Archive: 2017

November 9, 2017

EdLinks: Building Scalable Outcomes-Based Education Companies

New York, NY – As part of its EdLinks series, SJF Ventures hosted a panel discussion focused on building scalable outcomes-based education companies. SJF Managing Director Arrun Kapoor served as moderator, asking questions on the relationship among outcomes and return on investment, buyer purchasing decisions, efficacy measurement, customer partnerships and […]

November 1, 2017

Vital Farms Opens Facility in Springfield, Missouri

Springfield News-Leader A national supplier of pasture-raised eggs celebrated the opening of its Springfield processing facility this month. Austin-based Vital Farms‘ new facility, named “Egg Central Station,” processes one million eggs a day. It has created more than 50 new jobs with a starting wage of $13 an hour. Mayor Ken […]

November 1, 2017

SJF Co-Leads Investment in Jopwell

New York, NY – SJF Ventures is pleased to announce it has co-led the $7.5 million Series-A investment in NY-based Jopwell, a company that matches Black, Latino and Native American professionals with career opportunities.  Cue Ball co-led the investment with participation from Kapor Capital, Y-Combinator, Omidyar Network, Teneo Holdings and […]

September 28, 2017

Optoro Named to 2017 Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startup List

Optoro Is Building A Billion-Dollar Business Helping Companies Cope With A Glut Of Rejected Stuff: In Optoro’s 300,000-square-foot warehouse outside Nashville on a stiflingly hot afternoon in late August, Susan Cohan scans the bar code on a cardboard box holding 97 pink crocheted bikinis. The tops were priced at $27.99 […]

August 31, 2017

LA Times Highlights Carrum Health

How one California county is fighting high-priced surgeries: LOS ANGELES – August 31, 2017 – Retiree Leslie Robinson-Stone and her husband enjoyed a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury resort — all thanks to the county she worked for. The couple also received more than a thousand dollars in spending […]

August 24, 2017

Energy Storage is Coming Fast!

In our most recent blog post, we discussed how venture capital can help scale solutions that mitigate the impacts of climate change. This post will focus on one of those solutions, energy storage, which we believe is at an inflection point within its life cycle. Energy storage has the capability […]

August 15, 2017

Public Transportation is Key to Honoring the Paris Agreement

August 15, 2017 – (LinkedIn) – President Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement in July prompting cities, states, organizations of all sizes and everyday Americans to step forward and pledge to uphold the core tenets of the Paris climate agreement and fight climate change. 274 mayors […]

July 14, 2017

SJF Ventures Leads $10 Million Series A in TemperPack

RICHMOND – July 14, 2017 – TemperPack (www.temperpack.com), the leader in earth-friendly packaging for insulated, temperature-sensitive goods, announced today that it has raised $10 million to expand its operations and further commercialize innovative, new products. SJF Ventures led the fundraising round, joined by Interplay Ventures, Third Prime Capital and Dolik Ventures. Robert Beckler, formerly the president of […]

July 12, 2017

Solera Health Raises $18.3 Million in Series B Funding

PHOENIX – July 12, 2017 – Solera Health, a provider of integrated chronic disease prevention services, announced today that the company has raised $18.3 million in Series B funding in a round led by Adams Street Partners. Existing strategic investors Blue Cross Blue Shield Venture Partners, Sandbox Industries and social impact […]

July 12, 2017

How Digital Health Innovators are Changing the Status Quo for End-of-Life Planning

Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And yet the inherent optimism of human nature causes us to avoid talking about the inescapable truth of death. Studies have repeatedly shown that while we widely recognize the value in end-of-life consideration and […]

June 20, 2017

Venture Capital’s Role in Carbon Pollution Drawdown & the Paris Accord

SJF Ventures has joined thousands of investors, businesses, and universities along with nine states and hundreds of cities to sign on to the “We’re Still In” pledge to join the global effort to hold warming well below 2C.  Climate wealth investment opportunities abound, as recently illustrated by the 100 solutions profiled […]

June 19, 2017

Carrum Health Picks Up $6.5 Million Seed

SAN FRANCISCO – May 24, 2017 – Carrum Health, the first comprehensive bundled payment platform for employers, received $6.5 million in seed funding led by Wildcat Venture Partners, a venture capital firm committed to enabling early-stage startups to build high-growth business. The funding also includes contributions from venture capital firms […]

June 19, 2017

MediaMath Secures $175 Million Credit Facility

NEW YORK, June 6, 2017  –  MediaMath, the leading independent programmatic company for marketers, today announced a new $175 million senior secured credit facility, led by Goldman Sachs, in partnership with Santander Bank. MediaMath will use this new line of credit to refinance existing debt facilities and fund its ongoing […]

March 31, 2017

Raise.me Highlighted by TechCrunch

Raise.me grabs $12 million to fix how colleges provide financial aid by Jonathan Shieber March 29, 2017 Preston Silverman got the idea for Raise.me, a startup that has created a clever new way for students to receive financial aid, while working as a volunteer at a school for untouchables in India called […]

March 31, 2017

SJF Leads Equity Financing Round for Voxy

SJF Ventures has led the $10 million Series B financing at Voxy, a company revolutionizing English language learning.  Through a mobile and web-based educational program, Voxy is teaching English language learners with content and multimedia relevant to their personal lives and professional goals.  The company applies a rigorous learning pedagogy […]

January 19, 2017

SJF Ventures Wins 2017 Circular Economy Investor Award

January 17, 2017, Davos, Switzerland – SJF Ventures is proud to accept the 2017 Circular Economy Investor Award, one of seven award categories for the Circulars, which recognize individuals and organizations that have made notable contributions to the circular economy.  The World Economic Forum’s Community of Young Global Leaders, in collaboration with […]