Participated · Seed · Aug 2024

Climatize provides a SEC-registered impact investing platform that connects U.S. investors (18+) with renewable energy projects sourced from dozens of developers across the United States. The platform enables investors to directly fund projects and offers returns of up to 10% annually. Co-founded by Will Wiseman and Alba Forns, the company focuses on deploying solar and other renewable technologies while broadening investor access to the energy transition. Climatize plans to use new capital to expand its product and technology roadmap, improve the customer experience, develop partnerships with key stakeholders, and continue hiring talent. The company is based in Santa Cruz, California and operates as a marketplace for impact-focused project investments.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2023

Upwardli is a financial services company focused on making credit fair and accessible to the roughly 50 million Americans shut out of the U.S. credit system, particularly new immigrants and Gen Z. Its core product, Credit Builder Plus, launched in November 2022 and enables customers without a social security number or U.S. credit file to quickly establish and build a U.S. credit score. The solution is offered in partnership with Cross River Bank and incorporates a suite of banking services. Upwardli partners with financial institutions to embed its credit-building solutions as an alternative to a harsh credit rejection, helping consumers build credit and then passing them back to lending institutions when ready for approval. Financially, the company raised $2M in Seed funding to support growth. The company plans to use the funds to hire additional staff, add features to boost credit scores faster, and expand partnerships with financial institutions to embed its products. Upwardli offers an app-driven credit-builder service for people who struggle to obtain banking products due to a lack of credit history. Users enter basic financial information into the app and receive a tailored credit-builder solution paired with banking providers willing to serve this untapped market. The company is preparing a second-quarter launch of its credit-builder product in collaboration with a platform bank partner. Upwardli says it has established a partnership with a platform bank and will announce the partner’s name in the coming weeks. Co-founder and CEO Aaron Gregory leads the company and has been featured in prior interviews. Financially, the company recently completed a pre-seed raise (see deal details) to support the upcoming launch.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2022

Fennel is a mobile investing app that provides retail investors with in-app ESG data, rankings, and information on past and upcoming shareholder votes. Users can buy publicly listed stocks and ETFs while analyzing company environmental, social and governance practices and tracking ballot outcomes. The app emphasizes retail engagement in shareholder voting and will roll out additional voting features after its initial launch. Fennel does not lend out users’ securities and does not participate in payment for order flow, ensuring investors’ votes follow their shares. The company launched its platform alongside a $5M seed raise and positions itself as a channel for investors to organize around issues like gender equity and carbon reduction. Fennel refers to Fennel Markets, Inc. and Fennel Financials LLC; securities are offered through Fennel Financials LLC, a FINRA/SIPC member.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2020

Savi, co-founded by Aaron Smith and Tobin Van Ostern, is a social-impact startup that positions itself as an expert in student debt. The company develops financial-technology that identifies the best loan repayment and forgiveness programs based on a user’s unique financial picture and goals. Its platform can automate payments, monitor re-enrollment needs, and track newly applicable benefits for borrowers. Savi focuses on helping borrowers disproportionately affected by student debt, including those with debt but no degree, Black, Latinx, first-generation, and female borrowers. The company is partnering with WGU Labs on a two-phase collaboration that includes a nationally representative survey of borrowers and a pilot to connect users who reduce their payments through Savi to educational opportunities at WGU. The article does not disclose revenue, users, or other operating metrics. Savi provides a student-loan assessment platform that ingests borrowers' loan data, analyzes repayment and forgiveness options, and calculates the best paths to minimize total burden. The company offers its assessment free to users and charges a $5/month subscription to actively manage loans and automate paperwork only when it can save the borrower money. Savi says the average borrower sees $140 in savings per month and that its platform supports more than 150 forgiveness and repayment options. Organizations and employers offer Savi as a benefit to employees and members—one of its largest partners is the NEA, representing around 3 million members. Savi is organized as a public benefit corporation and was founded by Aaron Smith and Tobin Van Ostern, who built the company with an explicit mission to prioritize borrowers' interests. During the COVID-19 pandemic Savi launched a dedicated tool to help impacted workers and health professionals navigate new relief programs and their student-loan situations.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2020

Savi Solutions PBC is a Washington, D.C.-based public-benefit technology startup focused on student loans. Led by Aaron Smith and Tobin Van Ostern, the company operates a platform that helps borrowers navigate repayment and loan forgiveness options. Savi serves more than 30,000 borrowers and has found over $200 million in projected forgiveness. The company closed a $6M Series A to support continued expansion of operations and business reach. The round included participation from traditional and social-impact investors, underscoring its mission-driven focus.