• KidPass

  Participated · Seed · Jan 2016

  KidPass operates a monthly membership that lets parents use credits to book a wide range of children’s activities including classes, camps, museum programs and more. Memberships start at $49 per month and are sold in three tiers (10/25/50 credits) that support different numbers of children; unused credits roll over for three months. The company reports over 900 activity providers on the platform and, since launching in January 2016, says 20,000 families have signed up and booked over 100,000 activities; there are over 3,000 subscribers in New York and the service is growing 20–30% month over month. KidPass emphasizes a credits-based model (no unlimited plans) and says it has had positive gross margins as a marketplace. It competes with startups like Sawyer and Pearachute. KidPass is also developing software for activity providers (class management, registrations, scheduling and payments) that is currently in private beta with some partners and plans to expand into multiple U.S. markets. KidPass operates a membership-based website and iOS app that lets parents discover and book thousands of kids' activities, with memberships starting at $49/month. The service offers access to art classes, sports, playspaces, date-night drop-offs, music lessons, museums and more at up to 75% off traditional retail prices. Since its beta release in January, over 1,000 families have booked more than 15,000 activities through the platform. The company has listed over 3,500 activities in its app. Led by co-founder and CEO Solomon Liou and based in New York City, KidPass plans to use its new funding to expand operations nationwide. The product focus is on discovery, booking, and discounted access via membership. KidPass operates a subscription-based platform that helps parents discover, browse and instantly book children's activities and events across categories such as arts & crafts, camps, dance, language, music, science & technology, sports and more. The service lets parents search by age, category and location and highlights new spots and activities added daily. KidPass frames its offering around supporting child development on three pillars: cognitive, physical and social. The company is led by CEO Solomon Liou. According to reports, KidPass is using newly raised funds to launch the service and expand operations. The platform emphasizes recommended activities and instant booking to streamline parents' discovery and scheduling workflows.

• Grove

  Participated · Seed · Nov 2015

  Grove nationally launched the Grove Ecosystem, an intelligent indoor garden that uses aquaponics to let fish, plants and microbes grow in symbiosis to produce herbs, lettuces, peppers and small tomatoes. The bookshelf-sized Ecosystem pairs with Grove OS, a mobile app that guides users through growing, lets them control water and light levels, buy curated supplies, and connect with other growers. Grove developed leak-proof plumbing and energy-efficient LED lighting that also functions as an air purifier and home light source. The product was prototype-tested with more than 50 early adopters in Boston and is now available on Kickstarter with retail pricing estimated at $4,500 and early-adopter tiers of $2,700–$3,500. Grove says Kickstarter orders will begin shipping in March (limited to the continental U.S.) and that it plans additional products and services to be launched in 2016 and beyond. The company positions itself as part of a movement toward sustainable, diversified agriculture and education about ecological farming.

• Spoon University

  Participated · Seed · Jul 2015

  Spoon University runs a crowd-sourced content network of student contributors that creates food tips, reviews, and lifestyle pieces aimed at millennials. The site began as a Northwestern magazine in fall 2012, launched a website in 2013, and is New York–based. Content is produced by an onboarding-trained network of roughly 3,000 college students across more than 100 university chapters in the U.S., Canada, and India. The company reports about 1.5 million monthly unique visitors. Spoon University monetizes by packaging content for brands and running on-campus experiential marketing for college users. The company plans to expand its contributor network and produce more video content using the new financing.

• Astro

  Participated · Seed · Jun 2015

  Astro is a newcomer to the connected-home space focused on apartment dwellers and renters, designing simple products that fit existing routines rather than acting as another hub. Its first product, Twist, is a wirelessly controlled LED light bulb with a built-in speaker that screws into any existing lamp and is operated by a circular dimmer instead of a mobile app. The bulbs consume 8–10 watts, are designed to last at least 12 years, and can shift from white to yellow light based on time of day, location, season and weather. Speaker components are made by Tymphany (a manufacturer for Sonos and Bose) and connect via AirPlay with no pairing required, syncing across rooms. Twist is available for pre-order at $249 for a kit that includes one speaker bulb, two LED bulbs, and a dimmer, and Astro plans to roll out additional smart-apartment products over the next couple of years. The company has raised $3 million in seed funding led by Lerer Hippeau Ventures with participation from Crosslink Capital, Winklevoss Capital, Zelkova Ventures, Rugged Ventures, Maiden Lane and others. Astro operates in stealth and is described on its LinkedIn page as a home automation company. Public information about its product, go-to-market or roadmap is not provided in the article. An SEC filing shows the company raised $350,000 via an equity-only offering against a $1 million offering size. The filing lists two directors, Philip James and Shaun Springer. Springer is described on Twitter as a software developer, entrepreneur and consultant. Both directors were previously at Lot18. The article does not disclose revenue, users, investors, or other operating metrics.

• Keen Home

  Participated · Seed · Oct 2014

  Keen Home produces Wi‑Fi‑connected air-conditioning vents that can be retrofitted into existing homes to control heating and cooling by room. The company came out of the NYU ACRE cleantech incubator and appeared on Shark Tank last year. Its smart vents have generated more than $2 million in sales. Keen Home has offered equity through crowdfunding, allowing retail investors to buy stakes in the company. To date, it has raised more than $7 million via equity crowdfunding campaigns. The article does not report other financial details such as institutional rounds, debt, or valuation. Keen Home builds Smart Vents that allow homeowners to control and close vents in individual rooms from a smartphone app. The vents can automatically adjust airflow when they sense a room is too hot or cold to keep the house more comfortable. The company first unveiled the product at Disrupt NY 2013 and is now moving to commercialize it. Keen Home announced partnerships with Lowe's, SmartThings and Wink to sell the Smart Vent beginning in Spring 2015. The company raised $1.52M in seed funding to bring the product to market. Smart Vent pricing has yet to be announced.

No current team members are available.