Participated · Equity · Feb 2024

GigaStar operates GigaStar Market, an SEC-registered funding portal under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) that connects creators and strategic investors. Through its Market, creators can monetize potential future revenue and access thousands of investors while investors can share YouTube revenue and participate in creator economy offerings. The platform has launched seven YouTube channel offerings, raising over $1.2M and attracting more than 12,000 investor accounts. The company plans to use new capital to scale GigaStar Market, attain broker-dealer registration, and develop a secondary market expected by the end of 2024. Led by CEO Hazem Dawani and based in Chicago, GigaStar is positioning its platform to expand creator monetization and secondary trading. It recently secured $3M in additional funding from a group of strategic and institutional investors. GigaStar provides a platform that connects YouTube creators and fans by allowing creators to monetize future channel capital through Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs). The company leverages blockchain technology to offer streamlined fan funding, innovative fan engagement, and potential long-term royalties. GigaStar is the parent company of GigaStar Market, which is a FINRA member and registered as a Funding Portal with the U.S. SEC. The seed funding will support development of its flagship products: GigaStar Market, GigaStar Portfolio, and a planned secondary market platform. Management intends to use the proceeds to expand operations and broaden the company’s business reach. The company anticipated a soft launch in March followed by a full-scale go-to-market in Q2 2023.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2023

CFX Labs is a Chicago, IL-based payment network company led by CEO Nick Cavet. It enables global users to leverage blockchain within a secure closed-loop system to reduce international remittance costs, fraud, and settlement times. The platform integrates with key payment infrastructures in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, India, Nigeria and additional African countries. Offerings include the MoveMoney™ embedded wallet, enabling users to send and receive fiat instantly from brick-and-mortar locations across the U.S. at network affiliated locations including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid and others. The company ensures transactional security and compliance through robust AML/KYC measures. CFX Labs closed a $9.5M Seed funding round and intends to use the funds to expand its network reach and continue development of technologies supporting international payments.

Participated · Series A · May 2012

elevate DIGITAL provides a platform to manage and control connective messaging, digital applications, geo-targeted services and data collection within SMART display technology. The platform enables brands, municipalities and locations to engage with people and devices across verticals including city streets, IoT, hospitality, transportation and entertainment. The company has active deployments in the top 25 major metropolitan markets across the country. Led by founder and CEO George Burciaga, elevate DIGITAL is expanding its IoT/Smart City offering. The company intends to use the funds from the recent raise to further develop that offering. It has opened a third office in Las Vegas and expects to create approximately 17 new jobs. elevate Digital, founded in 2011 by CEO George Burciaga, provides a street-level digital interactive platform delivered through interactive digital displays. Its solution combines interactive software applications, connective advertising and social and mobile integration to help advertisers achieve higher engagement. The company has developed applications that provide user data and metrics, enabling advertisers to measure campaign performance. To date it has deployed more than 70 screens across the city of Chicago and established partnerships with Groupon, The Tribune Company and World Business Chicago. elevate raised $1.5M in Series A funding and previously raised an initial $2.7M tranche in May 2012. The company intends to use the funds for product development and geographic expansion, targeting deployments in 30 markets by the end of 2014 and plans to complete the Series A before year-end. Elevate Digital (dba smartDIGITAL) develops street-level interactive digital displays and companion software that integrate mobile features and multi-touch interfaces for marketers. Its product line includes Elevate wall, Elevate glass, and indoor and outdoor interactive digital displays in large customizable formats. The displays collect behavioral data, report targeted consumer results and provide predictive analytics to advertisers. The company plans to accelerate growth in Chicago, is in talks to expand service to New York City and Miami, and intends to complete its Series A round within the next 60 days. Elevate Digital processes more than half a million interactions across Chicago each month and has partnerships with Groupon, the Chicago Tribune, and Metromix. The company is moving its headquarters to 200 S. Michigan Ave. and plans to double headcount in the next 90 days.

Participated · Series A · May 2012

smartDIGITAL builds large, multi-touch interactive ad displays (kiosks) that let consumers interact with ads to share photos, buy deals, or email content to their phone. Groupon is a partner on the platform. The displays are already deployed in Chicago and Miami, and early usage metrics are strong: kiosks are usually active 6.5 hours a day, typically host three people per interaction, and users access an average of four services over a three-minute period. The company plans to expand to 10 markets over the next 36 months. Its next product step is a full product line called Elevate Digital — wall and glass displays for indoor and outdoor installations — and the company expects to shift branding toward Elevate over time. The business recently completed a $2.7M Series A financing.