Participated · Seed · Sep 2017

C2Sense is building the world’s largest digital olfactory platform to transform smell into real-time data for industrial Internet of Things applications. Its patented gas-sensing technology, developed by MIT founders including Tim Swager and CEO Jan Schnorr, can be designed to selectively detect a wide range of compounds. The sensors pair with a data platform and service so customers can access information and recommendations remotely; the technology is described as small, portable, and affordable for broad deployment. Cited use cases include estimating remaining shelf life to reduce food waste and monitoring toxic gases to protect workers. Founded in 2014 and based in Cambridge, Mass., C2Sense has drawn early traction across multiple applications. The company announced a $3.2 million seed round that management says will help accelerate connecting the real world of smell with digital data.

Led · Seed · Oct 2016

ZymoChem offers a carbon-efficient bio-manufacturing platform built on proprietary Carbon Conserving (C2) microbes. Its microbes convert renewable feedstocks into a variety of high-performance, bio-based, biodegradable polymers via a proprietary fermentation process that yields near-zero CO2 emissions. The company says its process can improve yield by up to 50% versus alternative processes, creating a cost advantage. ZymoChem promotes bio-based manufacturing through partnerships across the value chain and provides drop-in solutions for existing infrastructure. Led by CEO Harshal Chokhawala, the company says its technology has already catalyzed multiple partnerships with world-leading companies. ZymoChem intends to use new funding to expand operations and its business reach. ZymoChem develops Carbon Conserving (C2) microbes and processes that convert renewable feedstocks into high-value, biodegradable bio-based materials intended to replace petroleum-based ingredients in consumer goods. The company emphasizes cost, performance, scale, and sustainability while minimizing CO2 loss during production. ZymoChem was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in San Leandro, California, with a satellite division in Burlington, Vermont. Its technology targets near-term chemical commercialization via fermentation and downstream purification to produce low-cost, high-performing materials derived from sugars. In 2023 ZymoChem was selected for the Department of Defense's BioMADE program and has now received DOE support to advance bioprocessing research and scale-up. The company aims to contribute to industrial decarbonization, job creation, support for underserved economies, and growth of the U.S. bioeconomy. ZymoChem develops microbes and bioprocesses to produce eco-friendly chemicals from renewable feedstocks such as sugar. The company's work focuses on engineering microbial strains and bioprocess routes for sustainable chemical production. ZymoChem closed a $350,000 seed round according to the article. Early-stage investor Breakout Labs was the sole investor in that round. The article does not report any operating metrics, location, founding year, or prior financings. No use-of-proceeds or detailed strategic plans were disclosed in the coverage.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2015

Entopsis is developing Nutec, a diagnostic platform that profiles the body’s molecular responses to cancers, pathogens and abnormal immune reactions using machine learning. Nutec consists of millions of tiny nanopockets designed to capture a wide variety of molecules from urine, saliva, breath or blood, producing high-resolution images that are uploaded to the cloud for analysis. The company’s stated goal is a low-cost, at‑home test that can screen for multiple diseases before symptoms appear. Entopsis was founded in 2012 and is led by CEO Obdulio Piloto and cofounder Ian Cheong, who met as graduate students at Johns Hopkins University; the company is based in Miami. The startup has raised about $800,000 in a seed round and received support from Breakout Labs. Management says it is satisfied with current funding and has turned investors away, and it plans to pursue a Series A next year or the following year. To build its training catalogs, Entopsis is working to establish partnerships with Miami-area hospitals to access urine and blood samples.