Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global startup accelerator headquartered in Silicon Valley, specializing in seed and early-stage investments across various industries, including fintech, health, food and beverage, and travel. Founded in 2012, the company operates 12 industry-specific accelerator programs annually, fostering collaboration between emerging startups and established corporations. Each program lasts 12 weeks and selects startups based on rigorous evaluations from a network of venture capital partners and corporate sponsors. With a presence in 22 locations worldwide, including Spain, Japan, and several countries in Europe and Asia, Plug and Play has developed a vast ecosystem designed to facilitate meaningful connections and support startup growth. The firm has played a pivotal role in the success of notable companies such as PayPal and Dropbox, and its community of startups has collectively raised over $9 billion in funding. Through initiatives like Startup Camp, Plug and Play immerses entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley environment, providing them with mentorship, resources, and opportunities to refine their business models and pitch to investors.

Neda Amidi

President

Amir Amidi

Managing Partner of Travel and Hospitality Center of Innovation

Saeed Amidi

CEO

Wade Bitaraf

Founder, Energy and Sustainability

George Damouny

Partner

Tarek Elessawi

Principal

Gemma Guilera

Senior Partner Success Manager

Karima El Hakim

Country Director - Egypt

Alireza Masrour

General Partner

Javier Megias

Managing Partner, EMEA VC Fund

Omeed Mehrinfar

Managing Partner, Middle-East

Blanca Ribas Pombo

Investor

Noorjit Sidhu

Ventures Associate

Marc Steiner

Senior Vice President of Plug and Play China

Kohei Suzuki

Associate

Erena Estellés Tatay

Ventures Analyst

Kevin Withstandley

Senior Director, Partner Success

Chen Zhao

Managing Partner, China

Past deals in Social Network

Somethings

Seed Round in 2023
Somethings is a wellness platform designed specifically for young people, facilitating connections between teenagers and qualified mentors. The platform focuses on mental health support, offering a novel, digital-first approach to care. By connecting adolescents with certified peer mentors who are trained to address issues such as stress and anxiety, Somethings aims to enhance the mental well-being of its users. The service is tailored to meet the unique needs of teenagers, providing them with accessible resources to navigate their mental wellness concerns effectively.

Apto

Convertible Note in 2023
Apto is a business that offers an application designed to help users map and search their professional networks. The platform enables users to curate and maintain control over their connections, allowing them to share specific parts of their network with selected individuals. By integrating ChatGPT technology, Apto enhances the user experience by facilitating the discovery of relevant contacts and providing access to detailed profiles. This approach empowers users to navigate their networks more effectively, fostering better communication and collaboration.

Apto

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Apto is a business that offers an application designed to help users map and search their professional networks. The platform enables users to curate and maintain control over their connections, allowing them to share specific parts of their network with selected individuals. By integrating ChatGPT technology, Apto enhances the user experience by facilitating the discovery of relevant contacts and providing access to detailed profiles. This approach empowers users to navigate their networks more effectively, fostering better communication and collaboration.

Nilus

Series A in 2022
Nilus is an impact-driven company focused on eradicating malnutrition by leveraging technology to provide affordable and healthy food to low-income individuals. It operates a food waste management platform designed to address food insecurity by improving supply chain efficiencies. By utilizing artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing, Nilus rescues edible food that would otherwise be discarded and redistributes it to community kitchens. This approach not only reduces food loss and waste but also ensures that low-income groups gain access to nutritious food markets at lower prices. The company's vision is to become the largest and most impactful food enterprise in the Americas, targeting the needs of over 360 million people living in poverty.

Socialeads

Seed Round in 2022
Socialeads is a platform that analyzes social media content for context, life events, and personality dimensions. It combines social science, data science, and advanced technologies to see and know the clients' personal and professional networks and deliver actionable insights right to their phone. Socialeads uses AI chatbots and notification systems that provide instant access to actionable data from social networks.

Plutoview

Seed Round in 2022
Plutoview develops a multi-user virtual applications platform aimed at enhancing community engagement and collaboration within virtual environments. By providing easy-to-use tools, the platform enables users to interact in immersive virtual spaces without the need for software downloads. Key features include virtual spaces for community interaction, integration with Discord for launching applications, and a drawing portal for creating NFTs and fan art collaboratively. Plutoview's mission is to transform how people work, learn, and socialize by offering a range of activities such as virtual shopping, trip planning, and movie watching, all designed to replicate the experience of real-life interactions. The platform serves to foster creativity and connection among users, making virtual environments accessible and engaging for diverse communities.

ethr

Convertible Note in 2021
ethr is a live feed platform with music as the glue. People can listen to the same song, at the same time, and converse together.

Gabbi

Convertible Note in 2021
Gabbi is a healthcare software company focused on empowering women to understand their health and take proactive measures in managing their well-being. Utilizing artificial intelligence and clinical research, Gabbi aims to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases and delays in diagnosis that disproportionately affect women. The company offers a unique risk model that serves as a consumer-facing platform, allowing women to assess their lifetime risk of various diseases. This platform includes personalized and interactive action plans, alongside features that foster community engagement and support. Additionally, Gabbi provides tools for breast cancer risk assessment, virtual chat options, and video appointments, facilitating connections among women with shared experiences and promoting proactive health actions.

Socialeads

Series A in 2020
Socialeads is a platform that analyzes social media content for context, life events, and personality dimensions. It combines social science, data science, and advanced technologies to see and know the clients' personal and professional networks and deliver actionable insights right to their phone. Socialeads uses AI chatbots and notification systems that provide instant access to actionable data from social networks.

Nilus

Convertible Note in 2020
Nilus is an impact-driven company focused on eradicating malnutrition by leveraging technology to provide affordable and healthy food to low-income individuals. It operates a food waste management platform designed to address food insecurity by improving supply chain efficiencies. By utilizing artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing, Nilus rescues edible food that would otherwise be discarded and redistributes it to community kitchens. This approach not only reduces food loss and waste but also ensures that low-income groups gain access to nutritious food markets at lower prices. The company's vision is to become the largest and most impactful food enterprise in the Americas, targeting the needs of over 360 million people living in poverty.

Flip

Seed Round in 2020
Flip is an employee app designed to enhance communication and engagement among all employees, from frontline workers to office staff. Founded in 2018 and based in Stuttgart, Germany, Flip combines features such as newsfeeds and chat with seamless integrations into existing corporate HR and IT systems. This allows employers to effectively reach their entire workforce simultaneously with minimal effort. By providing both top-down and bottom-up communication tools, Flip aims to empower organizations and improve overall employee connectivity.

Talentwunder

Seed Round in 2018
Talentwunder offers an online recruitment platform designed to connect recruiters with suitable candidates by leveraging predictive analytics and social signals. The platform automates the headhunting process and integrates the social graphs of employees to enhance candidate searches. By focusing on passive recruiting methods, Talentwunder addresses the limitations of traditional job advertisements, which are often ineffective in many industries. The platform serves as a specialized search engine that efficiently identifies a large pool of matching candidates from various social networks with a single click, allowing recruiters to find skilled individuals where they actively engage online.

Flock

Seed Round in 2018
Flock is a software as a service platform that enhances team communication and collaboration, facilitating the onboarding of freelancers and new employees. Founded in 2005 and based in Menlo Park, California, Flock provides a range of features including one-on-one chat, public and private channels, multi-party video and audio calling, and screen sharing. The platform integrates with over forty third-party applications such as Google Drive, GitHub, Trello, and Asana, and offers business tools like shared to-dos, reminders, polls, and note sharing. Flock is known for its multilingual support and serves more than 25,000 companies, including teams at Accenture, Tim Hortons, and VMware. Users have reported significant productivity gains, including a 30% increase in efficiency and a 50% reduction in emails and in-person meetings. Flock is accessible across multiple platforms, including mobile and desktop, and offers a free version with optional upgrades available.

Travelstride

Seed Round in 2018
We connect people with well-planned, experiential trips. PURPOSE: Bring wonder, joy, learning, and connection through better and more frequent travel. MISSION: Fostering a community connecting travelers with wonderful places, people and experiences. INVESTORS: Backed by top travel and tech investors including NFX, JetBlue Ventures, Stanford StartX Fund, Sand Hill Angels, New York Angels, Plug n Play Ventures, and the cofounders of Hipmunk, TripIt, Get There, Trulia, Sherman's Travel, Lastminute.com, JetBlue and Google Now. TEAM: The founding team and advisors were previously leaders at Viator, Intrepid, Bain, Starwood Hotels, Kayak, Yelp, Liftopia, All Trails, TripIt, Trainline, Hotels.com, OneFineStay, and Flight Network. RECOGNITION: Winner of the Phocuswright Innovation Battleground - travel tech's premier startup competition. "Top 6 Travel App" Washington Times, "Top resource for tours" Frommers. Travelstride is the most comprehensive search engine and reviews platform for all professionally planned vacations and trip planners - the Airbnb or Houzz of the category. We were all born to explore and yearn to connect more deeply with people and places, yet the hassles of planning the logistics stops millions of people from their dream trips each year. Whatever wonderful travel means to you, Travelstride provides the simplest path to finding your perfect trip with the right balance of comfort and adventure. We are building the most engaged community marketplace for wonderful travel, made easy. We've influenced over 3 million travelers so far and host more than 50,000 professionally-planned trips - from private tailor-made vacations to group tour packages, to expedition cruises, to independent adventures. With itineraries across every continent planned by 1,500+ of the best local experts and global companies, everyone can find the perfect trip for their style and budget. Powered by expert advice and real traveler reviews, the Travelstride community enables travelers to explore places near and far with curiosity, confidence, and connections. VISION: Become the most useful and active travel community, where people of all stripes find, share, and book wonderful trips.

Plentie

Seed Round in 2017
Plentie Inc. is a mobile application developed to facilitate the creation and discovery of communities centered around shared interests. Founded in 2015 and based in Madrid, Spain, Plentie allows users to search for and join communities aligned with their preferences, as well as create their own communities. The application enhances user engagement by enabling individuals to invite friends through email and social media, set proximity preferences for conversations, and explore various topics. By providing a platform for users to interact with like-minded individuals and organizations, Plentie fosters meaningful connections based on shared tastes and interests.

Walnov

Seed Round in 2017
Walnov is place where users can feel at home and create or participate in micro-stories. It is a place to show and develop skills with people with their same needs.

Pivii Technologies

Seed Round in 2016
Pivii Technologies is an artificial intelligence-driven company that provides a web-based analytics platform designed to enhance social media engagement, particularly on Instagram. The platform analyzes visual content and delivers meaningful, accurate, and measurable recommendations to users, enabling them to understand what resonates with their audience. By focusing on data and visual elements such as colors, objects, and lighting, Pivii empowers individuals and businesses to develop effective Instagram marketing strategies tailored to their specific needs. The service operates on a subscription model, making it accessible for a wide range of users seeking to optimize their social media presence.

Dogsi

Seed Round in 2016
Dogsi is a veterinary and online community platform designed for pet owners seeking certified animal caregivers. The service connects pet parents with professional pet sitters who provide care for pets in their own homes or at the pet owners' residences. Dogsi's offerings include overnight boarding, daytime care, and home visits, catering to the needs of pet owners when they travel or are away from home. By providing a catalog of vetted caregivers, Dogsi ensures that pet owners can select the right caregiver who meets the specific requirements of their pets, enhancing the overall pet care experience.

Mes

Seed Round in 2016
Mes is a social network with focus on instant messaging, and making more valuable connections by social suggestions. Mes combines profiles, contact lists, messaging, sharing and social networking into one well designed flawless online social environment. You can share your memories in photos and videos. Save and group your contacts into lists. Find old and new friends. All in real-time.

Foodguide

Seed Round in 2016
Foodguide is a social network and food discovery platform that enables users to explore and share information about restaurants and dishes. The platform allows individuals to discover new dining options in their area, utilize search and filter functionalities, and order food through delivery services, all while facilitating online payments. Users can contribute to the community by sharing their own reviews and content, becoming Foodguides themselves. Additionally, Foodguide assists restaurant owners in enhancing their social media presence, targeting the influential Generation Y, and achieving measurable customer growth through user engagement and reviews.

Bochito

Seed Round in 2016
Bochito is a mobile application founded in 2015 and based in Zapopan, Mexico, that facilitates ride-sharing among drivers and passengers. The platform allows users to offer and request rides for their daily commutes, fostering connections between individuals and promoting social interactions. By enabling students and professionals to share trips, Bochito aims to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in urban areas, while also lowering transportation costs for its users. The application serves as a community hub, enhancing convenience and safety in local travel.

Life360

Venture Round in 2015
Life360, Inc. is a mobile application company headquartered in San Francisco, California, that focuses on enhancing family connectivity and safety. Founded in 2007, Life360 provides a platform for families to communicate, share locations, and monitor driving safety. The app, which serves millions of users in over 140 countries, offers features such as private location sharing, location history, crash detection, roadside assistance, and emergency alerts through both free and paid subscriptions. As the world's largest family-oriented social network, Life360 has over 50 million monthly active users and consistently ranks among the top social networking apps in the United States. The company's mission is to help families stay connected and secure by providing essential tools that address the needs of modern family life.

Runator

Pre Seed Round in 2015
Runator is a social running application that facilitates interaction among runners by allowing them to import and share their running data from various platforms. The app offers features that enable users to connect with other runners, exchange tips and experiences, and discover new running routes. Additionally, Runator provides a unique opportunity for users to participate in global races and engage in friendly competitions with peers. By fostering a community-oriented environment, the application enhances the overall running experience for its users.

Wave Application

Seed Round in 2015
Wave Application enables users to place contacts on a private map for a limited period of time. It offers a simple service, easy to use, and makes life easier for people. Wave Application can be used for finding friends to meet up in the city, date nights, travelling in unknown cities, business meetings outside the office, big sports events, sharing location when users are stuck in the traffic. Wave Application was founded on 2013 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

Groopify

Seed Round in 2014
Groopify is a social discovery app designed to facilitate in-person connections between groups of friends who do not yet know each other. By leveraging mobile technology and social networks, Groopify simplifies the process of meeting new people through organized outings and events. The platform operates in 45 cities worldwide, offering users a unique way to enhance their social lives without the need for extensive browsing or chatting. By connecting users to potential matches from their friends' networks, Groopify aims to create engaging experiences that foster new friendships and relationships in real-world settings.

Alibre.io

Pre Seed Round in 2014
AhorroLibre is building a Social Savings Network to allow communities in emerging markets safer, easier and more transparent access to savings and credit. Our goal is to provide full access to low cost (up to 10x lower cost), technology based (FinTech) financial services for base of the pyramid in LATAM and other emerging markets around the world.

Groopify

Seed Round in 2014
Groopify is a social discovery app designed to facilitate in-person connections between groups of friends who do not yet know each other. By leveraging mobile technology and social networks, Groopify simplifies the process of meeting new people through organized outings and events. The platform operates in 45 cities worldwide, offering users a unique way to enhance their social lives without the need for extensive browsing or chatting. By connecting users to potential matches from their friends' networks, Groopify aims to create engaging experiences that foster new friendships and relationships in real-world settings.

Origo.by

Seed Round in 2014
Origo is a social tool that let's you create our own profile with things you like and dislike. Origo lets you find and discover people similar to you and things you would probably love.

Meets

Seed Round in 2014
Meets es una app gratuita que simplifica la forma en la que creas, compartes y gestionas los planes con tus amigos. Te permite saber en todo momento quien se apunta, sacar fotos para recordar los mejores momentos, chatear con los invitados y preguntarles su localización. Además puedes invitar a quien quieras aunque todavía no esté usando meets, ya que las invitaciones se mandan por email, Facebook o SMS, incluso puedes compartir un link con los detalles de tu plan.

Listnerd

Seed Round in 2014
Listnerd is a social interactive platform that enables users to create, share, and explore a variety of lists that reflect their personal interests. It fosters a sense of community by allowing individuals to engage with one another through the lists they curate, surf, and share. By connecting users around common themes and topics, Listnerd enhances the experience of discovering and discussing ideas, hobbies, and preferences, making it a unique space for list enthusiasts.

Mengero

Seed Round in 2013
Imagine a mashup of Wikipedia and LinkedIn – this is Mengero. We combine novel search and machine learning technologies with your network to enable granular expertise identification and topic-specific resource sharing.

Bitcovery

Convertible Note in 2013
Connect with your trusted friends and discover each other's likes in books, music, movies and TV shows. Instagram for digital entertainment, if you will.

TravelTipz.ru

Series B in 2013
TravelTipz.ru - Russia's biggest social travel site. Launched in Apr'11 and has 650K+ reviews now, bigger than local competitors (Tophotels et) and global competitor (TripAdvisor). TravelTipz.ru connects you with friends to make planning and sharing your travels easier. Founded by Tetyana Hrekh (Harvard, Deloitte), Murad Sofizade (IPNet, Finam, Harvard, YGL), TravelTipz is based in Moscow, Russia and backed by Russian and international VCs and angel investors. TravelTipz leverages social data to make users' travel planning easier. More than 65% of reviews are written by "social" users, which makes them much more relevant.

Selltag

Seed Round in 2013
Selltag offers a simple online platform for people to sell and buy items. It brings together buyers and sellers using the power of social networks. That means people can sell goods that is no longer needed or not used anymore, maybe something people have made or even digital contents to friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Plus people can get help from those same contacts, if the link is shared to an ad users will get more potential buyers to see it. Selltag was founded on 2013 and is headquartered in Valencia, Spain.

mon.ki

Convertible Note in 2013
mon.ki shows you where the people you know live, lived or grew up so you can get valuable advice and introduction through them. At mon.ki we believe that the people we know are fundamental in shaping our opinions and making smarter decisions. These people become even more important when you move or travel abroad: Who knows an english speaking doctor? Where should I live? What school for my kids? Good tax advice? Starting today mon.ki is going into limited beta. Join the network of expats and global citizens and shape the tools that will make moving and living abroad a lot easier.

CrowdSYNC

Seed Round in 2013
CrowdSYNC is an iOS application that allows users to relive live events by merging fan footage shot at the same time and place. Simply upload your clips, and they will be matched to other videos from the same event. Intuitive video playback allows users to recreate the event from any available perspective. Connect with friends, bands and venues and share content with your existing social networking services.

Spyra

Seed Round in 2012
Spyra makes social strategy games for mobile devices. We're combining engaging gameplay, quality graphics, social interaction, and strategic gameplay to attract the male mid-core market.

Timecros

Seed Round in 2012
Timecros is a smart platform that makes your digital life sharable through timelines.

Kidzloop

Seed Round in 2012
Kidzloop delivers the most relevant web content to parents around their current interests and makes it easier for them to meet with new parents in their immediate neighborhood at nearby parks and playground.

DoubleSquad

Series A in 2012
DoubleSquad Inc. is a web social company that develop, and operates unique dating websites for your own experience. DoubleSquad Inc started in late 2011 with its first Dating Website : Checkhimout.com is the revolutionary dating service that eradicates gender stereotypes in romantic relationships. Women are empowered to shop for male companions through an online man-market, where a catalogue of potential suitors is available to browse and evaluate. Eligible man-products are placed in a shopping bag and eventually checked out if deemed satisfactory.

Radius Location Technologies

Seed Round in 2012
Radius tethers digital content to physical locations by allowing users to create virtual beacons that can transmit whatever content they want to users near them. These beacons can be followed so users know the latest about the places they love. Anywhere a Radius user goes, they can pull out their phone and see the content most relevant to them based on their location, social network, interests, and the beacons they have previously found relevant.

mon.ki

Seed Round in 2012
mon.ki shows you where the people you know live, lived or grew up so you can get valuable advice and introduction through them. At mon.ki we believe that the people we know are fundamental in shaping our opinions and making smarter decisions. These people become even more important when you move or travel abroad: Who knows an english speaking doctor? Where should I live? What school for my kids? Good tax advice? Starting today mon.ki is going into limited beta. Join the network of expats and global citizens and shape the tools that will make moving and living abroad a lot easier.

OPENER Lab

Seed Round in 2012
OPENER is a social network service that organizes your data and everyday life into the realm of time. One can see what friends have done, are doing, and will do, as well as produce data on particular subjects all based on your own timeline, using Facebook API. Opener reevaluates the value of time, and allows for people to communicate through time threads, something that no other SNS has ever had before. Through this service, you can talk about private matters in your daily life, sharing only with the people you wish - creating and developing efficient communication for intimate relationships. I. Time + SNS OPENER is an easy, simple, and private social network service. You can share your daily life or events with 30 of your closest friends. You can expore you and your friends timeline based on the present. II. Past, present and future Enjoy a trip to the past, present and future just by flicking back and forth. You will soon be marvelled by what you experience, becoming engaged into the threads that you and your friends have created. III. Time Platform OPENER is a pioneer of a new field, intending to discover and build new business models based on time. Time, which is an essential part of human life, will become an inevitable platform for you. OPENER enjoys challenging themselves and creating something new every day.

TravelTipz.ru

Convertible Note in 2012
TravelTipz.ru - Russia's biggest social travel site. Launched in Apr'11 and has 650K+ reviews now, bigger than local competitors (Tophotels et) and global competitor (TripAdvisor). TravelTipz.ru connects you with friends to make planning and sharing your travels easier. Founded by Tetyana Hrekh (Harvard, Deloitte), Murad Sofizade (IPNet, Finam, Harvard, YGL), TravelTipz is based in Moscow, Russia and backed by Russian and international VCs and angel investors. TravelTipz leverages social data to make users' travel planning easier. More than 65% of reviews are written by "social" users, which makes them much more relevant.

Spyra

Convertible Note in 2012
Spyra makes social strategy games for mobile devices. We're combining engaging gameplay, quality graphics, social interaction, and strategic gameplay to attract the male mid-core market.

Airy Labs

Convertible Note in 2011
Airy Labs, Inc. specializes in designing and developing social learning games aimed at children, utilizing platforms such as iPhone, iPad, and Android, as well as browser-based environments. Founded in 2011 and located in Palo Alto, California, the company focuses on creating mobile and tablet games, social games, and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) that combine educational content with engaging gameplay. Their approach emphasizes "learning through play" and "learning by doing," aiming to make education enjoyable and effective. The games are designed to impart both academic knowledge and essential life skills, fostering social interaction, collaboration, and competition among players. By integrating principles from cognitive neuroscience and social psychology, Airy Labs seeks to enhance both game design and the educational experience, ultimately promoting a fun and impactful learning environment for children.

TravelTipz.ru

Seed Round in 2010
TravelTipz.ru - Russia's biggest social travel site. Launched in Apr'11 and has 650K+ reviews now, bigger than local competitors (Tophotels et) and global competitor (TripAdvisor). TravelTipz.ru connects you with friends to make planning and sharing your travels easier. Founded by Tetyana Hrekh (Harvard, Deloitte), Murad Sofizade (IPNet, Finam, Harvard, YGL), TravelTipz is based in Moscow, Russia and backed by Russian and international VCs and angel investors. TravelTipz leverages social data to make users' travel planning easier. More than 65% of reviews are written by "social" users, which makes them much more relevant.

Clixtr

Series A in 2009
Clixtr turns smartphones into smartcameras by leveraging location based technologies and the rapidly improving quality of camera phones. Clixtr users create events, upload mobile photos, and, for the first time ever, create real-time event photo streams with the users around them. Photos and events are public and can be followed live on the web or directly on mobile devices. By creating an instant, location-aware mobile photo sharing platform, Clixtr enables real-time event browsing by location or popularity. Users can follow and contribute to events as they happen around the corner and around the world. Clixtr is the ultimate social camera.
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