• CNote

  Participated · Series A · Sep 2022

  CNote operates an impact investing platform that routes investor funds into fixed-income and time deposit products designed to advance economic equality, racial justice, gender equity and climate-change adaptation. The platform leverages technology and a community-first framework to enable corporations, institutions and individuals to invest at scale and delivers regular reporting on the social impact of deposits and investments. CNote places funds through a network of over 2,000 impact-driven community financial institutions that serve low- to moderate-income communities, support women and people-of-color entrepreneurs, fund affordable housing and provide other forms of economic inclusion. The company reports it is deploying about $300 million in cash and fixed-income investments via its platform and serves roughly 1,900 corporate, foundation and individual investors. Notable investors on the platform include AMD, Patagonia, Xylem, Apple, Mastercard, Netflix and PayPal. CNote plans to use recent funding to advance its technology, expand its sales team and deepen its network of community financial institutions. CNote is a women-led financial technology platform that makes it easy to invest in economic inclusion through diversified community investments. The company uses technology to unlock proven community investments targeting racial equity, economic justice and gender equity. It aims to help close the wealth gap in underserved communities across America and generate economic mobility and financial inclusion. Led by CEO Catherine Berman, CNote packages impact investments for investors seeking socially responsible opportunities. The company intends to use recent funding to extend its reach in the socially responsible investing space. CNote is based in Oakland, California.

• Proof of Impact

  Participated · Series A · Aug 2022

  Led by CEO Fleur Heyns, Proof of Impact provides a digital product toolset that enables purpose-driven investors, asset managers, enterprises, consultants and other institutions to collect, verify and visualize ESG and impact data. The platform translates raw ESG and impact data into granular insights and contextual analysis to help clients understand and fulfill impact- and ESG-related objectives and tie verified impact to financial performance. Proof of Impact operates across more than 30 industries and serves a client base of over 100 companies spanning six continents. The company plans to expand its impact-linked finance solutions and accelerate go-to-market efforts focused on private credit and private equity fund managers. It also intends to further extend its core offering by incorporating blockchain-based innovations in the form of proprietary impact oracles. Proof of Impact provides a suite of digital products to collect, verify, and visualize ESG and impact data to draw granular insights and intelligence. The company is based in San Diego and is led by CEO Fleur Heyns. It plans to use new funding to accelerate and enhance its core product offerings and to hire additional talent. This year Proof of Impact expanded its client base and reported Annual Recurring Revenue growth at a 40% monthly compounded rate. The company increased total contract values by 65x from the prior year and doubled headcount to 15 employees. Hiring has focused across engineering, product, sales, and marketing. Proof of Impact is an Amsterdam-based, blockchain-powered marketplace founded in 2017 by Fleur Heyns that enables donors and impact investors to donate or invest directly into measurable impact outcomes. The platform allows impact implementers (NGOs, companies and initiatives) to deliver verifiable impact events at an individual level and sell them directly to buyers. All verified impact events are mapped to the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The company aims to securitize proven impact and offer liquid impact investment products and portfolios supported by blockchain technology to mobilize diversified capital. Proof of Impact intends to use the new funding to continue its growth trajectory and execute its securitization strategy to bring proven-impact products to global capital markets. The POI marketplace was scheduled to launch in the Netherlands in Q1 2020.

• Pomp and Whimsy

  Participated · Seed · Jul 2021

  Pomp & Whimsy is a gin brand that sells spirits and operates an e-commerce channel. The company raised $2.6M in seed funding to accelerate growth in key markets. Management plans to expand distribution through current and new partners and to grow its e-commerce business via a partnership with Thirstie. Distribution expansion will involve partners including Breakthru Beverage Group and Allied Beverage, Republic National Distribution Company, Opici Family Distributing, and Favorite Brands. The company is led by Nicola Nice and will use the new funds to accelerate market growth and scale distribution.

• The Beans

  Participated · Equity · Jun 2021

  The Beans is a San Francisco–based company building a financial operating system tailored for caring professionals and the organizations that employ them. Its platform uses AI to manage cash flows and automatically execute financial tasks such as saving, debt repayment, and tax optimization, turning complex financial decisions into everyday peace of mind. In addition to individual tools, the company provides workforce-development resources to employers, aiming to relieve employee financial stress and improve retention. Recent product enhancements extend its reach into healthcare networks, educational institutions, and nonprofits, where large numbers of frontline employees face persistent financial pressure. The company plans to leverage new capital to deepen personalized recommendations and intelligent cash-flow automation features while scaling distribution partnerships across the healthcare and education sectors. Led by founder and CEO Melissa Pancoast, The Beans positions itself as both a fintech solution and an employee-benefits platform. No operating metrics such as revenue or user counts were disclosed in the article, but the funding signals investor confidence in its growth trajectory.

No current team members are available.