Participated · Seed · Mar 2019

Preteckt provides Vehicle Prognostics as a Service (VPaaS) using a proprietary real-time automotive data architecture to enable continuous integration of AI, deep learning and machine learning algorithms. The platform processes automotive data with a speed advantage over typical big data solutions, enabling real-time analytics that iterate toward zero false-positives. Preteckt targets connected and autonomous vehicle manufacturers and service providers as its customers. The company is led by Ken Sills, CEO and Co-Founder. Reported fundraising shows Preteckt raised $2M in seed funding to support expansion. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2018

SalesHero provides Robin, a sales AI assistant that learns from user actions and automates sales processes to boost daily productivity. Robin processes data from users’ CRM, customer interactions and SalesHero’s proprietary database of 45 million global company records to iteratively take on sales tasks. The assistant improves prospecting by surfacing pertinent accounts and leads, enriches CRM data by filling in missing or outdated details, and automates customer engagement such as scheduling. SalesHero maps data using standard Salesforce APIs and requires no installation or download; users connect their company e-mail and Salesforce account. The platform integrates with other products in the sales ecosystem. The company is led by founder and CEO Stefan Groschupf.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2017

Lightform builds a projector-mounted computer that captures structured light to scan room geometry and place animations and stills onto objects and surfaces. The device plugs into the back of most projectors and is paired with Lightform Creator desktop software for editing how projections interact with spaces. Early use cases are aesthetic-first and aimed at "designers who design spaces," and the tech is already being used to display a menu at a San Francisco cafe. The company is alpha-testing with partners, beginning manufacturing of the first 2,000 units and hoping to ship the device for under $1,000. Lightform has raised funding to support product finalization and manufacturing; the company has raised $7.8 million to date. The team plans to open pre-orders next year once production and product finalization are complete. Lightform builds a computer and 3D scanning device that, when connected to a video projector, quickly scans complex scenes and turns objects into projection-mapped screens. Its core technology is projection mapping, a form of augmented reality. The device is positioned for use across film, art, education, cultural exhibits, events, signage, home entertainment, weddings, seasonal decor, theater, dance, and more. The company emerged from stealth alongside a $2.6M seed funding announcement. The seed round was led by Lux Capital and Seven Seas Partners, with participation from angel investors and the National Science Foundation. Lightform is led by co-founder & CEO Brett Jones and Design Director Phil Reyneri and is based in San Francisco, California.

Participated · Series A · May 2017

Abundant Robotics builds autonomous apple-harvesting machines that identify and pick apples using a vacuum-based end effector to avoid bruising. The company has tested units in orchards across the U.S. and Australia and engineers work seasonally with growers to refine the systems. Its machines are designed to operate around the clock, including at night, and the team began collaborating with the apple industry about four years ago. Abundant says its technology could eventually be adapted to harvest other fruits. The company spun out of SRI International via SRI Ventures and is led by CEO and co-founder Dan Steere. Commercial deployment of field units is an explicit near-term goal following the new funding round.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2017

WiBotic develops advanced wireless charging and power-optimization solutions for aerial, mobile and marine robots. Its hardware and software products aim to maximize robot fleet uptime and serve as integral components of fully autonomous robotic operations. The company works with customers across a variety of industries to optimize robot operations. WiBotic is based in Seattle, WA, and is led by CEO Ben Waters. It raised $5.7M in a Series A and plans to use the proceeds to accelerate growth, expand its sales team, advance hardware and software engineering, and meet increased customer demand. Following the raise, Mark Rogers joined WiBotic’s board of directors. Wibotic is a Seattle-based provider of wireless power and battery intelligence solutions for the robotic industry. Its core product automatically detects approaching robots or landing drones and wirelessly charges their batteries via a charging platform. The technology targets aerial, mobile and aquatic robot fleets, helping companies optimize fleet uptime and enabling fully autonomous operations. Founded in 2015 by CEO Ben Waters, the company positions its solutions as integral components of autonomous robotic systems. The new $2.5m seed funding will be used primarily to enhance product development and increase sales and marketing activities. WiBotic offers a wireless charging solution for drones and robots that combines a transmitter/receiver system with battery-management tools and fleet-level power optimization. The company says its adaptive near-field wireless charging is more efficient than standard inductive and resonant systems, can charge at the same or faster rates than plug-in chargers, and reduces maintenance costs. Its system enables autonomous charging to remove the need for human intervention and to extend battery lifetime, and it is reported to work in varying weather conditions and underwater. Customers span industries including agriculture, medical, security, videography, and marine biology, and the company expects to add more clients. WiBotic was founded within UW’s electrical engineering and computer science departments by Ben Waters and professor Joshua Smith and has support from UW’s CoMotion. The company is about a year old and operates with a roughly 10-person team.