Participated · Series A · Mar 2022

Upstream is a mobile-first professional social network created by SocialRank founders Alex Taub (CEO) and Michael Schonfeld to foster meaningful, career-oriented connections rather than serve as an online résumé. The platform organizes users into curated communities where they can post “Professional Asks” (e.g., job openings or introduction requests) and attend Upstream Events, which pair attendees for five-minute, one-on-one video conversations with other participants. Since its soft launch last fall, Upstream has hosted more than 100 events, and 72% of first-time attendees return for a subsequent event, signaling early engagement. The company recently added a Discovery section to browse communities and introduced “Office Hours,” allowing experts to offer structured blocks of virtual meeting time. High-profile users such as New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz and Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai already host sessions, adding credibility to the network. Future plans include launching a full web version and expanding both live and asynchronous features to deepen utility and retention. Upstream’s initial growth is being financed by an undisclosed pre-seed round, giving it runway to execute on these product expansions.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2022

Upstream provides a no-code, all-in-one platform that enables users to launch and operate decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) without technical expertise. Its flagship product, Upstream Collectives, bundles key DAO functions—treasury management, voting, governance, token-gating, group chat, vote delegation, and an integrated wallet—into a single user experience. Since the product’s closed beta launch in November 2021, Collectives have amassed more than $2 million in on-platform assets. Co-founded by Alex Taub and Michael Schonfeld, the company positions itself as an easy entry point for communities and groups seeking DAO infrastructure. The fresh capital will be used to scale the platform and support its public launch. To date, Upstream has raised $15.75 million in venture funding, underlining strong investor confidence in its approach to simplifying DAO creation and management.