Garden Research: Weekly Recap #15
A personal AI education bot, multiple proprietary vertical AI models, and other activity in the Seed ecosystem from last week.
Hey Everyone,
Happy Thursday. For those who are new here, every week I deliver a recap of the activity in the US seed ecosystem, a full list of every completed round, and a deep dive into a company I find interesting. If you’re interested in following along, click below.
Last week, 60 companies raised Seed capital in the U.S. (slow week…) 🌱
Quick Stats 📈
Total Funding: $186.6M
Highest Round: $25M
Lowest Round: $20k
Average Round: $3.9M
Top Raisers 💰
Augment: Augment develops AI assistants tailored for the logistics industry, automating repetitive tasks to enhance operational efficiency. These AI agents operate continuously, improving process accuracy and allowing human operators to focus on strategic activities like relationship building and critical decision-making. Raised $25M in a round led by 8VC.
Surus: Surus offers an institutional-grade asset management, custody, and compliance platform designed for on-chain finance. Built atop their licensed and regulated financial institution, Surus Trust Company, the platform bridges traditional and digital assets, providing services such as tokenized asset management and stablecoin reserve management. Raised $10.6M in a round led by Castle Island Ventures.
Pathfinder Brands: Pathfinder Brands is composed of experienced founders, operators, and marketers dedicated to acquiring and accelerating the growth of promising brands. Leveraging their extensive entrepreneurial backgrounds, they provide strategic guidance and operational support to enhance brand adoption and success. Raised $10.1M in a round led by Partner Ventures.
257: 257 is a technology startup focused on accelerating home electrification through a data platform that offers home energy insights and tools. By assisting energy product companies in engaging homeowners, 257 aims to simplify the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. Raised $9.2M in around led by F2 Venture Partners.
Evio Pharmacy Solutions: Evio Pharmacy Solutions utilizes real-world evidence analytics and innovative medication contracting to reduce high-cost medication expenses. Their platform offers health plans and pharmaceutical manufacturers data-driven insights and tools to improve patient care, optimize medication use, and lower overall healthcare costs. Raised $8.5M from undisclosed investors.
My Favorites 🕺
Tera AI - Raised $7.8M in a deal led by Felicis and Inovia Capital
Tera AI is developing a software-only spatial reasoning system that enables robots to navigate complex environments using only their onboard cameras. By eliminating the need for additional sensors or external signals, this technology allows robots to autonomously understand and traverse new spaces without prior mapping. This advancement simplifies deployment across various robotic platforms, reducing hardware costs and setup time, thereby accelerating the adoption of autonomous systems in industries such as logistics and manufacturing.
Pluralis AI - Raised $7.6M in a deal led by CoinFund and Union Square Ventures
Pluralis AI is pioneering Protocol Learning, a collaborative approach to AI model training that pools computational resources across multiple participants while ensuring no single entity has complete access to the model. This method addresses challenges in current AI development by promoting open participation and economic sustainability without the constraints of traditional closed models or unsustainable open-source initiatives. By focusing on low-bandwidth, model-parallel training, Pluralis AI aims to democratize AI development, making advanced models more accessible and fostering innovation across various sectors.
BioPhy - Raised $6.6M from undisclosed investors
BioPhy has developed an AI operating system designed to accelerate drug development by assessing biological feasibility and predicting clinical trial outcomes with 80% accuracy. By integrating scientific, clinical, and regulatory insights with a proprietary operational assessment model, BioPhy enables pharmaceutical companies to allocate resources more effectively and expedite time-to-market for new therapies. This technology addresses the traditionally slow and costly drug development process, potentially saving millions in clinical development and bringing effective treatments to patients faster.
Manifest Finance - Raised $2.5M in a round led by Lattice Capital
Manifest is a financial technology company that leverages blockchain technology to provide global investors with access to U.S. private equity real estate investments. By tokenizing real estate assets, Manifest enables scalable and liquid investments, offering exposure to U.S. home price appreciation without the burdens of direct property ownership. This approach democratizes access to the historically exclusive U.S. real estate market, allowing investors worldwide to participate with ease and efficiency.
BlueShift - Raised $2.1M in a round led by ConocoPhilips
BlueShift utilizes advanced electrochemical technology to extract critical minerals such as nickel and rare earth elements from industrial waste, including coal fly ash. Their process is energy-efficient, modular, and adaptable to various waste inputs, transforming environmental liabilities into valuable resources. By repurposing waste and reducing dependence on foreign mineral supplies, BlueShift enhances domestic supply chain resilience and contributes to sustainable industrial practices.
Axio - Raised $1.9M from undisclosed investors
Axio is an AI-powered personal growth platform that tailors educational and professional development experiences to individual users. By continuously adapting to a user's evolving goals and learning styles, Axio creates personalized roadmaps that enhance productivity and skill acquisition. This individualized approach supports lifelong learning and career advancement, helping users unlock their full potential in an increasingly dynamic job market.
You can find the full list of startups that raised seed capital last week linked here
Seeya next week!