Participated · Equity · Apr 2024

Forcen develops ForceFilm, a thin, laminatable force‑sensing film and complementary sensing systems (DedicatedOverload and Synap) that give machines a sense of touch. The company’s systems target demanding robotic applications in surgical, logistics, and space robotics where impact, overload, temperature, and size constraints challenge conventional sensors. Forcen says its technology is already moving into production with customers and will use new funding to scale prototype production facilities and support more customers. The startup plans to launch a customizable offering and off‑the‑shelf development kits later this year to accelerate adoption and allow more robotics companies to work with its tech. Forcen was founded in 2015 and is led by CEO Robert Brooks, who won the Canadian James Dyson Award in 2017 for co‑developing the core technology. Financially, the company has raised C$12.95M in equity to date following the latest round. Forcen (formerly SensOR Medical Laboratories) has developed ForceFilm, a force-sensing film that can be laminated onto parts or assemblies to provide a human-level sense of touch. The technology targets medical devices, surgical robotics, industrial robotics and aerospace/defense industries. The company is based in Toronto and was founded in 2015 by Dr. Robert Brooks. Forcen raised $500K in seed funding to accelerate existing contracts, pursue major industrial customers and prepare the ForceFilm technology for large-scale production. The team includes COO Michael Augustinavicus, VP Business Development Angad Sandhu and medical data expert Ricky Mehra. The company has support from Toronto entrepreneurial organizations including Creative Destruction Lab, Ryerson Biomedical Zone, Ontario Brain Institute, Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, the University of Toronto’s Health Innovation Hub and Hatchery incubators.

Participated · Seed · Apr 2023

Modelwise develops an AI-supported software platform that automatically analyzes, designs, and tests product designs against safety and reliability requirements. The solution integrates with standard engineering tools such as Matlab and OrCAD and provides engineers a single platform for result sharing, auditing, and certification. Modelwise says the software makes safety engineering 100 times faster and reduces costs by over 80%, helping customers avoid costly callbacks and improve safety outcomes. Customers in aerospace, rail, automotive, and industrial automation—including HIMA and Pepperl + Fuchs—are already deploying the platform. The company positions itself to address a growing shortage of safety experts as electronics content in products increases. Modelwise is based in Munich with a presence in San Francisco and recently completed a $2.2M series seed to support its growth.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2022

Zippity offers a mobile platform designed to help owner‑operators run their entire home service business from their phones. The company announced a $3.3 million Seed fundraising round to support that mission. Zippity said the team is excited to put the funding to work toward expanding and improving the product for its target users. The LinkedIn announcement emphasized the company’s focus on making business operations mobile and accessible for solo operators. No operating metrics or financial details beyond the Seed raise were disclosed in the article. Zippity operates a workplace car care service that partners with employers at no cost to offer employees onsite maintenance, diagnostics, and detailing. Launched in 2017 and led by CEO Edward Warren, the company uses self-contained service vehicles outfitted to perform comprehensive mechanical and detailing services year-round. Services include brake and wheel work, oil changes, full tire services, battery replacements, filter and fluid replacements, diagnostic services, and interior and exterior detailing. Zippity has formed partnerships across New England and Texas, giving over 70,000 employees access to its services. The company secured an additional $3M in seed funding and intends to use the proceeds to continue expanding operations and its business reach. Zippity provides onsite car maintenance for workplaces using equipped, self-contained mobile service trailers combined with a digital customer experience. Employees at partner companies can book and manage services via www.zippitycars.com after their employer selects a monthly service schedule. Launched in 2017 and led by CEO Edward Warren, the company operates mobile service trailers that deliver full-service car maintenance onsite. Since launch it has partnered with hundreds of companies and delivered over 10,000 car maintenance services to employees. Zippity secured $2.6M in funding and intends to use the proceeds to expand its national presence starting in fall 2018.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2022

Otis AI provides an all-in-one digital marketing solution that enables small businesses to launch data-driven multi-channel campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, and Google in minutes. Businesses link existing platforms so first-party data is encrypted and synchronized to automate retargeting, online-to-offline attribution, creative optimization, and performance optimization. The product targets SMBs and emphasizes rapid campaign setup and data-driven optimization. The company is co-founded by Miguel Guerrero and Clarence Williams and is based in New York City. Otis has crossed $1M in annual revenue and has secured strategic channel partnerships in the SMB space. The company intends to use the new funding to expand operations and broaden its business reach.

Participated · Seed · May 2021

Allstar provides a platform for gaming creators to produce and share clips, having generated nearly 30M clips for over 1.14M unique creators. The company focused on product-led growth after cutting paid user-acquisition channels, which the founders say triggered an exploding userbase and accelerating revenue. Founders Nick Cuomo and Gavin Silver bootstrapped the business, navigated COVID-driven remote build, and secured early backing from investors including Mark Cuban. Allstar plans to use new capital to invest in infrastructure, expand the team, add new games, and accelerate partnerships and business development. Current traction metrics include reaching 11.5M+ people and driving over a quarter-billion views; the team says they are four years in and continuing to scale. Allstar builds a consumer-facing platform that lets gamers capture and share high-quality, snackable highlights; its proprietary cloud technology integrates with platforms such as Discord. The company announced a partnership with TikTok that allows users to sign into Allstar via TikTok credentials. Founded in August 2019 by former pro-gamer and CEO Nick Cuomo and CTO Gavin Silver, Allstar focuses on integrating new game titles and expanding its user network. The company said it will use new funding to enhance its product offering, integrate additional titles onto its platform, and expand hiring and partnerships. Simultaneously with the raise, Allstar added Cindy Cook, former chief strategy and marketing officer at Vivendi Games, to its board of directors. The company raised seed financing to support these product and growth initiatives.