Participated · Seed · Jun 2023

Kubik uses proprietary technology to upcycle plastic waste into low‑carbon, durable, and affordable interlocking building materials such as bricks, columns, beams, and jambs. The company operates a factory in Addis Ababa and currently recycles 5,000 kilograms of plastic per day, with a capacity of 45,000 kilograms per day. Its materials have passed safety tests by Intertek covering strength, toxicity, and flammability. Kubik says its products allow wall construction without cement, aggregates, or steel and can reduce costs by at least 40% per square meter. The startup has partnerships with corporates and the Addis Ababa municipality for a regular supply of plastic feedstock and is exploring near‑term product diversification into pavers and flooring. Kubik plans to out‑license its technology to scale across Africa from 2025 and eventually pursue global growth; it was co‑founded by Kidus Asfaw and Penda Marre in 2021. Kubik upcycles hard-to-recycle plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) into interlocking building materials such as bricks, columns, beams and jambs that enable wall construction without cement, aggregates, or steel. Its products are engineered to match the strength of cement-based walls while costing at least 40% less per square meter and producing at least five times lower greenhouse gas emissions. The company reports removing 45,000 kg of plastic waste from landfills every day and says its Ethiopia plant can produce over a quarter million square meters of wall surface annually — enough for up to 10,000 affordable homes per year. Kubik plans to scale production at its Ethiopia facility later this year and then expand to other African countries, building on operations in Kenya and Ethiopia. The startup emphasizes affordable, low-carbon housing solutions and has received recognition including Startup of the Year at the 2023 Global Startup Awards and being named the leading climate tech startup in Africa at VivaTech.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2023

Pyrra Technologies builds AI-powered tools to identify threats emanating from alternative social media. Its commercial products include Discover and Protect, and the company recently launched a new API solution to surface emerging risks. Pyrra launched in late 2021 as an R&D project of Human Rights First. Over the past two years demand for its commercial offerings has grown, and the platform is currently used by almost twenty organizations, including security teams at Fortune 500 companies, media outlets, NGOs, and academic researchers. The company focuses on detecting hate speech, disinformation, and indicators of financial, reputational, operational and physical attacks so customers can mitigate harm before it materializes. The $2.3 million seed financing will be deployed to accelerate Pyrra’s technical roadmap and market expansion into additional underserved markets. Pyrra builds a threat intelligence platform designed to detect and protect against threats on alternative and dark social media, providing actionable intelligence for customers. The company says its solution addresses needs across government, media companies and enterprises. Pyrra is veteran-founded and was represented by Co‑Founder and Army veteran Welton Chang at the event. In September 2022 Pyrra won $50,000 in non-dilutive funding at TFX Capital’s Veteran Startup Showcase to help grow the business. The award followed Pyrra being selected from five vetted veteran-led startup finalists. The company aims to expand its reach and use the prize to scale operations and customer engagement.

Participated · Seed · May 2022

Buywith is a livestream shopping platform that lets retailers and brands host on-site livestream events featuring influencers, experts and brand representatives; it offers a “Shop With Me” screen-sharing component and initially required no app download or code integration. Founded in Israel in 2018 by Adi Ronen Almagor and Eyal Sinai, the company launched in the U.S. in 2021 and helped Walmart get up and running on its platform. Buywith works with brands such as MAC Cosmetics and is launching partnerships with Steve Madden and Charlotte Tilbury while opening offices in the U.K. to expand in Europe. The company reports an eight‑time increase in e‑commerce conversions, around a 40% session engagement rate and an average 10× return on investment, and says it generated "a few millions of dollars in ARR" after major growth last year. Buywith has grown from four employees during pilots to about 20 employees today. Future plans include building a self‑serve marketplace for brands to select vetted hosts and adding product features (including coin-based purchases and chances to go live with hosts) as it expands sales, marketing and R&D globally.