• ZBiotics

  Participated · Series A · Aug 2024

  ZBiotics positions itself as the world’s first maker of genetically engineered probiotics, building consumer-facing products that add new functionality to the human body. Its flagship Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink mimics the liver by breaking down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol. The company is led by a team of Ph.D. scientists and emphasizes transparent, responsible genetic engineering for consumer use. ZBiotics has more than doubled sales each year, sold over 5 million units cumulatively, and reached company-wide profitability in 2023. It plans to expand into physical retail and use R&D to bring additional use-case probiotics to market. In the near term it will launch a second product focused on microbial diversity in the gut and is exploring products targeting sleep, vaginal health, and athletic performance. ZBiotics develops genetically engineered probiotics designed to deliver new biological functions in the gut. Its first product is a probiotic that mimics liver function in the gut to neutralize toxic alcohol byproducts. The company is pursuing additional engineered strains aimed at helping the body resist environmental toxins and infections (for example, lead-contaminated water and radiation) and at producing useful nutrients such as fiber and high-quality protein. ZBiotics is led by CEO Zack Abbott, PhD. The company said it will use the new funding to accelerate product development, hire new executives and drive sales growth. ZBiotics is based in San Francisco and has raised a total of $5.7M to date. Zbiotics has developed a genetically engineered probiotic that expresses an enzyme to break down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol believed to cause hangover symptoms. The product is intended to be taken before or during drinking rather than after. To date the team has demonstrated function in vitro and through limited self-testing, but has not completed placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed human clinical trials. The founders say they have spent over a year on safety testing and will comply with U.S. regulatory frameworks before launching. They are drafting a human clinical protocol with hangover-research expert Dr. Joris Verster and plan a crowdfunding campaign to support a consumer launch in the U.S. The company is building a flexible gene-editing probiotic platform designed to target additional use-cases beyond hangovers.

• Spruce

  Participated · Series B · Jul 2022

  Spruce is an Austin, TX–based provider of lifestyle services to the multifamily industry offering Housekeeping, Chores, Pet Care, and Laundry through an app that lets residents book certified, insured, background-checked professionals. The company serves residents at more than 2,300 select apartment communities nationwide and operates with a fully distributed workforce. Over the past year Spruce announced three major new partnerships, expanded into the Twin Cities and Jacksonville, FL, and launched a full-service short-term rental turnover vertical that includes customized turnovers, inventory management, and linen management. It initially entered the short-term rental market through a national partnership with RealPage and has since expanded that offering. Spruce plans to use the new capital to nearly double headcount with hiring focused on product, engineering, and sales, and will expand its Austin headquarters to accommodate staff. Leadership changes include newly appointed CEO Steven Pho and founder Ben Johnson moving to President; Manish Narula of SoftBank will join the board as an observer. Spruce provides housekeeping, chores, pet care, laundry and dry cleaning services to the multifamily industry through a resident-facing app. Residents can book services from certified, insured and background-checked professionals. The company currently serves more than 750 apartment communities across the US and has more than 40 employees. Led by founder and CEO Ben Johnson, Spruce connects property residents with on-demand service providers. The company plans to use new funding to expand its offerings to more residents and properties and to continue its national roll-out. Spruce provides hotel-inspired services to the multifamily industry, offering daily chores, housekeeping, pet care, laundry and dry cleaning. Led by founder and CEO Ben Johnson and based in Houston, Texas, it serves more than 200 select communities owned and/or managed by 13 of the 15 largest Texas apartment companies. The company manages logistics and operations of local service provider partners and requires background checks, insurance, comprehensive training, scheduling processes, quality-control standards, and Spruce-branded uniforms. Spruce also operates a dedicated national customer service team that provides full-time support via text, email and phone directly to residents. The company continues development of its software platform to support operations. It plans to use new funds to expand market presence outside Texas, beginning with Denver, and to scale sales and marketing capabilities.

• SHARE Mobility

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2022

  Share Mobility builds a platform that helps companies create and schedule shuttle-based commuter routes using employer data, working with local fleet operators and salaried drivers and offering real-time vehicle tracking, dispatch teams, and a rider hotline. The product is aimed at enabling employers to expand their hiring pool and retain workers by providing transportation as an employee benefit. Founded in 2016, Share initially focused on autonomous vehicles before pivoting to mobility-as-a-service and finding product-market fit during the pandemic. The company has expanded to 11 states, serves enterprise customers across more than 2,000 locations, and customers plan to add Share-powered routes in over 100 locations this year. Financially, Share lost 96% of its revenue in 2020 but has since raised venture funding and grown again; it has raised $19 million in venture capital to date, including the new Series A. With the new capital, Share plans to add product features, expand into requested regions, increase headcount from 35 to 75 by year-end, and pursue expanded work with municipalities on fleet-based on-demand mobility programs.

• Tecovas

  Participated · Series C · Jan 2022

  Tecovas designs and sells western footwear, apparel, and accessories directly to customers. The company was founded in 2015 by CEO Paul Hedrick and is based in Austin, Texas. While born from a love of cowboy boots, Tecovas has expanded its lineup to include a broad array of western-inspired apparel and accessories. The brand emphasizes designing high-quality western products and selling them at a fair price via direct channels. Tecovas intends to use new capital to hire, expand its retail footprint, buy more inventory, and launch many new products. Its recent financing activity has meaningfully increased the company’s lifetime equity funding. Tecovas, founded in 2015 by Paul Hedrick, builds and sells handcrafted cowboy boots directly to consumers online and through retail locations. Its boots are manufactured in León, Mexico, with over 200 steps involved in making a single pair. Price points sit roughly between $195 and $695, with popular men's styles around $225 and an average price point near $300. The company began expanding into physical retail in 2019, opening its first store on Austin's South Congress and later adding locations in Houston and Plano. About 70% of Tecovas's sales come from outside Texas, and the brand has added accessories and apparel categories such as duffle bags, belts, t-shirts, hats, and jeans. Tecovas emphasizes a streamlined buying experience and positions itself as a lower-cost alternative to traditional bootmakers. Tecovas is an Austin, Texas–based direct-to-consumer western brand that uses custom-tanned leathers to produce western boots, belts and accessories. Launched in fall 2015 by Paul Hedrick, the company sells directly to consumers. Tecovas raised $2.6M in funding in a round led by Yeti Capital with participation from existing investors. In conjunction with the funding, Roy Seiders will join Tecovas's board. The company intends to use the proceeds to expand its team, increase marketing efforts, and broaden its product line. Tecovas is a direct-to-consumer handmade western boot brand that designs styles in Austin, Texas and crafts boots in León, Mexico. The company uses a more-than-200-step process and custom-tanned leathers to produce classic, high-quality cowboy boots sold online at tecovasboots.com. Launched in fall 2015, Tecovas aims to disrupt the $3 billion western footwear industry by offering luxury boots at prices unattainable through traditional retail models. The brand emphasizes product quality, creative outreach, and consumer experience to grow its community. Recent funding is intended to expand inventory, consumer reach and the core team, and to provide working capital.

No current team members are available.