• Contrario

  Participated · Seed · May 2026

  Contrario combines human recruiters with AI-powered workflows and agents that integrate into Slack and applicant tracking systems to automate scheduling, coordination, and follow-ups. The company says businesses using the platform receive candidates three times faster than through traditional recruiting agencies and platforms, and that 80% of submitted candidates advance to first-round interviews. Contrario launched after reaching $6 million in annualized revenue and paying more than $1 million to recruiters in under six months. The platform is already used by over 200 companies, including Slash, Wispr Flow, and Listen Labs, and the company reports top recruiters on the platform can earn more than $100,000 per month. Contrario was founded by Arya Marwaha and Aditya Sood, who met at Stanford and left graduate programs to build the company full time.

• Mesta

  Participated · Seed · Oct 2025

  Mesta operates a hybrid fiat + stablecoin payment network designed to eliminate the traditional trade-off between speed and cost in cross-border transactions. Its platform supports USD, EUR, GBP, USDC, USDT, USDG, PYUSD and 40+ local currencies, converting them via native local rails that do not require pre-funded pools. Enterprises use Mesta for bill payments, payroll, supply-chain disbursements and same-name on/off-ramps, achieving settlement in minutes and fee reductions of more than 50%. Since launching in 2024, the company has processed over $140 million in total payment volume and now averages about $3 million in daily volume, with a projection to exceed $300 million TPV by year-end. Founded by former Uber, PayPal and BILL executive Sandeep Pyapali, the San-Francisco-based startup combines regulated fiat corridors with blockchain efficiency. The newly raised capital will be applied to expanding product features, growing international teams and accelerating worldwide adoption of its network.

• SmartRyde

  Participated · Series A · Oct 2021

  SmartRyde operates a marketplace that provides pre-booked airport transfer services to over 700 airports worldwide. The company recently launched a "Demand Partner API" that lets OTAs and airlines access its airport transfer network to offer services during hotel and flight bookings. SmartRyde aims to build a global distribution system (GDS) for airport transfers to connect OTAs, airlines and other travel providers and to modernize inventory and vehicle allocation in the taxi and limousine industry. With the new API and its GDS ambitions, the company plans to expand partnerships with large OTA networks to increase inbound tourism to Japan. SmartRyde also intends to support domestic taxi operators by improving profitability and enabling cost reduction through streamlined operations. The company is headquartered in Tokyo. SmartRyde is a Japanese online pre-booked airport transfers service platform and marketplace that connects travelers to local transportation operators and online travel agencies. The company was founded in 2017 by co-founder and CEO Sota Kimura after he experienced difficulty getting a taxi from an airport. SmartRyde operates airport transfer services in 150 countries across 700 airports, and has collaborated with roughly 650 taxi companies and more than 25 OTAs including Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com, Traveloka and Despegar. Unlike ride-hailing companies, SmartRyde offers a one-stop travel service that includes sightseeing and booking airline tickets and hotels, and it plans to continue promoting partnerships with OTAs, travel agencies and mobility companies. The company plans further expansion in major cities and tourist destinations such as Mexico, Spain, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. (Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami) and Japan. SmartRyde saw a significant decrease in reservations after March 2020 due to COVID-19, but bookings have been increasing since December 2020, particularly from U.S. tourists; its market was described as about $10 billion, with peers including Talixo, Holiday Taxis, Transferz's Taxi2Airport and Huangbaoche.

No current team members are available.