SUM Ventures
Stories, milestones, and insights from the SUM Ventures portfolio.
CrossFit and SUM Ventures portfolio company WurQ have partnered to launch an official functional fitness wearable platform — bringing WurQ's multimodal movement recognition and AI analytics to the CrossFit community and the 2026 CrossFit Games.
On TechCrunch's Build Mode podcast, geCKo Materials founder and CEO Capella Kerst shares how her gecko-inspired dry adhesive went from winning the Startup Battlefield stage to being used aboard the International Space Station.
Forbes covers PlantSwitch's $17M Series A and its landmark deal to supply compostable, plant-based foodware at the 2026 World Cup — turning farm waste into stadium-scale plastic replacements on soccer's biggest stage.
SUM Ventures portfolio company DressX is at the forefront of the digital fashion revolution, partnering with major brands to create wearable NFTs and AR fashion.
SUM Ventures portfolio founder and NBC Sports analyst Matthew Berry makes history as the first-ever fantasy sports commentator featured in a Super Bowl pre-game show, a milestone marking how mainstream fantasy has become.
Purlin®, the AI platform powering enterprise real estate operations, and Final Offer™, the industry's only consumer-facing offer negotiation marketplace, have merged to form Purlin Enterprises — real estate's first unified AI operating system spanning real estate, mortgage, and title. The combined company serves 35,000+ agents and 15 million consumers, bringing transparency and AI-driven efficiency to every stage of the home transaction.
Acorns launches Money Manager — automated personal finance beyond microinvesting
Acorns' new Money Manager feature automates budgeting, savings, and investment allocation, marking the platform's evolution from a micro-investing app to a full-service automated money manager.
Acorns acquires Zeta, expanding into couples and family financial management
The acquisition adds Zeta's joint account and couples finance tools to Acorns' suite, following earlier acquisitions of Chronifi and EarlyBird and the company's TIME World's Best Brands 2024 recognition.
Acorns launches free tax filing with built-in tax refund investing for Gold customers
The new benefit helps customers file taxes easily and automatically put their refund to work — deepening Acorns' evolution into a full financial wellness platform.
SUM Ventures invests in AssistMe — Fund III backs the digital care assistant
SUM Ventures Fund III invests in AssistMe, the Berlin-based company bringing sensor-driven incontinence management and digitalization to care homes, led by founder and CEO Julio Brandl.
AssistMe secures €5.2 million in growth capital for its care platform alea
The Berlin-based digital care company raised €5.2M to scale alea, its digital assistance system that relieves nursing staff and improves care quality across German care homes.
Automotus raises $9M Series A to scale AI curb management platform
The computer vision startup now manages automated enforcement for bus lanes, loading zones, and congestion pricing across major US cities including Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Nashville.
Pittsburgh deploys Automotus for bike lane automated enforcement
The City of Pittsburgh selected Automotus to automate enforcement of dedicated bike lanes, protecting cyclist safety while reducing the burden on human parking enforcement officers.
Berri Lyte hits the bullseye — now available at Target stores nationwide
Berri Organics' organic plant-based electrolyte solution Berri Lyte lands on Target shelves, adding another major national retailer alongside Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Rite Aid — roughly 2,000 retail doors nationwide.
World Jai-Alai League announces exclusive sports drink partnership with Berri Fit
The World Jai-Alai League names Berri Fit its exclusive sports drink, putting Berri Organics' plant-based hydration in front of professional athletes and fans.
How Berri became a national brand at Whole Foods Market
Berri Lyte organic electrolyte solutions rolled out across eight Whole Foods regions, marking Berri Organics' arrival as a national brand — a journey from a Cornell dorm-room prototype to nationwide shelves, with founder Jerome Tse named to Forbes 30 Under 30.
Advertising Week launches Global Creator Network powered by Breakr
Breakr's infrastructure now powers Advertising Week's worldwide creator marketing ecosystem, connecting brands with talent at global scale following Live Nation Urban's strategic investment.
Live Nation Urban invests in Breakr; BreakrPay instant creator payment system launches
Strategic investment from Live Nation Urban validates Breakr's music creator marketing platform — backed by Nas, a16z, and Marc Benioff — and launches BreakrPay to solve the creator economy's payment speed problem.
Music Business Worldwide profiles Breakr: $9M raised, Nas and Marc Benioff investors
MBW's deep-dive on Breakr spotlights the creator marketing platform's mission to democratize music promotion using AI — making it as easy for an emerging artist to run a campaign as it is for a major label.
Brius announces Brava+ System — world's first self-engaging lingual orthodontic brackets
The launch of Brava+ marks a major innovation in orthodontics: fully lingual (hidden) braces with self-engaging brackets that require no ties, reducing chair time and improving patient comfort. Singapore and India market launches followed.
Circularity Fuels converts raw dairy biogas to jet fuel in world-first end-to-end pilot
Circularity Fuels produced sustainable aviation fuel directly from raw cow-manure biogas, demonstrating a modular system projected to cost roughly one-fifth as much as planned European SAF plants.
Circularity cuts the cost of making sustainable aviation fuel from biomethane
CleanTechnica examines how Circularity Fuels uses electrified reactors and dairy biomethane to make lower-cost sustainable aviation fuel while creating a new revenue opportunity for farmers.
Renewable Energy Magazine covers Circularity's world-first raw-biogas-to-jet-fuel pilot
The renewable energy publication highlights Circularity Fuels' successful end-to-end conversion of untreated dairy biogas into drop-in sustainable aviation fuel.
Circularity converts dairy farm waste into jet fuel components at one-hundredth the capital cost
A California dairy-farm demonstration converted raw biogas into clean syngas using Circularity's electrified Ouro Reactor, showing a path to dramatically lower-cost sustainable aviation fuel production.
SAF Investor spotlights Circularity Fuels' conversion of dairy waste into sustainable aviation fuel
SAF Investor covers Circularity Fuels' compact, electrified approach to turning agricultural waste into jet fuel components at commercially competitive costs.
A first for Amazon: virtual fashion move with DRESSX partnership
Retail Tech Innovation Hub covers Amazon's first foray into virtual fashion through its DRESSX partnership — a milestone for AI-powered try-on becoming a mainstream e-commerce feature.
Forbes: Google, DRESSX and the new fashion AI virtual try-on stack
Forbes profiles how DRESSX and Google are reshaping the fashion industry's AI stack — making virtual try-on a mainstream commerce tool. DRESSX is cited as the leading platform enabling AI-powered digital fashion at scale.
DRESSX and Amazon announce virtual fashion partnership — exclusive
GamesBeat exclusive: DRESSX and Amazon partner to bring AI-powered virtual fashion try-on to Amazon's platform, extending DRESSX's digital fashion technology to one of the world's largest e-commerce marketplaces.
DRESSX launches DRESSX Agent — the largest AI try-on and shopping platform with $2M in luxury merchandise
Described as 'ChatGPT for fashion,' the DRESSX Agent lets shoppers virtually try on luxury items using AI, reaching the largest inventory of AI-rendered fashion ever assembled on a single platform.
DRESSX powers Lacoste Bitmoji Fashion Store; DRESSGO Roblox experience with PUMA
DRESSX's partnerships extend into mainstream gaming and avatars — launching the Lacoste Bitmoji Fashion Store and the DRESSGO Roblox experience with PUMA, reaching tens of millions of users.
DRESSX launches Gen AI for instant wardrobe makeovers
DRESSX's generative AI tool lets anyone create and try on digital fashion instantly — no design skills required — positioning DRESSX as the leading AI-first platform in digital clothing.
Eduworks unveils AI platform at I/ITSEC 2024 — the world's largest modeling and simulation conference
Eduworks showcased its AI-driven training platform at I/ITSEC 2024, demonstrating how AI and natural language technologies are transforming defense training and workforce readiness.
Eduworks launches REVA: voice security for the age of AI-generated audio
Backed by DARPA and DoD contracts since 2017, Eduworks' REVA platform detects deepfake speech and voice-based phishing attacks in real time — delivering critical security as AI-generated audio becomes indistinguishable from real voices.
En Verite reaches $770K ARR with a 7-person team
The AI diligence platform for investors and founders — founded in early 2024 — reached $770K in annual recurring revenue with a lean seven-person team, demonstrating exceptional capital efficiency.
En Vérité comes out of stealth to bring AI-driven diligence to venture investing
After a year of development and a closed beta, founder Collin Sebastian launched En Vérité publicly — an AI platform that automates startup diligence for angels, family offices, and emerging managers.
Founder spotlight: Collin Sebastian on how AI-driven diligence is changing early-stage investing
In an Eqvista founder interview, Collin Sebastian shares how En Vérité's Trust, Verify, and Vector products de-risk venture capital and match pre-diligenced startups with qualified investors.
Play the long game for your kids — CMAS × Fantasy Life partnership
Fantasy Life announces its partnership with CMAS, designed to make fantasy sports an on-ramp for teaching kids long-term thinking, decision-making, and strategy through play.
The endless possibilities for fantasy football in 2026
Fantasy Life's editorial team breaks down where the sport is headed in 2026 — from AI-driven analytics to new league formats — and how the platform is positioning to lead the next era of fantasy football.
Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life closes $7M seed round; acquires Guillotine Leagues; 737% revenue growth since 2022
Led by LeBron James's LRMR Ventures and SC Holdings, the round funds a new platform, the Guillotine Leagues acquisition, and continued growth for the FSGA Award-winning app.
From the Startup Battlefield stage to the International Space Station: Gecko Materials built a sticky product
TechCrunch follows Gecko Materials' journey from its Startup Battlefield debut to having its dry-adhesive technology selected for deployment aboard the International Space Station — a major validation for its gecko-inspired sticky material.
Gecko Materials launches gecko-inspired adhesive
Coverage of Gecko Materials' commercial launch of its gecko-inspired dry adhesive — a residue-free, reusable alternative to traditional bonding methods now shipping to industrial customers.
Gecko Materials debuts four new products at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025; team tripled, customers include Samsung, Intel, and TSMC
One year after winning runner-up at Startup Battlefield, Gecko returns to the Disrupt stage with a semiconductor wafer handler, solar panel gripper, glass handling tool, and universal robotic arm end effector.
Gecko Materials secures $8M seed round to scale energy-efficient adhesive technology
The runner-up at TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 2024 raised $8M to commercialize its dry adhesive technology — a next-generation alternative to velcro with applications in semiconductors, robotics, and consumer electronics.
Prolink and Grapefruit Health launch partnership to build the next generation of nursing talent
Grapefruit Health teams up with Prolink, a leading national healthcare workforce solutions company, to give clinical students career readiness support while closing gaps in patient care.
Grapefruit Health raises seed round after pivot to closing care gaps
Following its pivot to care gap closure, Grapefruit Health closed a seed funding round to scale its clinical-student workforce serving health plans and providers.
Grapefruit Health and MVP Health Care break new ground in closing care gaps
A first-of-its-kind partnership puts Grapefruit Health's clinical student workforce to work for MVP Health Care members, improving outreach and closing care gaps at scale.
SUM Ventures invests in greenLi — Fund III backs lithium extraction from any water source
SUM Ventures Fund III invests in greenLi, founded by CEO Eitan Benson, whose complementary MLE and DCM technologies extract aqueous lithium and manufacture battery-ready cathode materials on-site, on demand.
Hellbender doubles Pittsburgh footprint to meet demand for physical AI hardware and software
The fast-growing startup moves its headquarters to Hazelwood Green and opens expanded manufacturing operations at Mill 19, creating over 500 local jobs.
Hellbender raises $12.5M to build domestic AI hardware infrastructure as edge intelligence demand accelerates
Hellbender closed a $12.5M round to scale US-based manufacturing of edge AI hardware — strengthening America's domestic supply chain for the perception systems powering autonomous defense, robotics, and industrial automation.
Hellbender named Hailo Preferred Partner for edge AI perception systems
Hellbender achieved Preferred Partner status with Hailo, integrating the Hailo-8 AI Accelerator into its full-stack edge perception systems — enabling real-time AI inference for autonomous vehicles, defense robotics, and industrial automation without cloud dependency.
Hellbender joins Pittsburgh Technology Council's Defense Robotics and Innovation Coalition
Hellbender joined the Pittsburgh Technology Council's Defense Robotics and Innovation Coalition alongside Carnegie Robotics and Near Earth Autonomy, strengthening Pittsburgh's defense-tech ecosystem and pipeline for domestic autonomous systems procurement.
HyperSpectral raises oversubscribed $7M Series A-2
The AI-powered spectral intelligence platform accelerates commercialization following a DARPA collaboration extension, a 2025 SPIE Prism Award for Best Software, and selection for Gartner's Computer Vision Innovators list.
HyperSpectral extends DARPA collaboration to enhance integrity of US domestic supply chain
Building on its AI spectral intelligence platform, HyperSpectral extended its DARPA collaboration to apply SpecAI technology to critical minerals detection and supply chain verification — a national security use case.
Irrigreen 3.0 launches with all-new Sprinkler 3 and Smart Controller 3; US manufacturing in Wisconsin
Irrigreen's third-generation platform brings the most advanced digital sprinkler hardware yet, fully manufactured in the United States, following the company's $19M Series A.
Irrigreen secures $19M Series A to lead the future of smart lawn care
The AI-powered robotic sprinkler startup, featured on CNBC's Power Lunch for its up-to-50% water savings, raised $19M to scale its precision irrigation platform nationwide.
LiveEasy acquired by AppFolio for ~$78.5M — becomes FolioSpace
SUM Ventures portfolio company LiveEasy was acquired by property management platform AppFolio to power its next-generation resident experience, rebranding as FolioSpace. A successful exit for the SUM portfolio.
mxHERO launches Mail2Cloud Advanced; named Box Solutions Partner of the Year
The enterprise email management platform deepens its integration with Box's content cloud and earns Box's top partner honor, following its CUI/CMMC 2.0 compliance update for defense sector customers.
mxHERO updates Mail2Cloud with CUI / CMMC 2.0 compliance capabilities
The enterprise email management platform adds support for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) classification and CMMC 2.0 compliance, opening defense and government contractor markets.
Ovation (formerly Paperwork) partners with BALANCE financial wellness nonprofit
The rebranded platform — now called Ovation — formalizes a partnership with BALANCE, a leading nonprofit financial wellness organization, to expand access to credit-building tools for underserved consumers.
Oze secures funding from Visa and DEG; top-3 finalist for Milken Motsepe Prize for Fintech
The Ghanaian small business financial platform raised an undisclosed round from Visa, DEG, Speedinvest, and AfricInvest, and was named a top-3 finalist out of 5,000+ applicants for the global Milken Motsepe FinTech Prize.
PayAmigo closes Series A funding round
The Latin America-focused payment aggregator, which launched in Argentina in late 2024, closed its Series A to accelerate expansion across the region.
SUM Ventures doubles down on PayAmigo with Fund III follow-on investment
SUM Ventures Fund III makes a follow-on investment in PayAmigo, the Latin America-focused cross-border payments platform, extending SUM's backing across Funds I, II, and III.
PlantSwitch raises $17M Series A to swap plastic at the 2026 World Cup
The compostable-materials startup raised $17M to supply plant-based cutlery, cups, and foodware for the 2026 World Cup — turning farm waste into stadium-scale plastic replacements.
PlantSwitch reaches $20M total funding; targets 50M lb/yr production capacity
PlantSwitch's Sanford, NC facility is producing compostable resin from agricultural residues at scale, with the company setting a 50-million-pound-per-year capacity target.
PlantSwitch raises $8M with NexPoint Capital; Sanford, NC facility producing
With new capital from NexPoint Capital and CIM Group, PlantSwitch opened its North Carolina manufacturing center — converting agricultural residues into compostable plastic resin — enabled by the Siemens debt facility that SUM facilitated.
Product Society redefines what it means to be a beauty manufacturer
Beauty Independent profiles Product Society's full-stack model — services extend beyond production to brand development, formulation, packaging, testing, and third-party logistics — and how the company is investing in the brands it works with.
SUM Ventures makes Fund III follow-on investment in Purlin
Following Purlin's merger with Final Offer to form real estate's first unified AI operating system, SUM Ventures Fund III doubles down with a follow-on investment in the company it first backed in 2019.
From congestion to clarity: Jordan Justice and the future of curb management
Parking Network features Jordan Justice on how data, AI, and unified platforms are turning the curb — once a source of congestion and confusion — into the most valuable real estate in every city.
Purlin merges with Final Offer to create real estate's first unified AI platform
The combined company, Purlin Enterprises, unifies real estate, mortgage, and title under one AI operating system serving 35,000+ agents and 15 million consumers.
Purlin's AI covered in RISMedia for fair housing compliance capabilities
National real estate publication RISMedia spotlights Purlin's AI platform for its ability to help agents stay compliant with fair housing law — a key differentiator as the industry navigates AI-assisted transactions.
Purple Rhombus awarded $1.25M AFWERX Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract
The defense UAS company secured a highly competitive AFWERX contract to advance its WASP unmanned aerial systems, following successful demonstrations at T-REX 24-2 and the launch of the PR-2 Group 3 UAS program.
Purple Rhombus enters agreement with Army DEVCOM Armaments Center
Purple Rhombus signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center to collaborate on lethal unmanned systems.
SUM Ventures invests in Red Ace Bio — Fund III backs a new genetic logic for cancer therapy
SUM Ventures Fund III invests in Red Ace Bio, founded by CEO Scott Leighow, PhD, whose platform reprograms tumors with synthetic vulnerabilities to overcome drug resistance and enable lasting remission.
SUM Ventures invests in Root — Fund III backs the community platform built for action
SUM Ventures Fund III invests in Root, founded by CEO Jesse Dietrichson — a community platform with real tools and powerful apps, from Task Tracker to Raid Planner, where every app runs directly on the platform.
Skidattl launches QR-based AR overlay platform — no app download required; $5,000/yr plans
Skidattl's platform lets venues and events deploy augmented reality experiences through a simple QR code scan, lowering the barrier for AR adoption. Powered wayfinding at the Durango Shootout soccer tournament.
SweatPals raises $12M led by Patron, a16z Speedrun, and Kevin Hart's HartBeat Ventures
The social fitness platform surpassed 1M monthly users and 170K weekly active users. Run club attendance grew 216% YoY. Total funding now $17.2M; expanding from 24 to 36 cities by early 2026.
SweatPals raises $3M seed led by a16z Speedrun and Pear VC
The social fitness platform raised its first institutional round from top-tier investors to build the connective tissue between fitness enthusiasts — helping people find others to work out with based on sport, skill, and location.
THIA patents the first Small Language Model architecture for enterprise AI
As enterprises look beyond massive general-purpose models, THIA's patented Small Language Model (SLM) architecture helps companies get real ROI from AI agents — securely and affordably.
THIA joins the NATO DIANA defense innovation accelerator
THIA was selected for NATO's DIANA accelerator program, working with defense and manufacturing leaders from NATO HQ in Brussels to the Netherlands and Belgium on secure autonomous AI.
Transparency Analytics closes second funding round led by Deciens Capital
The platform delivers real-time transparent credit ratings to institutional lenders managing over $1B in credit assets. SUM Ventures participated in the round alongside Allianz Life Ventures and Mouro Capital.
Will Wilder named to LA Hard Tech 50
Wilder Industries (also known as Wilder Systems) founder Will Wilder is recognized on the LA Hard Tech 50 list, highlighting the company's robotics and autonomous systems work in the aerospace MRO sector.
CrossFit taps WurQ to create groundbreaking functional fitness wearable platform
CrossFit and WurQ partner on a wearable platform for tracking the Fittest on Earth — bringing WurQ's multimodal movement recognition and AI analytics to the CrossFit community and the 2026 Games.
SUM Ventures makes Fund III follow-on investment in WurQ
On the heels of WurQ's CrossFit partnership, SUM Ventures Fund III doubles down with a follow-on investment in the fitness wearable and AI analytics company it first backed in Fund II.
WurQ launches multimodal AI analytics for CrossFit and functional fitness athletes
WurQ's wearable platform uses multimodal movement recognition to deliver the AI analytics CrossFit athletes have long needed. Featured by 2024 CrossFit Games competitor Bethany Flores in her Open training.
YBVR brings the Daytona 500 to VR — 2026 edition on Xtadium
Race fans can experience the 2026 Daytona 500 in fully immersive virtual reality through YBVR's Xtadium platform — putting viewers trackside for NASCAR's biggest race of the year.
YBVR launches college football in VR
YBVR expands its live sports lineup with college football, bringing Saturday's biggest matchups into virtual reality on Xtadium for fans who want a courtside-style seat from anywhere.
Watch college basketball in VR with YBVR
YBVR adds college basketball to its Xtadium VR sports library — letting fans follow March Madness contenders and conference rivalries with immersive, multi-angle viewing.
Xtadium launches in UK on Meta Quest — first international expansion; PSG Ligue 1, WNBA, and NHL Stanley Cup Final in VR
YBVR's Xtadium platform expanded beyond the US, delivering PSG Ligue 1 matches, WNBA games, and the first-ever NHL Stanley Cup Final in virtual reality via beIN Sports and Fox Sports.
Fox Sports and YBVR bring Copa América Final live to Meta Quest via Xtadium
Hundreds of thousands of fans watched the 2024 Copa América Final in immersive virtual reality through YBVR's Xtadium platform on Meta Quest — a landmark moment for live sports broadcasting in VR.
YBVR awarded $998,251 NSF SBIR grant for VR training R&D
The National Science Foundation awarded YBVR a nearly $1M SBIR grant to advance research and development in virtual reality training applications, expanding the platform beyond live sports.
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SUM Ventures portfolio company Irrigreen appeared on CNBC's Power Lunch segment, showcasing how its all-digital robotic sprinkler system traces the precise contours of any lawn to deliver water exactly where it's needed, cutting outdoor water usage by up to 50%. Founder Shane Dyer walked CNBC through the technology that's replacing the billion-gallon-a-day problem of traditional lawn irrigation.
SUM Ventures-backed Automotus closed a $9M growth round to scale its computer vision platform that automates curb enforcement, bus lane compliance, and congestion management across cities including Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Nashville.
SUM-backed PayAmigo expanded into Argentina as a licensed payment aggregator, giving merchants access to a full suite of local and cross-border payment solutions in one of Latin America's largest economies.
Founder Dr. Capella Kerst returns to the TechCrunch Disrupt stage to debut a semiconductor wafer handling tool, robotic grippers for solar panels and glass, and an all-purpose robotic arm end effector, all powered by geCKo's super-strong dry adhesive.
FantasyLife co-founder Matthew Berry teams up with NBA superstar LeBron James on NFL on NBC's Fantasy Football Happy Hour, breaking down their Week 1 touchdown scorer parlays with DraftKings Sportsbook and debating which stars will deliver on opening night.
SUM Ventures Managing Partner Garrett Gilbertson takes the Finovate stage to showcase UNest, the investment app helping families build wealth for their children's future through tax-advantaged accounts.
A behind-the-scenes look at how Brius Healthcare is transforming skilled nursing and long-term care with a patient-first model, operational excellence, and technology-driven outcomes, backed by SUM Ventures.
DressX celebrates its fifth anniversary with a look back at how it pioneered digital fashion, from AR try-ons to Meta Avatar wearables, and what's next for the future of getting dressed.
YBVR partners with Meta to bring immersive live sports broadcasting to the Quest platform, putting fans courtside and ringside from anywhere in the world through cutting-edge spatial video technology.
SUM Ventures portfolio company ClearClub was featured on ABC's Good Morning America as part of Tory Johnson's Secret Savings segment on comfort, spotlighting ClearClub's custom dental guards that protect against teeth grinding and clenching at a fraction of the dentist's office price. The segment ran to millions of GMA viewers nationwide, putting ClearClub's direct-to-consumer dental wellness platform in front of one of America's largest morning audiences.
The mission doesn't end — it just changes. BeBalanced, built by SUM Ventures portfolio company Ovation Ventures, is a financial wellness app bringing your complete financial picture into one clear, connected place: retirement savings, expenses, investments, and insurance. Built for veterans, career professionals, and anyone navigating one of life's biggest transitions — so you can stop wondering and start building what's next.
Fund II exits 2025 with $7.6M at fair value on $5.6M cost — a 1.36× gross multiple and 33.53% gross IRR. Zero dead companies. Zero zombies. Five breakout positions (57% of deployed capital) include PayAmigo, Automotus (closed $7M at $50M post-money), Fantasy Life (166% revenue growth, $9M+ booked), ClearClub (profitable at $4M run-rate), and geCKo Materials. PlantSwitch posts $995K in Q3 revenue — up 269% year-over-year.
Fund II NAV reaches $8.11M — up from $3.43M at year-end 2024 — on $5.57M invested across 11 companies. Net IRR: 30.6%. PayAmigo leads at 2.31× (136% IRR), ClearClub follows at 1.74× (97% IRR). UNest AUM hits $45M; ClearClub weekly revenue climbs 157% to $95K; geCKo closes its first priced round. Automotus expands to Pittsburgh, Miami, and Sacramento Airport.
$5.8M capital called, 89.6% deployed. Gross MOIC 1.33×, Gross IRR 42.5%. PayAmigo processes cross-border payments in 6+ countries with a 211.73% gross IRR; Fantasy Life generates $7M revenue year-to-date with $16M+ forecast for 2026. Brius uniquely positioned after InBrace ceases operations; Automotus issues 7,100+ citations in 3 weeks in Philadelphia.
SUM closes Fund I and launches Fund II, the Inflection Fund, to double down on the fund's highest-conviction positions. Fund I tracks a 40%+ Gross IRR with its first exit — LiveEasy — returning $1.62M at 80% IRR. Elizabeth Spears joins as General Partner. Fund II includes four new investments: En Verite AI, Gecko Materials, Instant Action, and Wurq — alongside follow-ons in top Fund I performers.
Fund I exits 2025 with $10.7M deployed at a $15.6M fair value — a 27.28% gross IRR since inception. Nine breakout companies represent ~49% of deployed capital, zero investments above $150K have gone to zero, and Purlin enters 2026 with a strategic merger expected in Q1 at a $70M pre-money valuation.
Fund I marks $15.61M fair value on $10.89M called — a 30.74% gross IRR and 1.53× TVPI. PayAmigo leads at 3.20× (106% IRR), LiveEasy fully realized at 3.24× (80% IRR), and nine portfolio companies have reached profitability. DressX delivers 100M+ digital fashion items; Fantasy Life posts 166% revenue growth.
PayAmigo signs a term sheet at a $66M post-money valuation — a 5× multiple on initial investment. SweatPals closes a $12M Series A led by a16z. Fund I portfolio value reaches ~$16M. Automotus launches in Philadelphia; ClearClub, Purlin, and Ovation all reach profitability.
PayAmigo's $66M post-money term sheet is Fund I's most significant milestone to date — a 3.8× weighted multiple on $950K invested. Brius closes a $12M financing round and becomes the undisputed leader in lingual orthodontics following InBrace's bankruptcy. Fund I tracking top 5% of 2022 vintage funds.
Fund I closes 2024 tracking a 40%+ gross IRR with its first exit — LiveEasy — returning $1.62M at 80% IRR. PlantSwitch raises a Series A at a 3× markup. Irrigreen receives a $44M Series A term sheet. A total of 34 portfolio companies with 90% of capital concentrated in the top 12.
SUM welcomes Raj Khoshoo to the investment team, bringing deep M&A expertise from Siemens. ClearClub reaches profitability with 50K+ customers. PlantSwitch secures a $3M Walmart contract with potential to scale to $12M. Automotus expands to Greenville-Spartanburg Airport and Miami-Dade County.
SUM Ventures portfolio company Transparency Analytics completed its second funding round, backed by Deciens Capital, Allianz Life Ventures, Mouro Capital, FJ Labs, and Core Innovation Capital. The platform is already delivering real-time transparent credit ratings to institutional lenders managing more than $1 billion of credit assets, blending Wall Street expertise with Silicon Valley engineering to modernize the private credit ratings process.
