The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Nov 2025

Sensetics is a Princeton-based deep-tech startup commercializing Touch Signature™ programmable fabrics and AI-powered software that let users record, edit, and stream tactile sensations with human-fingertip resolution. Spun out of research from UC Berkeley and Virginia Tech, the system replicates key mechanoreceptor functions to enable real-time touch data transmission for robotic arms, surgical tools, wearables, and other devices operating in structured or unstructured environments. By creating a new category of physical data analogous to video and audio, the company aims to serve a $10 billion+ market spanning medical robotics, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and VR/AR training. Sensetics’ platform is designed to provide durable, low-latency haptic feedback that can drive next-generation automation and AI control. The founding team includes CEO Adam B. Hopkins, a repeat entrepreneur, and CTO Professor Rayne Zheng, Director of the Berkeley Sensors & Actuators Center. With its recent capital infusion, Sensetics will accelerate product development and expand its touch-data ecosystem, positioning itself as the foundational layer for “physical AI.”

Participated · Seed · Sep 2020

ThruWave has developed a high‑throughput X2 millimeter‑wave imaging system that lets warehouse and fulfillment operators see through packaging to the items inside. Its human‑safe mmWave sensors operate alongside workers and image and analyze items at conveyor speed. An analytics layer automatically interprets images to measure cube utilization, count items, and detect missing or damaged goods. The company’s systems can image and analyze up to 20,000 boxes per hour. ThruWave is led by founder and CEO Matt Reynolds and is based in Seattle, Washington. The company received a $750,000 Phase II SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation to accelerate development.

Participated · Series C · Nov 2018

Akulaku is a fintech company headquartered in Jakarta that was founded in 2016. The company employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people. Akulaku has raised a total of $480M to date. Its core business is in financial services as a fintech provider. The company plans to use recent funding to support expansion and product innovation. Akulaku recently secured a significant debt facility to bolster its position in the competitive financial landscape. Akulaku is a Jakarta-based fintech that offers a virtual credit card, installment shopping (BNPL), an investment platform and a neobank across Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Founded in 2016, the company has pursued strategic partnerships—its backers include Ant Group and it launched a BNPL partnership with Alipay+. Akulaku targets serving 50 million users by 2025. The product suite centers on consumer credit and digital banking services, plus investment offerings. The company has been raising strategic capital to expand products and geographic reach in 2023. The recent MUFG investment is intended to support technology, product development, financing and distribution in Southeast Asia. Akulaku is an Indonesia-based fintech that provides buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), consumer finance, digital banking, consumer credit, digital investing, and insurance brokerage services to underbanked customers. Founded in 2014, it operates across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. In 2021 the company said it had disbursed over $2.2 billion in credit to more than 10 million people. The company's overall income is estimated to have risen 120% to $597 million, driven by its wealth management, e-commerce, and digital banking platforms. Akulaku plans to expand and improve its loan portfolio in its core markets using new financing. The firm cites a large underbanked population in the region—about half unbanked and 18% underbanked—as the market opportunity it aims to serve. Akulaku is an Indonesian fintech startup that offers digital banking services and brokers insurance. Its mobile banking service has about 13 million users in Indonesia. The company counts Jack Ma's Ant Group among its investors. Akulaku plans to expand its offerings across Southeast Asia with a target of reaching 50 million users by 2025. The article does not disclose revenue, valuation, or specific financial terms beyond the announced investment. The reporting situates the investment within SCB's broader regional expansion strategy. Akulaku is an Indonesia-focused online financial services platform that began as a virtual credit card enabling installment purchases and has since diversified into a broader suite of financial services. The company is investing IDR 500 billion (US$35.4M) into Bank Yudha Bhakti (BYB) in a three-stage transaction to be completed by year-end; the first stage involved acquiring Gozco Capital’s BYB shares for IDR 158 billion (US$11.8M), equivalent to 8.95% of Gozco’s BYB shares. Akulaku says the partnership will speed up BYB’s digital transformation and expand the bank’s business into individual loans and services for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Company leaders framed the move as a combination of Akulaku’s technology with BYB’s banking license and operations. Collaborating with a licensed bank offers legal benefits and access to services and data restricted to full banking institutions. Akulaku most recently raised a US$100M Series D led by Ant Financial; CrunchBase lists total funding at US$220M and DailySocial reported an approximate valuation of about US$500M.

Led · Series A · Mar 2018

Myriota builds low-cost, power-efficient direct satellite connectivity for IoT uses, including industrial equipment monitoring and environmental measurements such as groundwater levels. The Adelaide-based company has developed proprietary low-over IoT communications technology that it says improves battery life, security, scalability and cost versus existing solutions. Myriota already has four satellites on orbit and purchased four additional on-orbit satellites and six ground stations from exactEarth to accelerate international coverage. The company plans to expand its constellation to 25 satellites by 2022 and has a longer-term goal of 50 IoT satellites to provide global scale. With the new funding it intends to grow headcount by about 50% over the next two years, expand globally into more markets, and build out product capabilities to enable real-time reporting across its offerings. To date Myriota has raised $37 million in total funding. Myriota is an Adelaide-based company that provides nano-satellite IoT connectivity. It was founded in 2015 as a spin-out from the University of South Australia and is led by CEO Dr Alex Grant. The company is building a communications network for the global IoT sector and developing multiple Space 2.0 projects across sectors, including black-box recorders for Australian Army soldiers, water-tank monitors for farmers, asset tracking and environmental monitoring. Myriota closed a US$15M Series A to accelerate its growth. The company plans to use the funds to launch more satellites, deliver large-scale IoT deployments, and expand global operations by opening sales and customer support offices in North America and Asia. It also intends to add at least 50 new staff.

Participated · Series B · Nov 2017

aCommerce is described in the article as a Bangkok-based brand ecommerce enabler. The company announced on Tuesday that it has raised $15 million from Indies Capital Partners. Indies Capital Partners is identified as a Singapore-based investor. The article does not disclose the financing instrument (equity, debt, etc.) or the valuation. No additional investors, prior rounds, operating metrics, or use of proceeds were mentioned in the article. aCommerce is an e-commerce enabler that helps brands execute across multiple channels by providing logistics, fulfillment, delivery and digital marketing services. The company operates in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore and works with brands including Samsung, Unilever, Nestlé, L’Oreal, Philips and Mars. CEO Paul Srivorakul said aCommerce has shifted from solely digital media to enabling commerce across on- and offline fronts to help brands own their retail footprint and customer data. B2B sales now account for 30% of the startup’s revenue, up from 10% a year earlier. The company raised $65M in a Series B led by KKR-backed Emerald Media and said it will use funds to expand into Vietnam and Malaysia. The Series B takes aCommerce to $94M raised to date. aCommerce operates a suite of services that help e-commerce companies, brands and traditional retailers manage online business operations including inventory, warehousing, logistics, fulfilment and digital marketing. The company is active in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines and was founded in 2013 in Bangkok. Management says the business recently saw Indonesia overtake Thailand as its largest revenue generator. aCommerce plans to expand into Malaysia, Vietnam and to re-enter Singapore with partner DKSH. Financially, the company has cash on hand from prior rounds, says it can break even next year with current funds, and raised new capital to grow ahead of a larger Series B. The new funding is intended as a sprint to improve valuation and minimize dilution before a planned Series B in excess of $50 million later this year. aCommerce provides end-to-end e-commerce services for retailers and brands, covering logistics, warehousing, online sales and other commerce-related services. Founded in June 2013 and based in Bangkok, the company works with over 150 clients. Management says the business is beginning to break even in its two largest markets, Indonesia and Thailand, and that overall revenue grew 150% in Q4. The company plans to use its new partnership to expand further in Southeast Asia, specifically into Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. aCommerce’s long-term goal is to build a platform that increases efficiency across e-commerce transactions. CEO Paul Srivorakul emphasized the company will remain independent while leveraging the partnership to pursue cross-border and B2B opportunities. aCommerce is a Bangkok-headquartered, NTT Docomo-backed logistics and commerce-fulfillment company that provides backend technology and logistics services to online retailers, including Line. The company supports regional e-commerce operations and has seen particularly strong traction in Indonesia, where its business "has exceeded forecasts." aCommerce reported regional revenue growth of 700–800% over the past year, though raw revenue figures were not disclosed. Management has deferred a previously expected Series B to focus on execution and further value creation over the next eight to nine months. The firm previously raised a $10.7 million Series A in June 2014 and has now received a $5 million capital injection from existing backers. When it does raise the Series B, leadership expects the round to exceed $30 million.