Participated · Seed · Jun 2022

Colorcast offers a social sports talk app that enables anyone to commentate on live sports before, during, and after games with no special equipment. The platform supplies casters and listeners with real-time stats, scores, betting odds, and other game information. Interaction occurs via text chat and the “Hot Seat,” which brings listeners onto the microphone to ask questions or share takes. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Evan Kirkham and is based in Austin, TX. Colorcast raised seed funding and plans to use the proceeds to expand operations and broaden its business reach. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article. Colorcast is an Austin, Texas–based social sports talk app led by CEO Evan Kirkham. The platform enables anyone to commentate on live sports with no equipment, synchronizing audio streams and providing shared visual context. It surfaces real-time game information such as stats, scores, and betting odds, and supports interaction via text chat and a "Hot Seat" feature that brings listeners onto the microphone. Colorcast features high-profile NFL athletes and celebrities on the platform, including Ryan Shazier, Ike Taylor, James Washington, Taylor Rapp, Keith Smith, and Vic Mensa. The company plans to use its recent funding to expand into additional sports markets, grow its talent acquisition team, and continue diversifying its offering. No operating metrics were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2019

Bamboo Learning builds educational apps to help K-5 children learn math and reading and has launched its first iOS app. The company says the iOS app is the first K-5 learning application for iPads and iPhones that combines voice recognition and touch and focuses on reading comprehension. The app is free with a $3.99/month subscription upgrade for access to additional content. The five-person company previously offered voice-based apps for Amazon's Alexa devices. Bamboo is led by CEO Ian Freed, a former technology adviser to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and was co-founded by education industry veteran Irina Fine. The company is in talks with school districts about classroom use and has raised more than $2 million to date. Bamboo Learning develops voice-driven educational and entertainment skills for Amazon Alexa that let users learn and practice diverse subjects through listening, viewing images, and voice interaction. Its product suite includes Bamboo Luminaries, Bamboo Books, Bamboo Math, Bamboo Music, and Highlights Storybooks from Bamboo. All five applications are available free in the Amazon Alexa Skills store and via the company website. The company raised $1.4M in seed financing to accelerate product development. Management said it will use the funds to expand voice applications and content for education and entertainment. Bamboo plans to hire software engineers and content producers to speed development of new applications. Bamboo Learning develops education-focused software and services that create voice-first learning experiences on Alexa devices. The company builds Bamboo Skills, including Bamboo Music and the forthcoming Bamboo Math, that use listening, pictures, and voice to teach subjects. Bamboo Skills automatically increase in difficulty as learners master levels, and Bamboo Math promotes students to new arithmetic functions after mastery. Leadership includes CEO Ian Freed and COO and Senior Vice President of Content Irina Fine. The company plans to use the new funding to continue building education skills for students of various ages. The amount and terms of the investment were not disclosed in the article.