The Venture Codex

Led · Equity · Aug 2023

ShipCalm provides e-commerce fulfillment and third-party logistics services, including Amazon FBA prep, reverse logistics, kitting, packing and assembly, shipping, and warehousing, supported by its SaaS AI platform SmartWarehouses™. The company targets SMBs and digitally native brands with a third-party operations platform that layers data, analytics and AI on top of logistics and real estate. ShipCalm plans to use its recent financing to expand into new territories, scale its network and service offerings, and add up to 30 hires across technology, sales and marketing, and operations. The company reported rapid revenue growth, rising over 40% in Q2 versus Q1 2023, and its CEO anticipates another triple-digit revenue growth year in 2024. ShipCalm is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., and was founded in 2017. The firm emphasizes omni-channel support to help brands move earlier into wholesaling and national retail chains while managing acquisition-cost pressures.

Led · Equity · May 2022

Bold Strategies provides a comprehensive, single-vendor solution that combines talent, a proven playbook, and proprietary software to simplify multi-channel eCommerce for CPG brands. The firm helps clients sell on DTC sites and major marketplaces including Instacart, GoPuff, Amazon, and Walmart.com. Founded in 2017 by Allan Peretz, the former leader of Procter & Gamble's Global DTC team, BOLD positions itself as a one-stop partner for web, marketing, analytics, fulfillment and related services. The company was ranked #259 on the Inc. 5000 and #24 on the Vet100 list of veteran-owned and operated companies. BOLD said it will use new funds for strategic talent investments, marketing, and continued development of its proprietary FOCUS eCommerce dashboard. The announcement notes $2.3 million in new investment from Montage Capital.

Led · Convertible Note · Aug 2018

WebLinc is an Old City software maker focused on cloud commerce products. CEO Darren Hill said the capital will go toward improvements in content, search and insights—features retailers and brands need. The company employs around 150 people across its Philly, Vancouver, and Toronto hubs. WebLinc plans to use the $6M infusion to further grow its sales and marketing teams. The funding will also support continued product development of its cloud commerce offerings. WebLinc Corporation, based in Philadelphia, provides e-commerce solutions to online retailers through its Workarea Commerce Platform and Orderbot Operations Management. Workarea is a cloud-based digital commerce platform uniting commerce, content and insights into one application, while Orderbot focuses on order lifecycle operations management. The company serves commerce sites for retailers including Sanrio, Urban Outfitters' Terrain and BHLDN brands, Lonely Planet, U.S. Polo Assn., Do it Best Corp., Woodcraft, Rachel Roy and others. Backed by Safeguard Scientifics, WebLinc also maintains satellite offices in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. The company will use the financing proceeds to further expand its platform and serve a wider range of businesses in the digital commerce market. WebLinc operates an e-commerce platform that powers the online stores of retailers such as Nasty Gal, Urban Outfitters' Free People and Eataly. The company was co-founded by brothers Darren and Jason Hill in 1994 and bootstrapped for more than two decades. Its platform emphasizes responsive design and mobile omni-channel tools — clients saw revenue increase 54% year-over-year last quarter, mobile performance up 94%, and responsive-driven sales up 132%. WebLinc says it raised outside capital to "ignite aggressive growth" and accelerate feature development. Planned uses of the funding include onboarding more third-party integration partners, expanding marketing and sales, and further developing APIs and mobile omni-channel capabilities.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2018

EV Connect offers a cloud-based, open-standard platform designed to be hardware-agnostic, enabling hardware vendors and site operators to monitor, manage, and maintain EV charging stations. The company operates a two-tiered model: it manages roughly 1,000 charging sites through its EV Connect network and also sells a customizable software platform to businesses. EV Connect provides a smartphone app giving drivers real-time access to charging station status. Clients include Yahoo!, Marriott, Hilton, Western Digital, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the New York Power Authority. As part of its recent funding, EV Connect plans to work with Mitsui to develop new business models around charging infrastructure, including fleet and energy management solutions aimed at lowering charging costs and maximizing utilization. Financially, the company raised $12 million in a Series B and has raised $25 million to date. EV Connect, founded in 2009 by Jordan Ramer, develops EV Cloud™, a cloud-based software platform for managing electric vehicle charging stations and coordinating their interaction with utilities, energy management systems and drivers. The company provides charging solutions to enterprise and public-sector customers, including Hilton, Western Digital, Electrify America, ADP, Caltrans, Lockheed Martin, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York Power Authority and numerous municipalities. It intends to use new funding to accelerate deployment of its EV Cloud management platform in the U.S., advance integration with utility grid systems and expand into new global markets. The article reports that EV Connect closed an $8m financing round in July 2018. The funding is positioned to support product deployment and deeper utility integration efforts. EV Connect is a Los Angeles, CA–based full-service provider, manager and integrator of electric vehicle (EV) charge stations for commercial and government locations. Led by CEO Jordan Ramer, the company delivers EV charging programs for companies, government and transit agencies, property owners and hotel brands. Its offerings include program design, hardware selection and deployment, network management, driver support, maintenance and a software platform that enables advanced customer-specific features. EV Connect closed an initial round of financing (size undisclosed) to support its expansion. The company intends to use the capital to expand sales, marketing and software development and to build out its partnership program and strategic alliances with charge station manufacturers and network system providers.

Led · Debt Financing · Oct 2017

ArtistWorks operates a patented video-exchange learning platform that enables 35 world-renowned musicians to provide comprehensive, progressive video lessons and direct, asynchronous feedback to students. The platform’s faculty have taught players in 80 countries, recorded over 850 hours of lessons, and completed over 50,000 Video Exchanges®. Co-founded by David Butler (Chairman) and Patricia Butler (CEO), the company is based in Napa, California. ArtistWorks plans to build and promote a new School of Music online and launch an ArtistWorks Accredited Music Program offering a Certificate of Completion. Beginning in the second quarter of 2018 the company will expand its learning experience to high school students in grades 9–12, with the ability for students to earn course credit. Financially, the company held the first closing of a $1.6M Series A and completed a $1.1M growth debt financing.