Participated · Series A · Feb 2022

Expressable offers one-on-one virtual sessions with speech-language pathologists combined with a platform of multimedia home programming, interactive weekly practice activities, therapist SMS support and a self-service progress tracker. The product is built to put caregivers at the center of care so therapy extends into the home rather than being limited to infrequent clinic visits. It serves both adult and pediatric patients with conditions including language disorders, speech delays, aphasia, stuttering and autism spectrum disorder, matching patients to therapists who fit their needs and schedules. Expressable accepts some insurance plans (including Medicaid), offers private-pay rates and accepts HSAs and FSAs. The company hires clinicians as W-2 employees rather than contractors, which increases licensing burden but positions it to handle challenging, long-term cases. With $50 million in the bank after its Series B, Expressable plans to improve its care-delivery model and core technology, expand payer relationships, grow its therapist network and operations team, and experiment with AI to improve client experience and operational efficiency. Expressable is an Austin, Texas–based virtual speech therapy provider that has pioneered a research-based, family-centered model of care. Its technology-enabled care model combines 1:1 teletherapy with thousands of personalized learning modules and home exercises to help integrate therapy techniques into children’s daily lives. The platform enables families, providers, and payers to track measurable progress toward goal completion. Led by President and Chief Clinical Officer Leanne Sherred, M.S., CCC-SLP, the company is committed to expanding access to quality services. Expressable plans to use new funding to accelerate investment in its proprietary technology and data platform, grow its clinical team of speech-language pathologists, and scale partnerships with providers and health plans. Expressable provides recurring virtual speech therapy by matching children and adults with licensed speech-language pathologists for live sessions and asynchronous, parent-facing e-learning and homework delivered via SMS. The company launched in 2019 and has served thousands of families to date, with the majority of users being children and about 35% adults. Therapy is delivered live via HIPAA-compliant video and supported by secure SMS for coordination; Expressable also builds bite-sized, therapist-prescribed lessons for parents to reinforce care plans. It employs its clinicians as full-time W-2 SLPs (about 50 currently) and operates in 15 states with therapists licensed where it offers care. The service is priced on average at $59 per week and is currently paid out-of-pocket rather than covered in-network by insurance. The startup emphasizes early intervention for pediatric communication disorders and is focusing on expanding its provider network and edtech offerings.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2021

Toucan builds a Chrome extension that scans webpage text and replaces select words with translations in users' target language to create passive, contextual vocabulary learning. The product supports seven languages (Spanish, Korean, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese) and blends human translators with machine learning and natural language processing to ensure contextual, progressively personalized translations. The company reports about 60,000 monthly active users acquired organically. Toucan operates a freemium model with a Toucan Premium subscription starting at $4.99 per month that increases translation density and offers ad opt-out and sponsorship (“own a word”) features. The startup has a small team (about 12 employees) and plans to grow headcount and expand browser support. Future product plans include internationalizing translations (e.g., Spanish↔English), launching a Safari extension, supporting more browsers and integrating the layer into mobile apps and physical-world experiences. Toucan’s Chrome extension teaches users languages by translating a subset of words on English-language websites into the learner’s target language, with the original English revealed on hover. It currently supports Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. The product combines natural language processing with teams of translators, including college professors and students, and allows users to report incorrect translations. Toucan is experimenting with engagement and monetization features such as paid "word ownership" sponsorships and a premium subscription that unlocks additional vocabulary while keeping a large portion of the offering free. The company plans to add new languages, launch Firefox and Safari extensions, and explore applying the same approach to other subjects like history or science. Financially, the startup announced a $3 million seed round led by GSV Ventures with participation from several venture firms and strategic angel investors.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2021

Realworld offers a mobile app that simplifies and streamlines real-world tasks across finance, health, work and life, connecting users to tools and products across categories. The app personalizes task lists and provides step-by-step lessons explaining adult tasks in simple terms, plus timely reminders to keep members on track. Founded by CEO Genevieve Bellaire, the company positions itself as a one-stop-shop to navigate adulthood for the next generation of consumers. Realworld closed a $3.2M funding round to support its growth. The company intends to use the funds to double the size of the team, launch new product features, and scale growth. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Realworld offers more than 90 step-by-step playbooks designed to guide Gen Z users through adulthood tasks such as budgeting, moving, and salary negotiation. The playbooks customize instructions based on a user’s goals and circumstances, and the company highlights a 15-playbook “starter pack” covering core adult needs like taxes and finding an apartment. Realworld plans to launch its first mobile app next month and aims to evolve into a platform, marketplace, and community where users can access services and peer advice. The company initially charged for playbook access but has made them free and is considering subscription fees and concierge-oriented support as monetization paths. Realworld emphasizes becoming a single point of entry to discover services (insurance, investing, healthcare booking) and practical next steps for life milestones. The startup characterizes its mission as “simplifying adulthood” for young adults entering the workforce.

Led · Seed · Sep 2020

Base offers at-home tests and an in-app tracking system that measures biological responses to deliver personalized recommendations and coaching for health goals. The company launched with TrackDiet, TrackSleep, TrackEnergy and TrackStress, and plans to launch TrackSexDrive in the fall. Its platform helps users determine which supplements to take, what to eat, and make lifestyle and nutritional decisions with more confidence. Personalized test plans start at $59/month, and the Base digital tracking app is available for $4.95/month. Base is led by founder and CEO Lola Priego and announced its brand launch alongside the financing.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2020

Motherly publishes motherhood-focused content on its website, social channels and in podcast form, building an audience of roughly 30 million unique users. The company emphasizes a woman-centered, expert-driven brand aimed at millennial mothers and a more diverse, educated audience. Founders Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety positioned the brand to foster community engagement before moving into commerce. Motherly is preparing to launch the Motherly Store and sell company-branded products as well as a curated selection of items from smaller D2C brands; its second book is being published by Sounds True. The startup recently raised $5.4 million in a Series A round and says it built its audience with virtually no marketing spend. As a 100% work-from-home company, Motherly has offered initiatives such as a free online birth class in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.