• ZBiotics

  Participated · Series A · Aug 2024

  ZBiotics positions itself as the world’s first maker of genetically engineered probiotics, building consumer-facing products that add new functionality to the human body. Its flagship Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink mimics the liver by breaking down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol. The company is led by a team of Ph.D. scientists and emphasizes transparent, responsible genetic engineering for consumer use. ZBiotics has more than doubled sales each year, sold over 5 million units cumulatively, and reached company-wide profitability in 2023. It plans to expand into physical retail and use R&D to bring additional use-case probiotics to market. In the near term it will launch a second product focused on microbial diversity in the gut and is exploring products targeting sleep, vaginal health, and athletic performance. ZBiotics develops genetically engineered probiotics designed to deliver new biological functions in the gut. Its first product is a probiotic that mimics liver function in the gut to neutralize toxic alcohol byproducts. The company is pursuing additional engineered strains aimed at helping the body resist environmental toxins and infections (for example, lead-contaminated water and radiation) and at producing useful nutrients such as fiber and high-quality protein. ZBiotics is led by CEO Zack Abbott, PhD. The company said it will use the new funding to accelerate product development, hire new executives and drive sales growth. ZBiotics is based in San Francisco and has raised a total of $5.7M to date. Zbiotics has developed a genetically engineered probiotic that expresses an enzyme to break down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol believed to cause hangover symptoms. The product is intended to be taken before or during drinking rather than after. To date the team has demonstrated function in vitro and through limited self-testing, but has not completed placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed human clinical trials. The founders say they have spent over a year on safety testing and will comply with U.S. regulatory frameworks before launching. They are drafting a human clinical protocol with hangover-research expert Dr. Joris Verster and plan a crowdfunding campaign to support a consumer launch in the U.S. The company is building a flexible gene-editing probiotic platform designed to target additional use-cases beyond hangovers.

• Oats Overnight

  Led · Series A · Mar 2023

  Founded in 2016, Oats Overnight produces single-serve, high-protein overnight oat meals that can be prepared by simply adding milk or a milk alternative and shaking. The company positions its products as a convenient, nutritious breakfast aimed at busy consumers who want a quick yet healthy option. Supported by manufacturing facilities in Arizona and Ohio, Oats Overnight distributes nationwide through both grocery retailers and its online channel. Continuous R&D, aided by data analytics and customer feedback, has expanded its portfolio to over 50 distinct flavors. The brand emphasizes innovation to stay competitive within the crowded better-for-you food and beverage market. With the recent Series A funding, the company plans to scale manufacturing, enhance product development, and deepen retail and e-commerce penetration. This capital adds to its growing revenue base driven by broad distribution and a diverse product lineup.

• SwarmFarm Robotics

  Participated · Series A · Feb 2023

  SwarmFarm Robotics develops compact, self-driving “SwarmBots” that work together in fleets to handle on-farm tasks such as spraying and crop management. These robots are paired with SwarmConnect, an open “app store for agriculture” that lets third-party developers and farmers add crop- or task-specific software modules. By replacing million-dollar tractors and combines with simpler, lower-cost machines operated from a smartphone-like interface, the company aims to cut input costs, improve repairability, and reduce environmental impact. Farmer adoption of SwarmBots now exceeds that of traditional tractor-autonomy solutions in Australia, and some SwarmConnect partners report sales gains of more than $20 million in a single year. With fresh capital, SwarmFarm plans to expand manufacturing capacity in Toowoomba, grow its team, and launch into North America. Founded in 2012 by Queensland farmers Andrew and Jocie Bate, the startup previously raised a $12 million Series A in 2023, a $4.5 million round in 2020, and secured an $856,000 grant from the Northern Australia Development Program in 2022. The new funding strengthens its balance sheet as farmers worldwide seek more efficient, cost-effective machinery heading into 2026.

• Tecovas

  Participated · Series C · Jan 2022

  Tecovas designs and sells western footwear, apparel, and accessories directly to customers. The company was founded in 2015 by CEO Paul Hedrick and is based in Austin, Texas. While born from a love of cowboy boots, Tecovas has expanded its lineup to include a broad array of western-inspired apparel and accessories. The brand emphasizes designing high-quality western products and selling them at a fair price via direct channels. Tecovas intends to use new capital to hire, expand its retail footprint, buy more inventory, and launch many new products. Its recent financing activity has meaningfully increased the company’s lifetime equity funding. Tecovas, founded in 2015 by Paul Hedrick, builds and sells handcrafted cowboy boots directly to consumers online and through retail locations. Its boots are manufactured in León, Mexico, with over 200 steps involved in making a single pair. Price points sit roughly between $195 and $695, with popular men's styles around $225 and an average price point near $300. The company began expanding into physical retail in 2019, opening its first store on Austin's South Congress and later adding locations in Houston and Plano. About 70% of Tecovas's sales come from outside Texas, and the brand has added accessories and apparel categories such as duffle bags, belts, t-shirts, hats, and jeans. Tecovas emphasizes a streamlined buying experience and positions itself as a lower-cost alternative to traditional bootmakers. Tecovas is an Austin, Texas–based direct-to-consumer western brand that uses custom-tanned leathers to produce western boots, belts and accessories. Launched in fall 2015 by Paul Hedrick, the company sells directly to consumers. Tecovas raised $2.6M in funding in a round led by Yeti Capital with participation from existing investors. In conjunction with the funding, Roy Seiders will join Tecovas's board. The company intends to use the proceeds to expand its team, increase marketing efforts, and broaden its product line. Tecovas is a direct-to-consumer handmade western boot brand that designs styles in Austin, Texas and crafts boots in León, Mexico. The company uses a more-than-200-step process and custom-tanned leathers to produce classic, high-quality cowboy boots sold online at tecovasboots.com. Launched in fall 2015, Tecovas aims to disrupt the $3 billion western footwear industry by offering luxury boots at prices unattainable through traditional retail models. The brand emphasizes product quality, creative outreach, and consumer experience to grow its community. Recent funding is intended to expand inventory, consumer reach and the core team, and to provide working capital.

• Liquid Death

  Participated · Series C · Jan 2022

  Liquid Death sells canned water with irreverent, alcohol‑inspired branding and packaging, positioning itself as a healthier alternative while borrowing marketing and shelf strategies from beer. The brand places product not only on grocery shelves but also at events, bars, restaurants and conferences to reach social occasions. Liquid Death has been framed by investors and industry observers as a potential disruptor to legacy beverage players like Coke and Pepsi. The company reported $263 million in sales in 2023 and has attracted significant venture capital despite the capital‑intensive nature of the beverage category. Investors have noted the brand’s cultural relevance and repeat‑purchase potential as reasons to back it. The company has raised more than $267 million in venture funding to date. Liquid Death is a direct-to-consumer beverage company that sells canned sparkling water. It positions itself as a premium, personality-driven brand with distinctive metal-inspired can design and marketing that courts a death-metal/frat bro cohort. The company is on track for $130 million in revenue in 2022, up from $45 million the prior year, per Bloomberg reporting cited in the article. TechCrunch notes a 12-pack of Liquid Death tallboys retails for about $16 on Amazon (over $1 per can), which the article suggests supports relatively strong gross margins. The company is expanding into new flavor verticals (the article cites a hypothetical “Berry It Alive” flavor) as part of its growth plans. The piece frames water as a very large TAM and presents the brand’s rapid top-line growth and premium pricing as justification for investor interest. Liquid Death sells canned mountain water sourced from the Alps and markets itself with a punk-metal, humorous brand voice. The company launched in 2018 and is based in Los Angeles. It is now carried in more than 29,000 U.S. locations, including Whole Foods, Target, Safeway and 7‑Eleven, and revenue reached nearly $45 million last year. Liquid Death is beginning to roll out flavored waters (Berry It Alive, Severed Lime and Mango Chainsaw) sweetened with agave, each with three grams of sugar and about 20 calories. The brand emphasizes aluminum cans as more recyclable than plastic and relies on organic, viral marketing stunts and celebrity tie‑ins, such as Tony Hawk. Distribution gains on Amazon—moving to wholesale terms—have boosted sales, and the company noted ACV penetration was approaching about 9% at the end of 2021. Liquid Death sells mountain water in recyclable aluminum cans and has built a viral, irreverent brand around the tagline “murder your thirst.” The company is four years old, based in Los Angeles, and now employs about 60 people. Its distribution footprint includes roughly 16,000 U.S. locations, from bars and tattoo parlors to Whole Foods, Walmart and 7‑Eleven, and the product is also available in Canada. Cessario says the business has seen strong growth in retail and online channels over the past year. The team is not pursuing international expansion immediately and is instead focused on the U.S. and Canada, while exploring limited‑release flavor ideas for later in the year. As a maturing startup, Liquid Death says it now has more access to favorable debt terms for working capital if needed. Liquid Death is a Santa Monica-based beverage startup selling mountain water sourced from the Austrian Alps in aluminum cans, offered as still and sparkling. The brand uses heavy-metal-inspired, irreverent marketing (including the slogan “murder your thirst”) and also sells branded merchandise such as T-shirts and hoodies. Products are sold direct-to-consumer and through retail channels, including Whole Foods and more than 1,000 7-Eleven stores in California. A 12-pack of tallboys is priced at $16 and a “Hydrate or Die” T-shirt at $26. The company was incubated with help from the LA startup studio Science and is led by founder Mike Cessario, a former West Coast agency executive. Financially, Liquid Death has now raised a little more than $34 million in total funding following its latest round.

No current team members are available.