Across different organizations, data management has become essential for simplifying the handling of large volumes of data.

But even with a data team in place, companies continue to experience issues with data quality, privacy, and security. According to Forbes, in 2022, 76% of organizations found it difficult to understand their data, which hampers decision-making and strategic planning.

Issues with data aren’t just unpleasant — they cost the US economy over $3T every year, according to a 2016 study.

Some notable cases of poor data practices include Unity losing $110 million and experiencing a 37% stock drop due to a data-related incident and Uber miscalculating driver payment by $45M because of the lack of transparency and visibility in its data practices.

Enterprise data management (EDM) is an industry that develops tools and technologies that help organizations manage their data effectively. The market for EDM solutions was valued at $110.53 billion in 2024. According to forecasts, it will reach $200.6 billion by 2033, growing 9.45% annually.

Enter Gable, the first Shift Left data management platform

Roosh Ventures is excited to back Gable, a Seattle-based startup that’s tackling the challenges of data management with its groundbreaking Ship Left approach.

Gable was founded in 2023 by Chad Sanderson, Adrian Kreuziger, Daniel Dicker, and James Frost. Previously, they worked in data teams for large companies, startups, and tech firms, where they realized that the industry’s approach to data management was outdated by a decade.

Gable’s mission is to create a shared data culture of collaboration, accountability, quality, and governance.

Gable’s platform already supports a thriving community of over 15,000 data specialists. Early adopters have reported reducing data incident resolution time by up to 70% and accelerating development cycles for data-dependent features by nearly 50%. Notably, companies like Glassdoor and Grab are among the first to work closely with Gable to refine the platform and drive meaningful impact on data quality and team productivity.

The team achieves this by pioneering the Shifting Left approach to data management.

In traditional data management, teams like data engineers and analysts are primarily responsible for cleaning, organizing, and governing data. Shifting Left means moving these responsibilities closer to the data source, where it is created or first used.

As a result, everyone involved in the data lifecycle shares responsibility for ensuring that the data is clean, accurate, and usable from the start.

By Shifting Left, Gable makes catching errors early in a project easier. Similarly, addressing data quality and governance early on prevents costly problems like flawed analysis, wasted storage, or compliance risks.

Here’s how Chad, CEO and Co-founder of Gable, explains Shifting Left:

“Just as DevOps shifted operational responsibility to developers and DevSecOps embedded security into the development process, we’re enabling a fundamental shift in how organizations handle data quality and governance through Data DevOps.

By moving data quality controls upstream to the point of data creation, we’re eliminating the costly cycle of fixing broken pipelines, resolving inconsistencies, and debugging downstream issues.”

From a technical perspective, Gable achieves this with the help of data contracts. They are API-based agreements between data producers (developers) and consumers (analysts or data teams). These data contracts define expectations for data quality, structure, and usage.

About the investment

In the round led by Crane Venture Capital, Gable secured $20.4M in Series A funding. Other investors participated in the round, including Roosh Ventures, Zetta Venture Partners, DataBricks Ventures, B Capital, Capital One Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and others.

Gable will use the capital to accelerate product development and expand the team to meet the growing demand for data collaboration tools. The company plans to expand its local Seattle office by hiring people across engineering, product, and customer success roles.

Andrew Tymovskyi, Principal at Roosh Ventures, adds:

“What stood out to me immediately about Gable was the clarity of their vision — and the precision with which they’re executing it. The team isn’t just fixing broken data workflows; they’re fundamentally changing how software and data teams cooperate.

I admire founders who don’t just aim to improve what exists, but have the courage to challenge the entire model — and Chad, Adrian, James, and Daniel are doing exactly that. In a world where data is becoming one of the most valuable resources, their mission to make it more accessible, accountable, and collaborative feels both urgent and inevitable.

We’re proud to support them as they shape the future of data.”

You can learn more about Gable by visiting its website.

Investment memo: Gable was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

According to Statista, the wealth management industry will manage over $181 trillion in assets by 2029. In the United States alone, this number will exceed $100 trillion by the end of the decade.

Wealth management software is a fintech field that develops digital tools to help high-net-worth individuals manage their wealth. According to one report, this market will reach over $15 billion by 2032, driven by advancements in financial technology and the rising demand for automation in wealth management.

Meet Prosper, the next-generation wealth management solution

We’re excited to announce that Roosh Ventures has invested in Prosper, a London-based fintech startup revolutionizing wealth management.

With the help of Prosper, high-net-worth users get access to affordable and diversified investments.

Prosper has already attracted thousands of customers, and in just a year, it went from managing £14 million AUM (assets under management) to £200 million.

Prosper was founded in 2020 by Nick Perrett and Ricky Knox, who previously worked together building Tandem Bank.

As noted by Ricky, chairman and co-founder of Prosper, the team’s mission is to revolutionize wealth management in favor of the customer.

The wealth management software industry is very dynamic, giving Proser the perfect opportunity to meet evolving customer needs.

Clients often change their wealth management providers to find ones that match their expectations, as demonstrated by the fact that 39% of US high-net-worth individuals changed their provider in the last 3 years. Also, nearly half of American high-net-worth individuals are planning to change their providers in 12 to 24 months.

Unlike traditional wealth management solutions, Prosper has low or zero fees and delivers cost-effective investment, savings, and pension products.

For example, clients can invest in Prosper’s Standard Fund, an accessible fund created for long-term growth.

Users can also choose specific assets instead of a pre-packaged investment plan. Prosper offers over 150 index, portfolio, mutual funds, and ETFs on its platform.

Nick, the CEO and co-founder, added:

“For far too long we have had a rough deal from wealth managers: high fees, or worse still hidden fees, companies that incentivise their people to sell products rather than giving us the help we need, and managing this entire process with painful PDFs and old fashioned technology. I founded Prosper because this simply isn’t good enough. It’s time for wealth management to be shaken up and brought into the 21st Century.”

About the investment

Prosper secured £4 million in a Seed funding round led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from Roosh Ventures, the founders of Monzo Bank, Capital One, WorldFirst, Admiral Group Plc, Azimo, Andreessen Horowitz, Connect Ventures, MMC Ventures, EWOR, Embark, and Portfolio Ventures.

With the raised funds, Prosper’s team plans to grow its client base, launch its private market investment offering, and develop its own AI product.

Find out more about the company’s funding round here.

Ivan Taranenko, Associate at Roosh Ventures behind the deal, adds:

“Ricky, Nick, and the entire Prosper team have truly impressed us. Their deep expertise in finance, consumer apps, and entrepreneurship has fueled a fresh, innovative approach to the highly competitive wealth management space. Prosper stands out not only for its seamless user experience but also for its ability to craft highly personalized portfolios tailored to individual needs. Most importantly, its rapid growth speaks volumes — having already surpassed $200M in assets under management, Prosper is proving its immense value to clients. We’re thrilled to be on board for this journey and look forward to supporting Prosper as it continues to scale”

You can learn more about Prosper by visiting its website.

Investment memo: Prosper was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Buying a home in the U.S. has never been more challenging. With a staggering shortage of up to 7 million homes, the housing market is in crisis — prices are going up, options are limited, and homeownership feels out of reach for millions.

The housing crisis is one of the country’s most pressing issues. Across the political spectrum, leaders are debating solutions, while 77% of Americans agree that there is a housing shortage and that the country needs more homes.

But this crisis isn’t just about scarcity — it’s also about the undiscoverability of houses. The problem deepens because many newly built houses remain hidden from view. These homes don’t appear on major real estate platforms but are buried in builders’ spreadsheets. The result? Homes exist, but the people who need them can’t find them.

That’s why we are pleased to announce that we invested in Jome, a platform that helps people find new construction homes in the US.

Meet Jome

Jome’s (formerly known as NewHomesMate) mission is to help people find new construction homes in the United States. The team makes the path to these houses effortless, enjoyable, and hassle-free.

Buyers can find, compare, and purchase a home with the help of Jome’s team and certified experts trained specifically in the construction home buying process and market.

The company operates in 16 major American cities, including Austin, Denver, and Miami. Jome’s AI-powered platform aggregates 90% of the available construction homes in those cities.

The company was founded in 2018 by Dan Hnatkovskyy and Sofia Vyshnevska, who previously worked on developing software for Brainify, Dan’s real estate sales automation project.

Since 2020, the company has helped over 100,000 people purchase a construction home.

How Jome does it

To locate houses, Jome analyzes data from different sources using AI and Machine Learning.

These technologies allow the team to identify construction homes and gather valuable details about them and their neighborhoods. This includes pricing, builder incentives, nearby amenities, air quality scores, and much more.

With this many details on the houses and neighborhoods, buyers can focus on what truly matters to them and filter homes based on their specific needs. This ensures they discover the most relevant construction homes, saving time and making smarter decisions. With Jome’s user-friendly platform, visitors can also book a viewing or a free consultation with certified real estate experts.

About the investment

Jome raised $9.8M in funding, announcing its Series A round on December 18, 2024. The round was led by Geek Ventures and included investors such as Roosh Ventures, u.ventures, Toloka.vc, Vesna Capital, Network VC, SID Venture Partners, Flyer One Ventures, Forefront Venture Partners, and others.

With the newly raised funds, Jome plans to expand to more cities in the USA, improve its Al, and make the home-buying experience on the platform even more enjoyable for both buyers and builders.

You can read more about the company’s Series A funding in this article.

Adam Hashchyshyn, Principal at Roosh Ventures and the lead on the investment, shares his perspective on Jome:

“With a bold vision and an innovative approach, Jome streamlines the entire homebuying journey, acting as a full-cycle intermediary to unlock significant value for builders and buyers.

Backed by exceptional unit economics, a massive $59B market opportunity, and a team of proven leaders with deep real estate expertise, Jome has everything it needs to scale rapidly and transform this growing niche.”

Learn more about Jome by visiting its website.

Investment memo: Jome was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Recruiting qualified professionals is a challenge, regardless of the industry.

It’s an even bigger issue in fields where employers need specialized and licensed workers. For example, 95% of dental offices in the USA report difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.

Meet Toothio, a marketplace that connects dental pros and clinics

Ian Prendergast, Devon Cox, and Troy Amelotte launched Toothio in 2021.

Today, it connects more than 30,000 certified dental professionals with clinics.

The list of professionals covered by the platform includes dental assistants, hygienists, and receptionists.

For dental offices, Toothio solves the issue of finding qualified personnel. The company’s algorithm recommends clinics with available professionals with free shifts nearby, allowing dental clinics to optimize their work.

For dental workers, Toothio offers additional flexibility and the possibility of earning extra income. One big advantage for professionals is that they get to choose shifts that match their schedules. They can get paid and see real-time shift updates right on Toothio’s platform.

Last, the platform makes dental services more accessible by making more professionals (and service hours) available, meaning patients can get appointments faster.

About the investment

The $5 million unlabeled round was led by Craft Ventures and nvp capital. Other investors included Roosh Ventures, Rho Capital, Marketplace Capital, Burst Capital, Revere Partners, Karman Ventures, Az Crown, and Connexa Capital.

Toothio will use the funding to improve the tech aspect of its platform and expand to major US cities Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Jose.

You can read more about the investment round here.

Andriy Tymovskiy, Principal at Roosh Ventures, comments:

“We believe the world is moving toward a gig economy, where people seek flexibility in choosing their work hours, locations, and more. This brings challenges for workers adapting to new trends. Our portfolio already includes companies like Deel and Jump, offering solutions in this area.

Now, we’ve invested in Toothio, a skilled team addressing staffing shortages specifically in the dental sector. The team has successfully implemented this business model with Qwick and is now ready to scale in the dental industry.”

Toothio’s mission aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting solutions that solve real-world problems. That’s why we at Roosh Ventures are thrilled to support Toothio in its development and scaling.

Learn more about Toothio by visiting its website.

Investment Memo: Toothio was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The freelance workforce is growing rapidly worldwide. In France alone, over 3 million people are self-employed, and the number continues to rise as more workers shift toward freelancing and the gig economy.

However, with this rise comes the challenge of managing administrative tasks.

Accounting, payroll, taxes, compliance, and benefits are much more complex for self-employed people than for traditional employees.

The current market solutions often address these needs piecemeal, leaving freelancers with a fragmented and inefficient experience.

Meet Jump

Jump, a new company in our portfolio, solves this problem.

Its platform helps freelancers get the same benefits and services as traditional workers do in one affordable subscription.

Founded in 2020, Jump already serves more than 2,000 self-employed folks.

For a monthly fee of €99, freelancers using Jump can automate invoicing, payroll, tax management, and compliance. They also get access to critical benefits like health insurance and retirement plans.

This all-in-one model empowers freelancers to operate as if they had the full support of an employer but without sacrificing their independence.

About the team

At the core of Jump’s success is its visionary leadership team. The CEO, a seasoned entrepreneur with an exit in the freelance industry, brings a deep understanding of the challenges freelancers face. His leadership is complemented by a COO with extensive experience scaling companies, previously driving a Series B delivery startup that raised $56 million.

The market opportunity for Jump is significant. In France alone, the serviceable available market for freelancer solutions is valued at €2.6 billion, and Jump is well-positioned to expand beyond France, with plans to broaden its offering to other European markets.

About the investment

We are joining Breega, Index Ventures, and Raise Ventures in supporting Jump through their €7 million Series A round. This round follows an earlier raise of €11 million aimed at furthering Jump’s mission to disrupt the traditional workforce models and adapt them to the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s freelancers.

As Adam Hashchyshyn, Principal at Roosh Ventures, puts it: “We’re excited to back Jump as it transforms the freelancer and self-employed landscape with its innovative all-in-one platform. What sets Jump apart is its cost-effective platform designed to meet freelancers’ needs. Our investment reflects our commitment to supporting innovative companies that make professional life easier. We look forward to seeing how Jump continues to shape the industry.”

We’re investing in Jump to support not just a platform but a vision for the future of work. With a strong market position, rapid growth, and experienced leadership, Jump has everything it needs to scale and transform the freelance industry. And we at Roosh Ventures are happy to join the team on their journey.

Learn more about Jump by visiting its website.

Investment Memo: Jump was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Speech recognition is a field of technology that uses algorithms and machine learning to turn spoken language into text. You can find its applications in voice assistants like Siri, translation apps, and even during your next job interview (many recruitment specialists are already using AI summarizers).

Besides having the potential to help people communicate with each other better, speech recognition is an exciting market that, according to Statista, is projected to grow 13.09% annually.

On this exciting note, we’d like to introduce Gladia, a new addition to Roosh Ventures’ portfolio.

Say hello to Gladia

Gladia is a French AI startup founded in 2022 by Jean-Louis Quéguiner and Jonathan Soto. The company is transforming how businesses process audio data for real-time transcription, translation, and multimedia intelligence.

Gladia already has over 70,000 users and 600 enterprise customers. It’s quickly emerging as a leader in AI-powered audio solutions, addressing the growing demand for advanced speech recognition and audio analysis.

What Gladia can do

Gladia’s platform supports 100+ languages, offering real-time transcription, translation, and audio intelligence features like speaker identification, background noise removal, and offensive content detection. It is designed to handle complex use cases, such as accent recognition and multilingual conversations, which are particularly valuable for global enterprises. By focusing on these real-time, multilingual capabilities, Gladia is filling a significant gap in the market where many solutions still prioritize English-only models.

The leadership team brings deep expertise in AI and cloud infrastructure. Jean-Louis, with his background in scaling AI solutions at OVHcloud, and Jonathan, an experienced engineering leader, have built a solid foundation for growth.

Gladia’s rapid progress is evident — the company has already secured notable clients such as Method Financial, reflecting a strong product-market fit.

The global speech recognition market, projected to reach $42.5B by 2030, is a massive opportunity for Gladia.

Its B2B SaaS model — with flexible, usage-based pricing — positions it well to scale as businesses increasingly rely on AI-powered audio processing.

While competition from tech giants like Google, AWS, and OpenAI is strong, Gladia’s focus on multilingual, real-time transcription provides a distinct competitive edge.

The company’s unique capabilities, combined with an experienced team, give us confidence in its ability to scale effectively.

Roosh Ventures is happy to participate in the company’s 16M Series A investment round led by XAnge. This funding will fuel Gladia’s growth as it builds toward an audio operating system that enables AI-driven workflows, extending beyond basic transcription.

“While AI is generating a lot of noise, our focus remains on the fundamentals — team quality, vision, and execution. Gladia stood out not just for their deep experience in cloud and AI, with leadership from companies like OVHCloud, but for their relentless focus on solving real problems. Their vision aligns with the growing potential we see in voice AI, and we believe they are positioned to lead this space as applications scale rapidly in the coming years”, says Andrew Tymovskyi, Principal at Roosh Ventures.

In conclusion, Gladia is an exciting investment opportunity for us. Its innovative approach to multilingual audio intelligence, impressive early growth, and strong leadership team position the company for long-term success in a rapidly growing market. We are thrilled to support Gladia’s journey as they push the boundaries of AI-powered audio solutions.

Learn more about Gladia by visiting its website.

Investment Memo: Gladia was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Data streaming lets companies send large amounts of data from different sources into one location and process it there in real time.

Banks are one example of those who need this technology. Analyzing large amounts of transaction information allows them to detect fraud early and take measures.

Traditional approaches to data streaming are cumbersome. They require companies to have their own servers and DevOps. This costs a great deal and comes with a need to hire a dedicated team.

That’s where GlassFlow, the hero of today’s memo, comes in.

Meet GlassFlow

Established in 2023 by Armend Avdijaj and Ashish Bagri, GlassFlow has emerged as a beacon of innovation in big data, cloud infrastructure, and SaaS.

With a bold mission to democratize data streaming, GlassFlow isn’t merely a company. It’s a movement toward a more accessible and efficient digital future.

How GlassFlow is different

At its core, GlassFlow is a next-gen data streaming infrastructure provider.

It offers a serverless setup for building and transforming event-driven data pipelines. With GlassFlow, companies can forget the need to manage partitions and shards. Its all-in-one streaming platform simplifies operations with an automated setup, automatic updates, and maintenance.

GlassFlow has an all-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees. It also features a generous free trial and charges based solely on usage.

Furthermore, the company guarantees a 99.95% uptime, which ensures the uninterrupted operation of critical applications. Not to mention, a dedicated human support team is always there for clients.

How GlassFlow came to be

The founders, Avdijaj and Bagri, recognized the challenges organizations faced in constructing and managing event-driven data pipelines. One problem they saw was that launching applications often required substantial data engineering efforts.

The two decided it was time to empower Python developers to become more self-sufficient. So, they created GlassFlow, an inclusive platform designed to unlock the full potential of streaming data for organizations of all sizes and Python engineers from diverse backgrounds.

Key advantages of GlassFlow:

• Ease of use: Intuitive setup and serverless transformation engine enable swift definition and scaling of applications.
• Python-centric approach: Seamlessly integrates with the preferences of a vast Python community.
• Scalability: Effortlessly adapts to the performance needs of pipelines, ensuring efficiency for organizations of all sizes.
• Transparent pricing: All-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees, appealing to budget-conscious customers.

On November 3, 2023, GlassFlow closed its pre-seed round at $1.1 million, led by High-Tech Gründerfonds. We at Roosh Ventures were thrilled to participate, joining TinyVC, Robin Capital, and several expert Business Angels, including GitHub’s CEO and Aiven’s CTO.

Andrew Tymovskyi, Principal at Roosh Ventures, shares, “The demand for real-time data processing is skyrocketing, and GlassFlow’s streamlined approach is a game-changer. By consolidating complex tools into a single platform, it empowers teams to deliver results in record time. What truly excites us is the stellar team behind GlassFlow, boasting over a decade of expertise in real-time data processing, with their prior collaborative successes spelling a promising journey ahead. Moreover, our partnership with HTGF, Tiny VC, Robin Capital, and a league of outstanding angels underscores the collective ambition to propel GlassFlow to new heights.”

This funding round marks a significant milestone in GlassFlow’s journey, providing the crucial financial backing to fuel its growth and product development.

With a market worth $15.4 billion and predicted to grow to over $50 billion in the coming years, GlassFlow is well-positioned to lead the charge in the data streaming revolution. Its growth trajectory highlights its potential to transform how organizations harness real-time data processing. With its innovative platform, strategic investments, and a team led by industry veterans, GlassFlow is not just revolutionizing data management — it’s redefining it.

Learn more about GlassFlow by visiting their website.

Investment Memo: GlassFlow was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Data is the lifeblood of modern organizations, but harnessing its power can be a daunting task. The process of transforming raw data into actionable insights is riddled with challenges. Manual updates, disparate data sources, and complex formatting requirements often lead to inefficiencies that hinder productivity. Imagine a pitch deck that always stays up to date, eliminating the hours spent on manual data revisions. Recognizing these pain points, Rollstack set out to streamline the data-to-insights pipeline.

Meet Rollstack

Rollstack, a trailblazing technology startup, has developed an innovative platform that reshapes how digital infrastructure is deployed across industries. With a focus on scalability, security, and user-friendliness, Rollstack’s solution meets the pressing need for businesses to swiftly adapt to the evolving digital landscape. This cutting-edge platform is garnering significant attention in the tech industry, poised to redefine how businesses handle data reporting and presentations.

Rollstack’s solution is both elegant and robust. By automating the creation and updating of presentations and reports, Rollstack liberates valuable time and resources that were once tied up in manual tasks. Its seamless integration with diverse data sources, including Business Intelligence tools, CRMs, and databases, ensures that insights are always current and easily accessible. More than just a tool, Rollstack represents a paradigm shift in the data visualization and business intelligence sphere. Its ability to automatically sync data to reports and presentations addresses a critical pain point in the corporate world, freeing teams to focus on analysis and strategy rather than the mechanics of data report generation. Notably, Rollstack’s integration with various data platforms like Tableau, Salesforce, and Looker offers unparalleled flexibility and precision, empowering users to create and manage documents with ease.

The problem that Rollstack solves

The market for data analytics and reporting solutions is ripe for disruption, with organizations increasingly reliant on data-driven decision-making. Rollstack is uniquely positioned to seize this opportunity, offering a comprehensive suite of features that tackle the challenges of manual data management head-on. Its modular design allows businesses to launch and manage digital services seamlessly, tailored to their specific needs.

Rollstack operates on a subscription-based model, offering different tiers of service to cater to diverse needs and budgets. This approach ensures a steady revenue stream while prioritizing customer satisfaction and retention.

Despite facing competition, Rollstack stands out with its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface, further strengthening its position in the market.

Founded in 2022, Rollstack has quickly established itself as a leader in the analytics and business intelligence space. Led by co-founders Nabil and Younes Jallouli, Rollstack boasts a team well-equipped to navigate the challenges of scaling a high-growth startup. The founders’ vision stemmed from firsthand frustration with outdated reporting processes, driving them to develop Rollstack’s automated solution, which not only enhances efficiency but also ensures decision-makers have access to real-time data.

Rollstack closed its Seed funding round on September 27, 2023, raising $1.9 million, signalling investors’ confidence in its innovative platform and scaling potential within the analytics and business intelligence industry.

‘Rollstack has all the ingredients of a tech investment success story. A team boasting extensive tech expertise from startups to industry giants like Deel and Pinterest, they’re poised to revolutionise a $7.4B data visualisation market with immense disruption potential. Their product helps to automate a lot of data visualisation processes, offering unparalleled efficiency and already piquing the interest of tier 1 companies. We’re thrilled to be part of this story along with Kima Ventures, Y Combinator, Goodwater Capital, Notion Capital, and many other. We are confident that Rollstack is the future of innovation in its sector.’ comments Andrew Tymovskyi, Principal at Roosh Ventures.

In conclusion, Rollstack offers a compelling investment opportunity in a rapidly evolving market. With its innovative solution, experienced team, and significant market potential, Rollstack is primed to revolutionize how organizations leverage data. As investors, we’re eager to support Rollstack’s growth and success in the years ahead.

Learn more about Rollstack by visiting their website.

Investment Memo: Rollstack — Transforming Data Presentation was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The advancements in AI technology have led to the emergence of a “digital human economy,” projected to reach $125 billion by 2035. This evolution is reshaping the future of business, with most companies expected to integrate digital humans into their operations within a decade.

These digital humans transcend traditional chatbots, boasting emotional intelligence and advanced cognitive understanding for human-like interactions, fueling the rise of virtual influencers.

Meet 1337

Amidst this landscape, 1337, pronounced “Leet,” stands out as a pioneering generative AI platform. It aims to redefine niche community connections through hyper-personalized interests, addressing the growing need for genuine engagement in online communities.

Founded by Jenny Dearing and Robin Raszka, along with a team of experienced advisors, the platform represents a fusion of cutting-edge technology and human creativity. Drawing inspiration from their diverse backgrounds and previous successful ventures like Alter and Summly, Jenny and Robin bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for innovation to the table.

Avatars or ‘Entities’

At the heart of 1337’s innovation lies its AI-driven micro influencers, aptly named ‘Entities.’ These Entities, each possessing a unique set of skills, traits, and interests, serve as guides, fostering meaningful connections and interactions within niche communities. They are essentially digital avatars, crafted with a combination of AI-generated content and human input.

Leet’s unique approach blends human interaction with AI technology to break free from the limitations of conventional influencers. Users can actively suggest actions and specific types of content for these Entities to post, tailoring interactions to meet the unique needs and interests of their communities. For example, a user might propose a Q&A session on a trending topic or request a tutorial on a niche subject. Additionally, users are compensated for their contributions through monetary rewards and bonus opportunities tied to engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments. This compensation model includes direct payments, exclusive content access, and participation in special events, fostering a highly collaborative and engaging environment.

With diverse AI-driven influencers, 1337 offers an immersive experience where followers can delve into the lives and philosophies of these digital avatars.

The platform’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity is evident in its extensive roster of Entities, representing a wide range of ages, gender identities, nationalities, and occupations. Each Entity comes with its own backstory, preferences, and even a curated online presence, including Instagram accounts, LinkedIn profiles, and Spotify playlists. Followers can interact with Entities through various channels, including Instagram comments and direct messages, fostering a sense of connection and community.

Moderated by a dedicated team, user-generated content is fine-tuned to maintain authenticity and relevance. Looking ahead, 1337 plans to expand its revenue model, supporting creators and exploring innovative partnership opportunities. With upcoming features such as voice capabilities, the platform continues to push boundaries, enabling Entities to host podcasts and produce videos.

1337, recently emerged from stealth mode with a $4 million pre-seed round of funding. We at Roosh Ventures, along with Credo Ventures, GFR Fund, Treble Capital, Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue are supporting the company’s vision.

“1337 is well-positioned to pioneer a completely new branch of the Gen AI market. Their approach, harnessing AI-driven micro-influencers for niche online communities, is both innovative and essential. Robin’s established track record amplifies our enthusiasm in backing him once more; his insights into the evolving landscape of social media highlight the direction and promise of 1337. Our investment goes beyond mere capital; it’s a profound vote of confidence in an exemplary founder. We at Roosh Ventures feel honored to support this remarkable journey.” — Den Dmytrenko, co-founder and general partner at Roosh and Roosh Ventures.

With this investment, 1337 plans to scale its platform infrastructure, expanding its Entity ecosystem to thousands of niche communities. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a more vibrant online community, where everyone feels celebrated and supported.

Learn more about 1337 by visiting their website.

Roosh Ventures Invests in 1337: Shaping the Future of Niche Community Engagement was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Fundraising is always a big challenge. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect recipe for “how to get investments,” but some steps can help you increase your chances and potentially speed up your fundraising.

Getting an investor interested in a cool idea is only a small part of a founder’s job. It’s important to explain why they should invest in your company, show that you not only have a great idea, but also an understanding of how to turn it into a profitable and fast-growing product, supported by a capable team.

You need to view the fundraising process through the lens of investors: what do they pay attention to, and how do they make decisions? This skill will allow you to place the right emphasis during your pitch.

The classic structure of startup analysis and early-stage venture capital fund decision-making (Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A) is based on three questions:

1. How big is the market the company addresses?
2. Does the team’s solution really solve the users’ problem?
3. Why is this team the best fit to solve this problem?

More details on each point are below.

Having a large market

There’s no universally accepted criterion for the “ideal” market size, but venture capitalists usually look for opportunities in markets with a potential volume of more than $1 billion. Investors need to understand that the problem that a startup aims to solve is relevant and urgent for many people.

A startup’s team can be proactive in helping investors study the issue. Conduct a market analysis — demonstrate in your materials how you assessed its size and potential, what market trends exist, how the problem you’re addressing is currently being solved, and why your solution is better than the existing ones, etc. Gather as much information as possible to show the investor that you understand the market needs.

Understanding global trends that stem from a startup’s target problem and its solution is also essential. The COVID pandemic and the active transition to remote work are great examples of such adaptation. The world is changing — people are buying more electronics, making home deliveries, discovering Zoom, cloud services, etc. Thus, some markets began to grow organically and very quickly. The ability to recognize such trends in the future and benefit from them early on or to adapt quickly in times of sudden global changes is your trump card.

Does the product solve your customers’ problems?

The logical continuation of the previous point is that you see an unmet need in the market and realize you are ready to address it. However, you should check if there’s a reason why other companies are ignoring this problem. Maybe it’s not as critical as it seems at first glance.

At an early stage, the main task of a startup is to find its Product-Market Fit (PMF). In a nutshell, this means having a product that fills a market need and solves a customer problem — there must be a match between your product and the user. It’s an added advantage if you can give the investor an understanding of how you can scale PMF into a fast-growing and profitable company.

Marc Andreessen, Co-Founder of the Andreessen Horowitz VC fund, long ago called PMF the most important criterion for a startup’s success. It’s safe to say that this situation hasn’t changed over the past 15 years.

Here are a few ways to showcase the value you can bring to customers:

• Track how much time people spend in your product and how often they use it.
• Analyze how many users find out about you organically, not through marketing (it’s good if this share is more than 50%).
• It’s important to understand whether customers are willing to pay for your product and how many of them are ready to stay with you for a long time.
• Collect candid feedback — are people willing to recommend your product to their friends? You can learn not only about the pros and cons of the product, but also discover problems that you may not have even suspected.

Another important thing is to keep an eye on market research conducted by leading global companies. If you, as a startup founder, see an area for improvement for which users will agree to abandon long-term cooperation with other providers, and perhaps even agree to pay more than before, you’re on the right track.

Additionally, you should actively communicate with your customers and target audience. Showing that you’re actively interacting with potential customers during the pitch — and they have confirmed that the problem you’re solving is truly important — will demonstrate the effectiveness and proactiveness of your team, which will definitely help in the next stage of company analysis.

Founder and the team

Investors want a founder to have a clear vision, preferably for several years ahead, including how the market will transform and how the company plans to adapt to these changes. If a person has been working in retail for 10 years and then suddenly started building an AI startup, investors will find it hard to believe in their fundamental understanding of the niche. This means that such a founder will most likely have less expertise in the new market.

The startup team's experience is a significant factor here: perhaps one of their colleagues has been working in your market for a long time, knows the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, understands the specifics of customers, etc.

Venture capital funds are looking for people who understand how to build a startup. The founder should not only provide strategic direction but also actively build operational and other processes within the team and then delegate them over time. Previous experience can help here.

While working in a large corporation or a small startup, study its structure and internal processes. See who’s responsible for what, what challenges each department faces, how they overcome them, and how they make important decisions. Understanding how to set up these processes will help you a lot when you launch your own startup.

Yet, a business is also a story about the founder’s attitude. If a person isn’t committed to it, the investor will see it.

To summarize, what do venture capitalists expect from startups?

There isn’t a specific checklist where you can mark off boxes and realize that you’re the perfect founder of a startup that the best venture capital firms will want to invest in.

The key to successful fundraising is an idea that solves a global problem in a unique way (or finds a specific problem that no one else is addressing); and a team that has analyzed the market and has a deep understanding of how to satisfy its potential customers and create a product that can be scaled. If you can address these factors and sell yourself convincingly during a pitch, it will definitely be much easier to secure funding from a venture capitalist in the early stages.

How investors make decisions: three steps to help raise funding for a startup was originally published in Roosh Ventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.