Participated · Equity · Dec 2020

Tap Network offers a customizable, white-label rewards-as-a-service product that plugs into existing loyalty programs to broaden reward options and lower redemption thresholds. The company enables partners to let customers spend points on third-party offerings (for example, free Apple Music or HBO Max) or donate to causes, and it reduces the minimum points required to claim rewards. Tap has worked with partners such as Uber to expand their rewards, and its customers include Warner Music Group and the Brave browser. CEO and co-founder Lin Dai previously founded Hooch and says lessons from that experience shaped Tap’s focus on broader rewards. Tap positions its service as a way for companies to unlock liabilities sitting in customer wallets by making points more spendable across a wider network. The company has raised outside capital to grow the network and product integrations.

Led · Series A · Jun 2019

BioEclipse Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company led by founder and CEO Pamela Contag, Ph.D., focused on delivering curative immuno-oncology therapeutics. Its lead product, CRX-100, is a patented, first in class, intravenously delivered targeted immunotherapy being developed against solid tumors, including some rare pediatric cancers. The company is preparing to initiate Phase 1b/2a clinical trials of CRX-100 in therapy-refractory solid tumors. BioEclipse announced a $7.7M Series A-1 financing and plans to use the proceeds to advance CRX-100 into those clinical studies. The financing brought total funding raised to date to $9.3M. The company also added three new board members: Mark Frohlich, MD (former EVP at Juno Therapeutics); Elona Baum (Managing Director, DEFTA Partners); and Oliver Hopkinson (Co‑Founder and Manager, Revelis Capital Group).

Led · Seed · May 2018

Hooch operates a consumer subscription that offers one free drink per day for $9.99 monthly and a premium Hooch Black tier for $295 per year that adds hotel deals, concierge service and other perks. The company recently launched Hooch Black and is expanding its advisory board to support hospitality and media partnerships. Hooch said it will work with Warner Music Group on content, events and promotions. Leadership views strategic partner relationships as central to competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. The company is preparing to launch a blockchain initiative and is exploring its own cryptocurrency token to enable a decentralized model for consumer rewards. Financially, Hooch raised a $5M seed and had previously raised $2.75M across two pre-seed rounds; management expects to reach profitability before pursuing a larger Series A. Hooch is a subscription-based drink app that charges $9.99 per month to let users claim one “free” drink each day at participating bars and clubs. The app partners with venues to drive customer discovery and currently works with about 400 bars across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Austin, San Diego, New Jersey, Phoenix and Hong Kong. Hooch has signed established partners including Dream Hotels, The London Hotel in Los Angeles and Ladurée in New York, which the company says adds credibility in a competitive hospitality app market. The startup plans product enhancements such as a touchless redemption process for bartenders and a mobile payment solution to allow users to order additional drinks and pay their full bar bill through the app. Hooch views the mobile payment feature as a potential revenue stream by taking a small slice of transactions. The company will use the new funding to roll out these product improvements and to expand geographically, targeting 35 cities in the next year and a half with San Francisco, Seattle and Houston listed as next markets. Hooch is a subscription-based mobile app that offers members one round of cocktails at participating bars via a curated drinks menu. Members pay $9.99 per month or $99 per year for access to partner venues. The app launched exclusively in New York in November 2015 and is available on iOS and Android; it advertises presence in New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas and Miami. Hooch positions itself as a virtual cocktail society connecting users and venues and has been featured in TechCrunch, CNBC, LA Times and Time Out, and listed on Refinery29's Favorite App List. The company says the service drives value for both users and venues and has won the Anheuser-Busch/ZX Ventures Start Up Competition at SXSW. Hooch was founded by nightlife and tech veterans and plans to use new funding to accelerate growth domestically and internationally. Hooch is a subscription app that lets members redeem one complimentary cocktail per day for $9.99/month. The service partners with bars and restaurants, which offer a first drink free as a promotional tool to drive foot traffic and higher tabs. CEO Lin Dai reports members redeem an average of 16 drinks per month, with customers spending an additional $30–$40 per visit and checks at participating restaurants reaching up to $140. Hooch is live in Los Angeles and New York and is expanding soon to Austin and Miami. The app is available on iOS and Android. The company envisions expanding beyond drinks into broader hospitality offers such as free appetizers or hotel room upgrades.