• Cassia Networks

  Led · Series B · Oct 2016

  Cassia Networks builds the Cassia Hub, a Bluetooth router that enables long-distance and remote control of up to 22 Bluetooth devices without requiring changes to the Bluetooth end devices. The company is launching a patent-pending feature called Cassia BlueStream™, which lets users set up multi-room Bluetooth speaker systems and stream from any app or Bluetooth audio source. Cassia targets enterprise solutions across audio, medical & health, senior safety, education, fitness & sports, and other industrial applications. Led by CEO Felix Zhao, the company plans to use new funding to scale operations and support those enterprise offerings. Financially, Cassia raised $10.27m in this Series B and has raised over $13m to date. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in San Jose, CA.

• Midverse Studios

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2014

  Midverse Studios focuses on acquiring and engaging users in Android apps through a network that rewards players for completing tasks across titles. Founded by gaming veterans Riz Virk and Mitch Liu, the company centers its approach on a metric the founders call "Cost Per Quality Engagement." The network increases rewards for users who finish a number of tasks, which is intended to drive retention beyond the initial download. The model is reminiscent of earlier iOS offer walls but presented as a more sophisticated solution for post-install engagement. Games in Midverse's network have seen average earnings per user per day increase by 25% on Google Play and the Amazon app stores. The company competes with video-based app-install networks like AdColony, Vungle and Applifier, as well as larger platforms such as Facebook, and has raised outside capital to support growth.

• Origene Technologies

  Participated · Series C · Mar 2013

  OriGene Technologies develops and markets biotechnology products and biological reagents for research laboratories, diagnostic companies, clinics and hospitals. Its product portfolio includes cDNA, proteins and antibodies and it provides technological solutions for in‑vitro diagnostics and immunohistochemistry. The company serves both research and clinical diagnostic markets. OriGene plans to use the recent funding to deepen cooperation with global laboratories and to grow product sales in Europe. Founded in 1996 by Weiwu He, the company is based in Rockville, Maryland. The article does not report operating metrics or detailed financials. OriGene Technologies is a Rockville, MD–based genome wide product company that develops, manufactures and sells research and diagnostic products worldwide. Led by Wei-Wu He, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, the company has developed an array of ultra-specific monoclonal antibodies called UltraMAB™, validated by its proprietary high-density microarray technology for a wide variety of applications. OriGene markets these products for research and diagnostic use globally. The company completed a $21.3M Series C financing to support its business. It intends to use the proceeds to advance its growth strategy and operations. OriGene Technologies is a Rockville, MD-based life sciences company supporting academic institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies in research of gene functions and drug discovery. Its core product effort is the TrueMAB™ monoclonal antibody collection. The company is building a collection intended to cover the entire human genome of approximately 20,000 genes. OriGene completed a $16m Series B financing to fund that buildout. The round was led by IDG-Accel, SBI & TH Venture Capital Enterprise, and Zero2IPO, with participation from previous investors Morningside Venture Investments and President International Development Corp. (PIDC). The proceeds will enable OriGene to continue expanding the TrueMAB collection.

• Razer

  Led · Equity · Dec 2011

  Razer began as a maker of gaming peripherals and has expanded into PCs, VR, wearables, social networks and other immersive gaming technologies. The company acquired Nextbit (maker of the Robin smartphone) earlier this year and plans to use that technology to develop gaming-first handsets. Razer is pursuing mobile through a strategic partnership with carrier Three to sell co-branded gaming handsets, offer gaming-centric tariffs and open a retail store in Hong Kong. It operates an investment arm, zVentures, and integrates virtual-currency and esports initiatives into its ecosystem. Financially, Razer has disclosed around $125 million of investment to date but has confirmed it has raised more; sources say Horizons Ventures invested between $50 million and $100 million valuing the company close to $2 billion. The company has signaled it is positioning itself for a public listing or the next stage of corporate development as it broadens products and services. Razer began as a maker of gaming peripherals such as mice, controllers and keyboards and has expanded its brand into gaming-optimized laptops and consoles. The company has been pushing into more immersive hardware, including wearables and virtual-reality devices, as well as cameras such as the $200 Stargazer webcam that uses Intel RealSense for enhanced video and motion detection. Razer has partnered with other hardware firms on products (for example with Lenovo on high-end gaming computers). That push into new hardware categories is described as costly and relatively untested. Company financial documents referenced in the coverage show a swing to a net loss between October 2014 and September 2015 after a net profit in fiscal 2014. Razer has previously taken strategic investment from Intel and had backers including Accel and IDG Capital Partners. Razer makes high-end gaming hardware and software, including peripherals, full systems and wearables. Its product lineup features mice, keyboards, the thin Blade gaming laptop, and the upcoming Nabu smartband, alongside a range of software platforms. The company reports over 10 million software users and more than 2 million daily logged-in users. Razer recently closed a funding round with Intel that values the company at at least $1 billion, though the article does not disclose the round size or instrument. It is preparing to launch the Nabu smartband in the coming weeks and plans to leverage partnerships such as Tencent to integrate services (including WeChat) and gamification to broaden its user base. A leaked internal memo also notes the appointment of three new board members as part of its next phase of growth. Razer builds high-end gaming peripherals (mice, keyboards) and has been expanding into more esoteric devices, full systems and game-specific partnerships. The company has recently released systems such as the Blade gaming laptop and has branded products like StarCraft II mice and keyboards. Razer plans to push further into whole-systems products, which the article says requires more R&D and operational space. The new capital is intended largely for R&D, with a particular focus on gaming user interfaces and systems. Management says the investment and the incoming board member should not affect day-to-day operations and described the deal as “fairly straightforward.” The company and the investor both see strategic upside in the China market, which the article notes is rapidly growing and PC-centric.

• BlueSprig

  Led · Series A · Dec 2011

  BlueSprig builds lightweight utility apps aimed at improving security, privacy, performance and efficiency on personal devices. Its flagship mobile product, AirCover, is available in beta for Android and scans downloaded apps for malware, offers remote cloud backup, battery optimization, device-locate and GPS-based safety features; the Android beta includes 2 GB of free storage. An iOS version of AirCover is planned for early 2012 with additional features and storage. BlueSprig also offers Windows system utilities JetBoost and JetClean, which optimize performance and remove privacy traces; both were released in full following earlier betas. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Jason Johnson and operates from San Francisco with a development center in Chengdu, China led by Hugo Dong. Financially, BlueSprig announced a $10 million Series A from IDG-Accel’s China Growth Fund.

No current team members are available.