Participated · Seed · Oct 2024

iAsk is an advanced, free AI search engine that enables users to ask questions in natural language and receive instant, detailed answers. It uses transformer neural networks and reports top accuracy scores on gold-standard academic benchmarks, and the company says it delivers better results than ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Claude.ai. iAsk emphasizes accuracy and sourcing from authoritative content to avoid the back-and-forth typical of chatbots. Since launching last year, the platform has processed over 350 million searches and receives up to 1.5 million searches per day; the company is on pace to exceed half a billion searches by the end of 2024. iAsk has soft-launched an API for businesses and developers and reports a waitlist of more than 7,000 unique potential customers. The product was named Best Search Engine of 2024 by Slashdot.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2024

Sigo Seguros operates a digital-first platform underwriting non-standard auto insurance, enabling customers to buy policies in minutes from their phones and avoid onerous downpayment fees. The company targets working-class drivers and initially focuses on Hispanic and Latino communities by offering a full bilingual experience in Spanish. Its underwriting technology has produced profitable loss ratios, distinguishing it from other auto insurtech cycles. Sigo reported over 500% growth in Gross Written Premiums last year and payback periods measured in weeks. The financing is intended to fund expansion into new markets with large immigrant communities and limited suitable insurance options. As part of the investment, Rafael Varela will join Sigo’s board of directors. Sigo Seguros provides bilingual, mobile‑first auto insurance tailored to immigrant and working‑class drivers, with a focus on Latino and Spanish‑speaking communities. The company’s product eliminates additional fees and biased rating factors such as credit score and employment, and offers a bilingual end‑to‑end customer experience. It launched a proprietary product in August 2021 and is headquartered in Texas; the company was founded in 2019. Sigo reports it exceeded prior‑year sales in just the first half of 2023 and sees payback periods measured in weeks and months. The company plans to double its team by the end of the year and use new funding to expand customer‑facing technology, continue digitizing underwriting, and expand into new markets with large immigrant communities. Sigo Seguros is an Austin, TX-based insurtech founded in 2019 that provides affordable auto insurance for Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities. It offers a fully bilingual, mobile-first platform that simplifies the insurance experience and launched its inclusive auto insurance product in August 2021. The company provides transparent pricing without fees or biased rating factors and offers coverage to customers with foreign IDs or licenses. Sigo currently serves Texas and plans to expand into more states in 2023. It recently raised $5.4m in seed funding to expand operations and broaden access to equitable insurance for immigrant and working-class populations. The company has made key hires, including a Vice President of Insurance and a Senior Product Manager, and will continue hiring across insurance, technology, and business functions. Sigo is a managing general agency founded in 2019 that provides auto insurance to underserved immigrant and Latinx customers through a tech-enabled, bilingual, mobile-first direct-to-consumer platform. Headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, the company currently offers coverage in California and Texas. Sigo raised $1.5M in seed funding to support its growth. The company plans to use the funds to continue expanding operations and broaden the reach of its auto insurance product among immigrant and Latinx communities. The startup was founded by Néstor Hugo Solari and Júlio Erdos. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2022

Dame Products makes sexual wellness products across about 30 SKUs, including vibrators, gummies and serums; roughly 40% of its products are non-vibrators. The company is launching Dip, a $49 vibrator positioned as an entry-level, inclusive product, on October 12. Dame was founded in 2014 by CEO Alexandra Fine and was profitable and bootstrapped until December 2020. Since its seed raise the company has launched multiple new products, secured retail distribution (Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Free People) and settled to run ads on the New York subway. Dame says it has doubled revenue, customers and employees each year for the past two years. Management plans to use the new funding to expand product lines (especially replenishables), invest in product innovation, build content and community, and grow retail and retention efforts.

Led · Series A · Aug 2022

Black Buffalo makes smokeless tobacco alternative products that contain pharmaceutical-grade, tobacco-derived nicotine but no tobacco leaf or stem. The company also offers ZERO-branded nicotine-free, tobacco-free products. Its eight core products are the subjects of a bundled PMTA application submitted to the U.S. FDA in September 2020. Products are sold to adult (21+) consumers at over 800 convenience stores and tobacco outlets nationwide and online at blackbuffalo.com. Founded in 2015 and based in Chicago, the company closed a $30M Series A equity round. Black Buffalo intends to use the funds to accelerate every aspect of the business, including hiring in sales, marketing, manufacturing, and finance. Black Buffalo Inc. is a Chicago-based company founded in 2015 that makes smokeless tobacco alternatives. Its product lineup comprises eight SKUs (five long-cut and three pouch varieties) that contain pharmaceutical-grade nicotine but no tobacco leaf or stem. The company says it invested over 20,000 hours of R&D and sells direct-to-consumer online at BlackBuffalo.com to adult consumers age 21 and older. Black Buffalo reported strong sales momentum in 2020, with month-over-month revenue growth of 31% in March and 23% in April. With new capital the company plans to expand marketing, upgrade manufacturing capacity, increase online distribution, and launch into convenience stores and physical retail nationwide. Management is assembling Premarket Tobacco Product Applications for its full portfolio for submission to the FDA and purchased a high-throughput pouch maker expected for Q2 2020 to support demand.

Led · Series A · Jul 2022

Fable produces timeless, ethically made home décor with transparency about each piece, selling dinnerware, glassware, ceramics and accessories direct to consumers. The brand centers sustainability and social purpose, publishing an impact report and partnering with Mealshare to donate a meal for every bundle sold; in 2021 Fable purchases resulted in over 21,000 meals donated. After a successful debut last year the company has seen strong demand — a recent collaboration with California tastemaker Helen Owen (the Cloud White collection) sold out in key styles within days. Fable plans to broaden its glassware collection, expand its ceramics range, and pursue additional collaborations and partnerships. The company is opening a new Vancouver boutique in South Granville that is over six times the size of its existing space and will host curated events and experiences. Fable is also planning international expansion with specific plans for the U.K. and aims to use new funding to accelerate product development, hiring, and growth. Fable is a Canadian direct-to-consumer brand that designs minimal, elegant, sustainably produced tableware, including ceramic dinnerware and flatware. The collection is designed in Vancouver and crafted in Portugal, with planned expansion into glassware and additional categories. The company is currently pending B Corporation certification. Fable intends to use the CAD$3.4m seed proceeds for international expansion and new product development across several key business verticals. Founded in 2019 by CEO Joe Parenteau, the company emphasizes sustainable production and a direct-to-consumer distribution model.