Participated · Series B · Jul 2021

Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) is a Peoria, Illinois–based materials-science company that engineers high-performance, plant-based alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. Its proprietary green-chemistry platform powers two flagship products: MIRUM, an all-natural, plastic-free leather replacement, and PLIANT, the world’s first naturally cured performance rubber outsole. Together these materials form a regenerative, circular platform aimed at footwear, fashion, automotive, and industrial markets. The company positions its solutions as drop-in replacements that match or exceed conventional materials on performance, durability, and aesthetics while radically lowering carbon footprints. NFW is seeing rising demand from global brand partners and has secured strategic backing from investors such as BMW iVentures, Ralph Lauren Corporation, Allbirds, and Asahi Kasei. The latest capital will be used to accelerate commercialization, expand manufacturing capacity, and support ongoing product innovation. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Series A · Dec 2018

Hi Fidelity Genetics is a Durham, NC-based computational breeding company that uses novel sensors, data science and statistical genetics to create crop plants. Its technology platform includes the RootTracker™ for analyzing growing roots in the field and Luther™, an end-to-end AI breeding engine. The company aims to help farmers manage yield risks by optimizing and protecting crop yield amid a volatile climate. It plans to bring its breeding platform to the $50B+ global agricultural seed market, with an initial focus on broad-acre crops such as corn and cotton. The company raised an $8.5M Series A and will use the funds to expand its hardware engineering, data science and molecular teams.

Led · Seed · Aug 2017

Certintell is a telemedicine technology company that builds a platform to provide affordable, sustainable access to healthcare for underserved populations. Founded by Ben Lefever, a veteran of Genentech, the company is based in Des Moines, Iowa. Using proceeds from its seed financing, Certintell extended its platform from the web into a mobile application. The company also introduced a virtual waiting room feature that mirrors the patient and provider experience of an in-person urgent care visit. Management is accelerating marketing efforts to providers that serve underserved populations, particularly Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs). Financially, Certintell closed an $850K seed round funded through investments by Prairie Crest Capital to support product development and go-to-market activities.