The Venture Codex

Led · Seed · Apr 2024

Ingantec develops nitride-based III-nitride compound semiconductor solutions for microLED displays and optoelectronics targeting AR/VR, smartwatches, phones, computers, cars, and TVs. Its core technology is a patent-pending microLED approach originally licensed from the University of California, Santa Barbara and further developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The company was founded in 2022 and is co-founded by Drs. Shubhra Pasayat and Chirag Gupta, now assistant professors at UW Madison. Ingantec is headquartered in Milwaukee with operations in Madison, Wisconsin. The recent $2 million seed financing is intended to accelerate commercialization of its microLED technology. Alan Yeung has joined the company and will lead as CEO, bringing prior leadership experience in industry and academia.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2022

Vizit offers a patented Visual AI platform built around proprietary Audience "Lenses" that interpret, measure, and predict consumer visual preferences to optimize visual content. Its technology uses synthetic human preferences so creatives and ecommerce teams can deliver personalized, high-converting visuals at scale. Customers include Fortune 500 brands such as Mars, Heineken, and Ghirardelli, which reported outcomes including a 30% increase in conversions and a 10% lift in Amazon sales after deploying Vizit. Vizit positions its product as 'Intuitive AI' that goes beyond generative models by simulating audience reactions and improving digital-shelf performance. The company announced a $25 million Series B to accelerate platform expansion and unlock new markets. Vizit is headquartered in Boston. Vizit builds an AI-powered image analytics platform called the Visual Brand Performance Platform that analyzes organic consumer interactions with commercial imagery to generate predictive models called Vizit Audience Lenses. The platform scores and predicts which images and design elements will capture target audiences’ attention, improve merchandising on digital shelves, and drive ecommerce conversion. Vizit serves enterprise customers in 10 countries across industries, including several of the top 10 food and beverage companies, the largest motorcycle manufacturer, and the largest cosmetics and beauty company. Mars reports that higher Vizit Scores have led to up to 30% more units sold across major retailers. Vizit announced a $10M Series A to fuel growth led by Infinity Ventures and Brand Foundry Ventures, with participation from eGateway Capital, Lakefront Partners, Lubar & Co and others. The company says the funding will be used to help ecommerce, marketing, and creative teams measure, manage, and optimize image effectiveness and to expand its customer footprint.