Chicago Ventures

Congrats! ?? CV portfolio company Aeropay announces $20M Series B. Read more in TechCrunch below, and please join us in congratulating CEO and Founder Daniel Muller on the company's progress!

“Law firms today are under immense pressure to become data-driven, yet most still rely on outdated, legacy systems not designed to handle the requirements of modern law firms. Our platform consolidates that data and transforms it into actionable insights—making complex data simple and driving better decision-making across the firm.” – Tom Baldwin, Entegrata Founder/CEO Legal IT Insider has more coverage of our newest portfolio company Entegrata. Check it out!

??: “It’s no surprise Galanis seems equipped and assured. Cameo, a video messaging app connecting fans to their favorite celebrities, is in growth mode. After cutting close to 25 percent of its workforce in 2022, the company rebounded last year, hiring 18 new employees, including five returning team members. This year, it’s looking to add about 10 additional hires.” Cameo CEO Steven Galanis is betting he can help any and all creators grow their audiences, and Inc. Magazine is here with a great run-down of the company’s plans Check out this #mustread ?? https://bit.ly/4iIID2Z

While other insurers are fleeing California, we’re proud to see Kin Insurance running toward the fire. Kin Founder/CEO Sean Harper explains: “I actually want to be in the higher-volatility area,” Sean Harper, Kin’s chief executive officer, told Crain's in an interview. “These people, they actually really, really need a new solution. As an entrepreneur, that is what fires me up . . . providing something customers really need.” Love to see that entrepreneurial drive! ?? Crain's Chicago Business has more, and it’s absolutely a #mustread ??

OneRail dives into modern medical delivery software: ?? Ensuring critical supplies arrive on time ?? Reducing waste ?? Improving efficiency across healthcare networks "Today, medical delivery tracking software blends AI-powered route optimization, real-time tracking and automated exception management in a way that transforms healthcare logistics. The very best providers of medical delivery software also include a human element – people who can intervene and support when challenges arise (like when it's hard to find the exact delivery point within a large hospital)." Check out the blog for more ???

?? Havenly Brands (Havenly, Interior Define, Burrow, The Citizenry, The Inside, and St. Frank) CEO Lee Mayer talks to Furniture Today about all thing Havenly, including expanding her retail footprint in Dallas with a new The Citizenry store. ????? "Despite the potential product overlap within the portfolio, Mayer said the plan is to continue to keep the brands separate. 'Each fills a different aesthetic and fills a different product niche," [Mayer] explained. That's not to say there won't be collaboration, she noted, such as putting some Burrow-style furniture into an Interior Define store." Full story ???https://bit.ly/4hAhvSd

Uncertainty around US trade policy is a boon for logistics startups like project44, says The Wall Street Journal. "Chicago-based #Project44, for instance, in recent weeks has helped large multinational customers in retail and other sectors customize software to determine whether shipments will arrive before or after a tariff date, and then break down the costs of trying to get ahead of the levy versus paying the extra cost, the company said. 'Is it cheaper to put products on an airplane and have it arrive before the tariff date, or stay on the ocean and pay the 20%?' project44 Founder and Chief Executive Jett McCandless said, referring to a duty on Chinese imports. 'It's going to be product by product.'" This is a #mustread ???

?? G2 now offers review syndication to marketplaces like AWS, Azure and Ramp – just one highlight of G2's new batch of features. "At G2, we strive to be the most trusted data source in the age of AI for informing software buying decisions," said Godard Abel, co-founder and CEO of G2. "Through review syndications and in-app review collection, G2 reviews will be collected and published anywhere and everywhere you go for software. This means buyers can more easily access the insights they need to make faster, more informed purchasing decisions, and sellers can reach buyers wherever they are during their buying journey." More info ??

????? CEO Lee Mayer says Havenly Brands (Havenly, Interior Define, Burrow, The Citizenry, The Inside, and St. Frank) will continue growing its brick-and-mortar footprint even as the furniture industry remains sluggish ?? "In a moment like this, you can be at an advantage if you're not making crazy-risky moves," Mayer said. "But one or two or four store openings in a quarter is a measured approach to leaning into the market." Modern Retail has much more ???

We're happy to welcome Entegrata and Founder Tom Baldwin to the CV portfolio! Read more about Tom's vision to help law firms more efficiently access their data: