Founders Fund, Inc. is a venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, established in 2005. The firm specializes in investing across various stages, including seed, early, mid, and growth stages, with a focus on transformative technologies. Founders Fund targets a wide range of sectors, such as aerospace, artificial intelligence, advanced computing, biotechnology, cybersecurity, energy, fintech, and consumer internet. The firm aims to support companies that are developing revolutionary technologies and typically invests between $500,000 and $300 million in its portfolio companies. Founders Fund's partners have a strong background in technology, having been investors, founders, and early employees of notable technology companies, including PayPal. The firm seeks to make investments globally, emphasizing innovation and impact.
Flock Safety specializes in security solutions centered around automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, which are utilized by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses. Their primary product captures and analyzes vehicle license plates to aid in crime prevention and resolution. The system not only helps local law enforcement by providing critical data during investigations but also proactively alerts them when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas. This technology fosters community engagement, allowing residents to assist in maintaining safety by sharing relevant information with police. By integrating the efforts of communities, schools, and law enforcement, Flock Safety aims to create safer environments while prioritizing privacy and data protection.
Cyabra
Series A in 2024
Cyabra is a developer of a social threat intelligence platform that addresses the growing challenge of disinformation in the digital landscape. By utilizing advanced artificial intelligence, Cyabra helps companies and governments identify and mitigate threats posed by fake profiles, harmful narratives, and generative AI content. The platform provides valuable insights into social media attacks, allowing clients to uncover malicious actors and bot networks while offering proactive alerts to safeguard brand reputation and public identity. Through its solutions, Cyabra enables organizations to comprehend evolving narratives, detect disinformation campaigns, and maintain trust in the online environment.
turntable.fm
Seed Round in 2023
Turntable.fm is a project of [Seth Goldstein](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/seth-goldstein) and [Billy Chasen](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/billy-chasen), the two guys who brought us [Stickybits](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/stickybits). Users in each dance room has an avatar and can chat with each other. Users can create their own playlist and get up in the DJ booth to battle it out. Turntable.fm a social music platform that encourages hanging out with people and discovering music. If a DJ is playing a song you like, you can add it to your playlist, buy it on iTunes, find it on Last.fm, or launch Spotify. In November 2013, Turntable announced they would be shutting down turntable.fm to focus on their live events platform.
IRL
Series C in 2021
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform facilitates event discovery and planning by allowing users to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in conversations. Users can create groups centered around specific interests, enabling them to connect with like-minded individuals and strengthen existing friendships. The app simplifies event planning by allowing users to create and invite their groups to events, manage social calendars, and sync with friends. Additionally, the platform integrates local public events and allows users to follow sports teams, musicians, and venues. Features such as group chats, polls, and GIF sharing enhance user interaction, making it easier for individuals to organize and participate in social activities in real life.
Orbiit
Seed Round in 2021
Orbiit operates a virtual networking platform that offers an AI-powered matchmaking engine designed for community managers. It facilitates 1:1 and small-group conversations among members by connecting individuals based on shared interests and challenges, catering to communities of all sizes. The platform provides various tools, including algorithmic matching, scheduling, feedback collection, and analytics, to enhance engagement and foster community growth. By enabling regular, topic-based virtual connections, Orbiit aims to strengthen relationships within communities and drive meaningful interactions among members.
Facily
Series B in 2021
Facily is a social commerce marketplace operating in Latin America, designed to cater to low-ticket items and provide competitive prices alongside efficient logistics for lower-income neighborhoods. The platform emphasizes community engagement by facilitating group buying, allowing users to purchase products collectively while enjoying interactive experiences such as games and quizzes. By harnessing local leaders and influencers, Facily enhances its appeal and promotes a sense of community among buyers. Users can also earn rewards by inviting friends, making the shopping experience not only economical but also enjoyable and socially engaging.
PortalOne
Seed Round in 2021
PortalOne AS, based in Oslo, Norway, is a pioneering hybrid games company that merges traditional gaming with interactive television to create unique entertainment experiences. Founded in 2018, the company offers a gaming platform accessible via mobile devices, hosting daily 24-hour tournaments across various game genres, including exclusive titles from Atari such as "Pong," "Breakout," and "Centipede." Players compete to ascend leaderboards for a chance to win real prizes like cash and vacations. A key feature of PortalOne's offerings is the "Arcade Show," which integrates live TV elements with gameplay, featuring celebrity guests who engage with players in real time. PortalOne aims to expand its reach beyond the US, Canada, and Norway, aspiring to create a global platform that hosts hundreds of games and diverse show formats. By blending the best aspects of gaming and television, PortalOne seeks to establish itself as the leading destination for hybrid games, akin to how Spotify and Netflix dominate their respective industries.
Push Party
Seed Round in 2020
Push Party is a new entrant to the exciting space of post-social digital campfires that rekindle a more intimate, authentic connection between users and the people they care about most.
IRL
Series B in 2020
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform facilitates event discovery and planning by allowing users to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in conversations. Users can create groups centered around specific interests, enabling them to connect with like-minded individuals and strengthen existing friendships. The app simplifies event planning by allowing users to create and invite their groups to events, manage social calendars, and sync with friends. Additionally, the platform integrates local public events and allows users to follow sports teams, musicians, and venues. Features such as group chats, polls, and GIF sharing enhance user interaction, making it easier for individuals to organize and participate in social activities in real life.
Bunch
Seed Round in 2019
Bunch Live, Inc., founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York City, has developed Bunch, a unique party application designed for multiplayer gaming. This platform enables users to engage in their favorite games with friends through a group video chat interface. Bunch also offers developers the opportunity to integrate its features into their own games, facilitating a seamless experience for players who wish to connect and play together. The application focuses on simplifying the process of discovering, playing, and sharing live mobile games among friends, making it a pioneering tool in the social gaming landscape.
Orbiit
Pre Seed Round in 2019
Orbiit operates a virtual networking platform that offers an AI-powered matchmaking engine designed for community managers. It facilitates 1:1 and small-group conversations among members by connecting individuals based on shared interests and challenges, catering to communities of all sizes. The platform provides various tools, including algorithmic matching, scheduling, feedback collection, and analytics, to enhance engagement and foster community growth. By enabling regular, topic-based virtual connections, Orbiit aims to strengthen relationships within communities and drive meaningful interactions among members.
IRL
Series A in 2019
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform facilitates event discovery and planning by allowing users to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in conversations. Users can create groups centered around specific interests, enabling them to connect with like-minded individuals and strengthen existing friendships. The app simplifies event planning by allowing users to create and invite their groups to events, manage social calendars, and sync with friends. Additionally, the platform integrates local public events and allows users to follow sports teams, musicians, and venues. Features such as group chats, polls, and GIF sharing enhance user interaction, making it easier for individuals to organize and participate in social activities in real life.
Flo Health
Series A in 2019
Flo Health, Inc. specializes in developing a women's health application focused on menstruation cycle tracking and reproductive health. Founded in 2015 and based in Redwood City, California, the company offers Flo, an app designed to assist women at various stages of their reproductive lives, including menstruation, conception, pregnancy, early motherhood, and menopause. The Flo app provides features such as personalized health insights, curated cycle and ovulation tracking, and expert tips, all while maintaining a secure and private community for users to discuss their questions and concerns. The application is available in over 20 languages on both iOS and Android platforms, emphasizing safety and reliability as it aims to be a trusted digital resource for women’s health information.
Flock Safety
Series A in 2018
Flock Safety specializes in security solutions centered around automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, which are utilized by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses. Their primary product captures and analyzes vehicle license plates to aid in crime prevention and resolution. The system not only helps local law enforcement by providing critical data during investigations but also proactively alerts them when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas. This technology fosters community engagement, allowing residents to assist in maintaining safety by sharing relevant information with police. By integrating the efforts of communities, schools, and law enforcement, Flock Safety aims to create safer environments while prioritizing privacy and data protection.
PortalOne
Seed Round in 2018
PortalOne AS, based in Oslo, Norway, is a pioneering hybrid games company that merges traditional gaming with interactive television to create unique entertainment experiences. Founded in 2018, the company offers a gaming platform accessible via mobile devices, hosting daily 24-hour tournaments across various game genres, including exclusive titles from Atari such as "Pong," "Breakout," and "Centipede." Players compete to ascend leaderboards for a chance to win real prizes like cash and vacations. A key feature of PortalOne's offerings is the "Arcade Show," which integrates live TV elements with gameplay, featuring celebrity guests who engage with players in real time. PortalOne aims to expand its reach beyond the US, Canada, and Norway, aspiring to create a global platform that hosts hundreds of games and diverse show formats. By blending the best aspects of gaming and television, PortalOne seeks to establish itself as the leading destination for hybrid games, akin to how Spotify and Netflix dominate their respective industries.
IRL
Seed Round in 2018
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The platform facilitates event discovery and planning by allowing users to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in conversations. Users can create groups centered around specific interests, enabling them to connect with like-minded individuals and strengthen existing friendships. The app simplifies event planning by allowing users to create and invite their groups to events, manage social calendars, and sync with friends. Additionally, the platform integrates local public events and allows users to follow sports teams, musicians, and venues. Features such as group chats, polls, and GIF sharing enhance user interaction, making it easier for individuals to organize and participate in social activities in real life.
Earn.com
Series B in 2015
We're building a token-based social network, where senders pay users in digital currency to complete tasks and reply to emails. If we're successful, it will be one of the first major applications of digital currency for the regular user.
Glow
Series B in 2014
Glow, Inc. is a technology company that develops mobile applications and online communities focused on women's health, particularly in areas concerning menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Glow offers several applications, including Ruby By Glow, which assists with period and ovulation tracking, and Glow Nurture, designed for pregnancy tracking. The platform provides valuable insights, articles, and tips to support women throughout their reproductive journeys, whether they are trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or coping with miscarriage. Additionally, Glow First is a community program aimed at making infertility treatment more accessible by allowing couples to pool resources and offering financial assistance to those who do not achieve pregnancy through accredited clinics.
Hinge
Convertible Note in 2014
Hinge is a social discovery network helping users meet new people through an application. Moreover, Hinge provides an alternative to swipe culture by creating smart matches and natural conversations among people who are on the same page. Founded in 2011, the company is headquartered in New York, New York, United States.
Glow
Series A in 2013
Glow, Inc. is a technology company that develops mobile applications and online communities focused on women's health, particularly in areas concerning menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Glow offers several applications, including Ruby By Glow, which assists with period and ovulation tracking, and Glow Nurture, designed for pregnancy tracking. The platform provides valuable insights, articles, and tips to support women throughout their reproductive journeys, whether they are trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or coping with miscarriage. Additionally, Glow First is a community program aimed at making infertility treatment more accessible by allowing couples to pool resources and offering financial assistance to those who do not achieve pregnancy through accredited clinics.
Yammer
Series E in 2012
Yammer is an enterprise social networking platform that facilitates communication, collaboration, and information sharing among employees. Established in 2008 and now part of Microsoft, Yammer empowers users to work together in real time across various departments and locations. The platform allows employees to create project-specific groups, share and edit documents, and exchange ideas through short, frequent updates. Accessible via web, desktop, and mobile devices, it supports a flexible work environment that can adapt to users' needs. Yammer also integrates seamlessly with other systems, such as Microsoft SharePoint, enhancing its functionality across enterprise applications. With over 7 million users, including employees from a significant majority of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer plays a crucial role in improving productivity and engagement within organizations.
Lore
Series B in 2012
Lore is a Generative AI media and consulting company recognized for its weekly newsletter focused on artificial intelligence, which is read by prominent investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. Established as a cloud-hosted platform, Lore provides instructors with tools to manage courses and engage students effectively. Its services include features for grade management, file organization, communication, and calendaring, complemented by social networking capabilities that facilitate student interaction. Lore was acquired in 2019 by Nathan Lands from Noodle.com, which had previously acquired it from Coursekit.
Azumio
Series A in 2011
Azumio Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based developer of health and fitness mobile applications aimed at improving overall human health. Founded in 2011, the company offers a range of applications, including Instant Heart Rate, Fitness Buddy, and the Argus platform. Argus serves as a comprehensive lifestyle service that facilitates activity and diet tracking while fostering a social network centered on health and fitness. The platform integrates various applications, such as Sleep Time and Glucose Buddy, and also connects with third-party wearable devices. Azumio leverages advanced technologies, including AI and deep learning, to enhance food recognition and provide users with valuable insights into their health and wellbeing.
Lascaux
Grant in 2011
Lascaux Co. is focused on making art fun again on a mass scale.Provider of social networking applications for mobile devices.
Yammer
Series C in 2010
Yammer is an enterprise social networking platform that facilitates communication, collaboration, and information sharing among employees. Established in 2008 and now part of Microsoft, Yammer empowers users to work together in real time across various departments and locations. The platform allows employees to create project-specific groups, share and edit documents, and exchange ideas through short, frequent updates. Accessible via web, desktop, and mobile devices, it supports a flexible work environment that can adapt to users' needs. Yammer also integrates seamlessly with other systems, such as Microsoft SharePoint, enhancing its functionality across enterprise applications. With over 7 million users, including employees from a significant majority of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer plays a crucial role in improving productivity and engagement within organizations.
Causes
Series C in 2010
Causes.com is the world's largest online campaigning platform. We connect people who support a common cause and empower them to take action together. Causes members have raised over $48M for charities, collected 34M signatures for grassroots campaigns, and organized thousands of awareness campaigns. Since launching in 2007, Causes has helped over 186M people in 156 countries connect with their cause. Investors include Sean Parker, Founders Fund, the Case Foundation and NEA. Causes, [launched](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/project-agape-launches-via-facebook/) in May 2007, applies viral principles to altruism and social causes. The company was founded by Sean Parker and Joe Green and is designed to help passionate supporters of causes—charities, religions, political parties and candidates, etc.—organize online movements to raise awareness, advocate and fundraise. The company that delivers Causes is called Philotic, Inc., and is run day-to-day by President, Matt Mahan.
Votizen
Venture Round in 2010
Votizen is a consumer technology company that harnesses social networks to create a connected electorate of voters. Votizen provides a new way to focus, measure, and exercise political influence by bringing voters together. As opposed to existing tools that help elected officials campaign, Votizen empowers its users to leverage their own networks to self-organize in voting blocks and advance their causes and interests, redefining the political system with the voter at the center -- not the politician. The company has engineered an entirely new database of voting record rolls across the United States, taking public voting information and normalizing that data to the district level. Then, by mapping those rolls to a user's online identity (through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+), Votizen is able to create the first graphical representation of a voter's network, across states, political parties, and frequency of voting. Votizen was cofounded by David Binetti, Jason Putorti, and Matt Snider. The company is nonpartisan, for-profit, venture-backed, and based in Mountain View, CA: www.votizen.com
Sofa Labs
Series A in 2009
Sofa Labs, Inc. is a developer of social web platforms based in San Mateo, California, founded in 2009. The company is best known for its application, Thread, which is a social platform that allows users to connect with new friends through their existing social networks, specifically leveraging Facebook Connect. In addition to its focus on social networking, Sofa Labs has gained recognition in the tech industry, notably winning the fbFund REV in 2009.
Yammer
Series A in 2009
Yammer is an enterprise social networking platform that facilitates communication, collaboration, and information sharing among employees. Established in 2008 and now part of Microsoft, Yammer empowers users to work together in real time across various departments and locations. The platform allows employees to create project-specific groups, share and edit documents, and exchange ideas through short, frequent updates. Accessible via web, desktop, and mobile devices, it supports a flexible work environment that can adapt to users' needs. Yammer also integrates seamlessly with other systems, such as Microsoft SharePoint, enhancing its functionality across enterprise applications. With over 7 million users, including employees from a significant majority of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer plays a crucial role in improving productivity and engagement within organizations.
Geni
Series C in 2009
Geni is an online platform that connects casual and expert genealogists to collaboratively build a comprehensive World Family Tree. It allows users to create and expand family trees by adding unlimited individuals, documents, photos, and videos, thereby preserving family history. Members can invite relatives to participate, fostering a sense of community and connection with both their own history and over 55 million other members and their ancestors. Additionally, Geni offers features for sharing family photos and videos, as well as celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, while enabling users to create profiles for children.
Zivity
Series A in 2008
Zivity is a San Francisco-based startup that launched in 2007 as a premium subscription and fan interaction platform focused on adult-themed social networking. It specializes in pinup photography and provides a space for artists to showcase their work through crowdsourced curation and editorial moderation. The platform allows fans to engage with their favorite artists through microdonations and monthly subscriptions, fostering a community where users can support and interact with models and contestants. Zivity emphasizes the celebration of unique beauty while enabling fans to vote for and connect with artists, enhancing their overall experience.
Causes
Series B in 2008
Causes.com is the world's largest online campaigning platform. We connect people who support a common cause and empower them to take action together. Causes members have raised over $48M for charities, collected 34M signatures for grassroots campaigns, and organized thousands of awareness campaigns. Since launching in 2007, Causes has helped over 186M people in 156 countries connect with their cause. Investors include Sean Parker, Founders Fund, the Case Foundation and NEA. Causes, [launched](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/project-agape-launches-via-facebook/) in May 2007, applies viral principles to altruism and social causes. The company was founded by Sean Parker and Joe Green and is designed to help passionate supporters of causes—charities, religions, political parties and candidates, etc.—organize online movements to raise awareness, advocate and fundraise. The company that delivers Causes is called Philotic, Inc., and is run day-to-day by President, Matt Mahan.
Zynga
Series A in 2008
Zynga Inc. is a prominent developer and operator of social games, offering a diverse portfolio that includes popular titles such as FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Zynga's games are accessible on mobile platforms like iOS and Android, as well as on social networking sites such as Facebook and Snapchat. The company generates revenue primarily through mobile game downloads, in-game sales of virtual goods, and advertising services, with the majority of its income stemming from online gaming. Zynga's games have been downloaded over 6 billion times globally, reaching audiences in more than 175 countries. Additionally, Zynga has developed a next-generation platform for optimizing programmatic advertising, enhancing its capabilities in the mobile advertising space. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Zynga continues to innovate and expand its presence in the interactive entertainment industry.
FlickIM
Series A in 2007
FlickIM is a chat program designed specifically for the iPhone. The application is made entirely in javascript; however, you cannot access the service if you are not on the iPhone. The product currently only supports AIM. FlickIM is a product of NextThree, which is currently in stealth mode. NextThree is currently based in Berkeley.
Geni
Series A in 2007
Geni is an online platform that connects casual and expert genealogists to collaboratively build a comprehensive World Family Tree. It allows users to create and expand family trees by adding unlimited individuals, documents, photos, and videos, thereby preserving family history. Members can invite relatives to participate, fostering a sense of community and connection with both their own history and over 55 million other members and their ancestors. Additionally, Geni offers features for sharing family photos and videos, as well as celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, while enabling users to create profiles for children.
Causes
Series A in 2007
Causes.com is the world's largest online campaigning platform. We connect people who support a common cause and empower them to take action together. Causes members have raised over $48M for charities, collected 34M signatures for grassroots campaigns, and organized thousands of awareness campaigns. Since launching in 2007, Causes has helped over 186M people in 156 countries connect with their cause. Investors include Sean Parker, Founders Fund, the Case Foundation and NEA. Causes, [launched](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/project-agape-launches-via-facebook/) in May 2007, applies viral principles to altruism and social causes. The company was founded by Sean Parker and Joe Green and is designed to help passionate supporters of causes—charities, religions, political parties and candidates, etc.—organize online movements to raise awareness, advocate and fundraise. The company that delivers Causes is called Philotic, Inc., and is run day-to-day by President, Matt Mahan.
Slide
Series C in 2006
Slide, founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 when they gave users the ability to auto-insert slide shows into their MySpace pages and blasting bulletins out to all their friends. They did this by asking users to hand over their MySpace credentials, and doing all the hard work for them. This is a clear violation of MySpace's terms of service, though, and most people expected Slide to receive a cease and desist letter and/or get access turned off. But that never happened, and Slide's big bet has paid off. Slide has since evolved to offer a number of widgets. Users create and personalize widgets on Slide.com and can then use them on social networks, blogs and desktops. According to comScore Slide has more than 117 million unique monthly viewers. Slide also claims more than 200,000 new Slide Shows are added to the Slide Network each day.
Slide
Series B in 2005
Slide, founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 when they gave users the ability to auto-insert slide shows into their MySpace pages and blasting bulletins out to all their friends. They did this by asking users to hand over their MySpace credentials, and doing all the hard work for them. This is a clear violation of MySpace's terms of service, though, and most people expected Slide to receive a cease and desist letter and/or get access turned off. But that never happened, and Slide's big bet has paid off. Slide has since evolved to offer a number of widgets. Users create and personalize widgets on Slide.com and can then use them on social networks, blogs and desktops. According to comScore Slide has more than 117 million unique monthly viewers. Slide also claims more than 200,000 new Slide Shows are added to the Slide Network each day.
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