The Venture Codex

Participated · Series C · Aug 2022

Everytable prepares and sells affordable healthy meals such as wraps and salads, with menu prices that vary by each store’s location. It distributes through company stores, branded vending machines and delivery channels. The company tripled its number of stores in 2022 and says it strives for each store to be individually profitable. Management notes that keeping prices affordable can complicate scaling and that stores are only one part of the business’s cost base. Everytable plans to expand its retail footprint and hopes to open 25 stores in the latter half of 2023. Founder and CEO Sam Polk has said he’s seen growing investor interest in mission-driven startups in recent years. Everytable operates a multi-channel fresh-prepared, ready-to-eat food business blending storefronts, subscriptions, and SmartFridges supplied by a central kitchen, with meals priced according to neighborhood. Led by founder and CEO Sam Polk, the company focuses on making nutritious food accessible and affordable. It has expanded beyond greater Los Angeles into Orange County and San Diego County and this spring launched an e-commerce delivery service in the Bay Area with plans to open storefronts there in 2023. Everytable also opened its first three New York locations this spring and has three more stores slated to open by the end of the year. The company recently closed a $55m Series C to fund its growth and channel expansion. Everytable operates a multi-channel fresh-prepared food business combining grab-and-go storefronts, a subscription delivery service and SmartFridges supplied by a central kitchen. The company prices meals according to neighborhood to improve affordability and reach. Everytable partners with institutions and public agencies to serve vulnerable populations and has provided more than 4 million meals to Los Angeles’ most vulnerable, including housebound seniors, homeless individuals and food-insecure college students. It works with partners such as The City of Los Angeles, The Department of Aging, Santa Monica College and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Founded in 2016 and led by CEO Sam Polk, Everytable plans to use new funding to accelerate growth throughout Southern California via new grab-and-go stores, expanded institutional food service partnerships and a larger subscription delivery footprint. The company is mission-driven and focused on scaling access to affordable, fresh-prepared meals through multiple channels.

Led · Seed · Mar 2021

Capsule is developing a peer-to-peer social network that lets users self-host their content through precisely engineered micro-services backed by IPFS for decentralized storage and connectivity. The platform aims to provide global authenticated timestamps and a root of trust for user keys by leveraging Dfinity’s Internet Computer, creating what founder and cryptographer Nadim Kobeissi calls a “customized mini-blockchain.” An MVP is slated to launch later this month, with mobile apps planned shortly thereafter. The company emphasizes a lightweight, high-performance user experience that eschews the bloat and data-harvesting practices of Big Tech platforms. Capsule is currently a four-person team and intends to use fresh capital to expand headcount and finalize product tweaks, including a switch from GUN to IPFS. To date, it has raised roughly $1.6 million across two early rounds: a $100 k pre-seed in January and a newly closed $1.5 million seed round.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2015

Servy provides an app that enables restaurants to offer partial discounts (typically 5%–75%) to diners in exchange for private feedback collected via customizable surveys. Reviews submitted through Servy are kept private between the diner and the restaurant, with the goal of eliciting constructive, actionable feedback. The platform uses an algorithm that adjusts the reimbursement percentage based on demand, so popular restaurants may offer smaller discounts while low-demand venues can offer larger ones. That dynamic pricing is intended to keep evaluations affordable for restaurants while preserving profitability. Servy positions itself as a lower-cost alternative to traditional secret shopper services, which can cost hundreds per review. The company is currently operating in about 80 restaurants and chains in New York City and plans to use the funding to continue nationwide expansion.