Participated · Series B · Nov 2018

Ridecell offers a data insights and workflow automation platform that enables fleets, motor pools, and trucking and logistics companies to deliver a safe driver experience and 24/7 self-service operations without retail staff or brick-and-mortar locations. Its product includes APIs, an SDK, a real-time data platform, and pre-integrated partner solutions to manage fleet data, workflow automation, and vehicle access. The platform aims to reduce risk and operational expenses for fleet providers through automation and digitization. Ridecell plans to use the new funding to accelerate international growth, support larger customers globally, and extend its core automation and digitization capabilities. Recent customers include Penske, Toyota Sweden, Renault, and AAA, which have used the platform to automate and digitize services. The company is led by CEO Aarjav Trivedi and operates globally with offices in San Francisco, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, and Pune. Ridecell offers a cloud-based mobility engine that tracks fleet locations, maintenance schedules, and usage insights for car-sharing, ride-sharing, and ride-hailing operators. Its platform is used by more than 20 customers including UCSF, 3M, SouthWest Transit, BMW, Groupe Renault, Ferrovial, and AAA Northern California. The company has processed over 25 million rides and rentals covering more than 20 million miles and employs over 120 people across offices in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. Ridecell acquired Auro Robotics in 2017 and supports driver-operated and autonomous on-demand services with a single platform. It has obtained permits to operate driverless shuttles on public roads in California and is expanding into autonomous fleet management and has applied for an e-scooter permit in San Francisco. Altogether, Ridecell has raised more than $70 million to date. Ridecell provides an intelligent software platform for new mobility operators—OEMs, car rental companies, auto clubs, cities, transit agencies, dealer groups, and private fleets—to launch, expand and operate carsharing, ridesharing, and autonomous fleet services. The company powers services such as ReachNow (BMW Group), ZITY (Groupe Renault and Ferrovial), and GIG Carsharing (AAA), and runs dynamic shuttle services for campuses and transit agencies including Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley, UCSF, 3M and SouthWest Transit. Ridecell has processed over 20 million rides and rentals and employs more than 100 professionals across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. The product focus is on end-to-end orchestration and operations for shared and autonomous fleets. Led by CEO Aarjav Trivedi, the company was founded in 2009 and is based in San Francisco, CA. The article does not disclose specific revenue figures. RideCell builds fleet-management software described as an operating system for car-sharing, ride-sharing, fixed-route and dynamic transit services. The platform tracks vehicle locations, battery status, maintenance needs and other operational signals to optimize fleet utilization. The company pivoted from an original ride-hailing concept to focus on managing human-driven and future autonomous fleets. Customers include UC Berkeley, USC, 3M and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which uses RideCell to reduce empty runs. RideCell’s tech is powering BMW’s ReachNow launch in Seattle, helping BMW operate and incentivize use of its 3 Series, Mini Cooper and i3 fleet. Financially, RideCell closed an $11.7 million Series A and has raised $17 million in total.

Participated · Series A · Oct 2018

Kepler Communications builds satellite communications infrastructure to provide real-time, continuous connectivity for spacecraft and to act as internet exchange points for space-to-space data relay. The company’s core product is an RF network being complemented by an optical data relay infrastructure planned for 2024. Kepler’s optical network will use two near-orthogonal planes of SDA-compatible optical inter-satellite links in sun-synchronous orbits to enable high-speed, real-time data relay. Optical services are expected to be operational and available to customers by Q1 2025. The company plans to launch two Pathfinder satellites in Fall 2023 to test and validate its optical communication technology; its constellation totaled 21 satellites after two mid‑April 2023 launches. Incorporated in 2015 and led by CEO Mina Mitry, Kepler intends to use the new funding to deploy and scale its optical relay infrastructure. Since 2016 the company has raised more than $200 million in equity. Kepler designs, builds, and operates small, cost-efficient LEO satellites (about one-tenth the size and cost of alternatives) to provide satellite communication services. Its network delivers capacity to Maritime, Aviation, and Government customers on Earth and is being extended to support Earth Observation, Space Tourism, and in-orbit connectivity. The company completed vertical integration by bringing satellite production in-house, commissioning a production facility at its Toronto headquarters and claiming a production capability of 10 satellites per month. Kepler has designed, built, and launched Gen 1 satellites and reports 15 satellites now in orbit, serving customers as far as the North Pole. Management says the new funding will support revenue growth on existing satellites, introduce new services, and enable rollout of next-generation satellites to expand coverage beyond Earth. Kepler doubled headcount to about 80 employees over the prior year and planned to grow to 150 by the end of 2021 as part of the expansion. Kepler Communications develops satellite-based connectivity and is building a telecom network to enable faster communications both in space and for underserved regions on Earth. The company currently delivers services near the North and South Poles and its first satellite, KIPP, provides upwards of 40 Mbps to 60-centimetre VSAT antennas compared with roughly 1 Mbps from many alternatives. Kepler is launching a sister satellite, CASE, from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre on a PSLV in November, and will deploy a third satellite, TARS, in H2 2019 to enable IoT connectivity. The company plans to grow revenues and launch its GEN1 constellation—up to 15 additional nanosatellites—put into service by the end of 2020 to deliver higher-capacity, affordable store-and-forward services. Kepler is building in Canada and cites favorable export controls and SR&ED benefits for its research-focused work. Financially, Kepler completed a Series A and has raised capital to support constellation builds and operations. Kepler Communications builds a constellation of small, easily replaceable CubeSats to create a real-time space-based network for Internet of Things devices. The network is described as a ‘cell phone tower network in space’ that serves machines and assets rather than consumer phones. Use cases cited include relaying health and telemetry from remote equipment (for example tractors in mining) and providing data links for the International Space Station to send photos. Kepler focuses exclusively on machine-to-machine IoT traffic rather than consumer voice or real-time voice services due to satellite technical limitations. The company raised $5 million in seed funding and completed Techstars Seattle. Co-founder and CEO Mina Mitry has aerospace engineering training and experience at Pratt & Whitney and at startups including teaBOT. Kepler plans to launch its first two satellites at the end of 2017 and to test hardware in Earth’s upper atmosphere by year-end to collect performance data.