The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · May 2026

Maka offers a curated streaming service for children ages zero to six that emphasizes well-being over watch time, using session-based viewing without recommendations, ads, or autoplay. Its content is evaluated through Maka Imprint, a patent-pending developmental framework created with researchers at the Yale Child Study Center that maps seven core domains across more than 650 developmental indicators. The company licenses content from IP holders and creators and partners with studios and animators to produce original shows, prioritizing lower-stimulation pacing, narrative arcs, and global stories. Parents create profiles, select thematic channels and session lengths, and receive curated playlists with wind-down cues to ease transitions away from screen time. Maka is in private iOS beta with plans to launch publicly on iPhone and iPad this fall and reports thousands of families on its waitlist. Its commercial model is subscription-based at $11.99 per month with a discounted annual option, and the recent seed funding will be used to expand its vetted content catalog.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2026

Entirety Biomedical is a Michigan-based medical device startup creating absorbable metal implants that offer titanium-like strength during healing and then safely resorb once bone union is achieved. Its patented Curasorb alloy underpins plate-and-screw and headless compression screw systems aimed initially at lower-extremity and maxillofacial procedures, allowing surgeons to avoid permanent hardware without changing existing surgical workflows or reimbursement models. The company completed its first preclinical study in 2024 and is running three additional preclinical studies, with early data showing strong osseointegration. These studies will guide a planned first-in-human clinical trial of its lower-extremity headless compression screw system. Entirety works closely with surgeons and strategic partners to identify unmet fixation needs and translate them into products that improve patient outcomes and reduce secondary removal surgeries. Founded by materials-science engineers Jake Edick and Carolyn Woldring, the team brings more than a decade of absorbable magnesium R&D experience and multiple related patents. The startup recently secured $1.2 million in seed funding to advance product development toward clinical trials.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2025

CircNova develops a deep-learning AI platform called NovaEngine that the company says can predict circular RNA structures and design novel, non-coding circular RNAs for therapeutic use. The startup also operates a wet lab that produces physical circular RNA molecules for validation and research, including collaboration with the University of Michigan. Its platform can reportedly move between sequence and structure to reverse-engineer and design candidate molecules. Target indications the company cites include ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare genetic diseases. Cofounded by CEO Crystal Brown, CSO Joe Deangelo, and chief business officer William Grenawitzke, CircNova was founded in May 2023 and splits activity between Michigan and Boston to be near potential partners. The company has secured early grant funding (including an initial $15,000 grant and a $25,000 NSF grant that led to its first patent application) and recently closed a $3.3 million seed round to advance its platform and wet-lab capabilities.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2024

Chiyo offers stage-based, symptom-specific nutrition programs delivered as meals plus digital guides and health coaching, focused on fertility and postpartum recovery. The company combines Western nutritional science with Eastern food therapy and is building a research database on nutrition for women’s health. Its product set includes a 40-days postpartum program (three meals per day, starting at $69/day), menstrual-cycle tonics and broths, and plans to expand across the full women’s health journey. Chiyo intends to launch a personalized, self-guided digital platform where users can rate efficacy and contribute to research. The company has served 100,000 meals since launching deliveries in 2021, works with more than 100 women’s health practitioners, and reports revenue growth of 300% in the last 12 months. Chiyo was founded in 2020 and ships nationwide from a kitchen in Kearny, New Jersey.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2021

Founded in 2018, Guardio began as a browser extension that scans for malicious or phishing sites and alerts users to data leaks. The company has since expanded into mobile applications providing identity management, spam filtering, and scam protection, and it is now developing technology to detect malicious code written with AI-based “vibe coding” tools. Guardio is also rolling out visibility features that reveal publicly shared documents, flag sensitive information exposure, and identify accounts lacking multi-factor authentication, with planned Outlook and Facebook integrations and a free-tier rollout next year. The startup recently partnered with website builder Lovable to scan every site on that platform for security flaws. Guardio reports 500,000 paying users and says it reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue in 2024. Management states that, although its valuation has tripled since 2021, the company does not yet consider itself a unicorn.