Led · Equity · Jun 2020

Cloudtenna offers AI- and metadata-driven search applications that surface files wherever they live across services like Slack, Box, Dropbox, Google Docs and Office 365. The company launched a desktop search application in 2018 and today released a mobile search app called Workspace, which was built from the ground up for mobile collaboration. Its AI uses user history and collaboration patterns to surface the most relevant files regardless of storage location. Cloudtenna was founded in 2016 and currently has nine employees. The company reported an uptick in usage during the pandemic. Financially, it announced a $2.5 million funding round that brings total capital raised to $6.5 million. Cloudtenna, founded by Bryan Pham and Aaron Ganek, develops DirectSearch, a file-search platform that indexes on-premise repositories, cloud file services, and hosted applications. DirectSearch uses machine learning, natural language processing and automation to deliver search results in 400-600 milliseconds and to improve relevance based on context and user behavior. Its single search tool can scan local and network drives, services like Dropbox, Google Drive and Box, and SaaS platforms including Slack, ShareFile and Salesforce. Users can locate files by name, sender, date, type, keyword, content and other attributes regardless of storage location. Nearly 30 beta customers, including universities, online businesses and large enterprises, are using the product ahead of a planned early Q3 2018 release. The company raised $4M in seed funding led by Blazar Ventures with participation from Citrix and will use the proceeds to continue product development.

Led · Seed · Jul 2019

Founded in 2017 and based in Falls Church, Virginia, Lynk has developed a patented "cell tower in space" platform that lets ordinary mobile phones communicate directly with small satellites. The company has already demonstrated the technology by exchanging text messages with thousands of unmodified handsets on the U.S. East Coast. Lynk plans to launch what it says will be the world’s first commercial satellite direct-to-phone service in late 2022, offering universal coverage for voice, text, emergency alerts, and disaster-recovery communications. Its service targets the roughly 15% of the world’s 5.2 billion mobile users who are disconnected at any given time, aiming to eliminate coverage gaps in rural and remote areas. The technology promises affordable roaming partnerships for mobile network operators and critical backup connectivity during natural disasters. While the company has not disclosed revenue figures, the latest investment underscores investor confidence in accelerating Lynk’s commercial rollout. Ultimately, Lynk seeks to enable ubiquitous mobile connectivity that can unlock economic opportunities and improve safety worldwide.

Led · Series A · Nov 2017

Airside Mobile provides Mobile Passport, a mobile app that offers an expedited way through U.S. passport control and customs at 24 major airports and one cruise port. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play and is authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mobile Passport is sponsored by Airports Council International‑North America, The Boeing Company, and Port Everglades. Airside launched in 2014 and is led by CEO Hans Miller from Arlington, Virginia. Over 2.5 million travelers have used Mobile Passport. The company plans to use the new funding to expand Mobile Passport to new locations and to develop additional identity‑related products.