The Venture Codex

Led · Seed · Jan 2021

VersusGame operates a mobile gaming platform where millions of people worldwide watch video-based prediction questions and predict outcomes of cultural moments. Hundreds of creators, content publishers and brands publish videos in an interactive game format that lets players predict against friends, influencers and celebrities on the VersusGame app, mobile website, Snapchat and Instagram channels. VersusGame-powered predictions are distributed through publishers including Billboard and BuzzFeed, and partners such as ESPN, UFC and The Walking Dead have created prediction games on the platform. Today more than 800 influencers and celebrities, in addition to media partners, create predictions through the platform. The company works with large brand marketers across CPG, electronics, retail, tech and entertainment to create engagement experiences. Led by founder and CEO John Vitti, VersusGame plans to use new capital to expand product development, grow its technology team, support media and brand partnerships, and deepen relationships with creators and players across entertainment, sports and social media. VersusGame provides a prediction-based pop culture gaming app where users can put money on trending topics about celebrities, pop culture, sports, entertainment, food, and more. Led by John Vitti and based in San Mateo, CA, the app has partnered with talent in the MMA, music, and sports industries. Since its launch in 2019, VersusGame has distributed over $16 million in cash prizes to more than 7 million players. The company intends to use new funds to continue expanding its partner and user base in the entertainment, sports, and social media spaces. Financially, the company has received over $12 million in funding to date. The core product combines social engagement and real-money prediction gaming focused on pop culture and sports audiences. Versus Game is a mobile game and consumer prediction marketplace that rewards users for correct predictions on celebrities, pop culture, athletes, brands and other matchups. The app is available on Android and iOS and began as a platform for influencers and celebrities to monetize and engage fans; it now offers a user-created game feature allowing anyone to earn money. The company reports steady revenue growth and a doubling of its user base, bringing total users to 6 million as of January 2021, and has given away over $10.5 million in cash prizes to date. Versus positions itself as a way for next-generation content creators to directly monetize their followings and create alternative revenue streams. Upcoming initiatives include a $1 million giveaway during the week of the Super Bowl and another during the week of the Grammys. The recent financing will be used to massively expand the user base by engaging more influencers in entertainment, sports and social media, and total funding now stands at $6 million since launch.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2020

Endel builds an AI-driven platform that generates personalized, real-time adaptive soundscapes using inputs such as movement, time of day, weather, location and other factors. The company offers multiple modes — relax, focus, sleep, recovery, study and move — and has partnered with artists like Grimes, James Blake and Miguel to produce content. Endel’s technology is patented and described as scientifically validated; the team says its soundscapes can increase focus by 7x and decrease stress by 3.6x with regular use. The app is available on iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Amazon Alexa and Apple TV and reports more than 1 million monthly active users and over 1.5 million monthly listening hours. Usage rose roughly 30% during the pandemic, with focus overtaking sleep as the top use case. The company plans to speed up soundscape production, deepen artist and scientific collaborations, and move toward an always-on, more proactive personalization model over the next few years. Endel provides a service that generates background soundscapes and ambient audio. The article describes the company as having Russian roots. It reports that Endel raised $5 million in a funding round. Named investors include Target Global and True Ventures, alongside other unspecified investors. The article does not include details on instrument type, prior rounds, founding year, location, revenue, or user metrics. Coverage of the raise appeared on vc.ru. Endel offers an app that generates personalized, adaptive sound environments intended to help users focus, relax, and sleep better. Its core algorithm incorporates circadian rhythms, the pentatonic scale, and sound masking to produce adaptive audio. The soundscapes adapt to inputs such as time of day, weather, heart rate, and location to boost productivity and cognitive abilities. The company received an investment from Amazon’s Alexa Fund; the amount and terms were not disclosed. Endel is based in Berlin, Germany and was a 2018 alumnus of the Techstars Music Accelerator. No additional financial metrics or future product plans were specified in the article.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2020

Lynq developed the human compass, a device that uses GPS to enable private, peer-to-peer location and data tracking without cellular networks or infrastructure. Its core technology is a licensable software and network protocol that can be integrated into other devices to enable decentralized device-to-device communication of location, messages, sensor and other low-bandwidth data over miles. The company currently sells its people compass direct-to-consumer and to government customers, which were the primary sources of 2020 revenue. Lynq also completed a $1.7M presale that helped drive early interest and investor traction. Management says licensing the software will evolve into its primary, high-margin and scalable revenue stream, shifting focus from device sales. Near-term plans include growing the team, completing software development, announcing integrations and partnerships, and beginning integration of the technology into licensee devices while continuing device sales. Lynq makes peer-to-peer location devices that let individuals and groups locate each other anywhere, independent of phones, cellular networks, Wi‑Fi and maps. Its rugged, waterproof hardware supports up to 40,000 units in a small area without interference. The company plans a B2B2C rental rollout followed by direct-to-consumer sales targeting families and outdoor enthusiasts, and also aims for government customers. Successful betas were conducted at Telluride and other ski resorts, and additional tests are scheduled at theme parks and festivals. The technology is under evaluation for use in disaster relief, search and rescue, and stealth operations. Lynq was founded in October 2014, is an alumnus of the HAX hardware accelerator, and is led by CEO Dave Shor.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2020

Lynq Technologies is a Brooklyn, NY–based deep-tech startup that uses a decentralized and private network protocol to allow devices and people to transmit low-bandwidth data across miles without cellular networks or infrastructure. Its software can be integrated into any device, enabling each device to create private, decentralized networks capable of communicating low-bandwidth data with any device "connected by Lynq." The company is led by founder and CEO Dave Shor, President Karina Costa, and co-founder and head of business development Matthew Misbin. Lynq raised $6m in seed funding in January 2020 from ff Venture Capital, Sony Innovation Fund, Chetrit Ventures and Plus Eight Equity Partners. John Frankel, Partner at ff Venture Capital, joined Lynq's board of directors in conjunction with the funding. The company intends to use the funds to expand the team and further develop scalable opportunities around its core technology.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2019

Landr provides a cloud-hosted mastering dashboard that uses AI trained on data from over 10 million tracks to generate bespoke audio post-production processors and make real-time tweaks. The platform also includes collaboration tools for sharing and commenting, plus a distribution program that lets artists publish to major services without surrendering a cut of earnings. The company reports 2.5 million artists in 160 countries have mastered and promoted over 12 million tracks with its tools, and it now releases thousands of tracks weekly on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Recent product updates include multiple mastering styles, volume matching for playback, and other quality-of-life improvements. Landr has attracted backers and supporters from prominent producers and artists such as Hans Zimmer, Nas, Richie Hawtin, Pete Tong, and Tiga. The company has raised over $30 million to date and intends to use its new funding to expand its music-technology capabilities and pursue new market-shifting directions. LANDR applies big data analytics and artificial intelligence to automated music mastering through an online engine. The company offers subscription tiers ranging from $6 to $39 per month and says it has analyzed tens of thousands of files to model mastering engineers' decisions. LANDR serves about 250,000 users, many of them amateur artists who otherwise would not pay for mastering, while some professionals use the service for quick reference masters. The company has brought on roughly 50 audio and mastering professionals to refine its technology and today launched Ionian 1.0, the latest iteration of its mastering engine. CEO Pascal Pilon says LANDR aims to partner with streaming platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud to raise online audio mastering standards, and the company plans to expand its technology to tackle video as well.