription fees for the cloud-based software applications. Axiom Cloud's technology also focuses on improving sustainability by reducing refrigerant leaks and integrating renewable energy sources into cooling systems.

CloudNatix is a provider of efficient infrastructure solutions that facilitate the adoption and management of cloud and on-premise environments for enterprises. The company offers a scalable software platform that leverages open-source technologies, including Kubernetes and Prometheus, to ensure compatibility across all major cloud platforms without vendor lock-in. Its flexible SaaS model delivers on-demand scalability and cost savings, allowing organizations to optimize their infrastructure utilization effectively. By focusing on both legacy and cloud-native applications, CloudNatix enables enterprises to streamline operations and enhance efficiency across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The platform's microservice-based architecture supports a significant number of customers, making it a versatile choice for managing diverse infrastructure needs.

WaveOne, Inc. specializes in developing advanced video and image compression software utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence. Founded in 2016 and located in Palo Alto, California, the company focuses on delivering custom, context-dependent solutions that significantly enhance the efficiency of digital media compression. WaveOne's technology features a codec capable of operating orders of magnitude faster than traditional systems, enabling rapid encoding and decoding of data sets at high speeds. This innovation allows digital media industries to process, print, upload, and share clear images effectively, positioning WaveOne at the forefront of digital media compression advancements.

Golden is a developer of a self-constructing knowledge platform designed to aggregate information from various public and private sources, creating a comprehensive repository. The platform offers structured representations of entities and topics, facilitating easy access to detailed information through a powerful search capability. By utilizing natural language processing, it interprets user queries, enabling researchers and academics to find relevant information efficiently. Additionally, Golden enhances collaboration and operational efficiency by providing semi-automatic research assistance that identifies knowledge gaps, allowing users to stay informed about the latest trends in their respective industries. Through the integration of human effort and machine intelligence, Golden simplifies the process of gathering and communicating knowledge.

Founded in 2017, Meditopia is a prominent global mental wellbeing platform, recognized as the leading app in non-English speaking countries. With over 30 million members across more than 120 countries, the platform offers a diverse range of content, including meditation, sleep aids, and motivational resources, available in 12 languages. Meditopia's materials are developed by mental health professionals, ensuring cultural relevance and addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals in different regions. The platform is accessible on iOS, Android, and web, consistently receiving high satisfaction ratings above 4.8 stars from over 500,000 reviews. In 2021, Meditopia introduced "Meditopia For Work," a tailored suite of mental health solutions for businesses, which includes personalized coaching sessions and support for HR departments in assessing and enhancing employee mental wellness. This initiative has already partnered with over 80 companies worldwide, reflecting Meditopia's commitment to providing comprehensive mental health resources for diverse audiences.

Grabango is a technology company that specializes in checkout-free shopping solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2016 and based in Berkeley, California, Grabango develops a system that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to enhance the shopping experience in existing grocery and convenience stores. By employing cameras and shelf sensors, the technology identifies items as customers pick them up and adds them to a virtual basket. After selecting their items, shoppers can simply scan a code in the Grabango app to pay via their registered payment method and exit the store without waiting in line. This innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping process, making it faster and more convenient for customers, while also ensuring privacy through anonymized data handling. Grabango partners with large-scale retailers to retrofit their stores, eliminating traditional checkout lines and setting a new standard in retail shopping.

Huckleberry makes behavioral expertise accessible and affordable to all families by combining AI with human experts, starting with children's sleep.

ProtoPie is a software company that specializes in an interactive prototyping tool enabling designers and engineers to create sophisticated prototypes without the need for coding. Its platform allows users to transform UI and UX design concepts into highly interactive prototypes for mobile, desktop, web, and IoT applications. This intuitive tool facilitates the ideation, iteration, and innovation processes, helping users effectively plan, communicate, and demonstrate their product ideas. ProtoPie's capabilities have garnered recognition and adoption from leading global brands, demonstrating its relevance and effectiveness in overcoming contemporary design challenges.

Bear Robotics, Inc. is a company based in Redwood City, California, that designs and manufactures autonomous robots specifically for the food service industry. Incorporated in 2017, Bear Robotics developed Penny, an artificial intelligence-driven robot that efficiently transports food, dishes, and drinks, while also providing customer service in restaurants. The company's innovative solutions aim to address challenges within the restaurant industry, such as labor shortages and rising operational costs, by enhancing efficiency and improving the dining experience for customers. By automating tasks like running orders and bussing tables, Bear Robotics not only seeks to increase job satisfaction for restaurant employees but also aims to boost profitability for restaurant owners.

CloudNatix is a provider of efficient infrastructure solutions that facilitate the adoption and management of cloud and on-premise environments for enterprises. The company offers a scalable software platform that leverages open-source technologies, including Kubernetes and Prometheus, to ensure compatibility across all major cloud platforms without vendor lock-in. Its flexible SaaS model delivers on-demand scalability and cost savings, allowing organizations to optimize their infrastructure utilization effectively. By focusing on both legacy and cloud-native applications, CloudNatix enables enterprises to streamline operations and enhance efficiency across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The platform's microservice-based architecture supports a significant number of customers, making it a versatile choice for managing diverse infrastructure needs.

Polymer is a business intelligence platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to enhance data exploration and analysis. It offers a search and discovery engine designed to streamline access to internal business information. By transforming raw spreadsheet data into a user-friendly interface, Polymer enables users to interact with their data without the need for technical expertise. The platform automatically generates insights and reveals relationships within the data, empowering clients to make informed strategic decisions based on structured information.

Founded in 2017, Meditopia is a prominent global mental wellbeing platform, recognized as the leading app in non-English speaking countries. With over 30 million members across more than 120 countries, the platform offers a diverse range of content, including meditation, sleep aids, and motivational resources, available in 12 languages. Meditopia's materials are developed by mental health professionals, ensuring cultural relevance and addressing the unique challenges faced by individuals in different regions. The platform is accessible on iOS, Android, and web, consistently receiving high satisfaction ratings above 4.8 stars from over 500,000 reviews. In 2021, Meditopia introduced "Meditopia For Work," a tailored suite of mental health solutions for businesses, which includes personalized coaching sessions and support for HR departments in assessing and enhancing employee mental wellness. This initiative has already partnered with over 80 companies worldwide, reflecting Meditopia's commitment to providing comprehensive mental health resources for diverse audiences.

Polymer is a business intelligence platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to enhance data exploration and analysis. It offers a search and discovery engine designed to streamline access to internal business information. By transforming raw spreadsheet data into a user-friendly interface, Polymer enables users to interact with their data without the need for technical expertise. The platform automatically generates insights and reveals relationships within the data, empowering clients to make informed strategic decisions based on structured information.

Grabango is a technology company that specializes in checkout-free shopping solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2016 and based in Berkeley, California, Grabango develops a system that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to enhance the shopping experience in existing grocery and convenience stores. By employing cameras and shelf sensors, the technology identifies items as customers pick them up and adds them to a virtual basket. After selecting their items, shoppers can simply scan a code in the Grabango app to pay via their registered payment method and exit the store without waiting in line. This innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping process, making it faster and more convenient for customers, while also ensuring privacy through anonymized data handling. Grabango partners with large-scale retailers to retrofit their stores, eliminating traditional checkout lines and setting a new standard in retail shopping.

Firefly is building the first mobility based Smart Screens - Smart Cities advertising and data platform that utilizes the ride share and gig economy for distribution and scale. Firefly's unique location-based, “situationally aware” software and 1st party data enable the most granular, audience-based targeting of any away from home medium on any screen type. Through the digital signages installed atop hundreds of taxis, Firefly is sending targeted ads via 4G and 4G LTE cellular transmission. Firefly was founded in 2017 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Jobox lets pros focus on their job by taking the overhead of managing the finances of a home services business. JOBOX is a SaaS-based marketplace infrastructure provider that connects businesses with vetted home service professionals. The company's artificial intelligence-based infrastructure provides home service professionals with a free toolbox to help them launch their enterprises, while also assisting major organizations in matching work they have with a bank of professionals based on factors such as skill type and location.

FounderNest Inc. is an AI-driven platform established in 2017, with headquarters in Walnut, California, and additional presence in Madrid. The company aims to enhance connections between entrepreneurs and investors through a neutral, efficient, and transparent approach. Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence, FounderNest's technology identifies the specific needs of businesses and facilitates timely connections with appropriate partners, investment opportunities, and acquisition targets. This platform is designed to support informed decision-making and strategic optimization, enabling users to maintain a competitive edge. FounderNest has garnered trust from prominent founders and investors globally, leveraging its proprietary technology to streamline the investment process. The company is co-founded by graduates from Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia and has received backing from notable Silicon Valley investors.

Interviewing.io Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that provides a platform for software engineers to practice technical interviews. Founded in 2015, the platform connects users with hiring managers from top tech companies, allowing them to book mock interviews featuring realistic algorithmic and systems design questions. The unique aspect of interviewing.io is its anonymous interview process; candidates' identities are only revealed to companies after they successfully pass the technical interview. This approach not only helps candidates demonstrate their skills irrespective of their backgrounds but also streamlines the hiring process, saving companies significant time by ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified senior engineers. Additionally, participants receive actionable feedback, enhancing their preparation for future job opportunities.

Kuika, founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco with an R&D office in Istanbul, is dedicated to democratizing software development for all businesses. The company offers an application development platform that simplifies the process of creating mobile and progressive web applications, allowing users to build apps quickly and efficiently without requiring extensive coding knowledge. By leveraging mobile and cloud capabilities, Kuika's platform serves as both a software solution and a turnkey service, aimed at helping organizations address their software development challenges and empowering developers of all skill levels.

Firefly is building the first mobility based Smart Screens - Smart Cities advertising and data platform that utilizes the ride share and gig economy for distribution and scale. Firefly's unique location-based, “situationally aware” software and 1st party data enable the most granular, audience-based targeting of any away from home medium on any screen type. Through the digital signages installed atop hundreds of taxis, Firefly is sending targeted ads via 4G and 4G LTE cellular transmission. Firefly was founded in 2017 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Grabango is a technology company that specializes in checkout-free shopping solutions for the retail industry. Founded in 2016 and based in Berkeley, California, Grabango develops a system that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to enhance the shopping experience in existing grocery and convenience stores. By employing cameras and shelf sensors, the technology identifies items as customers pick them up and adds them to a virtual basket. After selecting their items, shoppers can simply scan a code in the Grabango app to pay via their registered payment method and exit the store without waiting in line. This innovative approach aims to streamline the shopping process, making it faster and more convenient for customers, while also ensuring privacy through anonymized data handling. Grabango partners with large-scale retailers to retrofit their stores, eliminating traditional checkout lines and setting a new standard in retail shopping.

Jobox lets pros focus on their job by taking the overhead of managing the finances of a home services business. JOBOX is a SaaS-based marketplace infrastructure provider that connects businesses with vetted home service professionals. The company's artificial intelligence-based infrastructure provides home service professionals with a free toolbox to help them launch their enterprises, while also assisting major organizations in matching work they have with a bank of professionals based on factors such as skill type and location.

Copper, Inc. is a provider of web-based customer relationship management (CRM) software specifically designed for Google applications, integrating seamlessly with G Suite. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company offers a platform that captures data automatically, enabling real-time tracking of sales opportunities and deals. Users can customize their CRM experience with features such as sales forecasting reports, custom fields, and pipeline filters. The software allows for mobile management of sales pipelines, call logging, automated task reminders, and push notifications for new records. Copper serves various industries, including technology, consulting, real estate, and corporate development, focusing on enhancing productivity and fostering authentic relationships among teams. The company, which rebranded from ProsperWorks in 2018, emphasizes an intuitive user experience and instant functionality.

Bito is a game-changing productivity tool for developers that accelerates software development using best in class AI models, like ChatGPT from OpenAI, and Anthropic. Bito’s plugin integrates seamlessly into a developer’s IDE and CLI, providing instant access to their own personal AI assistant. Nearly 100,000 developers are using Bito to increase their productivity by an incredible 31%, performing more than 1 million AI requests a week. Bito is helping them more than 200 times per month, which is more than they use search. Developers from companies such as Google, Airbnb, Riot Games, Tesla, Houzz, and Goldman Sachs use Bito to increase their productivity significantly by shortening the time to quality code, reducing bugs, improving devs understanding of unfamiliar code, and allows developers to spend more time on critical thinking and less time on dull and irksome work.