The Venture Codex

Led · Series A · Oct 2024

Windmill is an NYC-based air care brand led by brothers and co-CEOs Mike and Danny Mayer alongside Ryan Figlia. The company develops clean, design-forward air products intended to perform well and enhance home aesthetics. Its flagship Windmill Air Purifier is offered in white, navy, and bamboo and features a laser-based air quality sensor, automatic Eco Mode, dual Sleep Modes, and a companion app for user control. The purifier uses a DC fan motor to improve energy efficiency, reflecting the company's commitment to eco-consciousness and sustainability. Windmill plans to use proceeds from its recent Series A to expand operations and accelerate product development as it commercializes its air-care technology. Windmill makes modern, connected window air conditioners, currently selling an 8,300 BTU window-mounted unit with a 6,000 BTU model planned. The product emphasizes industrial design, a patent-pending pre-assembled installation kit, auto-dimming LED displays, and app control with Google Home and Amazon Alexa support. Windmill launched its first product in summer 2020, sold through its first run within 48 hours, and had a 10,000-person waitlist by March 2021. Direct-to-consumer demand combined with retail partnerships with Home Depot and PC Richard & Son produced 5,000% year-over-year growth from 2020–2021, and the company says there are thousands of units in every state of the nation. Financially, Windmill raised $3 million last year and is now adding $10 million via a mix of equity and debt to scale production and expand its lineup. Future plans include launching additional air products (fans, filtration, heaters, humidifiers, purifiers), building a connected suite for full-home air management, and a 2022 power conservation program to modulate grid load across its network of connected units.

Led · Seed · Sep 2019

Authoriti Network is a NYC-based provider of solutions to prevent identity theft, fraud, and misuse of consumer information. The company offers a patent-pending Permission Code® smart PIN that allows customers to authorize institutions to execute transactions on their behalf while maintaining control through multi-factor authorization. Led by President & CEO Michael Cutlip, Authoriti focuses on products that give consumers control over their data and transactions. The founding team includes Lou Steinberg, Marv Adams, and Larry Bettino. The company said it will use the $1.5M seed proceeds for new hires in sales and product development.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2018

Comedy.com is a newly launched website dedicated to aggregating and showcasing professionally-produced comedic videos and related entertainment. Led by CEO Dean Valentine, the former chief executive of the now-defunct UPN television network, the company aims to carve out a distinctive digital destination amid a crowded field that includes 60Frames, FunnyorDie, ICN, and MyDamnChannel. By leveraging Valentine’s traditional media experience, Comedy.com intends to develop and distribute original humor-focused programming tailored for online audiences. The site positions itself as a curated alternative to user-generated comedy platforms by emphasizing studio-quality production values. Although the startup has not publicly disclosed user metrics or revenue figures, it has attracted outside capital to fuel its launch efforts. The team expects the infusion to accelerate content development and marketing initiatives as it competes for viewership and advertising dollars.