Participated · Equity · Jan 2022

MetaDojo develops ready-made blockchain-based 3D premises called Dojos that are customizable NFTs deployable to different metaverses and embeddable on websites. Dojos follow the ERC-721 token standard and store digital assets on IPFS, enabling owners to display and trade NFT collections, host virtual events, and run in-Dojo economies. The platform targets businesses and communities seeking faster time-to-market for metaverse presence and supports use cases such as art galleries, retail stores, schools, virtual events, and play-to-earn mechanics. MetaDojo’s ecosystem emphasizes the creator economy, NFT minting and trading, and multi-chain scalability. The company operates a three-tier structure covering metaverse environments, in-Dojo economies, and a Dojo Metaverse for land allocation and discovery. Following its funding, MetaDojo plans further technical work on interior and exterior design, enhancements to the in-game experience, and development of a Marketplace; funds will also support marketing, PR, operations, and partnerships.

Led · Seed · Apr 2017

WiBotic develops advanced wireless charging and power-optimization solutions for aerial, mobile and marine robots. Its hardware and software products aim to maximize robot fleet uptime and serve as integral components of fully autonomous robotic operations. The company works with customers across a variety of industries to optimize robot operations. WiBotic is based in Seattle, WA, and is led by CEO Ben Waters. It raised $5.7M in a Series A and plans to use the proceeds to accelerate growth, expand its sales team, advance hardware and software engineering, and meet increased customer demand. Following the raise, Mark Rogers joined WiBotic’s board of directors. Wibotic is a Seattle-based provider of wireless power and battery intelligence solutions for the robotic industry. Its core product automatically detects approaching robots or landing drones and wirelessly charges their batteries via a charging platform. The technology targets aerial, mobile and aquatic robot fleets, helping companies optimize fleet uptime and enabling fully autonomous operations. Founded in 2015 by CEO Ben Waters, the company positions its solutions as integral components of autonomous robotic systems. The new $2.5m seed funding will be used primarily to enhance product development and increase sales and marketing activities. WiBotic offers a wireless charging solution for drones and robots that combines a transmitter/receiver system with battery-management tools and fleet-level power optimization. The company says its adaptive near-field wireless charging is more efficient than standard inductive and resonant systems, can charge at the same or faster rates than plug-in chargers, and reduces maintenance costs. Its system enables autonomous charging to remove the need for human intervention and to extend battery lifetime, and it is reported to work in varying weather conditions and underwater. Customers span industries including agriculture, medical, security, videography, and marine biology, and the company expects to add more clients. WiBotic was founded within UW’s electrical engineering and computer science departments by Ben Waters and professor Joshua Smith and has support from UW’s CoMotion. The company is about a year old and operates with a roughly 10-person team.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2017

Sensoro is a Seattle-based Internet of Things (IoT) technology service provider co-founded in 2013 as part of Microsoft Ventures. The company has developed a small LPWAN IoT chip and a product portfolio that includes communication modules, sensors, communication base stations and cloud services. Sensoro has provided IoT solutions and services to more than 700 brands worldwide, including Microsoft, Google, Real Madrid FC, Bosch and Sumitomo. In December 2018 it completed a multi-million dollar Series C round of financing. Backers named in the round include Baidu Ventures, Northern Light Venture Capital, Robert Bosch Venture Capital and Chaos Investment, among other institutions. The company intends to use the funds to continue developing its IoT technology, accelerate global expansion of its IoT products and increase competitiveness. Sensoro, founded in 2013 and based in Seattle, manufactures beacon devices and wireless sensor networks for IoT applications. Its Alpha Product Suite provides long-range, low-power solutions designed for large-scale IoT sensor networks, with a focus on environmental monitoring and asset tracking. The company supplies IoT technology for smart-city projects in the UK, Europe, Malaysia and China, including Manchester City Verve, STORM, Putrajaya – Multimedia Super Corridor and Nanjing Fire Safety Department. Leadership includes co-founder and CSO Vivian Li. Sensoro anticipates producing and shipping over 100,000 environmental devices and 500,000 asset-tracking tags in 2017 to support infrastructure across cities, buildings and industries. The company raised $18m in a Series B round led by strategic backers including Bosch, Sumitomo and Tsing Capital. Sensoro manufactures Bluetooth beacon devices that collect and transmit proximity-based information. The company completed a $10M VC funding round and said it will use the proceeds for targeted research into IoT big data, business development and sensor technology fields. Incubated by Microsoft Ventures in Beijing in 2013 and a member of the Microsoft Global HiPo Program in 2014, Sensoro is described as one of the top three Bluetooth beacon operators globally. It owns a beacon network of more than 100,000 units deployed in over 17,000 retail stores. The company maintains offices in Beijing, China; Seattle, USA; and Japan.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2017

Pargo, founded in 2015 by Lars Veul and Derk Hoekert and based in Cape Town, operates a proprietary, technology-based physical network that uses existing retail stores to let customers send and receive parcels at dedicated pick-up points. The company has grown its physical collection network to over 1,000 unique pick-up points and has signed up more than 300 retail partners. In 2016 Pargo reported a 629% year‑over‑year increase in revenues and a 463% increase in its client base. The service model centers on using retail partners as collection points to expand logistics reach without building new facilities. Pargo intends to use the new funding to expand sales, launch new marketing efforts, and develop and widen its logistics and fulfillment services offering. As part of the transaction, a representative of the lead investor will join the company’s board.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2016

Phononic develops semiconductor thermoelectric chips and fully integrated solid-state cooling and refrigeration products used across optoelectronics, cold chain fulfillment, and technology licensing. The company says millions of its high-performance thermoelectric devices are in use globally, with tens of thousands of solid-state refrigerators and freezers deployed. Phononic positions its solutions as sustainable alternatives to legacy compressor and high‑GWP refrigerant systems, aiming to address climate and refrigerant‑related emissions challenges. The company plans to expand sales and marketing, scale domestic and international high‑volume manufacturing, and broaden its cooling and refrigeration product portfolio and platform. Phononic highlights use cases including fiber‑optic communications/5G/LIDAR, ecommerce cold‑chain fulfillment, vaccine protection, and retail merchandising. The announcement was made from Durham, N.C. and New York. Phononic produces solid-state thermal management products, including micro- and pico-TEC cooling devices for fiber optics and scalable heat pumps for pharmacy, healthcare and residential refrigerators. Its Durham, North Carolina manufacturing facility is in full-scale production and the company reports products are now in mass production. The company completed a $71 million growth equity financing and secured an additional $40 million in funding from UBS' wealth management businesses; the round featured a $31 million first close on September 6, 2016. Phononic intends to use the funds to expand its global sales and marketing organization and to build after-care customer service and support in new and existing markets. The company frames its technology as a sustainable alternative to compressors, heat sinks and fans and highlights regulatory momentum to phase down HFC refrigerants as a market tailwind. Phononic was named to CNBC’s 2016 Disruptor 50 list for its innovation in cooling and heating. Phononic develops cooling and heating products using semiconductor (solid-state) technology to provide sustainable, distributed, convenient, and connected thermal management solutions. Led by CEO Tony Atti, the company has commercialized residential products and recently introduced a refrigeration product line for laboratories, research centers and medical facilities. Its thermal solutions are also being applied to fiber optics, telecommunications and data server infrastructure cooling. The company positions its technology as necessary to continue Moore's Law. Phononic plans to use new funding to increase sales, penetrate new market opportunities and expand manufacturing capacity. The company is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Phononic commercializes high-performance solid-state heat pumps and fully integrated systems that displace traditional compressors for residential and commercial refrigeration, window-mounted air conditioning and heating. Its manufacturing-friendly platform produces refrigeration products that are quiet, energy-efficient, toxin-free and require no moving parts. The company targets multi-billion dollar refrigeration and window-mounted air conditioning markets with compressor-free solutions. Phononic was an ARPA-E awardee in 2009 and was named a 2013 Global Cleantech 100 company. The business is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. It plans to expand its engineering team, transition from pilot to volume manufacturing, and establish a presence in Asia. Phononic Devices is a Raleigh, North Carolina–based maker of thermoelectric coolers and generators that convert wasted heat into power and provide solid‑state cooling. The company uses proprietary thermoelectric materials from a different class of elements than incumbent bismuth telluride/selenide, which it says are abundant, low‑cost and manufacturable within existing semiconductor operations. An ARPA‑E press statement and the company project dramatic efficiency improvements (from under 10% to over 30%) that would yield significant dollar‑per‑watt savings for power generation and cooling. Phononic plans to commercialize its modules first for electronics cooling—consumer electronics, military equipment, medical and laser instruments—then for residential refrigeration and, longer term, air conditioners. The company was spun out of the University of Oklahoma’s tech transfer program, is pre‑revenue, and currently has about ten full‑time employees. Management plans to use new capital to develop U.S. commercial manufacturing capabilities and grow the market, targeting customers across high‑tech cooling applications while competing with peers such as Nextreme and MicroPelt.