Led · Series B · Feb 2025

Tidal Vision develops scalable chitosan-based biomolecular solutions for critical industries including water treatment, agriculture, and material science. Headquartered in Bellingham, Wash., the company positions chitosan chemistries as higher-performing, more economical, and easier-to-adopt alternatives. It holds an expanding intellectual property portfolio around chitosan extraction, modification, characterization, and commercial applications. The company is investing in expanded commercial-scale and R&D facilities to increase production capacity and global accessibility. Proceeds from its recent financing will accelerate R&D in chitosan and adjacent technologies and fund new infrastructure. Tidal Vision frames its mission as creating positive, systemic environmental impact by enabling broader industry adoption of its biomolecular solutions. Tidal Vision develops chitosan-based biomolecular technologies that transform chitosan into high-performance, biodegradable chemistries for water treatment, agriculture, and material science. The company leverages advanced manufacturing technologies and partners with industry leaders to offer its solutions at scale. Tidal Vision positions its products as green chemistries intended to outcompete non-biodegradable alternatives on performance, economics, and convenience. The company is focused on expanding the use of chitosan-based chemistries into new applications globally through industry partnerships. Tidal Vision is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, has more than 200 employees, and operates facilities in five states. Tidal Vision converts seafood-industry scraps—salmon skin and discarded crab shells—into materials and consumer goods. Its core products include chitosan for textile use and salmon leather sheets sold to fashion designers, plus finished wallets and belts sold in 130 specialty stores. CEO and cofounder Craig Kasberg negotiated with seafood processors to buy scraps and lead the company’s product development. The company has 12 employees and is backed by more than $1 million from investors. Management is pursuing diversification beyond fashion, with coproduction deals for eco-friendly pool clarifiers and a pipeline of products including preservatives, fertilizers, athletic fabrics, car seat cushions and antimicrobial sponges. Tidal Vision aims to supply textile companies and designers while expanding into other markets as sustainable apparel adoption grows.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

Owl’s Brew produces Boozy Tea, a line of hard tea seltzers crafted with real ingredients and marketed with commitments to no artificial flavors, no natural flavors, no animal byproducts, no parabens, and no sulfites. The product lineup includes six styles such as Matcha & Pineapple, English Breakfast & Lemon, Darjeeling & Hibiscus, White Tea & Watermelon, Jasmine & Blueberry, and a seasonal Spiced Chai & Cranberry. The company is led by tea experts Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield and is female-founded. Its distribution spans major retailers nationwide including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Publix, Total Wine, HEB, Sprouts, and GoPuff. Since launch the company reports 918% growth, expanding from 10 to 18 U.S. markets and securing national mandates from several large retailers. Owl’s Brew intends to use new funding to expand distribution, invest in marketing, and grow the team. Owl’s Brew was founded by Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield and launched Owl’s Brew Mixers in 2013. The company makes non-alcoholic tea-based cocktail mixers and in late 2016 introduced Owl’s Brew Radler, the first blend of tea and beer. Radler SKUs include The Blondie, Wicked Watermelon and That’s My JAM, each at 3.8% ABV and composed of roughly 60% craft beer and 40% fresh-brewed tea. The mixers are fresh-brewed from organic tea bases and the lineup has earned awards including a Sofi Award and BevNet recognition; the founders have also received Forbes and Specialty Food mentions. Distribution for Radler has rolled out across the eastern U.S. with availability in many on- and off-premise locations and nationwide shipping for mixers online. The company plans further geographic expansion to the west coast and nationwide.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

Bruvi produces a multi-beverage, multi-brand single‑serve capsule coffee system that brews filter coffee, espresso, matcha lattes and Americanos and will offer sustainably sourced craft coffees and selections from Los Angeles roasters. The device is an IoT smart brewer with optional mobile app and Wi‑Fi connectivity. The company is B Corp pending and was founded by Sung Oh and Mel Elias. Bruvi raised $7M in a pre‑Series A round, bringing total capital raised to $10.8M. The company intends to use the new funds for manufacturing, software development, brewer inventory and digital advertising. It was preparing for pre-orders in November 2021 and a national launch in Q1 2022. Bruvi builds a connected single‑serve coffee system that brews filter coffee, espresso, Americanos, iced coffee, infused coffee and tea, plus cold brew using proprietary B‑Pods. Its system is an IoT smart device with Wi‑Fi and a mobile app that enables remote brewing, auto‑ordering of pods and a user dashboard of consumption patterns. B‑Pods are marketed as ethically and sustainably sourced and will include licensed brand partners. Founded in 2018 by Mel Elias and based in Los Angeles, the company previously raised $950k in pre‑seed funding in 2019. Bruvi secured $2.2M in seed funding to be used for manufacturing capital investment as it works toward a planned national launch in Q3 2021. The company is positioning its offering around convenience, connected features and recurring pod sales.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

Starbird Chicken operates a super‑premium fast‑food concept focused on perfectly crispy chicken — sandwiches, salads, tacos, tenders and wings — combined with a modern, tech-driven customer experience. Launched in June 2016 with one Sunnyvale location, the brand has grown rapidly to seven locations with two more planned and expects nine Bay Area locations by Q1 2021. Starbird emphasizes a frictionless service model, culinary innovation and operational excellence with strong off‑premise appeal. During the COVID‑19 pandemic its San Francisco cloud kitchen saw order volume grow 100% and sales per square foot above $5,000 per year; streetside restaurants posted comparable‑store sales increases up to 50% in the last six months and top-line sales of more than $1,300 per foot. The company announced a $4 million equity raise — its largest to date — to fund further expansion in Northern California and into the Los Angeles area. Management says it will continue menu and technology innovation to scale the concept.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2020

Vive Organic produces doctor-crafted, cold-pressed 2oz ready-to-drink wellness shots formulated to support immune health. The company works with a team of holistic medicine doctors on formulations and emphasizes sourcing high-quality ginger, turmeric, elderberry and other ingredients. Its beverages are organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan, and the brand offers eight functional formulations including Immunity Boost and Wellness Rescue. Vive expanded from natural channels into 8,000 retail doors across natural, conventional, mass and drugstore accounts, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, Wegman’s, Target and CVS. The brand launched on Amazon and built a direct-to-consumer platform with subscriptions in February 2020; e-commerce sales have increased 52x recently and production has increased fivefold. Since founding in 2015 the company reports an average 400% year-over-year growth and plans to use new capital to expand its digital footprint, foster its innovation pipeline, and make products more accessible nationwide. Vive Organic produces cold-pressed, plant-powered 2oz ready-to-drink wellness shots made from organic and non-GMO ingredients and formulated by a team of doctors. The brand offers four functional formulations including Immunity Boost, Coconut Probiotics, Wellness Rescue and Antioxidant Detox. Vive launched at independent natural grocers in Los Angeles in April 2016 and grew its monthly revenue totals by approximately 2,000 percent in the first year. The company plans to use new funding to expand national distribution in both natural and conventional grocery stores and other retailers. It will also hire talent and further build world-class operations, finance and marketing teams, having recently added senior sales and business development executives. Vive Organic was founded in December 2015 and is based in Venice, California.