Participated · Equity · Jan 2023

Cloudian builds secure S3-compatible AI data lake platforms that offer military-grade security, scalability, and cloud integration. Its AI-ready data lake optimizes data access, supports data sovereignty requirements, and reduces costs by consolidating information into a single, cloud-like storage platform. Cloudian's geo-distributed architecture manages and protects object and file data at the edge, core, and cloud for both traditional and modern applications. The platform is proven with AI and analytics tools including PyTorch, TensorFlow, Kafka, and Druid, and its solutions are available via AWS Marketplace, HPE GreenLake, Lenovo, and reseller partners worldwide. Led by CEO Michael Tso and headquartered in San Mateo, CA, the company plans to use new funding to drive product innovation and sales and marketing to meet demand for its AI data lake software. A $23M growth financing was announced in June 2024. Cloudian is a San Mateo, CA-based hybrid cloud data management firm that builds cloud-native software for S3-compatible object storage. Its software transforms standard servers, virtual machines, containers, or public cloud into pools of S3 API-compatible object storage co-located with data sources and consumers. The company highlights geo-distributed architecture to manage and protect object and file data at the edge, core, and in the cloud, along with seamless cloud integration and scalability. In January 2023 Cloudian closed $60 million in new funding, bringing total funding to $233 million. The company said the investment will accelerate its hybrid cloud platform capabilities and prepare it for its next phase of growth, and it named Bob Griswold chairman of the board. Cloudian positions its offering to simplify operations and help customers derive new value from data as organizations advance digital transformation. Cloudian focuses on on-premise storage and multi-cloud data management for organizations that need to store and manage very large data sets. Its platform is positioned as a data-management solution rather than just raw storage, aiming to keep data close to where it is created and used to reduce latency and network costs. The company has about 160 employees and serves roughly 240 enterprise customers, with strong traction in large video archives for entertainment companies and customers in healthcare, automotive and Formula One. Cloudian is beginning to address machine learning use cases by helping customers retain and manage training data from IoT sensors, cameras and medical imaging. The company plans to use new funding to expand global sales and marketing and to increase its engineering team, including investment in AI and core technology innovation. To date it has raised a total of $174 million. Cloudian provides a scalable platform that consolidates, manages and protects enterprise data through enterprise object storage systems and management solutions that bring cloud technology and economics to the data center. The company is based in San Mateo, California and is led by CEO Michael Tso. Cloudian reports an installed base of more than 200 customers. The company announced a $125M joint venture with Digital Alpha to accelerate adoption of its enterprise object storage systems. The financing package is intended to support expansion of Cloudian’s sales, marketing, engineering and customer-support organizations and to enable more flexible procurement options for customers. Cloudian is a San Mateo, CA–based provider of hybrid cloud object storage systems led by CEO and co-founder Michael Tso. The company offers Cloudian HyperStore, which enables service providers and enterprises to build scalable hybrid cloud storage solutions and manage hundreds of petabytes for use cases including backup/archive, media and entertainment, bioinformatics, and IoT. In August Cloudian made HyperStore available on AWS Marketplace so customers can purchase on‑premises storage on a metered basis and manage it alongside Amazon S3 as a single pool with one invoice. The company also has an OEM agreement with Lenovo to offer a Cloudian-based object storage appliance through Lenovo’s worldwide sales force and is integrated with Google Cloud Storage Coldline for hybrid archival storage. Cloudian intends to use the new funds to accelerate innovation, expand sales and marketing, and grow international operations. The company has raised $79M in total capital to date.

Participated · Series C · Aug 2019

Atonarp develops molecular sensing and diagnostics products using proprietary spectroscopic technology to detect, analyze, and quantify molecular information. Its product suite includes the ATON-360™, an end-to-end platform designed to deliver lab-quality results using optical sensors. The company targets healthcare, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor industries with its devices and platforms. Atonarp operates in Japan, India, and the United States. Founded in 2010 and led by founder and CEO/CTO Prakash Murthy, the company recently appointed Shaun Holt as COO. Atonarp intends to use new funding to expand operations and expedite development and commercialization of its molecular diagnostics products. The company has raised $111M in funding to date. Atonarp is a Tokyo, Japan–based hi-tech molecular diagnostics company advancing a quantitative, miniaturized process mass spectrometer called AMS. The company also develops AI-based platforms combining mass spectrometry and optical spectroscopy for process monitoring and healthcare diagnostics. Atonarp aims to deliver pain-free point-of-care blood testing with lab-quality accuracy and real-time actionable data. It intends to use new funding to grow its balance sheet and support ongoing product prototyping and commercialization into the healthcare market. Led by CEO Prakash Murthy, the company has advanced its AMS and related platforms since early 2014. Since early 2014 Atonarp has raised more than $61M in three rounds of equity financing, including this Series C. Atonarp develops miniaturized Smart Spectrometer™ instruments for real-time molecular data analytics targeted at industrial gas process analytics in the energy, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and semiconductor industries. The company is commercializing its first generation of Smart Spectrometers and intends to use newly raised funds to support that commercialization. Atonarp was established in November 2009 and is led by CEO Prakash Murthy. The firm raised up to $16m in funding in the reported round. The product offering focuses on compact spectroscopic instruments and associated analytics for industrial customers. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and serves industrial process analytics markets. Atonarp is developing a Smart Spectrometer technology platform that combines state-of-the-art electronics and data processing algorithms to perform chemical composition analysis. The platform aims to deliver breakthroughs in cost, size, accuracy and maintenance-free operation without the need for carrier gases. Initial target markets for the company’s products are the oil & gas and healthcare industries, including non-invasive personal healthcare monitoring. Atonarp is currently sampling its Smart Spectrometer to leading manufacturers of oil & gas and healthcare instruments. The company plans to enter volume production early next year. The recent $8 million Series A financing will accelerate development and commercialization of the platform.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2019

Dynamic Map Platform (DMP) develops high-definition 3D roadway maps used for autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems. Its core product is cooperative-domain map data for highways and limited-access roads; DMP is currently developing HD 3D map data for Japan’s national expressways and limited-access roads. The company was established in June 2016 to develop, test and manage that common foundation data. DMP plans to expand its North American operations through the planned acquisition of US-based Ushr, whose HD maps were first launched in General Motors’ Super Cruise. The firm expects the acquisition and expansion to support the rapidly growing North American autonomous vehicle market. Additional applications cited include disaster prevention and mitigation, infrastructure maintenance and i-Construction for improved construction productivity.

Led · Series C · Jan 2019

NapaJen Pharma is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company that leverages a proprietary immune cell-targeted oligonucleotide delivery platform to develop novel immunotherapeutic agents. The company has developed a platform in which oligonucleotide compounds are stably and selectively delivered to immune cells. Its lead program, NJA-730, is an immunosuppressive therapeutic that combines an anti-CD40 small interfering RNA (siRNA) with the company’s beta-glucan delivery technology. A Phase 1 study of NJA-730, started in autumn 2018 in Australia, is evaluating safety and tolerability as the primary objective, with secondary objectives including pharmacokinetics and assessment of CD40 gene suppression. The company plans to use the newly closed financing to complete the Phase 1 clinical development and prepare for further development. NapaJen was founded in 2004 and is based in Burlingame, California.

Led · Equity · Nov 2018

Astroscale develops and operates on-orbit servicing technologies focused on rendezvous and proximity operations, satellite refueling, life-extension (including its LEXI-P spacecraft) and end-of-life disposal. The company is transitioning from technology demonstrations toward repeatable commercial and defense missions, with planned missions in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., including a refueling mission for the U.S. Space Force and a LEXI-P life-extension mission targeted in fiscal 2028. Financially, Astroscale reported ¥11.5 billion in project income for fiscal 2026 and an operating loss of ¥10 billion, an improvement from the prior year, and it projects project income of ¥12.5–17 billion for fiscal 2027 with operating losses of ¥9–9.9 billion. To support scaling, Astroscale raised ¥30.6 billion in May via convertible bonds and equity and plans to deploy capital to expand production facilities, manufacture LEXI-P spacecraft and provide working capital. Management says the investments aim to establish supply capacity to support repeatable business early while pursuing mid- to long-term profitability and making on-orbit servicing more routine by 2030.