Participated · Series C · Nov 2022

Owl Labs develops AI-powered meeting hardware including the Meeting Owl 3 (a 360-degree camera with mic and speaker array), a whiteboard camera, and a meeting room control console. Its Owl Intelligence System enables features like connecting up to two Meeting Owls to expand coverage and facial recognition, including for masked faces. The company plans to use new funding to support product development, increase global adoption, and deepen go-to-market partnerships, starting with a commercial agreement with HP France. Owl Labs reports more than 130,000 organizations using its products, including 84 Fortune 100 companies, and says it has grown revenue more than 3x year-over-year and 7x since the pandemic began. The company patched a disclosed security vulnerability earlier this year. Founded in 2014 by Mark Schnittman and Max Makeev, Owl Labs is Boston-based and has over 100 employees and $47M raised to date. Owl Labs, led by CEO Frank Weishaupt, develops the Meeting Owl, a 360° smart video conferencing camera designed to be platform-agnostic and make remote meetings feel like sitting in the room. The company’s Meeting Owl integrates with platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. In 2018 customers used the Meeting Owl to conduct more than 450,000 meetings. Owl Labs raised $15M in a Series B round, bringing total funding to date to $22.3M. The company plans to use the funds to launch new solutions, grow the team, and expand international reach in 2019 and beyond. Owl Labs is building an IoT video-conferencing hardware product, a USB audio and video device intended to make meetings with remote employees more connected. The company emerged from stealth and is using Series A funds to finalize the product. It plans to share full product details at a product launch this summer and expects the device to be available for purchase later this year. Owl Labs was founded by CEO Max Makeev and CTO Mark Schnittman, both formerly of iRobot. The company is based in Boston, MA and currently has a team of just under 20. It was seeded by Playground Ventures and was the first company to join Playground’s West Coast Design Studio, both founded by Android co-creator Andy Rubin.

Led · Equity · Jan 2022

Pebblebee builds hardware tracking devices and a companion app to help users locate lost keys, pets and other items. The company was launched in 2014 and operates out of the Seattle area. Pebblebee has sold more than 1 million devices and reports over 400,000 active customers; it employs roughly 20 people. Sales are currently conducted 100% online through its website, Amazon and other channels, though the company previously placed products in Costco. To scale distribution and operations, Pebblebee entered a partnership with Japanese distributor Sourcenext, which will also handle third-party fulfillment out of Minneapolis. Co-founder Daniel Daoura will transition to CTO to focus on product while new CEO Doug Bieter will lead operational and go-to-market efforts. Pebblebee builds Bluetooth-enabled tracking hardware (the Finder) and recently expanded retail distribution to Costco as well as to Canada and other countries. The company has eight employees and credits a small team for bringing a Kickstarter vision to market. Pebblebee is continuing product development and is launching a new thin, rechargeable wallet tracker called BlackCard with up to 500 feet of range, up to five months per charge, a loud buzzer, and a $29.99 price. Management says strong retail sales proved the market and spurred the company to pursue outside capital to grow the consumer brand. Pebblebee also highlights a patent library in the asset-tracking category as part of its IP position.

Led · Equity · Sep 2020

Molekule develops Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) air purification devices, including the Air Mini, Air Mini+ and Air Pro. Its PECO technology is designed to destroy VOCs, mold, bacteria, viruses and allergens. The Air Mini, Air Mini+ and Air Pro were recently granted FDA clearance as medical devices for the destruction of viruses and bacteria. Molekule sells directly at Molekule.com, on Amazon and through other retailers, and its products are available internationally in India, Japan, South Korea and Canada. The company said it will use new investment funds to advance its air quality technology and expand its business reach. Led by CEO Jonathan Harris, Molekule had raised more than $100m prior to this deal, most recently via a Series C completed in early 2020. Molekule's core product is its patented PECO technology, which it says oxidizes and destroys a wide range of tiny airborne pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, VOCs, formaldehyde and ozone. The company cites more than 20 years of research and says PECO has been validated by third-party laboratories and internal testing. Molekule's products meet applicable performance criteria recommended by U.S. FDA guidance for use in helping reduce the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The company is pursuing global expansion and has entered the Japanese market through a distribution and partnership agreement. As part of that agreement, Sourcenext invested $10 million to be used for growth initiatives as Molekule prepares to meet strong international demand. Molekule positions its hardware and software offerings together with its patented filter technology as a differentiated approach to indoor air purification. Molekule develops air-purification devices that use PECO light-driven chemistry to break down volatile organic compounds, mold and bacteria rather than relying solely on particulate capture. The company traces its technology to research by Dr. Yogi Goswami and is led by co-founder and CEO Jaya Rao. Molekule has faced mixed independent test results—Berkeley Lab and Intertek tests reported removal of VOCs and no harmful byproducts, while Wirecutter and Consumer Reports found weaker particulate capture versus HEPA units. The company has expanded its product line with a mini unit for smaller rooms and is pushing into commercial verticals such as hotels and hospitals. Molekule reports a 3x year-over-year increase in filter subscription revenue since launch and roughly 200% repeat customer growth. Despite negative press, it continues to emphasize third-party validation and peer-reviewed research behind PECO. Molekule develops air purification devices that use a patented Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) process to break down pollutants at a molecular level. Its technology, developed by Dr. Yogi Goswami, targets bacteria, mold, toxic gasses (VOCs), dust, smoke and other airborne allergens. The company plans to expand its product line, scale manufacturing and grow the team. Molekule is led by CEO Dilip Goswami and was founded in 2014. It employs about 80 people and ships to the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. The company closed a $25M Series B to support its growth plans. Molekule makes a molecular air purifier that uses Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) nanotechnology to combat and destroy allergens, mold, bacteria and airborne chemicals at a molecular level. The device can completely purify and replace the air in a 600 square foot room without the use of a high-powered fan, making it energy efficient and ultra quiet. It connects to Wi‑Fi, uses machine learning to respond to the individual needs of each household, and can be controlled via an iPhone app. Molekule retails the device at $799 and offers annual filter subscriptions for $99. The company announced the device’s availability to the general public. Molekule intends to use new funding to scale production, expand its team and build out its product pipeline.