Led · Series A · May 2022

Slutty Vegan is a provocative, high-energy vegan burger chain known for its party‑like restaurant atmosphere and bold branding. Its product line has expanded beyond burgers to include kettle chips, CBD gummies, and a line of dips (one flavor: Bangin’ Hot‑Lanta Chik’n) now sold at Target. A major grocery chain has ordered 60,000 units of the company's dip. The brand currently operates five stores and is expanding into Brooklyn and Baltimore as part of a rapid growth plan. Cole intends to use new capital to open 10 locations by the end of this year and another 10 in 2023 and to hire a chief operating officer and chief marketing officer. The company began in July 2018 from a shared kitchen and Instagram orders, grew to a food truck and then fixed locations, and is valued at $100 million after the latest round.

Participated · Series A · Oct 2021

Loop is building an equitable auto-insurance platform that replaces traditional demographic factors like credit score and education level with real-time roadway conditions and driver behavior. Operating as a managing general agent (and certified B-corp), the company vertically integrates with carriers while owning customer acquisition, underwriting, and servicing. Its proprietary dataset of more than 100 million crashes across 27 states, combined with traffic, infrastructure, and weather inputs, powers AI models that generate personalized quotes via a smartphone app. Telematics continuously tracks driving to refine pricing and reward safe habits, targeting millennial and Gen Z drivers comfortable with data sharing. Loop earns a gross commission on every policy it sells. The service is slated to launch—pending regulatory approval—in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. Seed capital is being directed toward hiring and expanding its data-science infrastructure ahead of market entry.

Led · Series A · Jun 2019

Bitwise Industries provides scalable digital solutions, including Salesforce managed services, DocuSign implementations, and custom SaaS offerings, staffed by a representative workforce. The company focuses on building tech economies in underestimated cities and uses its services to create local employment and skills pathways. Bitwise plans to use new funding to expand in current and new locations and to further develop its managed services and SaaS products. It has partnered with the Comer Science & Education Foundation to support expansion to Chicago’s South Side and to strengthen local workforce connections. The company is led by CEO Jake Soberal and is based in Fresno, CA. Financially, Bitwise recently completed a substantial funding round to support its growth initiatives. Bitwise Industries operates paid tech apprenticeship programs and builds buildings to house tech work in underserved cities, leveraging public-private partnerships. The company runs the Digital New Deal (DND) initiative, which has trained over 5,000 individuals. Bitwise connects apprentices to tech opportunities and has expanded its model to serve five cities: Fresno, Bakersfield, Merced, Oakland, and Toledo. Leadership is led by Irma Olguin Jr. and Jake Soberal. The company intends to use the new funding to grow into multiple new markets across the country, beginning with Toledo, Ohio. Financially, Bitwise completed a $50M Series B to support that expansion. Bitwise Industries creates a tech ecosystem focused on activating human potential to elevate underdog cities. It operates three lines of business: Geekwise Academy, which trains people to code with a focus on marginalized groups; commercial real estate that provides workspace for technologists and mission-aligned employers that hire from Geekwise; and Shift3 Technologies, a custom software development shop that pairs senior talent with entry-level programmers from Geekwise Academy. The company uses its integrated model to train talent and supply clients with software services while anchoring local tech hubs. Bitwise intends to use new funding to continue growth in Fresno and to expand to other cities, beginning with Bakersfield, Calif. The company was founded in 2013 by Irma L. Olguin, Jr. and Jake A. Soberal.