Participated · Equity · May 2020

Founded in 2018, EdSights offers an AI-driven platform that uses personalized, SMS-based conversations to surface real-time insights on issues such as mental health and financial struggles that can jeopardize a student’s success. The system translates millions of student interactions into actionable data for advisors and administrators, enabling targeted interventions that improve retention rates. The company currently partners with more than 240 colleges and universities, including Southern New Hampshire University, the University of Missouri, the University of Hawaii System, Oklahoma State University, and the College of Charleston. Opt-in and engagement rates on the platform are well above industry averages, demonstrating strong student receptivity. EdSights positions itself as the first AI-powered “student voice” platform designed specifically for higher education. The new capital will be used to enhance the product and expand the team so the company can serve more institutions nationwide. The business continues to focus on making higher education more student-centered by amplifying the student voice at scale.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2019

Yumi sells completely plant-based, clean-label meals and snacks for infants and toddlers via a subscription model that delivers highly customizable weekly meals directly to families. The company uses algorithms to help parents choose tailored meal plans and says it developed its nutrient-dense flavors with a nutritionist. Since launching in California in 2017 and expanding nationwide in 2019, Yumi has delivered more than 10 million meals and now feeds roughly 3% of U.S. babies. The brand reports anticipating nearly $100 million in sales next year and has benefited from strong growth during and after the pandemic. Product offerings span developmental stages and include single-flavor and more elaborate recipes designed to meet clean-label standards. Yumi offers fresh, delivered baby food alternatives (including purees and pouches) positioned against shelf-stable incumbents. The company emphasizes nutrients parents want and says shelf-stable competitors like Gerber lack key nutrients. Yumi's stated goal is to change standards for childhood nutrition and upend what it means to be a food brand in America. Sales have reportedly risen tenfold in the last year, though absolute figures were not disclosed. The market is large and crowded—Zion Market Research estimates the global baby food market could reach $76 billion by 2021. Yumi has attracted strategic support from several well-known consumer founders and brands as it scales. Yumi is a baby food delivery service co-created by Evelyn Rusli and Angela Sutherland and based in Los Angeles. The company delivers chef-prepared, perfectly pureed baby meals designed without excess sugar and preservatives, with menu items such as bell pepper soup and rose water overnight oats. Parents choose a plan online and receive meals in insulated containers with ice packs to keep them fresh. Prices start at $50 per week for six meals, with discounts for subscription plans. Yumi has launched commercially and raised $4.1 million in seed funding from VC firms and angels. The service currently delivers throughout California and faces potential competition from startups like Little Spoon as well as the uncertainty of previous failed attempts at this model.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2017

Hims is a direct-to-consumer wellness startup that sells sexual wellness products, skin care, and hair-loss treatments, and has incorporated a women's brand, Hers. The company offers erectile dysfunction medication, prescription birth-control pills and Addyi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Hims officially launched just over one year ago and has pursued rapid product expansion into women's health alongside its flagship men's offerings. It is consumer-facing and marketed heavily, which has driven fast brand recognition. Financially, the company had previously raised $197 million and entered this new financing round with significant cash on hand. Negotiations for the latest round reportedly took months, with some investors balking at valuation and the company passing on several viable term sheets. Hims is a San Francisco-based online men's health platform that discretely ships men’s health products and prescription medications. Customers complete a digital assessment that a network of doctors reviews to prescribe treatments; the platform also includes a telemedicine component. It partners with mail-order pharmacies to secure lower prices and offers products including a cold sore kit (valacyclovir), multiple hair-loss treatments, erectile dysfunction medications, and an anti-aging cream launching this month. The company positions its service as a cheaper, more accessible alternative to traditional doctor visits. Hims launched in November 2017. According to Crunchbase it has raised $57 million to date. The new capital will be used to grow its prescription drug business. Hims launched as a men’s wellness brand focused initially on hair loss, selling direct-to-consumer kits that bundle prescription medications and supplements. Its $40 kit includes finasteride (a generic of Propecia), minoxidil, a DHT shampoo, and supplements aimed at thicker hair, stronger nails, and smoother skin. Products arrive in elegant, sustainable packaging and the company leverages online/telemedicine-enabled distribution to simplify access to prescriptions. Hims positions hair care as the first vertical and plans to expand into sexual wellness, cholesterol wellness, and other long-term men’s health categories. The startup was incubated at the San Francisco–based studio Atomic, is led by CEO Andrew Dudum, and is a roughly 10-person company. Financially, Hims recently closed a $7 million Series A to support its growth and product expansion.