The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Nov 2025

Deduction has emerged from stealth with the mission of resolving the certified public accountant shortage by automating tax preparation through artificial intelligence. Its software promises to replace the traditional, weeks-long and expensive CPA workflow, offering rapid, automated filing and real-time responses. Marketing lines such as “paying thousands for tax prep and waiting weeks for responses? That ends now” emphasize the product’s focus on affordability and speed. The platform positions itself as a full-service alternative to human tax professionals, leveraging AI to handle complex filings at scale. To fund this vision, Deduction secured $2.8 million in its first outside financing. The company has not yet disclosed user numbers, revenue traction, or detailed financial metrics.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2025

Founded in 2021 as a spin-out from ETH Zurich, Swiss deep-tech startup Tethys Robotics is building Tethys ONE, a 35-kilogram hybrid AUV/ROV capable of operating autonomously or via remote control at depths of up to 300 meters. The drone fuses sonar, 3D cameras and metal detectors with AI-powered navigation to deliver fast, precise inspections without the need for large support vessels or human divers. Its modular design supports multiple payloads, targeting applications such as offshore wind-turbine inspection, oil-and-gas asset maintenance and explosive ordnance disposal. Initial validation has come through collaborations with the Swiss Army, the Swiss Drone and Robotics Centre and several pilot programs. Co-founders Jonas Wüst (CEO) and Pragash Sivananthaguru draw on deep ETH robotics research and practical diving experience. The company plans to advance toward full autonomy, develop additional payload modules and scale serial production while expanding across Europe, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific. A recent €3.5 million pre-seed round provides capital to accelerate product development, grow the team and support these global expansion plans.

Participated · Seed · Aug 2023

Browse AI provides a SaaS tool that lets users train bots to scrape publicly available website data and output it to spreadsheets or APIs for downstream use. Its product targets use cases such as real estate pricing research and e-commerce competitor pricing monitoring. The company launched in 2020 and released its product in 2021, and reports strong adoption including 200,000 new users in the last six months and enterprise customers like Amazon, Walmart, Accenture, Google and McKinsey. Financially, ARR has grown 20x year-over-year and the company became cash-flow positive six months ago; the founder says the team has spent only half of the $400,000 in pre-seed capital. Browse AI currently has 18 employees and plans to scale rapidly, potentially reaching 50 or more within a year, and is opening an office in Vancouver with a hybrid work approach.