Participated · Seed · Jul 2022

WagerWire operates a sports betting marketplace that allows users to place bets on live movements and momentum swings on the platform or within partner sportsbooks. The platform tracks bets in real time and enables users to cash out, buy into future bets, and buy and sell previously placed bets. WagerWire positions its marketplace as a way for bettors to flip bets like stocks on Robinhood or items on StockX, giving users more control over their betting journey. CEO Zach Doctor said, “Now your bet no longer has to win to make you money,” and the company is aiming to bring the product to the masses. WagerWire markets its product as a cost‑effective acquisition and retention solution for sportsbooks that creates a more engaging and social experience for bettors. The company has raised US$3m in a seed funding round and lists early investors including Palantir, Canva and Tesla.

Participated · Series A · Oct 2021

CoLab offers a cloud-based collaboration platform that lets engineering teams review design files, capture and track feedback, and document issues from a single dashboard. Its tools integrate with enterprise systems like product lifecycle management and allow controlled sharing with suppliers while keeping select information private. Teams at Ford, Johnson Controls and Schneider Electric use CoLab to streamline design reviews and reduce administrative overhead. CoLab operates on a software-as-a-service model and stores customer design data such as 3D models and engineering drawings in the cloud. The company plans to introduce AI features in the coming months, using anonymized customer data to help explain design changes and automate routine tasks. Financially, revenue has doubled in the past six months, paid add-ons are planned this year and next, and the company plans to grow its headcount from 86 (mostly in its Newfoundland headquarters) to about 120 by year end. CoLab provides a web-based co-design and collaboration tool that lets teams share CAD, provide feedback with full mechanical context, and capture design data. The platform standardizes design reviews and simplifies collaboration to accelerate design cycles, drive continuous improvement, and reduce product costs and changes. Co-founded in 2017 by CEO Adam Keating and CTO Jeremy Andrews, the company is based in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its tool is used by Fortune 500 customers including Johnson Controls and Hyundai Mobis. CoLab raised $17M in a Series A round led by Insight Partners and plans to use the funds to accelerate the pace of engineering innovation and reinvent how teams collaborate on mechanical design. Josh Fredberg, Managing Director at Insight Partners, joined CoLab's board in conjunction with the financing.

Led · Equity · Dec 2014

Zola Electric develops integrated renewable energy hardware and software, including the Infinity system that powers homes and offices and the Vision SaaS platform that provides data, analytics and control. The company began in 2011 offering solar-home solutions in Tanzania and has since expanded product lines to address off-grid, on-grid, rural, urban, residential and commercial needs. Zola positions Infinity as a primary power solution that integrates with grids, solar and batteries while digitally controlling and storing energy. The firm reports more than 1.5 million users and over 300,000 homes and businesses across multiple African countries and additional presence in the U.S., Brazil, Pakistan and the Philippines. Management says the new capital will be used for product development (next-generation digital renewable energy) and commercial expansion to fill out its "energy ladder." The company aims to expand further into Northern Africa, Asia and South America while continuing to build out on-the-ground personnel, developers, integrators and distributors. ZOLA Electric (formerly Off Grid Electric) designs and delivers solar, battery and power-electronics systems that can be purchased over time using PAYGo micro-finance and mobile money. The company powers more than 180,000 homes and businesses across Tanzania, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Its product offering is positioned to replace kerosene and enable lighting, small-business power, connectivity and expanded work and study opportunities. ZOLA has a roster of strategic and capital partners including Tesla, Total, EDF, DBL Partners, Helios Investment Partners and GE Ventures. The company is pursuing continued expansion across Africa and is using new financing to scale customer additions and product development. ZOLA has received industry recognition such as the UN Momentum for Change Award and the Zayed Future Energy Prize. Off Grid Electric develops rooftop solar and battery systems and leases pay-as-you-go home solar kits in Africa. Its leased systems include solar panels, batteries, lights, mobile phone chargers and televisions, with customers able to make payments via mobile phones. The company powers more than 150,000 homes and businesses across Tanzania, Rwanda and Ivory Coast and is expanding into Ghana as part of a partnership with Electricite de France SA. Off Grid’s model leverages declining panel prices to offer leasing options that compete with kerosene lamps and diesel generators. The company raised $55 million in a Series D round to support its expansion, and investors also include Tesla Inc., Total SA and DBL Partners. CEO Xavier Helgesen highlighted the cost advantage of solar electrons in explaining the company’s economics. Off Grid Electric is a Tanzania-headquartered company that develops and markets distributed solar home systems and batteries with a focus on African markets. Its products allow customers to power LED lights, mobile phone chargers and other small electronics. The article does not report revenue, user counts, or other operating metrics. It describes the company as a solar installer active in African markets. The piece focuses on the company's product offering and a recent financing, and does not detail future plans. No additional financial or operational details were provided in the article. Off Grid Electric delivers stand-alone solar systems to last-mile customers using mobile technology and an integrated approach to product design, distribution, sales, financing and service. The company offers basic systems that include LED lights, a radio, a USB charger and a TV, and larger systems that provide extra energy for charging multiple phones and powering appliances and televisions. It markets these systems at costs lower than traditional kerosene lighting. Leadership is led by CEO Xavier Helgesen, COO Erica Mackey and CTO Joshua Pierce. The company is based in San Francisco, Boulder and in Tanzania. Recent funding will be used to enter new African countries and to scale a partnership with the Tanzanian government to power 1 million homes by 2017.