Participated · Seed · Jul 2026

Shower Stream builds a smart shower system designed for hotels to reduce water and energy waste while maintaining the guest experience. Its solution is intended to operate without requiring guests to change their behavior. The company has been deploying the technology commercially and is expanding those deployments. Shower Stream plans to use the new seed funding to grow its team and to continue improving its technology. The company’s fundraising and progress were featured in Hospitality Technology.

Led · Seed · Sep 2023

Partum offers a suite of pregnancy and postpartum services including lactation support, physical therapy, mental health services, nutrition counseling, and doula care. The company partners with obstetricians and midwives to complement clinical care and provides both digital and in‑person services. It works with major health plans to secure coverage for many services and tailors care to prevent common complications such as perinatal mood disorders, pelvic floor dysfunction, and avoidable C‑sections. Partum was founded in 2021 by CEO Meghan Doyle and Head of Operations Matt Rogers after they identified gaps in maternity and postpartum care. Financially, the company has raised $3.1 million in seed funding to expand its offerings and continue building relationships with insurance providers. Partum currently operates in the Chicagoland area and plans to expand throughout Illinois and Texas later this year, with an expressed aim to expand offerings across the country. Partum Health offers coordinated, patient-centered maternal care across fertility, pregnancy and postpartum with services including doula care, lactation consulting, physical therapy, nutrition support, mental health and acupuncture. Care is delivered in provider offices, patients’ homes, via telehealth and through an app chat feature. Clinical services are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna and generally reimbursed through insurance; non-clinical services (for example doula care) are paid out of pocket or via HSA/FSA. The company was founded in 2020 and currently serves patients in Illinois while planning national expansion. Partum aims to expand payer relationships (including Medicaid) and to work with employers to broaden access and coverage for its services. Financially, the startup has raised a little over $1 million in a pre-seed round from angel investors and is currently raising a seed round.

Led · Seed · Aug 2023

Refiberd builds hyperspectral imaging and AI technology to identify textile fiber composition and enable accurate sorting for recycling. Its system can be integrated into existing recycling infrastructures so materials are processed with the correct methods and turned into new, usable fibers. The product targets the waste-sorting dilemma in fashion to advance textile-to-textile recycling. Refiberd was named eBay's Circular Fashion Innovator of the Year and received mentorship and industry access through the program. CEO Sarika Bajaj said the investment will help close a significant round, expand the technology to new recycling partners, and strengthen the company's AI capabilities. Refiberd is a US business. Refiberd builds hyperspectral imaging and AI systems to identify textile materials and blends to enable accurate sorting for textile-to-textile recycling. The company points hyperspectral cameras at garments, samples dozens to hundreds of bands of light, and uses neural networks plus generative AI to distinguish thousands of textiles and fill gaps in its dataset. Refiberd has assembled a sample library of over 10,000 entries and generates synthetic spectra to improve model accuracy for materials not present in its collection. One camera unit can eventually sort up to 7 million pounds of material, and the startup is targeting pilots with textile companies, chemical recyclers, mechanical recyclers, and textile sorters to refine its product. Founded three years ago by Sarika Bajaj and Tushita Gupta, Refiberd frames its work as a response to the roughly 14 million tons of clothing landfilled or incinerated annually in the U.S. The company will use its recent funding to roll out initial pilots and further develop its hardware and AI models.

Led · Seed · Jun 2022

De Oro’s core product, the NexStride, is a self-contained, attachable gadget that provides two external cues — a metronome-like ding and a laser-projected line — to trigger alternate neural pathways and reduce freezing in people with Parkinson’s. The unit mounts to a walker or cane with a stretchy loop and includes a corded controller and hardware dials to set volume, tempo, and laser position. The company chose a manual operation model after user and clinician feedback, and customer polls and clinical referrals indicate improved confidence and mobility among users. NexStride competes with devices like the U-Step but differentiates on portability and the ability to attach to users’ preferred mobility aids; De Oro keeps manufacturing in the U.S., which raises costs. The retail price is $500 and is not yet broadly covered by insurance, though veterans can obtain units through the VA and the Parkinson’s Wellness Fund may cover partial or full costs for some buyers. De Oro plans to use recent funding to scale operations and expand distribution so more people can access the device.

Led · Seed · Jan 2022

Re-Harvest Provisions produces Superfood Smoothie Pops by blending whole fruits, vegetables and superfoods into freeze-and-squeeze pops designed to deliver gut-friendly fiber and nutrients. The company emphasizes reHarvesting and rePurposing surplus produce to minimize food waste and market its product as an environmentally minded snack. Its pops are intended to be convenient—freeze then squeeze—and positioned as ‘Truly Smoothies That Do Good.’ Re-Harvest says the recent financing will aid aggressive expansion and accelerate product development. The company disclosed the financing via a notice of an exempt offering of securities filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. CEO Kathryn Bernell is identified as playing a key role in securing the recent investment. ReHarvest Provisions produces single-serve smoothie pops formulated with rescued or surplus fruits and vegetables. The company partners with manufacturers and farmers to source imperfect or excess produce for its products. Its core product line is freeze-then-squeeze smoothie pops sold as single-serve items. Founded in 2017 and based in Denver, Colorado, ReHarvest aims to reduce food waste through its sourcing and product approach. Financially, the company recently closed a $1.5 million series seed funding round. Investors in the round included True Wealth Ventures, Flagstaff Ventures, Segal Ventures, Captra Capital, Chicago Early, Dobson Avenue and angel investors.