Recent news from our
‍portfolio and fund

Introducing Zed AI, in collaboration with AnthropicAI. Zed AI brings LLMs directly into your editor with an extensible, text-centric approach. We're also piloting anthropicAI's new Fast Edit mode for Claude 3.5 Sonnet with a small set of Zed users.

ALLCITY Network is changing sports media and based on the millions of engaged users they just raised a $12 million Series B. They make it more fun to be a sports fan. We led their Seed round.

Pre-seed and seed deals for local early-stage startups are starting to close faster heading into the second half of 2024. Find out what other insights local investors shared during TechWeek Chicago.

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Althea. Althea is an end-to-end software for the introduction of regulated psychedelics into health care.

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After.com raises $10 million in Series A funding led by HIPstr, the early-stage investment arm of HighPost Capital, LLC. The pioneering end-of-life technology services platform will use the proceeds to enter new markets, boost marketing efforts, and expand its team. We led their Seed round.

This recent report from Pitchbook is full of interesting data about the ever changing venture market. One takeaway we have from this is that 54.8% of all pre-seed/seed deals are done off the coasts currently (not in Bay area, NYC, LA, Boston). We also noticed that 3 of our targeted markets - Denver, Austin & Chicago - are called out specifically for their growth. Denver had more deals than any other non-coastal group the first half of the year. We are excited to be supporting this ecosystem.

Congratulations to our region’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® finalists, who were selected by an independent panel of judges based on their demonstration of long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes. Finalists were recognized and winners were announced during the regional celebration.

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Mentium. Mentium is an AI copilot that captures, structures, and matches all payment-related documents, automating data entry for transportation companies.

New investment fuels expanded capabilities to empower life sciences, healthcare, banks, financials services, insurance, and public sector organizations to rapidly leverage generative AI in every use case.

soona, the leading platform for content creation in commerce, announced today that Ed Hallen and Lee Mayer have joined the Board of Directors as their first independent members.

"We're honored to welcome Ed and Lee, some of the best minds in commerce, to the board," said Liz Giorgi, co-founder and CEO of soona. "Their experience is invaluable and we look forward to applying their learnings as we grow soona."

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Technology is one of the Denver-Boulder, Colorado region’s biggest economic drivers, attracting corporate giants Google, Amazon and Salesforce, and startups leaving San Francisco.

Swiftly, a leading provider of innovative technology tools and solutions, today announced its acquisition of the alcohol promotions platform, BYBE. This strategic move combines BYBE’s domain expertise in the alcohol category—including its well-established connections with suppliers, retailers and regulators with Swiftly's current Alcohol Cashback solution. The acquisition will help Swiftly scale its Alcohol Cashback solution and reach more consumers with adult beverage offers and rebates.

“The acquisition of BYBE not only expands but also complements Swiftly’s award-winning Alcohol Cashback solution. Like Swiftly, the BYBE team is committed to driving transformative change in the retail industry, providing us with profound expertise in compliance and a stellar reputation for excellence in execution,” said Henry Kim, Co-Founder and CEO at Swiftly. “The integration of our companies forms a powerful alliance, unlocking new opportunities for retailers and alcohol suppliers. With our combined platforms, customers and partners now have access to an extensive array of tools and solutions, specifically crafted to enhance operational efficiency, elevate customer satisfaction, and fuel overall growth.”

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We’re excited to announce that Treet closed their Series A, the platform that enables brands to easily enable powerful resale programs. This round underscores our enthusiasm for startups building data and software driven solutions that foster growth and sustainability in retail. This round was led by Two Sigma with continued participation from First Round Capital, Bling Capital, and Techstars. Congrats team!

The recent news of discontinuing the original Techstars Boulder accelerator location and Foundry planning to stop making new investments after its current fund has rippled through the Colorado tech community.

While the changes happening with these key players may evoke a sense of nostalgia and sadness, it's important to acknowledge their immense contributions to shaping Colorado’s tech landscape during their 15+ years in our ecosystem and highlight the strength of our startup environment.

Our thoughts on the state of Colorado's Tech Ecosystem and why it's in a great spot.

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We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Maggie’s Refuel. Maggie’s Refuel is a high-end convenience store brand planning to modernize and innovate the current gas station experience.