Participated · Equity · Sep 2024

Arcade operates an online platform where consumers generate product designs—initially jewelry and now rugs—using text prompts processed by models like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Once a design is created, Arcade pairs it with a manufacturer and ships a free sample before purchase, with entry-level rugs starting around $400 for a 3×9 hand-tufted wool piece. The site features Dream Boards for theme-based product discovery and a seller program that pays 5% commissions, plus an affiliate and entrepreneur track aimed at creators with 25,000+ followers. Since its beta jewelry launch in September 2024, users have produced about 650,000 jewelry designs, though purchase and payout figures have not been disclosed. A new “Match My Room” tool analyzes uploaded room photos to color-match rug designs, and forthcoming categories include ceramics, pillows, apparel, leather goods, and chain belts. Revenue details remain undisclosed, but the company positions its custom products as cheaper than luxury alternatives. Arcade is led by founder and CEO Mariam Naficy, previously of Eve and Minted, and plans to use fresh capital for hiring and platform expansion.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2024

Cartwheel provides a text-to-animation platform that synthesizes motion on fully editable 3D assets rather than on rendered pixels, enabling users to instantly adjust characters, camera angles, motion speed, backgrounds, aspect ratios, and typography from simple prompts. Finished animations can be exported directly into game engines and 3D tools such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Maya, and Blender, broadening applicability for game developers, filmmakers, advertisers, and content creators. Current use cases span game development, VR and AR experiences, films, music videos, social media content, and advertising. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Jonathan Jarvis and is headquartered in New York City. Although specific revenue or user metrics were not disclosed, the company plans to use newly raised capital to scale operations and accelerate product development. The platform’s focus on editable 3D assets positions it to streamline creative workflows and potentially reduce production costs for teams requiring high-quality animation. Future development efforts are expected to deepen integrations with leading 3D tools and expand the feature set for professional creators.