The Venture Codex

Participated · Equity · Aug 2025

First Due offers a single integrated platform with modules for pre-incident planning, mobile response, ePCR, NERIS/NEMSIS-compliant reporting, scheduling, inspections, asset management, and community engagement. The company serves over 3,000 public safety agencies and more than half a million users across the United States and Canada, including customers such as the State of Michigan, City of Charlotte, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, and several federal agencies including the Department of Defense. First Due positions itself as a leader in AI-driven public safety technology to enable faster decision making, greater operational readiness, and improved response outcomes. The company’s roadmap focuses on strengthening core modules, launching new capabilities, and strategically integrating AI across products and internal operations. Near-term product priorities called out by the company include AI-driven EMS QA/QI workflow improvements, intelligent scheduling automation, advanced data and analytics via simple language queries, and conversational tools to streamline implementation. Founded in 2016, First Due aims to scale platform capabilities and expand service delivery while enhancing customer support. First Due is a New York–based developer of public safety software that delivers an end-to-end cloud-based SaaS suite for fire and EMS agencies. The First Due Suite consolidates Pre-Incident Planning, Fire Prevention, Incident Reporting, ePCR, Scheduling & Personnel, Assets & Inventory, Community Engagement, and Response in a single, true-cloud platform. The company positions itself as a market disruptor addressing legacy software stagnation and the lack of all-in-one solutions for emergency-service providers. Serent Capital made a minority investment to accelerate First Due's expansion, enabling aggressive staffing and product growth. First Due plans to invest in emerging technologies including machine learning, analytics, and connected vehicles to enhance its platform. K&L Gates acted as counsel to First Due on the transaction.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2023

Employer Direct Healthcare (EDH) is a specialty healthcare network solution provider serving self-funded employers and their members. Led by CEO John Zutter, EDH operates selective provider networks that facilitate access to care at fair prices nationwide. Its first product, SurgeryPlus®, provides full-service concierge and network services to millions of covered members across more than 1,000 employers. In 2022 the company launched Cancer Care Direct®, a comprehensive end-to-end oncology solution. Over the past 12 years EDH has facilitated more than 43,000 surgical journeys. The company raised a $92M investment at a $1 billion valuation in December 2023 and intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach. Founded in 2011, Employer Direct Healthcare operates SurgeryPlus®, a full-service surgical concierge and high-performance surgical network. SurgeryPlus provides access to top-quality, fairly priced care through hundreds of facilities and thousands of surgeons nationwide. The company's solution is offered to approximately two million plan members and targets self-funded employers seeking cost-efficient surgical care. EDH plans to scale its product offerings and expand its provider network to deliver cost-efficient healthcare to more employers across the U.S. The company announced a significant growth investment from Serent Capital to support that scaling and to expand its go-to-market capabilities. Serent said it will provide growth and human-capital resources and healthcare experience to help EDH grow. EmployerDirect Healthcare offers SurgeryPlus, a supplemental solution for employees of large employers with self-insured medical plans, providing access to a national network of board-certified surgeons and facilities. SurgeryPlus covers procedures across 34 major categories, including orthopedic, spine, cardiovascular, bariatric, general surgery, and a wide range of minor outpatient procedures. The service includes dedicated care coordinators who select physicians, schedule appointments, transfer medical records, coordinate logistics, and follow up post-procedure. The company is led by CEO Clint Hampton and reports that SurgeryPlus is currently available to over 275,000 members nationwide. EmployerDirect intends to use the new funding to grow its core SurgeryPlus product, scale its technology infrastructure, and expand operations. The business is based in Austin, Texas.

Led · Equity · Sep 2011

minuteKEY operates a network of patented self-service key-duplication kiosks that combine robotics, electronics and software engineering. The kiosks are deployed in thousands of retail locations in the United States and Canada, including Walmart, Lowe’s and Menards. The company reports it has copied over $140 million in keys to date. minuteKEY has released a third-generation kiosk with a smaller footprint, bigger screen and more key chutes to support additional key types and designs. The business is led by CEO Randy Fagundo and CFO Andy Volkmann. It intends to use newly raised capital to continue growth and roll out to retailers across the United States and Canada. MinuteKEY builds self-service kiosks that allow consumers to duplicate keys by using a touchscreen, inserting the key, selecting style and quantity, paying, and receiving new keys cut in about 60 seconds. The company raised $30M in funding to accelerate expansion and innovation, bringing total capital raised to over $81M. It intends to use the new funds to expand kiosks at high-traffic retail locations across the United States and Canada and to continue product innovation. MinuteKEY was founded in 2008 by CEO Randy Fagundo and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Earlier investors in the company include Matrix Partners and Serent Capital. MinuteKey builds self-service key-duplication kiosks that let customers use a touchscreen to select key style and quantity, pay, and insert a key for duplication in roughly 60 seconds. The company was founded in 2008 and is led by CEO Randy Fagundo. MinuteKey’s machines are deployed in retail locations and the company says it will use new funding to expand its presence with retailers nationwide. The announcement reports a $10.6M funding round to support that expansion. Existing investor Matrix Partners participated in the round.