Spike Ventures Community Newsletter — October 2022
Content at the intersection of entrepreneurship, venture capital, and our Stanford community.
IN THIS ISSUE: Join Spike Ventures Fund 6; read a feature story on customer relationship management platform DevRev; recent portfolio company news on Excision Bio, Jeeves, Lily AI, Mainspring, and RapidSOS; and more.
Join Spike Ventures Fund 6!
Spike Fund 6 is open to our entire community. Interested investors should create an account and login to Spike’s data room to access all fund materials. If you have any investing questions, connect with us for a short 1×1 call.
Spike Ventures Portfolio Spotlight & Updates
At a time when product-led growth software is increasing in prevalence, DevRev’s end-to-end development platform connects creators more directly with customers to help them build products, support end users, and grow their businesses. Read Feature Story »
Excision BioTherapeutics is developing CRISPR-based therapies intended to cure viral infectious diseases. The company announced that the first participant has been dosed in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of EBT-101 for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Spike deployed capital in the company’s $60M round led by GreatPoint Ventures.
Yassir is a Super App category leader in French-speaking Africa. The company’s CEO and Founder Noureddine Tayebi has positioned himself as one of the top tech business leaders in North Africa. Since launch, Yassir has raised over $43M (making it the most funded Series A-stage startup in the Maghreb region), has attracted over six million users, and operates in 27 cities across four African countries. Spike deployed capital in the company’s seed round in 2020, as well as the $30M Series A in 2021. Learn More »
Spike Portfolio Companies in the News
- Mastercard, Jeeves to Offer Local Cards to Mexican Businesses (PYMNTS)
- Lily AI Closes $25M Series B to Bring the Language of the Customer Across the Entire Retail Value Chain (PR Newswire)
- Mainspring Closes Series E at $290 Million (PR Newswire)
- Fugro & RapidSOS Improve Emergency Response with 3D Mapping (Geospatial World)
Merit Aiding Hurricane Ian Response
Merit provides a digital credentialing system for issuing, verifying, and tracking credentials issued by governments, companies, and other public and private organizations. In a recent newsletter, the company mentioned that their business line is being used to aid in the recovery from Ian.
“We believe ReadyNow, our Emergency Services business line, is on track to double from 2021. The reputation we have built in the industry and across Florida has led us to be considered a critical partner by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), and led to us being one of the first vendors brought in over the weekend to assist in the Hurricane Ian response. Merit was brought in early to help them deeply integrate our human coordination technology into their response plan. Already, our dashboards are being used by Emergency Managers to make real-time life and death human coordination decisions, the data we provide is being used by FDEM to justify their budget requests from FEMA, and we have over 50 team members at more than 35 locations ensuring that everything goes smoothly. Most of the vendors involved in the disaster are using our technology (paid for by FDEM) and some of their CEOs are calling us to discuss how they can use Merit to streamline their other emergency projects.”
Spike Ventures deployed capital in Merit’s $50 million Series B led by Rose Park Advisors.
AV STORE: PORTFOLIO COMPANY OFFER
Airbase manages non-payroll spending by combing bill payments, corporate cards, and reimbursements onto a single platform with approval workflows, accounting automation, and reporting. VC backed startups have access to a free tier called Essentials with 2% cash back and 50% off Growth and Enterprise plans if you sign up for the 2-year collaboration.
FOR CURRENT INVESTORS
Thinking of becoming an investor? Access Materials »
Using a Self-Directed IRA to Invest in Venture Capital
Our latest eGuide discusses how you can use a self-directed IRA to fund your venture investments. Visit our Club portal to read the piece and other exclusive content from Managing Partner Todd McIntyre (MBA ’94) and our team. Visit Club Portal »
What’s New at AV: Seeking Venture Fellows
Did you know many of our fellows land full-time jobs in VC or entrepreneurship? We are looking for Stanford alumni interested in joining our free Venture Fellow Program, designed for early- to mid-career professionals looking to launch a career in VC. In addition to providing our fellows with hands-on investing experience, we seek to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups in VC, promoting gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in the industry. No VC experience is required. Now accepting applications for our January 2023 cohort through October 16, 2022. For details, eligibility requirements, and a link to our application, please visit our website. You can also email us for questions or to refer any qualified candidates. Learn More »
Other News from Alumni Ventures
AV Talent Referrals
Interested in joining a cutting-edge startup or know someone who might be? Our portfolio companies are growing and always looking for high-caliber talent. Check out their open positions on our job board. If you find a match, fill out this short form, and we will try to make a personal referral. Visit Job Board »
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