The Venture Codex

Participated · Series A · Jul 2024

Digestiva, based in Davis, CA, develops proprietary protease enzymes intended to enhance protein bioavailability, functionality, and overall health. Its enzyme technology platform was discovered by co-founder Dr. Wilson Mak in the lab of UC Davis faculty member Dr. Justin Siegel. The company’s first precision protease improves processability, nutritional quality, digestibility, and releases an optimal mix of amino acids and peptides. Led by CEO John Melo, Digestiva is executing multiple pilot projects and has reported promise in pilot human studies and industrial processes as it pursues commercialization and initial revenue milestones. It aims to commercialize applications across pet food, animal feed, and human nutrition and has developed a cost-effective production method using precision fermentation. The company has attained Self-Affirmed GRAS for its first product.

Led · Equity · Jun 2024

Founded in 2021, EvodiaBio is a Danish industrial biotech company that uses precision-fermentation to produce natural monoterpene aromas with far lower resource use and CO₂ emissions than traditional extraction methods. Its Yops technology platform has already been deployed in more than 70 commercial brews and over 10 projects with top-40 breweries worldwide, and the firm has formed channel partnerships with Symrise and Lallemand. In just three and a half years the team moved from academic research to fully approved industrial production and has launched a profitable product line. Management now plans to accelerate growth in existing markets while expanding into Asia and adjacent sectors such as wine and broader aroma applications. The company reports “profitable from day one” unit economics and rapid commercial traction. To date EvodiaBio has secured €20 million across three funding rounds, including a €7 million raise last year and the latest €6 million round announced today.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2019

Sierra Energy develops and commercializes its FastOx® gasification technology, which converts waste into energy-dense syngas and recoverable inorganic material without burning. The company intends to use its new financing to further develop and commercialize FastOx. The technology uses oxygen and steam to heat waste to about 4,000°F (2,200°C), breaking materials down at the molecular level and avoiding process emissions. FastOx is modular and scalable and handles nearly any type of waste, including municipal solid waste, plastics, medical waste, e‑waste, tires, batteries, railroad ties, and hazardous wastes; all outputs are saleable. Sierra Energy has received grant support from the Department of Defense and the California Energy Commission. Its first commercial-scale demonstration facility is located at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County, California, and the company is led by CEO Mike Hart.

Led · Series C · Jun 2019

Engage3 provides Price Image Management (PIM) and Competitive Intelligence Management (CIM) software that uses AI-assisted, attribute-based data science to collect granular competitive pricing data and link like-items. Its CIM collects 30 billion product pricing records annually in the U.S. and Canada and helps retailers reverse-engineer competitors’ pricing and assortment strategies across channels, markets, and items. PIM models the impact of strategic pricing alternatives and generates pricing recommendations aligned to retailers’ Price Image, sales, and profitability objectives. Engage3 works with six of the world’s top 10 largest global retailers and serves FMCG, non-FMCG, convenience & fuel, and e-commerce retailers. The company plans global expansion into 30+ new countries, enhancements across its Price Image Management Suite, new products to measure and enhance trade promotions, and to build capabilities to continue serving the world’s largest organizations. Engage3 will use the Series D growth financing to execute this roadmap and double its team to support accelerated growth. Engage3 is a Davis, CA-based retail software company that helps retailers manage their Price Image using accurate competitive data, data science and AI-powered software solutions. Its Price Image Management Suite™ enables retailers to understand and align Price Image with sales and profitability objectives through predictive modeling. The suite includes Competitive Intelligence Management (CIM), an AI-assisted, attribute-based, data science-driven solution that provides competitive data and like-item-linking visibility. Engage3 collects roughly 30 billion product pricing records annually across the U.S. and Canada. Customers include eight of the top ten grocery retailers in the U.S. The company is led by Founder and CEO Ken Ouimet and plans to use new funding to accelerate product development, expand staff, and scale go-to-market initiatives. Engage3 provides an integrated retail pricing platform that emphasizes data quality and competitive pricing management. Its Competitive Intelligence Platform (CIP) is an end-to-end solution that uses data science to ensure data comprehensiveness, freshness, and accuracy and automates competitive shop program management. The company’s Competitive Price Response (CPR) is a visual price modeling tool that uses proprietary psychological models to measure consumers’ perception of pricing and predict the impact of price changes. Led by CEO and founder Ken Ouimet, Engage3 plans to use the recent financing to expand staff and scale go-to-market initiatives. The company anticipates doubling revenues in 2019. Engage3 raised a Series B two years earlier from retail technology-focused venture capitalists and is in the process of raising a Series C. Engage3 offers a SaaS omni-channel competitive intelligence and consumer engagement platform called MissionControl™. MissionControl is powered by advanced predictive analytics and a historical product and pricing database covering over 8 million UPCs and 10 billion price updates per year across more than 32,000 retail locations. Led by founder and CEO Ken Ouimet, the company combines data science, deep domain expertise, and innovative technology to serve CPG companies. The company intends to use the new funding to grow its team, expand its omni-channel retail pricing platform, and accelerate deployment of its B2B personalization solution. Engage3 operates a SaaS-based model focused on pricing and competitive intelligence for retailers and manufacturers. Previous and existing investors include The McClatchy Company and Swift Communications. Engage3 builds an omni-channel competitive intelligence and consumer personalization SaaS platform called MissionControl™, combining data science, domain expertise and technology to improve CPG companies' competitive visibility. The platform is designed to maximize the ROI of clients' competitive intelligence programs and support personalized promotions. Engage3 plans to deploy MissionControl through consumer media companies, directly via retailers' loyalty and CRM programs, and via the connected home. The company says it will use new capital to drive revenue growth from its competitive intelligence platform and to accelerate implementation of its personalized promotions platform. Engage3 is led by CEO Ken Ouimet and is based in Davis, California. It recently closed a Series B round of undisclosed size led by Moneta Ventures.