Participated · Equity · Feb 2022

Zebec provides a programmable cash-flow protocol on Solana that enables real-time, continuous streams of payments and financial transactions for use cases such as payroll and investments. Its initial application, Zebec Pay, is a tax-compliant, on-chain payroll system that lets employees be paid by the second in USDC or other stablecoins and immediately use their funds. The protocol supports a variety of financial flows and is already attracting ecosystem activity—more than 250 projects are building on Zebec shortly after launch. Led by founder Sam Thapaliya, the company plans to use new capital to continue scaling its DeFi payment solution. The article does not report revenue or user-count metrics beyond the number of projects building on the protocol. Zebec Protocol launched on Solana mainnet as a programmable cash-flow protocol that enables continuous, by-the-second streams of payments and financial transactions. Its first application, Zebec Payroll, is a low-fee, tax-compliant on-chain payroll solution that can pay employees every second in USDC or other stablecoins. The platform allows automated dollar-cost-averaging, programmable investments and yield-farming, and allocation to compliant crypto IRA and 401(k) accounts. Zebec also offers a free fiat on-ramp and off-ramp that lets users swap crypto to USD and transfer to bank accounts without fees. Streams can be established in minutes through the company’s application for a single Solana gas fee of a fraction of a cent. Zebec emphasizes moving money completely on-chain without intermediaries, delays or risks of non-payment and cites plans to enable cross-chain streaming in the future. The company was founded by Sam Thapaliya, who positioned the product as giving users greater autonomy over their money.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2021

Caura provides a mobile app that brings driving-related payments and administration into one place, covering vehicle tax, MOT, insurance, tolls and city charges, and planning to add parking. The app is available on iOS and Android and the company intends to extend offerings for both consumers and businesses. Caura plans to develop vehicle maintenance features and UK-wide parking functionality using the new funding. The company also intends to release a suite of products for enterprise and SME customers within the next 12 months. Caura was founded in 2019 and positions itself as a one-stop solution to simplify car ownership for UK drivers. Caura is a vehicle-management platform that lets users manage tolls, congestion charges, road tax, MOT and insurance by linking a vehicle registration to automated payments and reminders. Launched in 2020 and founded in 2019, the app is available on iOS and is used by tens of thousands of UK drivers, carrying a 4.8/5 App Store rating. Caura offers consumer products such as Caura Drive and an FCA-authorised insurance proposition, Caura Protect, which has signed eight insurance partners including Aviva, Ageas, ERS, LV=, Markerstudy, Premier, Southern Rock and Sabre. The company plans native “vehicle companion apps” embedded in infotainment systems, Android and web apps, broader parking and toll integrations, and future support for electric charging. Caura is developing a B2B offering for car manufacturers and aims to expand platform features such as MTAs and claims management for its insurance product. Caura is an iOS app that centralizes vehicle-related administration for drivers in the U.K.; users onboard by entering their vehicle registration to manage parking, tolls, MOT, road tax, insurance and congestion charges. The FCA-approved app integrates with Apple Pay or stores payment details to enable two-click payments and uses in-app notifications to remind users about renewals and charges. It supports multiple registered vehicles, positioning the product for both individual users and potential fleet-manager use, and an Android version is promised by the end of the year. The company was founded by Sai Lakshmi (formerly co-founder of Echo) with co-founders Shaun Foce and Bhavin Kotecha. Caura has raised £1.4 million from various unnamed angel investors. The startup currently does not generate revenue and is passing payments through to final providers while it develops a sustainable business model it plans to share in Q4 2020.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2020

Zeleros Global SL is a Valencian startup developing an electric propulsion system to autonomously transport port containers with zero direct emissions. The technology builds on knowledge generated during Zeleros’ hyperloop development and aims to mobilize large volumes of cargo while alleviating traffic around port areas. The company’s project is aligned with the EU Sustainable Development Goals and has received support from the Eureka‑Eurostars programme co‑financed by the CDTI. Financially, Zeleros received a subordinated loan of €400,000 from the Instituto Valenciano de Finanzas (IVF) to develop the propulsion system. The loan carries a 10‑year term with a three‑year grace period and is part of an IVF line for disruptive subordinated loans co‑financed with ERDF funds. The funding is intended to advance the project toward lower‑carbon, more sustainable port mobility and operations. Zeleros develops an integrated, scalable hyperloop system that aims to enable routes at speeds up to 1,000 km/h while reducing infrastructure cost and operating at safer pressure levels. Its core technology centers on vehicle-integrated solutions intended to lower per-kilometer infrastructure expense and support scalable deployment. The company is also applying its technologies to automate and decarbonize operations in ports and airports. Zeleros is partnering with industrial and research organizations across Europe and beyond, and has teamed with Airbus to test its electric propulsion system. The firm is constructing a pilot linear motor for logistics applications and will exhibit its Z01 vehicle model at the Spain Pavilion in Expo Dubai 2020 (Oct 2021–Mar 2022). Zeleros coordinates more than 180 professionals and some 50 partner organizations in its development program. Zeleros Hyperloop is advancing a hyperloop vehicle designed to efficiently cover routes between 400 and 1,500 kilometers. The company is developing core vehicle technologies and will use new funding to further that work. Led by CEO David Pistoni, Zeleros plans to deploy the European Hyperloop Development Centre in Spain, including a 3-km test track to demonstrate high-speed performance. The centre aims to create an ecosystem of international industrial, technological and institutional partners to accelerate the hyperloop industry in Europe. The firm is based in Valencia, Spain. It completed a financing round announced in January 2020 to support these development and demonstration activities. Zeleros develops a scalable hyperloop system that combines magnetic levitation and propulsion in autonomous vehicles running through low-pressure tubes. The company aims to reduce infrastructure costs to levels comparable with Spanish high-speed rail while enabling speeds of approximately 1,000 km/h. Founded in 2016 from a project at the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Zeleros is described as the first Spanish hyperloop company and operates out of Angels Capital's facilities in the Marina de Empresas in Valencia. Its approach focuses on minimizing infrastructure costs by integrating the principal technologies into the vehicle, targeting energy-efficient transport for passengers and freight. Financially, Angels Capital is set to increase a previously very minor venture-capital stake: part of the amount has already been contributed, another portion is committed, and some funding will be covered by public sources while multinational companies are expected to participate. Angels Capital noted the investment is an exception relative to its usual focus on already-operating, profitable businesses. Founded in 2016, Zeleros is the first Spanish hyperloop company developing a scalable system that integrates core technologies into an autonomous vehicle to minimize infrastructure costs. Its design targets speeds of up to 1,000 km/h with reduced energy consumption, using magnetic levitation inside low‑pressure tubes. The company originated at the Universitat Politècnica de València and was founded by David Pistoni, Daniel Orient, and Juan Vicen. Zeleros’s Hyperloop UPV prototype won Best Concept Design and Best Propulsion Subsystem at SpaceX’s 2015 competition. The improved vehicle, Valentia, was slated to compete in California that summer. As of the article, six companies worldwide were developing hyperloop systems, with Zeleros representing Spain; the company has received investment from Angels Capital and support from Lanzadera and Plug & Play España.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2019

Bestmile develops fleet-management software that collects real-time data (weather, traffic, demand, vehicle telemetry) to optimize supply and demand across mixed fleets. The platform is vehicle-agnostic and is designed to manage human-driven taxis, ride-hailing and microtransit as well as autonomous shuttles and future robotaxis. Bestmile aims to be the preferred platform for public transit operators, automakers and taxi companies, and investors see opportunities extending to urban air mobility. The company currently manages 15 deployments globally and recently partnered with autonomous shuttle operator Beep in Orlando. Bestmile was launched in 2014 and is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, with an office in San Francisco. Financially, the company has raised $16.5 million in this Series B and $31 million in total to date. Bestmile’s Mobility Services Platform enables intelligent operation and optimization of autonomous and human-driven vehicle fleets regardless of brand or type. The platform offers fleet and resource management, mobility service operations and optimization, business back office support, data intelligence, control center dashboards, mobile and web applications, and APIs. It supports fixed-route and on-demand services and is being extended to ridehailing and hybrid fleets that combine autonomous and human-driven vehicles. Bestmile plans to expand micro-transit on-demand services and multi-modal offerings with existing transportation systems, operators and cities. The company works with TNCs, public transit agencies, transportation operators, and private communities, and has partnerships with OEMs and vehicle makers including Navya, EasyMile, Local Motors, Paravan, Next Future Transportation and Hi-tech Robotic Systemz. Incorporated in 2014, Bestmile has global offices in San Francisco and Lausanne and is using funding to support global expansion and strengthen its mobility cloud technology. BestMile offers a fleet automation platform that enables autonomous vehicles to operate and be optimized together as a coordinated fleet. Its platform allows mobility providers to deploy, operate and scale autonomous mobility services. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Raphael Gindrat, with Zhao Lu as its new CTO. BestMile has offices in San Francisco, Lausanne and London. Customers and partners include PostBus, Local Motors, Trapeze and GoMentum Station. The company raised $2M and plans to use the funds to accelerate international deployment and strengthen its technology, sales and marketing resources across Europe and the United States. BestMile is a cloud fleet management platform that connects, operates and optimizes fleets of autonomous vehicles. Independent of any vehicle manufacturer, it manages both scheduled trips and on-demand service, enabling remote management of heterogeneous fleets composed of different vehicle types and brands. A spinoff of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the company is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and San Francisco, California and is led by CEO and co-founder Raphael Gindrat. BestMile recently launched its first commercial project, “SmartShuttle,” in Sion in partnership with PostBus. The company closed a $2.5M seed funding round and is using the funds to enter the next phase of its development. Its cloud technology aims to leverage autonomous vehicles to tackle urban mobility challenges.

Participated · Series A · Jan 2019

Zoov was founded in 2017 by Withings cofounder Eric Carreel, Arnaud Le Rodallec, and Amira Haberah. Its core product is a funky, lightweight electric bike paired with compact stations that can hold 20 bikes within the footprint of a car parking space. The stations use a shopping-cart-like attachment system and are installed for free; users unlock bikes via the Zoov app and Bluetooth. Zoov emphasizes real-time data control to monitor bike status and the operating environment. The company ran a five-month trial in the Saclay region, deploying 200 electric bikes for locals to try. Zoov says the newly raised funding will allow it to expand into new regions over the course of this year.