Participated · Equity · Jan 2018

Bigleaf Networks provides a Cloud-first SD‑WAN platform that intelligently routes and prioritizes traffic across multiple internet connections to increase redundancy and keep cloud and SaaS apps online. The company’s architecture, patterned after a leaf, funnels traffic through many veins to protect applications from disconnections and brownouts without user configuration. Bigleaf emphasizes intelligent software over complex manual policies and preserves customers’ existing firewall security posture, which it says is important to MSP partners. The platform supports connectivity for point-of-sale systems, electronic health records, VoIP, CRM and other cloud services. Bigleaf reports more than 1,000 customers and says it protects its average customer from 3.5 hours of downtime and 23 hours of unusable performance per month. The company has about 40 employees and recently completed new fundraising to support growth. Bigleaf Networks offers a cloud-first SD-WAN platform that optimizes Internet and cloud performance by dynamically choosing the best connection and adapting application prioritization in real time. The platform leverages redundant connections for optimal traffic re-routing, failover and load-balancing. The company provides its services across North America. It intends to use the $4.9M equity financing to scale sales and marketing efforts, operations, technology development, and global network expansion. Founded in 2012 by Joel Mulkey, Bigleaf is led by Mulkey as CEO. The round also resulted in board changes, adding Takeshi “TK” Mori and bringing co-founder Jeff Burchett onto the board. Bigleaf Networks provides a Cloud-first SD-WAN platform that optimizes Internet and cloud performance by dynamically selecting the best connection and adapting QoS in real time. The service leverages redundant links for traffic re-routing, failover and load-sharing to improve voice quality and cloud access. Bigleaf emphasizes simple implementation, friendly support and a service-first approach inspired by the natural architecture of leaves. The company reports recent jumps in revenue growth and says it is growing rapidly. Leadership cites ongoing partnership development and strategic investor relationships to accelerate expansion and market traction. Founded in 2012 and based in Portland, OR, Bigleaf is investor-backed with participation from the Oregon Angel Fund. Bigleaf Networks offers a cloud-based real-time routing service and a pre-configured customer router that connects to Bigleaf datacenters to automatically load-balance, fail over, and prioritize traffic across multiple Internet connections. The service leverages software-defined networking (SDN) and QoS to keep critical applications such as VoIP, web conferencing, and virtual desktops working properly under changing ISP conditions. Founder and CEO Joel Mulkey started the company in January 2012 after encountering gaps in traditional multi-ISP solutions. The company sells hardware plus a cloud service that adapts traffic routing in real time. Bigleaf employs five people and will use the newly raised capital to hire additional staff and expand its sales channels. It recently closed a $1.5 million Series A to support those growth efforts.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2017

Keepe operates an online marketplace that connects property managers who manage rental homes with vetted maintenance workers. The company was founded by a group of engineers from RealNetworks and is led by CEO Rishi Mathew and CTO Vishal Srivastava. Keepe shifted its focus from homeowners to rental properties after finding the homeowner market crowded and sees more growth potential in rentals. It currently operates in Seattle and Phoenix and will use the $1.5M it raised in its first funding round to expand to more cities. The platform has more than 100 vetted maintenance pros who have completed over 3,000 jobs; contractors are independent or work with established maintenance companies and are not Keepe employees. The startup employs eight people and expects headcount to double in the next six to eight months.

Led · Series A · Mar 2017

Olis Robotics builds Olis Connect, an edge-hosted PC and browser-controlled system that enables safe remote monitoring, troubleshooting, and direct control of industrial robot arms and cells without connecting to the cloud. The product supports cross-brand operation and currently provides full support for Universal Robots and FANUC, addressing roughly 20% of the operational stock of more than 3.5 million industrial robots worldwide. Olis Connect offers low-latency video (three cameras), remote error-correction actions, and KPI monitoring such as OEE, while respecting existing robot safety limits. The company is a spinoff from the University of Washington, with R&D roots tied to work for the US Navy and NASA, and is based in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. With new funding, Olis plans to add support for additional robot brands covering more than half of industrial robots, expand partnerships with North American system integrators, and develop new software products. Olis Robotics develops an AI-driven software platform that integrates existing robotic systems into a single, intuitive control platform. Its machine learning and progressive autonomy capabilities enable robots servicing satellites to perform multiple tasks, assist pilots, reduce pilot error, and increase the probability of mission success. The platform is designed to address latency by allowing robots to operate safely within set levels of autonomy even when commands are delayed. Olis is exploring uses for in-space assembly, inspections, testing satellite and manufacturing parts built in space, and servicing satellites for refueling, repair, or component updates. The company participates in NASA projects evaluating construction and servicing of manned habitats and in-space manufacturing and is involved in the Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) to help define OOS and RPO standards. Founded in 2013 and based in Seattle with offices in Europe, Olis aims to extend satellite life and reduce the cost of orbital operations. BluHaptics builds software for remotely operating robots in subsea, terrestrial and space environments, focusing on real-time modeling, force feedback and machine learning to address latency, spatial awareness and control challenges. The company developed an ROV piloting application for underwater manipulator arms, with a commercial release scheduled for summer 2017. Last year it received a Phase II SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation to develop that subsea ROV piloting software. In 2017 BluHaptics was awarded a Phase I SBIR contract from NASA to adapt its proprietary software for remote robotic operations in space. The Phase I SBIR contract is expected to last six months with maximum funding of $125k. The company is led by CEO Don Pickering. BluHaptics develops software for telerobotics that integrates real-time modeling, machine learning, and haptic feedback to improve remote robot control. Its platform features a user-friendly visual interface designed to make it easier for operators to interact with and control robots in dangerous and unpredictable environments. The company is positioning its technology for subsea and space applications and plans a full release of its new application for underwater manipulator arms in summer 2017. BluHaptics is a University of Washington spin-out and has expanded into new offices in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood with an expanded robotics laboratory and additional hires. Financially, the company received more than $1 million in recent U.S. government grants and secured $1.36 million in Series A financing to support expansion and the launch of its first commercial product. CEO Don Pickering says the software extends the reach of robotics while enhancing productivity and safety for mission-critical tasks.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2016

BuildPulse offers a plug-and-play cloud-based analytics platform that integrates with existing building automation systems to provide automated reporting and insights on energy use. The software requires no manual setup and helps operators find opportunities and verify efficiency changes. Customers include Fortune 500 companies, education institutions, and local governments. The company was founded in 2014 by Brice Kosnik and Jason Burt and graduated from the 9MileLabs accelerator in 2014. BuildPulse employs eight people. It recently raised additional capital to expand its building energy analytics platform, bringing total funding to date to $1.8 million.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2016

Tenacity builds software that applies social physics to identify cultural problems within workplaces and deploy data-driven solutions to improve productivity and reduce attrition. The platform encourages employees to set personal and work-related goals—ranging from stress reduction to fitness—and uses social incentives such as accountability partners and Amazon gift-card rewards to drive engagement. Tenacity has chosen to begin in the contact center industry and is currently piloting its service with a large telecom company. The company originated from research at MIT’s media lab and was born in an MIT entrepreneurship class; its founders later graduated from the Techstars Kansas City accelerator. Tenacity relocated to Seattle in 2014 and is led by CEO Ron Davis and CTO John Vogel. The 7-person company has raised a total of $1.9 million to date.