It’s been a busy month for the SOSV portfolio that featured big news ranging from NFTs to “molecular spirits” to seaweed-based yarns, to COVID testing. We’ll catch you up on all that and more below.
Of special note, Sean O’Sullivan, SOSV’s founder and managing general partner, made a splash on TechCrunch in a piece arguing for a 10x funding increase in the remarkable SBIR program to help startups address climate change and nextgen manufacturing. Read more…
And biotech fans, don’t miss IndieBio NY’s big event May 11 with some of the top names in the field. Register now.
We hope you are looking forward to spring and vaccinations as much as we are!
Portfolio Highlights
Endless West (IndieBio) raised $21M Series B to make molecular spirits including Glyph, which uses 94% less water and 92% less agricultural land than traditional whiskey. Read more…
Bartesian (HAX) raised $20M Series A to scale production of its countertop cocktail machine and expand its team. Actor Mila Kunis has joined the company’s board of advisors to provide guidance on brand strategy and growth. Read more…
Pili (RebelBio) raised €4M to make sustainable pigments and dyes with the end goal of considerably reducing the environmental impact of industrial inks and paint production. Read more…
AlgiKnit (RebelBio) raised $2.4M to commercialize seaweed-derived biodegradable yarns that could disrupt the market for polluting fibers like petroleum-based polyester and nylon. Read more…
viAct (Chinaccelerator) raised a $2M seed round for its automated construction monitoring platform which uses computer vision to detect potential safety hazards and allows construction sites to comply with social distancing measures. Read more…
Abby’s Better (Food-X) raised $1M from investors including basketball player Kevin Love and supermodel Kate Bock to help satisfy a fast-growing audience that craves gluten-free, peanut-free, paleo-friendly, and plant-based snack options. Read more…
SuperPro.ai (MOX) raised $300K seed funding to help working professionals with simpler, better, automated video workflows. Read more…
Clara Foods (IndieBio) unveiled the first animal-free pepsin for use in food and pharmaceutical products, replacing the traditional source of pig stomachs which are rife with issues. Read more…
NotCo (IndieBio) is getting recognition for its unicorn status due to the explosion in global sales of plant-based foods. Read more…
Coutloot (MOX) reached #18 in the Google Play Store, helping offline sellers in India with everything from supply chain to demand to logistics/payments. Read more…
SuperWorld (Chinaccelerator) now lets you buy NFTs in the form of virtual real estate. East 66th St. in NYC could be yours for just 500 ETH, or ~$822k! Read more…
API3 (dlab) announced Airnode as the first fully GDPR-compliant oracle solution for enterprise blockchain applications. Read more…
Media Highlights
Seaspiracy • Netflix • IndieBio alum New Wave Foods, the makers of plant-based shrimp, were featured in the controversial Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. Along with being featured in the documentary, New Wave Foods recently announced the launch of their vegan shrimp in restaurants across the US. SOSV also invests in other companies changing the seafood industry, including Finless Foods (cell-cultivated fish), Prime Roots (fungi-based superprotein), BioFeyn (sustainable feed additives for aquaculture) and Vertical Oceans (clean shrimp grown in vertical farms).
Sleep Startups Reveal How Consumer Hardware Can Help You Catch More Zs • This year on World Sleep Day (March 19, 2021), five sleep experts joined SOSV HAX moderator Garrett Winther on a panel to discuss what (literally) keeps people up at night and how hardware solutions can improve the quality and quantity of sleep. The panelists included founders of own HAX companies: Coline Juin of Moona, and Radhika Patil of Cradlewise.
To rebuild manufacturing, the US needs to beef up the Small Business Innovation Research Program • Sean O’Sullivan, TechCrunch • SOSV’s Managing General Partner says we have only a small window of time to restore manufacturing as a foundation of American prosperity, and a remarkable but underappreciated federal program has a big role to play.
A $1 billion company at home above a dollar store • Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe • Get a behind the scenes look at SOSV unicorn FormLabs, a 3D printing startup that generates over $100M in annual revenue.
From improving cancer treatments to saving the bees, these are the companies in IndieBio’s latest class • Greg Kumparek, TechCrunch • Meet the exciting new IndieBio cohorts in New York and San Francisco working on amazing solutions for human and planetary health.
Unlocked with Muneeb Ali • SOSV dlab • The co-founder of Blockstack and CEO of Hiro chats about the origin story of Stacks, the advantages of a smart contract platform built on Bitcoin, and more.
Scientist Entrepreneurs — Scaling Breakout Engineering Biology Companies • TechCrunch • Cool biotech is one thing; scaling it is the hard part. SOSV GP Po Bronson discusses the challenge with Arvind Gupta and Ursheet Parikh of Mayfield Fund.
How SOSV-backed Achiko pivoted from financial services to health tech during the COVID-19 pandemic • Catherine Shu, TechCrunch • Aptamex will serve as an affordable screener, costing less than 25 cents per kit.
Chinaccelerator’s 8×8 Global Speaker Series provides clues for young entrepreneurs • Stephanie Pearl Li, KrASIA • Eight notable startup mentors shared experiences and provided support on financial growth, brand building, data protection, and how to scale a business.
Upcoming Events
Biotech Investing with IndieBio • every Thursday in the SOSV Startup Forum on Clubhouse.
Unexpected Biotech: Innovative Technologies Emerging from New York Life Sciences • Tuesday May 11 hosted online by IndieBio New York • This event brings together those who have blazed new trails in New York biotech. Join to hear thought leaders discuss the current successes and future paths in building a better world with biology.
Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Virtual Summit • June 22nd — 23rd • Join SOSV partners Sean O’Sullivan and Po Bronson at this important event about exciting innovations in the protein sector. Register now.
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