A few (23 in fact!) of our favorite things: XFactor Gift Guide
As this tumultuous 2020 draws to a close, we wanted to give thanks to our 80+ portfolio company founders across 57 companies who are so adeptly navigating and leading their teams to see opportunities to deliver value for their customers.
We wanted to share more broadly a few of our favorite things coming out of this portfolio in the hope some might be a good fit for your holiday celebrations, for friends and family, or yourself!
Unfortunately, our B2B and hard science portfolio companies don’t produce great gifts, unless your family is into the likes of quantum computing, additive manufacturing, hyper jets, new therapeutics, optimized logistics, or hard-core B2B SaaS products!
But many of our other portfolio companies are a great fit. So without further adieu, here is the 2020 XFactor Portfolio gift guide, organized by category across home, fun, health, self-care & wellness, and work!
For Home
The developer of the viral Instagram favorite, the Always Pan, Our Place believes in the power of home-cooking to bring people together. Their collections are new heirlooms from the cultures and places that make up the fabric of the modern multi-ethnic kitchen. The company designs thoughtfully, sources ethically, and produces sustainably because what they make is connected to each other and the earth we share.
Steward combines technology with friendly guidance to take the guesswork out of growing household plants. Use discount code XFACTOR at checkout for 25% off a Steward seasonal or annual subscription OR 15% off their gifting kits. *Discounts only available on the website.
The Inside is making furniture fun, with access to more design for more value. They believe in the joy of decorating and that creating the home of your dreams — while having a great time doing it — should be an accessible experience to everyone, not just a few.
Some homes are full of Little Ones, and Tiny Organics can introduce your baby to their first 100 flavors. They believe in building lifelong adventurous eaters with meals that are 100% organic, plant-based, and free of the Big-8 allergens.
Other homes are full of pets, and MixLab delivers custom pet meds mixed by experts to your door. You love your pet, and so do they — that’s why they take pride in delivering the best care possible for your furry friends. Because when your pets are healthy, we’re all happier.
For Fun
Play for fun. Win for real. Make free predictions on reality TV, celebs, trending events, and more to win legit prizes.
Sidebar is the first video chat to replicate how we interact in real life. Break into groups to chat, join new conversations with a click, and capture the magic of in-person events.
Some day we will all travel again, but in the meantime, Tastemakers is a dynamic community and experiences platform that centers Africa in our future.
For Health
Helping reduce your chemical body load is Hugh & Grace’s goal. They have created products formulated to help reduce your use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are linked to infertility, autism, asthma, and more. Their products help promote skin immunity, resilience, and beauty, naturally. Use “Zoe15” when you check-out for the XFactor discount.
Advekit helps you find a great mental health therapist and save on each session.
Attn: Grace’s mission is to destigmatize aging for women. They believe in a world where women are seen and celebrated as we age. They’re working to bring this vision to life with sustainably designed wellness products that are thoughtfully tailored to our changing needs.
Elektra Health is on a mission to smash the menopause taboo by empowering women with evidence-based education, care & community.
SnappyScreen is a technologically innovative skincare company focused on convenience, quality, and sustainability. They believe that time is of the essence, wellness is key, and taking care of our planet should never be a question. Their SNAP Clean Hands luxury hand sanitizer is sold at five-star hotels/high-end boutiques and makes for a great gift this holiday season!
For Self-Care & Wellness
Maude is a modern sexual wellness company built on quality, simplicity, and inclusivity that is on a mission to change this outdated industry and make intimacy better for all people. Use discount code Flybridge10 for 10% off at checkout through year-end!
Beauty is our vehicle for connection. The Live Tinted multicultural community offers a place to discuss all things beauty and culture and have those discussions lead product development. Use Summit20 for a discount at checkout through year-end!
Ceremonia is a clean haircare brand rooted in Latinx heritage. Ceremonia is on a mission to empower a confident natural that feels as good as it looks.
Kama offers Mindful Sex practices for all bodies, regardless of age, sexuality, or gender. Their mission is to improve how you experience love, sex, and intimacy.
Because a new kind of financial plan is the ultimate form of self-care, The Beans will help you master your money so you can do what you love without a second thought. Sign up for free, and The Beans will build you a custom, simple, visual Plan for your money and support you on the path to success.
Because it is not easy out there, Give InKind is an easy-to-use online tool for organizing support during life’s challenging moments. Each InKind page empowers communities to help from anywhere through a Care Calendar, Wishlist, News & Updates, Fundraising, and more. From the birth of a baby to the loss of a loved one, to medical crises and disasters, Give InKind makes support simple so that no one goes through an important moment alone.
For Work
Chief is a private network focused on connecting and supporting women leaders. To build a group of the most powerful women, Chief wants the most impactful, diverse, and wide-reaching candidates. If you are or know a woman who meets their criteria and would benefit from the Chief Community, nominate them here.
The way teams collaborate is broken, and it’s been broken for so long, most people think it can’t be solved — but it can. Balloon is rebuilding the workplace, without harmful group dynamics, like biases, loud voices, groupthink, and fear, which undermine collaboration and productivity. With Balloon, leaders can surface true data, boost innovation, and be informed by all voices, resulting in better decisions, faster.
In today’s workforce, people often don’t feel empowered to speak up and voice their opinions about workplace issues, including harassment, bias, and other culture issues. AllVoices changes that by providing a completely safe, anonymous way for people to report issues directly to company leaders. This allows company leadership real transparency into what’s happening in their companies — and the motivation to address issues quickly, creating safer, more inclusive companies.
A community for working women and allies to come together. The Riveter platform is a place to dig into what matters, connect with working women and allies to share stories and experiences, access experts and their guidance, and to get information and resources needed to make work better for all.
We wish all of you a Happy New Year and look forward to 2021! Are you a female founder with the XFactor looking for funding? If so — we want to talk to you! Please find us online at XFactor.ventures, follow us on Twitter, or reach out via email to hello@xfactor.ventures. As we believe in diversity and inclusion of all people, of all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds, religions, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration statuses, and more, we will review and consider all opportunities that meet our investment criteria.
