Participated · Series A · Aug 2024

ZBiotics positions itself as the world’s first maker of genetically engineered probiotics, building consumer-facing products that add new functionality to the human body. Its flagship Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink mimics the liver by breaking down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol. The company is led by a team of Ph.D. scientists and emphasizes transparent, responsible genetic engineering for consumer use. ZBiotics has more than doubled sales each year, sold over 5 million units cumulatively, and reached company-wide profitability in 2023. It plans to expand into physical retail and use R&D to bring additional use-case probiotics to market. In the near term it will launch a second product focused on microbial diversity in the gut and is exploring products targeting sleep, vaginal health, and athletic performance. ZBiotics develops genetically engineered probiotics designed to deliver new biological functions in the gut. Its first product is a probiotic that mimics liver function in the gut to neutralize toxic alcohol byproducts. The company is pursuing additional engineered strains aimed at helping the body resist environmental toxins and infections (for example, lead-contaminated water and radiation) and at producing useful nutrients such as fiber and high-quality protein. ZBiotics is led by CEO Zack Abbott, PhD. The company said it will use the new funding to accelerate product development, hire new executives and drive sales growth. ZBiotics is based in San Francisco and has raised a total of $5.7M to date. Zbiotics has developed a genetically engineered probiotic that expresses an enzyme to break down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol believed to cause hangover symptoms. The product is intended to be taken before or during drinking rather than after. To date the team has demonstrated function in vitro and through limited self-testing, but has not completed placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed human clinical trials. The founders say they have spent over a year on safety testing and will comply with U.S. regulatory frameworks before launching. They are drafting a human clinical protocol with hangover-research expert Dr. Joris Verster and plan a crowdfunding campaign to support a consumer launch in the U.S. The company is building a flexible gene-editing probiotic platform designed to target additional use-cases beyond hangovers.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2023

Speakeasy Co. operates an e-commerce platform purpose-built for wine and spirits brands, enabling them to sell directly to consumers while respecting the three-tier system. The platform supports premium, hard-to-find and craft products and can fulfill merchandise, custom packaging, personalized labels, cocktail kits and more. Speakeasy has developed a centralized fulfillment model it calls differentiated and is investing further in that capability. The company reports nearly 300 brand partners, including WhistlePig, Tesla Tequila, Stoli Group and Jägermeister, and cites significant year-over-year revenue growth. With the new capital the team plans to expand headcount to support continued growth and scale its fulfillment and platform operations. The company is based in San Diego. Speakeasy Co. provides an e-commerce and fulfillment platform servicing the wine and spirits industry, supporting sales and logistics for beverage brands. The company partners with emerging brands and major suppliers across ready-to-drink beverages, wine, beer and spirits, including Tesla Tequila. Led by Co‑Founders and executives Josh Jacobs (CEO) and Michael Bowen (COO), Speakeasy has grown its platform presence significantly. Since January 2020 the company scaled from roughly 40 to over 280 brands as of August 2021. The firm is headquartered in San Diego, CA. It plans to use new funding to accelerate growth and bolster services for brand partners by investing in people, technology, offerings and logistics.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2019

Vertosa engineers patent-pending nano- and micro-emulsions and pre-suspended aqueous solutions tailored to food, beverage, health, beauty and other infused-product makers. Their formulations are designed to maximize bioavailability, clarity, taste and stability while fitting manufacturers' texture and potency targets. The company works closely with lab partners and clients throughout the manufacturing process to accelerate products to market. Vertosa serves both licensed cannabis and hemp markets and lists clients ranging from startups (House of Saka, Tinley Beverage Co, GoodDay Beverages) to household names (Humphry Slocombe, VitaCoco). The company rebranded from Nanogen Labs after its August 2018 founding and is based in Oakland, California. Vertosa plans to use new capital to scale strategically, expand its team, and solidify its role in the infused-products supply chain.