Led · Seed · Jul 2024

Uncover is a data-driven skincare brand for women, established in 2021 in Kenya, that develops scientifically backed products tested and approved by women of color. The company has built an educational tech platform that enables community engagement, relatable product discovery, and educational content, using thousands of data points to personalize recommendations. In the past 24 months Uncover has grown revenue tenfold and established a digital community of over 200,000 women across Kenya, Nigeria, and the diaspora. The startup recently expanded into Uganda and Ghana and is seeing global demand from African diaspora populations. It plans to use new funding to further develop its platform, introduce new products, enter additional markets, and continue leveraging data for personalization. Leadership frames Uncover as a movement to prioritize women of colour and aims to become the leading skincare brand for skin rich in melanin. Uncover is a Nairobi-headquartered, data-driven, digital-first women's brand focused on skincare and women’s health and wellbeing in Africa. The company blends Korean skincare technology with African ingredients to develop its products. It was launched out of the global VC accelerator Antler by founders Sneha Mehta, Jade Oyateru, and Catherine Lee. Since founding, Uncover reports a 20x increase in monthly revenue and a community of almost 60,000 women. The startup plans to use recent funding to launch more products, expand into additional African markets, and improve its technology and data capabilities. Management is preparing to enter the Nigerian market in January 2023 and is working on a third country entry.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2024

JustWears is a London-based direct-to-consumer men’s underwear brand founded in 2018 by Yang Liu and Alexander Walsh. Its core products are ergonomically designed underwear featuring an innovative pouch and mesh undercarriage to promote airflow. The company uses sustainably sourced materials made from trees, seaweed, and corn to reduce reliance on water- and pesticide-intensive cotton. Since launch it has sold over 150,000 items to more than 40,000 customers in 70+ countries and earned over 3,000 five-star reviews, with reported growth of more than 250% year-on-year. JustWears plans to use new funding to grow the team to around 15 people, develop additional product lines, and commercialize innovative biodegradable materials.

Led · Seed · May 2022

Buywith is a livestream shopping platform that lets retailers and brands host on-site livestream events featuring influencers, experts and brand representatives; it offers a “Shop With Me” screen-sharing component and initially required no app download or code integration. Founded in Israel in 2018 by Adi Ronen Almagor and Eyal Sinai, the company launched in the U.S. in 2021 and helped Walmart get up and running on its platform. Buywith works with brands such as MAC Cosmetics and is launching partnerships with Steve Madden and Charlotte Tilbury while opening offices in the U.K. to expand in Europe. The company reports an eight‑time increase in e‑commerce conversions, around a 40% session engagement rate and an average 10× return on investment, and says it generated "a few millions of dollars in ARR" after major growth last year. Buywith has grown from four employees during pilots to about 20 employees today. Future plans include building a self‑serve marketplace for brands to select vetted hosts and adding product features (including coin-based purchases and chances to go live with hosts) as it expands sales, marketing and R&D globally.