The Venture Codex

Led · Series A · Nov 2023

Zelig builds AI-powered virtual try-on and styling technology that lets shoppers see clothing, shoes and accessories on diverse body types. At launch consumers can pick from more than 40 models representing different body types, skin tones and hair colors, and the product uses AI, machine learning and computer vision to render looks. Users can create outfit combinations, save them to profiles and share them during the shopping journey, and the company plans to eventually allow consumers to upload a photo to visualize fit on their own body. Founders Sandy Sholl and Adam Freede, longtime operators of MadaLuxe Group, privately funded Zelig for roughly three years prior to this raise. Zelig is pre-revenue and has just closed a $15 million Series A at a $100 million valuation led by Hilco Global, with participation from luxury investor Bezikian Zareh. The company says it will deploy the capital into personalization capabilities and building additional features, and the founders envision evolving the product into a visual reporting tool for retailers. Given the founders' MadaLuxe relationships representing brands such as Versace, Gucci and Cartier, the company suggests high-end partnerships are likely customers as it scales.

Led · Equity · Jan 2021

Tsū builds a social community that aims to compensate content creators, enable commerce at the point of discovery, and provide content tools to inspire creators. The company raised over $10M in funding at a $100 million valuation cap and intends to use the proceeds to build its community and focus on product innovation. Tsū is approaching a post-beta launch in the coming months and plans to scale its product and user engagement after that milestone. Leadership changes accompany the raise: Greg Fell was appointed CEO and John Acunto serves as president and chief innovation officer. Mark Norbom joined as chairman, bringing decades of experience from General Electric, while Sean Cross and Eric Cohen joined in revenue and legal/operations roles respectively. The company is headquartered in New York City.

Led · Equity · Jan 2021

Tsu operates a "Social That Pays" network designed to compensate creators for the engagement they generate, while integrating shopping and other monetization tools directly into user content. The platform aims to give creators a larger share of advertising and commerce revenue, positioning itself within the broader creator-economy movement. Newly appointed CEO Greg Fell and president/chief innovation officer John Acunto are guiding the company through a post-beta launch focused on community growth and product innovation. Tsu plans to expand its social commerce capabilities so users can buy products immediately when they discover them within the feed. The company recently attracted a seasoned leadership bench, including chairman Mark Norbom, global business development head Sean Cross, and executive vice president Eric Cohen. Financially, Tsu secured more than $10 million in fresh capital at a $100 million valuation cap, providing runway for product enhancements and user acquisition. Management indicates that the new funding will be directed toward scaling the community, deepening creator rewards, and accelerating feature development.