Led · Series A · Jul 2023

Ten Thousand is a New York City–based men's activewear brand focused on performance-driven apparel tested by elite athletes. The company offers apparel, accessories, and equipment for athletes ranging from crossfitters to endurance runners. Its products emphasize athlete-led design and precision for customers who train with purpose. Ten Thousand competes within the global athleticwear market, which the article notes exceeds $100 billion. The brand has attracted institutional investors and is positioning to lead the premium men's performance apparel category. Financially, it completed a Series A in 2023 that raised $21.5 million and has secured additional capital in a subsequent Series B (terms undisclosed). Ten Thousand is a men's activewear brand that designs premium, purpose-built training apparel for serious and hybrid athletes. Its core product line emphasizes high-quality materials, attention to detail, and athlete-tested performance gear. The company has cultivated a strong following and claims one of the highest repeat-customer rates in the industry. Ten Thousand has built the Run Strong program to engage hybrid athletes and has activated at events like the Life Time Miami Marathon and Chicago Half Marathon, raising over $10,000 for the Life Time Foundation. With the new funding and partnerships, the company plans to grow its team, invest in inventory, explore retail, form larger partnerships, and expand marketing channels. The company is addressing customer demand and capacity constraints as a key operational focus.

Led · Equity · Jan 2023

Makeup by Mario is an artist-driven color cosmetics brand founded by Mario Dedivanovic. Based in New York, NY, the brand launched in October 2020 and sells color cosmetics anchored in Dedivanovic's artistry and techniques. Dedivanovic is a world-renowned makeup artist with a client roster that includes celebrities, dignitaries, royalty and world leaders. He also shares his techniques through an education platform called The Masterclass. The company announced a $40 million minority growth investment to support its growth. Investors include Provenance, a consumer-focused private investment firm that helps brands navigate omnichannel growth, and Silas Capital.

Led · Equity · Nov 2020

MeUndies designs and sells ultra-soft underwear, socks, sleepwear and loungewear for men and women, offering singles, packs and a monthly membership subscription. The brand emphasizes inclusivity, body positivity and transparency, and operates a cause-marketing platform called MeUndies Gives. Customers can buy individually or via a membership that provides discounted pricing, flexible delivery and early access to weekly product drops. MeUndies reports having sold more than 16 million pairs of underwear to date. The company offers sizes XS to 4XL and highlights sustainable and ethical manufacturing and workplace diversity practices. It has a physical flagship store opened in Los Angeles in 2018 and plans to expand omnichannel operations into additional international markets and physical locations. MeUndies is an e-commerce provider focused on undergarments that sells both men's and women's underwear. The Los Angeles-based company is one of the startups out of studio Science Inc. According to a regulatory filing, MeUndies has raised $5.7M as part of an ongoing $12.0M funding round. The company has not publicly disclosed additional details about the round, including participating investors or terms. The filing did not include operating metrics, past financing specifics, or stated plans for the capital. Outside of the funding disclosure, the article provides no information on revenue, user counts, or future product expansion.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2018

Zaius combines a customer data platform and marketing automation to give consumer brands a single view of customers and enable personalized, cross-channel campaigns. CEO Mark Gally framed the problem as a consumer-marketing “swivel chair problem” where existing tools leave data siloed or insufficient for personalization. The company says the platform can deliver as much as a 33 percent improvement in revenue per message and grow campaign reach by up to 50 percent for some customers. Tea Forte praised Zaius for bringing data into one place to provide a complete view across web, mobile, and email. Financially, Zaius has raised a $30 million Series B and $50.8 million in total funding to date. The new capital will be used to expand its developer ecosystem and integrate with other marketing tools while upgrading customers’ overall systems rather than forcing rip-and-replace. Zaius is a Boston, MA–based CRM built for business-to-consumer marketers. Led by CEO Mark Gally, the platform unifies all customer interaction data in a single dashboard, helps marketers understand key revenue drivers, and automates customer touch points across every channel. The company serves customers including Nine West, Easy Spirit and e-commerce businesses such as Moda Operandi. Zaius closed an $8M funding round to support its growth. The new funds will be used to grow sales and marketing and expand partnerships. Zaius provides an engagement platform that enables companies to capture, analyze and act on customer data in real time to optimize consumer experiences across channels. The platform is aimed at organizations with large customer bases. The company was founded in 2012 by Philip Wickline (CEO), Matt Tharp and CTO Spencer Pingry and is based in Cambridge, MA. Zaius currently employs seven people. It closed a $6.3M Series A funding. Backers included David Skok of Matrix Partners and others, and Ray Tacoma will join Zaius’ board.