Participated · Series B · Sep 2021

SmartLabs provides resourced, enterprise-scale laboratory environments and resourcing solutions, including multifunctional R&D spaces, vivariums, process development and pilot-scale suites, and cGMP capacity under one roof. The company operates facilities on both the East and West Coasts to support companies of all stages and sizes. Its offering is designed to let customers launch, scale, and shift as programs and projects evolve by co-locating R&D infrastructure with manufacturing solutions. That co-location is intended to facilitate collaboration and improve access between R&D and manufacturing players. SmartLabs recently raised capital and plans to use the proceeds to expand operations and broaden its business reach. No revenue or user metrics were provided in the article. SmartLabs provides flexible, tech-enabled lab and office spaces (LaaS) that are customizable for research groups from fewer than 10 to more than 200 people and include multifunctional R&D spaces, vivariums, process development and pilot-scale suites, and cGMP capacity. The company bundles infrastructure, services, and a proprietary operating platform (SmartLabs OS) to let tenant companies launch, scale, and shift programs rapidly without sacrificing IP. In September the company launched SmartLabs OS v4.0, expanding a platform first introduced in 2016. SmartLabs operates four locations in Massachusetts (Kendall Square, East Cambridge, Boston Landing, Seaport) and one location in South San Francisco. The company says member teams can save as much as 45% in the first three years by using its integrated resources and that its centers support dozens of programs across cell and gene therapies and personalized genomic medicine. SmartLabs plans to use new funding to accelerate growth and scale operations to 2 million square feet within five years.

Participated · Equity · Jan 2017

Centerfield is a Los Angeles-based digital advertising company that uses proprietary technology to identify customer intent and execute real-time biddable (RTB) media to acquire customers. The company leverages its Dugout platform to optimize the customer acquisition process at scale across search, display, social and other digital channels. Centerfield secured $156M in financing and counts institutional backers including H.I.G. Growth Partners and Falcon Investment Advisors. It is acquiring Qology Direct, a performance-based marketing provider led by CEO Glenn Goad, to offer a fully integrated sales and marketing solution. The combined company will operate under the Centerfield brand and engage consumers from initial touchpoint through completed sale. Leadership is provided by co-presidents and co-founders Jason Cohen and Brett Cravatt. By the end of 2017 the newly formed company expects to generate over 2,000,000 customer sales for clients and employ upwards of 2,000 staff.

Led · Debt Financing · Sep 2015

Everyone Counts provides a Software as a Service (SaaS) election platform enabling voters to cast ballots from laptops, tablets and telephonically. Its eLect brand encompasses a full suite of election products, including the Quad Audit voting system, Electronic Poll Book, Voter Registration, Central Scan solutions and Election Night Reporting (ENR). Led by Executive Chairman Tom Tullie, the company offers end-to-end election management tools for jurisdictions. The company raised financing to support expansion of adoption of its platform. Operating metrics (revenue/users) are not disclosed in the article. In conjunction with the financing, Falcon partner Rafael Fogel will join Everyone Counts’ board of directors.

Led · Debt Financing · Feb 2013

ecoATM Gazelle is a global smartphone and mobile device re-commerce leader that purchases and resells pre-owned smartphones. The company is focused on creating a best-in-class user experience and building a robust technology platform to support omni-channel trade-in and resale. It plans to expand enterprise and sales partnerships by leveraging patented and proprietary technology and adding new features and services. ecoATM also intends to build new technologies and capabilities to develop industry standards in grading practices and pricing. The company reported reaching 38 million smartphone and mobile device re-commerce units as of January 2023, reflecting growing demand for device recycling. Leadership emphasizes increasing affordable smartphone access for consumers while reducing harmful e-waste. ecoATM Gazelle is a San Diego, CA–based global smartphone and mobile device re-commerce company led by CEO Dave Maquera. It enables users to check a phone’s value, prepare the device, sell it at a kiosk and receive payment. The company operates over 4,500 kiosks nationwide in grocery stores, shopping malls and other locations. ecoATM Gazelle is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management. It raised $75M in funding led by Cowen Sustainable Advisors. The company plans to use the proceeds to build and deploy thousands of automated retail fulfillment kiosks across the US, Europe and Asia, accelerate AI-enabled omni-channel mobile, web, and fintech retail product extensions, and support new market launches with increased multi-channel marketing and operational investments. ecoATM develops and operates automated kiosks for smartphone and other electronics trade-ins. The company’s kiosks accept consumer mobile phones which ecoATM inspects and then resells as used mobile devices. ecoATM says it owns and operates approximately 4,300 automated kiosks across the United States. As part of an expansion into Europe, the company has installed 54 kiosks in the U.K. and Germany. Financially, Cowen Sustainable Advisors acquired a significant minority stake in ecoATM for $200M, purchasing the stake from Apollo Funds. Apollo Funds, managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, remains the company’s majority owner. ecoATM operates ATM-like kiosks that accept cell phones, smartphones, MP3 players and recently tablets, automating device buy-back for consumers. The company debuted in 2011 and is San Diego–based. Over the last year it grew from about 50 kiosks to roughly 300 across 20 states and says people used the machines to recycle “hundreds of thousands of phones” last year, paying out “millions of dollars to hundreds of thousands of customers.” ecoATM reports it finds a second life for about 60% of collected devices and recycles the remainder. With plans to add another 600–700 kiosks and expand into smaller cities, supermarkets and other high-foot-traffic retail, the company is positioning for nationwide deployment. To support that expansion it has secured new capital and totals just over $70M in funding to date. EcoATM builds and operates self-service kiosks that accept used and broken electronic devices, scan them to estimate second-market value, and pay users cash or offer discounts on new phones (or allow donations to charity). The kiosks prompt users to insert devices, perform automated valuation, and complete a payout transaction at the machine. The company emphasizes convenience to increase electronics recycling rates and reduce e-waste. As of the article, EcoATM has about 50 units in the field and plans a nationwide deployment. Management says the company will use recent funding to buy additional kiosks and build out sales and marketing infrastructure. EcoATM is based in San Diego, Calif., and won the Best Clean Tech Startup Crunchies Award in 2011.