Led · Series A · Jun 2026

K25.ai combines artificial intelligence, live streaming, creator monetization and prediction-based information markets to enable users to watch, engage and predict around real-time content such as sports, esports, entertainment and cultural events. Its AI layer supports the prediction market lifecycle, including event discovery, market generation, live content understanding, data extraction, outcome monitoring and resolution workflows. The company also uses AI-assisted tools for event creation, content analysis and outcome resolution. K25.ai is led by CEO Andy Cheung and is expanding commercially across multiple APAC markets. The recent $2M investment from NIVF at a $100M valuation is intended to fund that regional expansion.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2022

Impossible Mining builds responsible seabed mining and refining technology with a focus on deep‑sea robotics and Bio‑Extraction. Based in San Jose and a graduate of Y Combinator's W22 batch, the company is developing a four‑mile‑deep robotic collection system to selectively recover battery metals from the seafloor. It is also developing Bio‑Extraction refining technology intended to process recovered materials in an environmentally responsible way. The team says its approach aims to preserve the seafloor environment compared with dredge‑based methods. Impossible Mining closed an additional $10.1 million in seed funding to fund development and testing of its deep‑sea robotics and to continue advancing its extraction technology. Leadership has emphasized the strategic importance of securing independent access to critical battery metals amid rising lithium‑ion battery demand.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2017

Catalia Health is a San Francisco–based patient care management company founded in 2014 that offers an AI-powered personal healthcare companion called Mabu. The platform combines artificial intelligence, psychology and medical best practices to support patients managing chronic illnesses and to deliver daily, tailored check-ins. Mabu is deployed to help patients with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, late-stage kidney disease and congestive heart failure and to provide clinicians insight on adherence and patient status. Catalia positions its technology against a U.S. population of roughly 117 million people managing chronic conditions and targets improved medication adherence, symptom management and reduced readmissions. The company announced a hire for Director of Product Management to oversee the platform roadmap as it prepares clinical and commercial rollout. Catalia Health provides an AI-powered patient engagement platform that pairs proprietary conversation-generation algorithms with a social robot, Mabu, to engage patients, collect data, and support care management. The platform targets chronic-disease management and medication adherence, aiming to improve symptom management and reduce hospital readmissions. Catalia plans to build and deploy its care management system across its first three disease states and begin patient rollout in its first two disease states in early summer 2017. The company emphasizes scalable, personalized conversations to increase adherence and monitor patient health. Catalia was founded in 2014 and is based in San Francisco; Dr. Cory Kidd is CEO and founder. Financially, the company has completed a seed extension following an earlier seed round to fund product deployment and data collection. Catalia Health develops Mabu, a social robot designed to provide information and support for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart disease. The company is pitching Mabu to healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies to augment doctors and help manage large patient populations. Catalia has an alpha prototype in its offices and plans to scale production and deployment. The firm expects to have the first robots on the market by the end of the year and is already in discussions with several early potential customers. Founded by Cory Kidd using work that began at MIT’s Media Lab and evolved through his prior company Intuitive Automata, Catalia is positioning Mabu around engagement and the psychology of interaction. The company will use the recent financing to scale up its business.

Led · Seed · Oct 2015

Ampy builds kinetic charging battery packs that recharge from wearer motion and can serve as spare power for phones and other devices. The company says it is working to shrink its magnetic charging technology to embed in wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers. Ampy has prototyped integration and is evaluating customers’ needs around size, power, durability and comfort, and is reportedly in talks with some device makers. The startup will use new funding to scale production of its current consumer product and to expand its six-person team. Ampy ran a crowdfunding campaign that raised just under $310,000 on Kickstarter and has adjusted its product based on backer feedback. It increased battery capacity from the originally touted 1,000mAh to 1,800mAh and expects to have all devices shipped to backers by the end of November.

Participated · Seed · May 2015

Shift Messenger provides a communication and scheduling tool built specifically for shift workers and their managers, allowing users to post, trade, and be notified about shifts. The product includes mobile apps and a recently launched website version that lets non-smartphone users post shifts and receive SMS notifications. Features include photo sharing, an admin mode for managing users across multiple locations, and planned additions such as individual channels, manager schedule creation/distribution, and broadcast tools for company leaders. The company is a Y Combinator alum and says “thousands of people are using the app across hundreds of workplaces,” with user numbers up fivefold since earlier coverage; customers include branches of Starbucks, Niketown, the Apple Store, and a few police stations. Founder Austin Vedder says part of the seed funding will be used to hire more design and engineering staff and to build user-requested features. The product roadmap emphasizes improving team-level communication and tools for managers to distribute schedules digitally.