Participated · Seed · Nov 2022

Cofactr provides a unified supply chain and logistics management platform that automates parts sourcing, supplier procurement (including a network of pre-vetted COTS suppliers), order approvals and payments, cross-vendor logistics, shipping and delivery tracking, and real-time stock visibility. The platform is ITAR and SOC 2 compliant and runs entirely on AWS’s Government Cloud to meet the needs of high-compliance industries. Cofactr’s initial focus has been on electronics, and the company is seeing growing demand across electromechanical and mechanical supply chains. Its customer base exceeds 50 companies across sectors such as aerospace, defense, robotics, medical technology, autonomous vehicles and consumer wearables, including divisions of major e-commerce, social media and self-driving car companies. Cofactr says it bridges Product Lifecycle Management, ERP and MES to give both engineers and oversight teams the tools and controls they need. The company plans to scale go-to-market efforts, expand its suite of supply chain risk management and process tools, and introduce multiple new product categories each year. Total funding stands at $28.8 million following the latest round. Cofactr provides an integrated logistics and procurement platform tailored to electronics manufacturers, combining scalable warehousing with procurement automation. The company offers cloud procurement software, a network of suppliers and a turnkey logistics platform that handles shipping, customs management, counterfeit insurance, inventory, kitting and shipping management. Cofactr evolved from operating a contract manufacturer for circuit board assembly to focusing on electronics-specific third-party logistics and procurement automation. Its platform lets hardware makers find components, check pricing, order parts, handle replenishment and send parts to partner manufacturers while Cofactr manages acquisition, storage and inventory control. Founders Matthew Haber (CEO) and Phil Gulley (CRO) aim to make hardware easier to scale and envision Cofactr as a cloud solution for pre-manufacturing infrastructure, akin to an AWS for hardware. The company recently raised a $6 million seed round on a SAFE with a $25 million cap.

Participated · Equity · Jan 2022

Parthean is a personal finance monitoring and education app led by CEO and founder Arman Hezarkhani, alongside co-founders Nikhil Choudhary and Jason Zhu. Users connect accounts via Plaid to surface real-time financial health metrics. Content is delivered as bite-sized, modular videos with quizzes and an action item intended to drive behavioral change. The company tracks completion rates and “connection rates” — whether users perform the action items after lessons — and says completion rates rival cohort-based courses. Parthean aims to evolve from an educational app into a predictive fintech layer that offers tailored financial advice based on timing and spending habits. The startup recently graduated from the Pear accelerator. Financially, Parthean raised $1.1 million at a $12 million valuation.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2021

Opopop is launching flavored popcorn products, including a new microwave line called Flavor Wrapped™ Popcorn Kernels. The Flavor Wrapped line debuts in six signature flavors, such as Fancy Butter, Salted Umami and Vanilla Cake Pop. The product will be sold direct-to-consumer starting June 7th exclusively at opopop.com. The company closed a $5M Series A and has raised $11.6M in combined pre-launch Seed and Series A funding to date. Leadership named in the article includes Bradley Roulier, CEO Jonas Tempel, and President Sarah McDowell. Opopop is based in Denver, CO.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2021

Endless West broke into the reverse‑engineered food and beverage scene in 2018 with Glyph, a commercial “molecular whisky” that won awards. Cofounders Alec Lee and Mardonn Chua, who previously worked at stem‑cell startup Extem, developed the core technology to analyze and recreate beverages at a molecular level. The company sells its own products and operates a research and manufacturing arm called Blank Collective to partner with spirit brands, retailers and manufacturers. Endless West says its approach lets brands cut production costs, substitute more sustainable ingredient sources, and accelerate or replicate aging by infusing wood molecules directly into spirits. With a new $60 million Series C, the company is expanding production capabilities by 10x to 20x to support broader commercial partnerships. The startup frames its work as a form of digital documentation for vintages and flavors, while acknowledging potential risks around recipe copying and market consolidation. Endless West develops original molecular spirits by studying the molecular composition of wines and spirits and extracting key flavor and aroma molecules from plants, fruits and yeasts. Its consumer portfolio includes Glyph (a whiskey-inspired molecular spirit with three expressions), Gemello (a Moscato d’Asti-inspired molecular spirit) and Kazoku (a saké-inspired molecular spirit). The company also operates Blank Collective, a B2B platform that manufactures private-label alcoholic beverages, bulk spirits and alcoholic concentrates and provides branding, product development and manufacturing services. Founded in 2015 by scientists Alec Lee and Mardonn Chua and based in San Francisco, Endless West has raised $33.7M to date. The company intends to use the new financing to accelerate technology development and R&D and to expand U.S. distribution for its products and Blank Collective offerings. Ava Winery builds wines in a laboratory by analyzing the molecular profiles of expensive wines and reconstructing them as bioidentical matches, without grapes, yeast, or fermentation. The team, led by founder Alec Lee and bioengineers in San Francisco, is initially focused on cloning three wine expressions: a Moscato d'Asti, a Dom Pérignon and a newly started Pinot noir. The technical challenge is quantifying concentrations across the 80–200 compounds in a wine and managing synergistic and anti‑synergistic effects to match taste, mouthfeel and appearance. Ava plans to pursue regulatory licensing (the team expects that process to take about six months) and is uncertain whether it will be allowed to label the product as “wine.” The company is considering direct‑to‑consumer sales and is also talking with large distributors and retailers about broader placement. Longer term, the founders see the same synthetic approach applied to other luxury goods such as chocolate and coffee. Ava presented its product publicly at IndieBio SF’s demo day.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2020

Cure Hydration develops science-backed electrolyte drink formulas that use clean, natural ingredients and a company commitment to non-GMO, sustainably sourced materials without added sugars or artificial additives. Launched in 2019, the brand competes in the $10 billion functional drink mix market and emphasizes sustainability, health and empowerment. The company has expanded rapidly, posting a 2,489% growth rate over three years and securing placement in over 13,000 retail locations, including REI, Anthropologie, Fresh Thyme Market and Meijer. Cure Hydration recently introduced Cure Kids, a pediatrician-formulated line of children’s electrolyte drink mixes in kid-approved flavors. Management is focused on supporting continued retail expansion and growing e-commerce demand. Cure sells plant-based powdered electrolyte drink mixes that emphasize clean ingredients such as coconut water powder and pink Himalayan salt. Since launching in 2019, the company has averaged 230% annual revenue growth and plans to expand its retail footprint from 4,000 stores in 2021 to 15,000 in 2023. Cure maintains roughly 60% e-commerce penetration and reported Q1 2023 growth that outpaced the prior-year quarter by 121%, operating with nine full-time employees. Its product line includes nine flavors and is carried in CVS and Walgreens, with recent retail additions including Sprouts, Albertsons, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Wegmans and HEB. The brand skews toward female, active consumers and differentiates on ingredient quality versus competitors. Planned initiatives include faster retail expansion, new product development (including a bulk jar option), and scaling the leadership and marketing teams, with a target of profitability by early 2024. Cure Hydration sells flavored powdered electrolyte mixes formulated on the World Health Organization’s Oral Rehydration Solution, using core ingredients like coconut water and pink Himalayan salt. The products are organic, vegan, contain no added sugars, and are sold online and in retail stores such as CVS, Walmart and Whole Foods. Packs retail for $20.99 for 14 servings on the company website, or $16.79 with a subscription; the company donates 1% of proceeds to the women’s sports nonprofit SheIS. Early customers include amateur athletes and people who need help staying hydrated due to chronic illnesses and other health conditions. Cure’s current retail footprint is roughly 4,200 U.S. locations and the company plans to use new funding to expand that footprint and to develop products beyond hydration while keeping to its science-backed principles. The company also maintains a medical advisory board that includes Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, Dr. Dana Cohen and nutritionist Brooke Alpert.