Participated · Series A · Nov 2025

Pie Systems develops PIE VAT, a software platform that digitizes duty-free tax refunds while using the resulting data and network to link travelers with retail and hospitality businesses. The company positions itself as a broader "travel platform" that can redefine the shopping experience for inbound tourists and open new marketing channels for merchants. Originating in Japan, Pie Systems sees vast headroom in the inbound travel market, which it notes is second only to the automotive sector in size. By streamlining VAT refunds and aggregating transaction data, the firm aims to drive higher tourist spending and deliver actionable insights to partners. Pie Systems recently secured a USD 15.5 million Series A round, the only publicly disclosed financial metric to date. The fresh capital is intended to accelerate growth and expand the platform’s global footprint. To support this expansion, the company is actively hiring and seeking additional corporate partners.

Participated · Equity · Jan 2023

Notch provides an end-to-end back-of-house software platform that automates order management, bill and invoice reconciliation, and payment processing for foodservice businesses. The company partners with restaurant groups such as Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality and wholesale distributors like The Butcher Shoppe to bring operations online. In late 2022 Notch rolled out an Accounts Receivable solution for wholesale distributors to automate collections, and in Q1 2023 it plans to release an AP manager to move supply-chain payments online. The platform enables restaurants across North America to move off cash and cheques and pay vendors through the Notch system. As part of its product push, the company restructured its team and hired new heads of marketing, operations, and sales. Notch intends to use recent funding to ramp up sales and marketing and accelerate geographic expansion. Notch is a Toronto-based provider of online restaurant supply-chain software that digitizes the paper-driven wholesale food ordering process for restaurant chains and food brands. Its platform currently includes Notch Marketplace, used by nearly 1,500 restaurants across North America to shop and price-compare more than 100,000 wholesale food SKUs, invoice, track orders, receive real-time inventory updates, and forecast. Notch is developing Notch Pay, an automated payment and collection solution for restaurants and distributors. Led by CEO Jordan Huck, the company serves restaurants and distributors in the Greater Toronto Area, Chicago, and Texas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin). The company plans to use the new capital to accelerate growth, expand further across North American restaurant chains and food brands, fund ongoing innovation, hire and retain talent, and continue U.S. expansion. The article reports the company raised $10M in funding to support these initiatives.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2022

WorkTorch operates a service-industry career platform that offers job postings, candidate screenings, scheduling features, candidate matching, and talent-management tools. The company is led by Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall and is based in Wichita, Kansas. WorkTorch reports a roster of over 40,000 service-industry applicants actively looking for jobs and more than 60 paying corporate clients, including mid-size and national service companies such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Homewood Suites by Hilton. The platform is used by employers for hiring and talent management across the service sector. The company plans to expand its city footprint using new funding to enter multiple new markets. QuickHire is a career discovery platform focused on connecting service workers with job and advancement opportunities. The company officially launched in April 2021 and is run by co-founders Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall. QuickHire serves over 60 paying clients, including Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Homewood Suites by Hilton, and has more than 11,000 job seekers on the platform. The business is growing amid a prolonged tight labor market in the service industry and currently targets the Wichita and Kansas City metro areas. Management plans to expand across the Midwest and add skilled-labor verticals in 2022. QuickHire recently raised financing to invest in technology and expand its team.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2022

86 Repairs provides a repair and maintenance management platform built for the restaurant industry. It offers restaurants and other commercial kitchen operators 24/7/365 support for on-demand repair management, preventative maintenance programs, and data-driven insights on repair and maintenance spend. The company manages the repair and maintenance process for more than 2,000 restaurant operators across the U.S. and Canada, from upscale full-service restaurants to quick-service franchised brands. Notable customers include Boka Restaurant Group, Castellucci Hospitality Group, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, and quick-service brands such as McDonald’s, Jimmy John’s, Sonic Drive-Ins, and Taco Bell. Led by co-founder and CEO Daniel Estrada, 86 Repairs intends to use new funding for product innovation and expansion of the business. The company raised a $15.2M Series A to support growth and product development. 86 Repairs provides a platform that automates the end-to-end repair and maintenance process for restaurants, offering actionable insights to improve back-of-house operations. Led by co-founder and CEO Daniel Estrada, the company's solutions are used by multi-unit groups such as Castellucci Hospitality Group, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, and Peas and Carrots Hospitality, and by brands including McDonald’s, Jimmy John’s, Sonic Drive-Ins, and Famous Dave’s. The product focuses on streamlining repairs and maintenance workflows to reduce downtime and operational friction in kitchens. The company plans to use new funding to scale product innovations and accelerate growth. Financially, 86 Repairs has raised $8.8M to date after the latest $5.3M financing that brought the current round to $7.3M. Investors in the recent financing include TDF Ventures, Gordon Food Service, MATH Venture Partners, Revolution, and Cleveland Avenue. 86 Repairs operates a subscription service that manages the entire end-to-end repair process for restaurant equipment. The platform aggregates repair data and provides actionable insights into which equipment is breaking, expected repair costs, and the cost of labor and parts. Its solution is used to improve back-of-house operations for multi-unit restaurant groups and large brand operators. Since launching in 2018, the company has partnered with more than 700 restaurant locations. 86 Repairs was founded by Joe Gallagher and Daniel Estrada and is based in Chicago, IL. The company plans to use new funding to accelerate growth and product development. 86 Repairs provides a subscription service that manages the entire repair and maintenance process for restaurant groups. Its offering includes 24/7 support from an expert team, actionable insights to improve back-of-house operations, and end-to-end management of service work. The company is building a proprietary software platform to coordinate repairs and track performance. 86 Repairs plans to use newly raised funds to accelerate sales and marketing and to continue developing its software platform. It intends to expand operations in Detroit and Chicago. The company secured $1.5M in funding to support these initiatives.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2022

Improovy operates a managed marketplace focused initially on painting services, using a vetted network of professionals to match homeowners with contractors and to manage engagements end-to-end. The platform includes a virtual design consultation tool powered by partnerships with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore, a pricing algorithm, mobile quote capabilities, and a matching system. Improovy provides contractors with tools to grow consistent business, manage jobs, and improve search presence. The company is currently live in Chicago, St. Louis, Ann Arbor, and Dallas and plans to add several new cities and additional home improvement services in the coming months. Improovy announced a $2.79 million financing round led by M25 and said the proceeds will be used for hiring, technology development, and geographic expansion. Andre Kazimierski is CEO & co-founder, and the company recently added Garry Cooper Jr. to its board.