Participated · Seed · Feb 2021

Careerist is an ed-fintech marketplace connecting motivated learners, teachers, and employers to finance and train underserved U.S. jobseekers for technology careers. The platform runs software- and freelance-instructor-led training, provides career coaching, job placement assistance, and ongoing mentorship, and automates students' job searches. In 2023 Careerist launched an initiative to underwrite loans for applicants with credit scores below 620 and plans to provide up to $12M in installments that year. Its loan product targets applicants with an SSN and credit scores under 620, offers up to 24-month repayment terms, an average APR of 18%, and requires a $499 down payment for low-credit students. The company was founded in 2019, participated in Y Combinator's Spring 2021 cohort, and has grown to a team of over 100 employees. Careerist recently raised $8 million in a Series A. Careerist operates a career-development platform that trains people without tech or coding backgrounds for roles such as software testing and then applies its students for jobs in the U.S. tech industry. Students pay an initial application fee and sign an Income Share Agreement to pay full tuition only if they land a job. The platform also helps graduates grow into more advanced roles after placement. Careerist graduates have secured jobs at major companies including Google, Apple, Amazon, Slack, Salesforce, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, Snap, and Facebook. The company was founded in March 2019 by CEO Ivan Tsybaev and is Sunnivale, Calif.-based. Recent fundraising and product plans are positioned to support continued growth and scaling of its offering.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2020

Intento provides enterprise tools for machine translation and multilingual generative AI, supporting over 650 languages through its Language Hub. The Language Hub is ISO-27001 certified and integrates with platforms like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and translation management systems to share and improve MT/AI models. The company serves more than 40 global organizations, including Agilent, Subway, Procore, Playrix, and the Government of Canada. Led by CEO Konstantin Savenkov, Intento aims to deliver improved language experiences for customers and internal teams. The company plans to use new funding to scale operations, accelerate growth, expand sales and marketing, and introduce a new version of its platform. The recent financing is intended to support those expansion and product initiatives. Intento provides an Enterprise Machine Translation (MT) Hub that makes more than 25 MT systems (including Amazon, Google AutoML, Microsoft Custom Translator, IBM, and DeepL) available inside existing software and workflows. The platform also augments MT with other AI intents such as text classification, sentiment analysis, image tagging, and plans to add OCR and speech transcription. It is designed to work with conventional integration platforms such as MuleSoft, BMC, and SnapLogic and is already used by several large global customers in retail, travel, and technology. The company recently received a U.S. patent for its core platform and has obtained ISO-27001 certification. Intento plans to use newly raised funds to build out sales and marketing operations in Europe and the U.S. and to expand its customer success team. The company was launched in 2017 and is a graduate of the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator.

Participated · Seed · Jun 2020

ClassTag provides a free parent-teacher communication platform that automatically translates messages into numerous languages and delivers communications across email, SMS, app, web or even paper. The product serves two end users—parents and teachers—offering announcements, scheduling for parent-teacher conferences, and a parent engagement dashboard so teachers can monitor family engagement. The platform reports roughly 2 million users across 25,000 U.S. schools. ClassTag monetizes by allowing educational and family-friendly companies to advertise on the platform while sharing only aggregated demographic data (not personally identifiable information) and donating a portion of brand revenue to classrooms. The company emphasizes accessibility for families regardless of socioeconomic status, aiming to reach parents who may prefer text or paper over apps or email. Founders Vlada Lotkina and Jason Olim built the product to simplify information dissemination between schools and families.

Participated · Series A · May 2020

IntelliBoard provides a learning analytics platform designed to help organizations improve learning outcomes. Led by CEO Anatoliy Kochnev and based in New Haven, CT, the company integrates data from learning management systems, student information systems, collaboration tools, and human resource systems. It couples that data with predictive models to enable organizations to achieve retention, engagement, and compliance goals while gaining operational efficiencies. By integrating with learning platforms and using predictive modeling techniques, the platform collects and analyzes contextual learner data to produce data-driven insights for decision-makers. The company raised an undisclosed amount in funding and intends to use the proceeds to invest in future market growth and innovation of its learning analytics platform. IntelliBoard is a reporting and analytics platform that provides analytic and reporting services for learning management systems. Led by co-founder and CEO Anatoliy Kochnev, the Monroe, Conn.-based company serves education communities and institutions using Blackboard Learn, Canvas, Brightspace | D2L and Moodle. It extracts statistical data collected by LMSs and presents that data on a single dashboard as printable charts, graphs and formatted reports. The company closed a $3.4M Series A to expand operations, broaden its business reach and enhance the platform. In 2020 IntelliBoard planned ongoing feature improvements based on client needs, several new product launches including a focus on attendance, recommendations for future coursework, and strengthened LMS integrations.

Participated · Seed · May 2018

WARD is a pick-and-predict smartphone game that creates real-time prediction markets around live esports matches, letting players predict in-game events and win real prizes. The app functions as a second-screen fantasy esports experience, awarding points for correct predictions and ranking users on leaderboards that can earn prizes like headphones, tickets and signed merchandise. WARD has run beta tests in Berlin tied to the European League of Legends Championship Series and plans an official launch in June 2018 with a target of 3 million downloads by year-end. The company intends to expand globally into Asia and the U.S. and add additional esports disciplines such as Overwatch and Counter-Strike (CS:GO). WARD secured a $600,000 seed round to build out the product and support its expansion plans.