Fika Ventures

?? Yesterday’s Fall #LATechDayOfService at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA) was truly the best one yet! ?? Our powerhouse crew of 50+ founders, operators, and investors came together to make over 300 hearty meals from scratch (apple turnovers included!) and bake 600 chocolate chip cookies to absolute perfection ?? The energy in the room was electric, and it’s always so inspiring to see the LA tech community rally to support a cause bigger than ourselves—especially as we head into the holiday season ? A *huge* thank you to all of our incredible volunteers for showing up + a special shout out to Madelin Williams and the Silicon Valley Bank team for cohosting with us at Fika Ventures ?? I am so proud of what we accomplished last night and can’t wait for the next one! ?? Want to join the next one? Sign up here: latechdayofservice.com ?? #LATechDayOfService #CommunityService #GiveBack #LATech cc: Tianxiang (TX) Zhuo Matt Hersh Arteen Arabshahi James Shecter Olivia Pittard

Hue. is seeking a talented and passionate full-stack engineer to join their founding team led by Janvi Shah, Sylvan Guo, and Nicole Clay. At Fika Ventures, our investment in Hue. is all about a belief in the future of authenticity and representation in #eCommerce. This opportunity is both meaningful and large and this role carves out space for a skilled #engineer to make a significant impact. Here’s why we’re excited: End-to-End Unique Solution: Hue's AI-powered SaaS platform provides an end-to-end solution for authentic and scalable user-generated video content, addressing a critical need in #eCommerce for multiple stakeholders. Impressive Traction: With partnerships with 45+ brands, including household names like TATCHA and Credo Beauty, Hue has already established significant market validation by working with compelling brands and expanding verticals in tandem. Exceptional Team: Founded by three women of color with extensive industry experience from Google, L'Oréal, and Airbnb, Hue’s leadership is uniquely positioned to tackle the challenges of eCommerce authenticity. ?? Are you ready to tackle complex challenges, leverage your full-stack expertise, and be part of a meaningful venture? Hue. wants to hear from you! Check out the job description: https://lnkd.in/gmmxp2aC ?? Interested? Email your resume to [email protected] or share this post with talented #engineers in your network. #techjobs #engineeringjobs

Hot off the press is Fika Ventures’ Fall newsletter, packed with exciting highlights of our growing portfolio and recent news and activities from the Fika team! ?? We closed Fika IV - $160M. If you are an entrepreneur tackling a meaningful problem in the B2B ecosystem, we want to hear from you! ??New Pour Over Episode with Shannon Goggin, Co-Founder & CEO of Noyo. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gkRHP7ai ?? Recent funding news from Hue., Revenew, and Beeble ?? Several of our portfolio companies at StretchDollar, Noyo, and Hue. are actively hiring. Be sure to explore the Key Roles. ?? The Fika team had an action-packed summer and fall, jet-setting to host an incredible lineup of events and speaking engagements. We kicked things off with a vibrant beauty and fashion dinner at Shoptalk Chicago, dove into insightful discussions with B2B founders in Toronto, and brought the energy to our hometown with #LATechWeek. Plus, we made waves at InsureTech Connect Vegas, Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate, Google Cloud Summit, Money20/20, and more. ???? Calling for volunteers for our next #LATechDayofService on November 20th! Join us for a fun night of cooking to support Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles and help make a meaningful impact in our community. ? sign up link in the newsletter ?? For more insights, dive into our Fall newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dDfDBGYU ?? If you’re not a subscriber yet, sign up here: https://eepurl.com/iaoksz

Thanks for having me, Google! Never did I ever expect to speak on a panel about startups, GTM, AI, and LLMs surrounded by beautiful plants at Rolling Greens Nursery, everyone wearing silent disco headphones, and a proper McLaren F1 car all in one place. Lively discussion with Kyle Grimsrud Peter Zakin Matt Kozlov and Douglas C.

If you’re looking for a distraction from political content this week… look no further… allow me to introduce: VC podcast content :) I was so excited to finally be on Minnie Ingersoll and TenOneTen Ventures’ LA Venture Podcast. She grew this platform massively while I was on the operating side and it was such an honor to have this be my first interview since returning to VC. Minnie and I chatted poolside in her backyard in Pasadena and covered a lot of ground: - ??Why I think distribution and GTM is potentially a greater early moat than product in an AI-native world - 1?? Is first mover advantage still a thing?! -????♂? How I think about channel vs integrated product partnership dynamics and why most of them dont work! -?? What is (and isn’t) exciting to me and Fika Ventures in marketplaces, supply chain, commerce enablement, and more - ?? Why we love investing in subject matter and domain experts at Fika more than technology experts learning new domains - ?? What makes our partnership and team special at Fika Ventures and how we think about working with founders - ?? and finally, why Pejman Nozad and I have more in common than I do with most VCs! Shout outs to friends and colleagues like Tianxiang (TX) Zhuo, John Chen, Gabriella Brignardello, Route, Michael Tam, Troy Henikoff, and more in this one. And most importantly, thanks for having me, Minnie Ingersoll!

?? Check out the latest episode of the LA Venture Podcast, featuring our very own Arteen Arabshahi in conversation with Minnie Ingersoll from TenOneTen Ventures. Recorded poolside in Minnie's backyard in Pasadena, this episode marks a fun and exciting moment as Arteen returns to the VC world. They dive into a range of topics,?like why distribution and GTM strategies are so important in today’s AI world, whether first mover advantage still matters, and the ins and outs of channel versus integrated product partnerships. Plus, Arteen shared what gets us pumped at?Fika Ventures?about #marketplaces and #supplychain, why we love investing in domain experts, and what makes our team unique when working with founders. Tune in for some great insights and a refreshing take on the industry! LA Ventures Podcast:?https://lnkd.in/geqWjdBK ?? Spotify link:?https://lnkd.in/gXVmRJ_s?

Only Money20/20 can bring together the definitive power players in payment facilitation under one roof - let's get ready to rumble! In the blue corner: Middleweight Champions: William Corbera and Joseph Elias Phillips of Payabli (and Fika Ventures portfolio company) Light Heavyweight Champion: Richie Serna of Finix Undisputed Heavyweight Champion: Benny Silberstein founder of Payrix (sold to FIS for ~$1B) In the red corner: Stripe: Who ended up being disqualified from the bout as they no-showed for the photo, wha wha If you are an ISV / vertical software company still on Stripe, please don't DQ your company due to exorbitant transaction fees. Reconsider bringing your payments in-house and start monetizing them in 2025 and beyond. Your CFO will thank you!

Off the back of our funding news last week, I'm excited to share that at Hue. we are HIRING for founding engineers to join our team! ?? How you can help ? Ask for my network: If you know anyone who's excited to join a fast-growing startup - please share the opportunity & have them email me at [email protected] with their resume and who referred them. JD below! Nicole Clay Sylvan Guo Holly Guenther Angel Catalan Elena Allison Noureen Shallwani

Last week we announced our investment in Hue. and I couldn't be more delighted that this was my first investment back at Fika Ventures. Working with founders like Janvi Shah, Sylvan Guo, and Nicole Clay on substantial problems like authenticity (and conversion..) in eCommerce is what makes this job such a unique privilege. We're just getting started, but they already have the trust and love of brands like Tatcha, Credo Beauty, and over 40 more household names. If you're a brand that needs authentic, relatable, and scalable video (who doesn't), they're the end-to-end solution for you. https://lnkd.in/gRu8JebU

?? We're excited to announce Fika Ventures has co-led Hue.'s $4.5M seed round alongside Underscore VC. Hue is set to redefine the online shopping experience, making it more authentic, inclusive, and effective for both brands and consumers. A few things that make us lucky to be a part of the Hue journey: Bridging the Authenticity Gap Hue tackles one of eCommerce's most pressing challenges: the need for authentic, relatable content that resonates with all consumers. In an AI-native era where shoppers crave genuine experiences, Hue's solution is a game-changer. Impressive Traction With 45 brands already on board, including TATCHA and Credo Beauty, Hue has already demonstrated strong market validation. Their ability to drive 5-25% increases in conversion rates speaks volumes about their impact. Exceptional Team Founded by Janvi Shah, Nicole Clay, and Sylvan Guo, the Hue team brings a unique blend of tech expertise and industry insight. Their personal experiences and domain expertise fuel their mission to enhance representation in eCommerce. Scalable Solution Hue's end-to-end platform for user-generated video content addresses multiple pain points for brands, from content creation to personalization. Their AI-powered approach ensures scalability and continuous improvement. Perfect Market Timing As the eCommerce landscape evolves, the demand for authentic, inclusive content has never been higher. Hue is perfectly positioned to meet this growing need. More from Arteen Arabshahi on why we invested in Hue.: https://lnkd.in/gcePdrnJ #eCommerce #videocommerce #poweredbyhue #beautynews #fundingnews