Participated · Equity · Jun 2018

Vi develops the $149 Vi earbuds and an AI-powered running coach that provides real-time feedback and personalized audio coaching. The earbuds include biosensors that monitor heart rate, motion, elevation, distance, speed, calories, and heart-rate variability and sync to Android and iOS apps via Bluetooth. The product integrates with Spotify and Apple Music to match tracks to pace and was trained on “hundreds of thousands” of audio recordings to deliver conversational coaching and insights such as injury prevention and stress levels. Vi plans to double down on personalization, real-time feedback, and voice/audio content and to expand its offering into additional fitness and wellness activities. The company intends to make Vi’s software available on additional connected audio devices (phones, earphones, smartwatches) and expects product and partnership launches later this year. The company is New York–based and previously raised more than $1.68 million on Kickstarter in 2016 for the initial hardware launch. Vi is an artificial intelligence personal companion that lives in bio‑sensing earphones and offers real‑time feedback based on a user's physiology, fitness and health goals. The product pairs aerospace‑grade biosensors (heart rate, HRV, motion, elevation, environment) with high‑fidelity Harman/Kardon audio, automatic speech recognition, and integrations with music services. LifeBEAM announced a Lite Cycling Mode at launch with Strava integration and plans to evolve it via over‑the‑air updates into a Full Cycling Mode with personalized cycling training, cadence and power feedback. Vi supports RUN mode, BLE/BT connectivity, iOS and Android compatibility, customized ear fitting, earbud proximity sensing, and a battery designed for a full day of activity (~2x most wireless earphones). Financially, Vi surpassed $1 million in Kickstarter pledges with more than 4,400 backers and had reached its $100,000 goal within hours of launch; it was available to preorder for $199 (estimated retail $249). Vi is offered by LifeBEAM, which was founded in 2011 and is based in New York City with R&D centers in Israel, Los Angeles and Asia.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2016

Apester provides an audience engagement platform enabling publishers to embed interactive units—quizzes, polls, tests—inside articles and videos. The company is led by CEO and co‑founder Moti Cohen and is already used by thousands of publishers, including Time Inc., AOL, The Daily Telegraph, The Huffington Post, FOX, USA Today, BBC, Sky and Bild. It has a team of 50 and supports publishers in more than 40 countries with offices in London, Berlin, Istanbul and Tokyo and R&D in Tel Aviv. Apester intends to use the latest funds to continue growth, including plans to double its employee base over the coming year. Financially, the company has raised $17m to date following its Series A second tranche closing. The platform serves both publishers and brands seeking increased audience engagement. Apester offers tools that let online publishers create and embed polls, surveys, personality tests and video quizzes directly in their articles. The product targets publishers that want interactive storytelling and native branded-content opportunities. The company works with more than 400 publishers and reaches roughly 200 million impressions per month. Publishers can monetize via branded content and have the option to opt out of running ads. Apester began in Israel and is now headquartered in New York City. The company says the new funding will be used to expand its presence in the United States. Qmerce offers a platform that lets brands and community managers create customizable, branded social games for Facebook rapidly and at low cost. The company targets online media, marketing and community managers, enabling campaigns that map in-game achievements to real-life rewards. It has more than 40 customers, including Crocs and the Israeli Pizza Hut franchise, and reports 300,000 games played to date. CEO Moti Cohen says average user play is about 50 minutes. Creating games is free for now, and the company plans to introduce a paid premium service with greater customization. Qmerce planned to present at the Israeli Pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt NYC, signaling active marketing and outreach efforts.

Participated · Equity · Mar 2016

LifeBEAM is a New York City-based provider of a wearable technology platform. It is advancing Awareable, which integrates accurate biometrics and a personal training agent to deliver an intelligent, interactive training experience. Led by Co‑Founder and CEO Omri Yoffe, the company intends to expand in the wearables category and start its Awareables line. LifeBEAM has R&D centers in Israel, Los Angeles and Asia. The company closed a $16M funding round to support these plans and to launch Awareable. Awareable is slated to debut on Kickstarter in the spring.