Participated · Series A · Nov 2022

Biofire builds biometric “smart” guns that unlock only for owners and registered users using fingerprint and facial-recognition technology and automatically relock when the gun leaves a registered user’s hands. Its system runs on a closed-loop architecture designed to keep the unlocking mechanism secure and resistant to hacking. The company positions the product to reduce unintended access to firearms and to help prevent child deaths; the article notes firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., with 29% being suicide and 3.5% accidental. Founder Kai Kloepfer started the project as a science‑fair effort after the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting, and over twelve years the project became Biofire. Kloepfer and the company acknowledge they cannot solve the broader gun violence epidemic but say the technology can make a meaningful difference for accidental or non‑intentional incidents. Biofire has begun to attract institutional venture interest after earlier rounds were mainly angel‑backed. Biofire develops a Smart Gun® — a handgun with fully integrated, instantly unlocking biometrics that permits access only to users authorized by the owner. The company is led by founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer and is based in Broomfield, Colorado. It emerged from three years in stealth in May 2022, at which time it disclosed an over $17m seed funding round. Biofire raised $14m in a Series A to accelerate growth and expand operations and its business reach. The product and strategy are focused on reducing firearm accidents, criminal misuse, suicides, and other tragic outcomes. No operating metrics such as revenue or user numbers were disclosed in the article. Biofire is developing a firearm with deeply integrated biometric locking so the weapon only functions for its authorized user. The team, drawn from aerospace and military backgrounds, redesigned the firearm’s locking mechanism from the ground up rather than adding an external lock. Images show a fingerprint sensor on the left side of the grip and the company says the device contains modern electronics but no RF communications, prioritizing privacy and a hardened interface port. Biofire says the system is designed so most customers (about 99%) will not need to think about battery maintenance. The company is running a private beta with owners, military and law enforcement, and cybersecurity experts before a public launch. Biofire has been cautious about releasing technical details on its authentication mechanisms while it completes testing and validation.

Participated · Series C · Nov 2020

Well Health offers an intelligent two-way communications hub that enables secure, multilingual conversations between patients and healthcare organizations via text, email, phone, and live chat. The platform unifies and automates patient interactions across acquisition, service delivery, and at-home care, improving efficiency, coordination, and patient loyalty. WELL reports enabling 200k+ healthcare providers to send more than 1 billion messages for 30+ million patients annually. The company has experienced more than 100% cumulative annual growth since founding and was named among the Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare and ranked on the Inc. 5000. WELL is expanding its focus into value-based care and partnerships with payers and ACOs following the hire of Dana Gelb Safran as SVP, Value Based Care and Population Health. The company has integrated with major EHRs and recently announced a collaboration with Cerner to serve Cerner customers.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2020

ShearShare is a B2B mobile marketplace that lets licensed beauty and barbering professionals rent flexible, affordable workspace with no-term leases or commission fees. The platform supports 900 cities and has grown into a nationwide marketplace serving tens of thousands of industry professionals, owners, and operators. ShearShare recently completed a rebrand, launched an improved mobile UX, and expanded educational and business resources for its user community. It offers daily liability insurance through an exclusive partnership with Lloyd’s of London. The company plans to hire a CTO and a Head of Revenue Operations, amplify self-service features, expand its on-demand rental database, and introduce proprietary analytics for small business owners. ShearShare has established headquarters at 43North in Buffalo, NY. ShearShare operates an online marketplace that lets stylists book open chairs or stations at salons and barbershops, matching supply and demand across locations. The founders launched the Dallas-based company in 2017 and have expanded listings to more than 600 cities, with chair prices ranging from about $15 to $569 depending on market. The platform processes payments for stylists via a partnership with First American Payments. ShearShare serves both stylists and salon owners rather than focusing solely on consumer booking or salon management. The company plans to roll out ancillary services for stylists, including pioneering an insurance policy to cover on-the-job lawsuits. With new funding and a Google for Startups grant, the team says it is ready to accelerate expansion and add more services for independent beauty professionals.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2020

Founded in 2010, Foodee provides a software-enabled catering platform that lets office managers schedule daily or weekly individually packaged meals sourced from owner-operated local restaurants. The company claims it reached product-market fit in 2013 and has since delivered nearly one million individual meals. Foodee achieved profitability in Q2 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily drove its revenue to zero as offices shut down, prompting a full-team furlough. Since then, it has recalled almost its entire 52-person staff and is emphasizing its suitability for socially distanced workplaces. A key part of its growth strategy is geographic expansion; the recent purchase of San Francisco-based competitor Chewse added Chicago, San Francisco, and Denver, bringing Foodee’s footprint to 14 cities. Management expects office re-openings to begin boosting volumes in September and projects a return to pre-pandemic demand by April 2021. New capital is earmarked for product development, market development in newly acquired cities, and general operations.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2019

Kango is an app-based rideshare and childcare service that offers vetted drivers and TrustLine-certified caregivers to transport children and provide standalone childcare. Founded in 2012, the service is currently available in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area and partners with schools, camps and other youth organizations. The company emphasizes safety through multiple background checks, DMV record checks, vehicle inspections, fingerprinting and caregiver certification, and says it is the only kids’ rideshare insured to drive children of all ages while offering on‑demand same‑day rides and childcare without time limits. Kango reports positive unit economics and states it makes money on completed rides whether booked by families or organizations. Strategic relationships include a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to provide eligible drivers lease vehicles; investors include Structure Capital and now National Express.