Manufacturing software startup Fulcrum raises $18.8M, emerging from stealth

Fulcrum, a Minneapolis-based software-as-a-service firm focused on modernizing manufacturing, has exited stealth mode to announce it has raised $18.8 million in Series A financing. This funding round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and we participated along with Bread & Butter Ventures, Motivate Venture Capital, Battery Ventures, Social Starts, and Schematic Ventures. We're so excited to be along on this journey with the Fulcrum team!

Ryan Broshar
10/18/2022
Our investment in Presta

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Presta. Presta is an end-to-end lending platform that helps financial institutions streamline the lending process so they can spend more time with borrowers and less time on manual, tedious back-end tasks. See their press release or read our blog post below.

Natty Zola
10/11/2022
A first of many, Matchstick Fall Campfire was "lit"

Matchstick Ventures hosted our first (of many to come) “Matchstick Campfire” at the A-Lodge in Boulder, CO from October 4-5.  This event was held as a retreat for founders within the Matchstick portfolio to step away from the day-to-day for 24 hours to focus on community building, personal growth and leadership evolution.. We had an incredible time connecting with founders through several workshops, some time outside, and, of course, music by a roaring campfire to end the night.

Some things founders shared with us that they enjoyed about the Campfire included: the chance to step away from computers and focus on personal and professional growth, being in nature, getting to know other founders in the portfolio, great content in the sessions, open attitudes, the intimate group size, and, of course, good food.

All around, this was an amazing event and we hope to host events similar to this for groups of portfolio founders 2-3 times per year in the years to come!

Shannon Shroyer
10/10/2022
Broadlume raises $60M

Congrats to our friends at Broadlume who just announced their raise of $60M from PSG to lay their software across the flooring industry. Learn more on the Broadlume biog.

Natty Zola
9/13/2022
TechCrunch Live Event: Why this Californian founder moved to Minneapolis to build a B2B fintech

With a recording included, this article includes the interview of Atif Siddiqi, founder and CEO of Branch, and Ryan Broshar on how the venture ecosystem of Minneapolis has evolved over the years. The two share their tips for founders outside coastal tech hubs looking to raise capital, bring in customers and make an impact on their industries far beyond their immediate locales.

Natty Zola
9/8/2022
Our investment in Bean

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Bean. Bean is a marketplace and workflow management platform for accounting and finance services. 

Natty Zola
8/24/2022
Our investment in Coherent

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Coherent. Coherent is an opinionated API for human readable blockchain data, empowering the next wave of web3 internet innovation.

Natty Zola
8/12/2022
Natty featured on Found in the Rockies podcast

Natty joined Les Craig from Next Frontier Ventures to talk about his background and the Colorado startup ecosystem.

Natty Zola
8/10/2022
Our investment in Jawa

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Jawa. Jawa is a community-driven online marketplace for gamers, with an initial focus on custom gaming computers.

Natty Zola
8/8/2022
Our investment in Stylo

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Stylo. Stylo’s AI enables customer support teams to create a better customer experience.

Natty Zola
8/1/2022
Airspace Link announces Series B

Airspace Link announces a $23M Series B round as they rapidly grow, led by Avanta Ventures and including Morningside, Caprock, Altos Ventures, Indicator Ventures, 2048 Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners and Thales Group. Congratulations to the Airspace Link team!

Ryan Broshar
6/23/2022
Airspace Link's drone tracking platform gathers government customers before going global

Detroit-based Airspace Link has positioned itself as a provider of increasingly important infrastructure in the burgeoning drone services space, letting operators get local and federal approval quickly. With $23 million in new backing, the company now plans to take its platform to other countries looking to get their drone industries off the ground.

Ryan Broshar
6/22/2022
Helio's Eric Reinhardt: Switching from natural gas to electricity will reduce Colorado’s smog

Eric Reinhardt, founder of Matchstick portfolio company Helio Home, wrote this opinion piece in The Colorado Sun about the power of reimagining how we power our homes and our lives in reducing smog, specifically in the Denver area.

Natty Zola
6/13/2022
Our investment in Improovy

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in Improovy. Improovy is a digital marketplace that connects homeowners to vetted painting contractors, providing a seamless end-to-end experience.

Ryan Broshar
6/13/2022
Our investment in After

We are excited to announce that Matchstick Ventures Fund III has completed an investment in After. After is a modern, online-first experience to help people plan and pay for the passing of their loved ones.

Natty Zola
5/23/2022