Participated · Seed · May 2026

Maka offers a curated streaming service for children ages zero to six that emphasizes well-being over watch time, using session-based viewing without recommendations, ads, or autoplay. Its content is evaluated through Maka Imprint, a patent-pending developmental framework created with researchers at the Yale Child Study Center that maps seven core domains across more than 650 developmental indicators. The company licenses content from IP holders and creators and partners with studios and animators to produce original shows, prioritizing lower-stimulation pacing, narrative arcs, and global stories. Parents create profiles, select thematic channels and session lengths, and receive curated playlists with wind-down cues to ease transitions away from screen time. Maka is in private iOS beta with plans to launch publicly on iPhone and iPad this fall and reports thousands of families on its waitlist. Its commercial model is subscription-based at $11.99 per month with a discounted annual option, and the recent seed funding will be used to expand its vetted content catalog.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2025

CircNova develops a deep-learning AI platform called NovaEngine that the company says can predict circular RNA structures and design novel, non-coding circular RNAs for therapeutic use. The startup also operates a wet lab that produces physical circular RNA molecules for validation and research, including collaboration with the University of Michigan. Its platform can reportedly move between sequence and structure to reverse-engineer and design candidate molecules. Target indications the company cites include ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare genetic diseases. Cofounded by CEO Crystal Brown, CSO Joe Deangelo, and chief business officer William Grenawitzke, CircNova was founded in May 2023 and splits activity between Michigan and Boston to be near potential partners. The company has secured early grant funding (including an initial $15,000 grant and a $25,000 NSF grant that led to its first patent application) and recently closed a $3.3 million seed round to advance its platform and wet-lab capabilities.

Participated · Series A · Oct 2024

Treehouse has built AI models that predict job duration and material needs to minimize truck rolls for residential electrical work, focusing initially on EV charger installs. The company asks customers targeted questions and photos, can do virtual visits, and only sends a truck when necessary. Treehouse is licensed as an electrician and serves as the lead contractor, with independent electricians working as subs; it also employs electricians in California and Colorado. It operates in 40 states today and plans to be in all 50 by the end of the year, and intends to hire electricians in six to eight additional markets. The startup competes with Qmerit, Kopperfield, and Zero Homes and has partnerships with CarMax, Holman, Emporia, Quilt, and ChargePoint. Recent financing will be used to hire engineers and improve the company’s automation and quoting models as it expands geographically. Treehouse is a Detroit-based electrification company that delivers turnkey installations for home EV charging and is led by CEO and co‑founder Eric Owski. Its core product is an Installation-as-a-Service offering that pairs a proprietary network of electricians with automated permit documentation and end-to-end customer journey management. Treehouse's pricing technology provides instant, guaranteed quotes for home charging installation at the point of sale or via API, allowing installation costs to be integrated into vehicle financing. The company also compiles every federal, state, and local incentive for home EV charging to help owners maximize incentives and rate plans. Treehouse intends to use new funding to expand its Installation-as-a-Service to more than 30 states in the next 12 months and to invest in software to extend the offering to other electrification products. The company raised $10M in this funding round.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2023

AaDya provides cybersecurity services to small and medium-sized enterprises through its Judy platform, which the company markets as an all-in-one, easy-to-install and easy-to-manage security solution. Judy uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate and simplify security tasks, monitoring, and compliance for SMEs. The company sells primarily through managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs) and resellers to help partners scale their security offerings. AaDya was founded in 2019 and says its product addresses an underserved segment of the market facing rising cybercrime. The company plans to use new funding to expand its sales team and accelerate growth of its channel program partners. AaDya also announced a new, primarily female board of directors with members including Julie Cullivan, Didi Dayton and Laura Sillman.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2023

AaDya Security is a Detroit, MI-based cybersecurity software company founded in March 2019 that provides solutions for small and midsize businesses. Its core product, Judy, leverages AI and machine learning to deliver 24/7 protection and support for companies that lack time, expertise, and capital. The platform is designed to be easy to use and manage, enabling SMBs to protect against threats and meet data security and compliance requirements. AaDya also serves managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs), helping them scale and streamline offerings by automating security tasks and monitoring. The company plans to use the $5M Series A to hire a key finance position and expand its sales team to accelerate growth of its channel program for MSPs, resellers, and referral partners. Alongside the funding, AaDya announced a new board of directors and added a cybersecurity and channel veteran as an advisor for marketing and channel teams. AaDya Security provides Judy, an AI- and machine-learning-powered all-in-one cybersecurity platform built for small and midsize businesses and managed service providers. Judy offers a browser-based interface with secure single sign-on, a password manager, endpoint detection and response, DNS filtering, threat detection and automated remediation, plus a Champion Dashboard for compliance and a partner version for MSPs. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in March 2019 by Raffaele Mautone, the company targets SMBs that lack the time, expertise, and capital to implement multiple point solutions. AaDya plans to launch Judy 3.0, a streamlined version of the platform, and to expand its product, sales, and marketing teams to accelerate customer growth. The company emphasizes ease of deployment and centralized management so MSPs can onboard, monitor, and manage clients from a single screen. The press release positions Judy as delivering next-generation, 24/7 protection against threats such as phishing and ransomware. AaDya Security launched Marzo4, an all-in-one cybersecurity platform built for small and medium-sized businesses and adopted by customers transitioning to remote work. Marzo4 includes an AI-powered virtual assistant called Judy that provides cybersecurity guidance to every employee across devices around the clock, backed by a built-in knowledge base and customer success team. The platform’s four security pillars are single-sign-on, anti-phishing, endpoint protection, and password management. Founder Raffaele Mautone started the company in March 2019 after leadership roles at McAfee, FireEye and Duo Security. The company closed a $2.7M seed round to support growth. AaDya plans to add team members, continue building out Marzo4, and enhance Judy with additional machine learning features.