Las Olas Venture Capital

Raising Your Seed Round: Securing a Lead Investor & Lessons Learned with City Detect & LOVC We're thrilled to invite you to a live discussion featuring: ?? Dean Hatton, Founding Partner at LOVC ?? Scotty Lefkowitz, Senior Associate at LOVC ?? Gavin Baum-Blake, Co-founder and CEO of City Detect ?? Register here: https://lu.ma/cnmag6h0 Learn how City Detect, a LOVC portfolio company specializing in cutting-edge AI and computer vision technologies for urban development, successfully secured a $2 million seed round. Gavin Baum-Blake will share their journey from concept to funding, highlighting key moments and lessons learned along the way. What You’ll Learn: ??Securing a Lead Investor: Insights into how City Detect captured LOVC's attention and navigated the due diligence process. ??Overcoming Challenges: Discover the hurdles faced during the seed round and the innovative solutions implemented. ??Actionable Fundraising Strategies: Tips on crafting compelling pitches, building investor relationships, and standing out in a competitive environment. ??Investor Perspective: Hear from Dean Hatton and Scotty Lefkowitz about what LOVC looks for in early-stage companies and their approach to guiding startups. ??Scaling for Growth: Learn how City Detect is leveraging its partnership with LOVC to scale operations and amplify impact. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from both the startup and investor perspectives! ?? https://lu.ma/cnmag6h0

I am both grateful and ecstatic to announce OneRail’s Series C financing, a $42M round that was led by growth investor Aliment Capital. I’m grateful because: - We’ve built an amazing team here at OneRail. A team that has now weathered significant market volatility, a pandemic, a freight recession, geo political instability, and the evaporation of @ 90% of the venture capital within the supply chain and logistics tech sector over the past 24 months. The grit and determination of the OneRail team is rare and it is our greatest super power. We apply this same grit and determination when we help our customers solve problems. - We have customers that want to transform their businesses and are committed to REAL change. We’ve been able to experience 100%+ YoY growth during a tech slowdown because our customers are NOT slowing down their need to transform. Equally, we have NOT slowed down either, with continued investment in our platform, in expanding our team, “up leveling” our leadership team with the additions of Peter Cyr, MBA, Ed Carse, Chris Kucharski, and Ally Smith, and in expanding our 12M+ driver delivery network, which now reaches 400+ cities across North America. - We have passionate inside investors that have stood by us during very difficult times, notably the growing pains that are associated with hyper growth. While everybody loves “up and to the right”, there are costs to that and it takes serious conviction, “guts”, and extreme trust in leadership to work through those challenges. I am beyond grateful for the trust that our investors (Seed, Series A, B) have put in both Lisa Catania and I, and for their guidance and wisdom along the way that has helped us build a great company. - We have found a world class partner in our Series C lead investor, Aliment Capital, who’s conviction and potential to support OneRail’s next stage of growth and scale convinced us to take their investment at a time that we weren’t considering a capital raise. As we learned more about Aliment, it became clear that their commercial ecosystem, record of building/scaleing companies, stable of industry advisors, and passion for Sustainability, would further accelerate OneRail’s maturity and scale. It was a pleasure working with Timothy Bluth, Whitney Routman, and Aliment founders Ben Belldegrun and Philip Erlanger, through the process. Special thank you to David Rye for investing alongside Aliment in this round. We also look forward to working with both David and Nimal Gamage as Advisors going forward. In addition to Aliment, we are pleased to welcome eGateway Capital and the Florida Opportunity Fund as new investors. Finally, thank you to our inside investors for supporting this round, including Arsenal Growth Equity, Las Olas Venture Capital, Piva Capital, Bullpen Capital, Chicago Ventures, Gaingels, and Mana Ventures. Get the full story: https://hubs.ly/Q02Z3WFN0 More great news next week!

We are thrilled to announce our participation in?OneRail's $42 million Series C! We've believed in OneRail from the very beginning—leading their seed round in 2020—and are pleased to have participated in every funding round since, including this latest $42 million Series C. ?? Read our announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gFk7qi6p ?? Read the TechCrunch article here:?https://lnkd.in/dEuQ5EHp "From the very beginning, we've believed in Bill Catania's vision to revolutionize last-mile delivery. Leading the seed round was just the start of our journey together. Today, as we announce our participation in the Series C funding, we're excited to continue supporting Bill and the entire OneRail team. Their relentless innovation and exceptional execution have validated our initial conviction and exceeded all expectations. We're proud to stand by them as they pave the way for a more efficient and customer-centric future in logistics." —?Dean Hatton, Founding Partner at LOVC and Board Member at?OneRail We are proud to continue supporting Bill Catania, Lisa Catania, and the OneRail team. Their relentless pursuit of innovation, commitment to customer satisfaction, and operational excellence align perfectly with our investment philosophy at LOVC.

?? We are excited to announce we’ve secured $42 million in Series C funding! ?? Get the full story: https://hubs.ly/Q02Z3WFN0 ??This investment comes during a challenging funding environment where logistics funding has plunged 90% over the past 2 years, and highlights our mission to drive growth and innovation in last mile omnichannel fulfillment. Thank you to our incredible customers, dedicated employees and supportive investors. Your trust, hard work and belief in our vision have made this milestone possible. Together, we’re revolutionizing the customer experience to keep the delivery promise paramount. The round was lead by Aliment Capital with participation from new investors eGateway Capital and Florida Opportunity Fund, as well as current investors Arsenal Growth Equity, Piva Capital, Bullpen Capital, Las Olas Venture Capital, Chicago Ventures, Gaingels and Mana Ventures. Here’s to our next chapter of innovation and growth! #SeriesC #LogisticsTech #Growth #LastMileDelivery #Innovation #OmnichannelFulfillment #TeamOneRail #SameDayDelivery #DynamicFulfillment

How My College Project Became a Billion-Dollar Public Company... In 2000, as a senior at Yale University, Miles Lasater, Sean Glass and I had an idea to simplify student payments by introducing electronic solutions to Higher Education. At the time, I didn't fully grasp the complexities of the financial industry or the challenges we'd face in disrupting a traditionally underserved sector. But sometimes, not knowing the obstacles can be your greatest advantage. In 2002, Dean Hatton, my now partner at Las Olas Venture Capital, joined Higher One, bringing with him a wealth of experience in scaling businesses across various industries. Our focus was clear: address universities' and students' unique needs by deeply understanding the higher education landscape. Together, we navigated Higher One through multiple rounds of venture funding. In 2010, we took Higher One public on the NYSE reaching a $1.2 billion peak valuation. Under our leadership, the company grew from zero to $250 million in revenue, supporting over 1,900 schools and approximately 13 million enrolled students by 2014. We faced numerous challenges, including disrupting an industry resistant to change and growing during sluggish economic times. However, our commitment to reducing inefficiencies in education resonated regardless of the economic cycle. The traditional playbook didn't confine us, which became a significant advantage. Our journey proved that sometimes the boldest moves come from a fresh perspective and experienced guidance. How has being an outsider in your industry given you an edge, and how have you gone outside of your industry's traditional playbook?

This past Thursday, we brought together some of the best New York City founders, builders, and investors at the Mosaic office in Bryant Park for a live podcast with Primary Venture Partners. Moderated by LOVC's Zach Rubin, LOVC's Founding Partner Mark Volchek and Primary Venture Partners General Partner Cassie Young shared insights on their experiences as board members, what they look for in founders, their refined investment approach, the intricacies of the current venture capital market, balancing growth and fundraising, fundraising and pitch tips, and more. Stay tuned for the podcast, which will soon be published on our media channels and website. Thank you to Mosaic for generously hosting us at your office and Bradley Ellis / Stifel Financial Corp. for making this event happen. We'd love to hear from you if you're building an extraordinary B2B SaaS business. Pitch us at https://lnkd.in/ezAyMb3B Visit our events hub to learn more about our upcoming events and explore how to get involved in our community: https://lu.ma/lovc Thank you for hosting a terrific event and evening with us, Primary Venture Partners and Stifel Financial Corp. We look forward to the next one and hope you turn some of these insights into action!

Scale in B2B SaaS: A Live Podcast and Fireside Chat with Primary Venture Partners & LOVC Join us for an evening dedicated to NYC's best B2B SaaS founders and funders, hosted by?LOVC?and?Primary Venture Partners, sponsored by?Stifel Financial Corp. ? Register here:?https://lu.ma/1jfmicko ?? November 7th | 6:00 - 9:00 PM ?? Bryant Park, NYC (addressed revealed on acceptance) The evening will feature a fireside chat and live podcast with?Mark Volchek?(Founding Partner, LOVC) and?Cassie Young (General Partner, Primary Venture Partners), with a cocktail and light bites reception. NYC investors, founders, and ecosystem partners: Secure your spot for an evening of learning, networking, and growth.?B2B SaaS Founders and Funders are encouraged to register. We look forward to hosting you!

David Franco-Julian, an experienced construction industry veteran, and Michael Fortinberry, a seasoned professional, co-founded Protiv to revolutionize labor management in the construction, landscaping, and service industries. Drawing from their firsthand experience with the industry's challenges, they developed an innovative platform that aligns worker incentives with company goals. The construction industry has long struggled with labor shortages and productivity challenges. Traditional hourly pay models often misalign incentives, hindering wage growth and company culture. Protiv addresses these issues with a B2B worker incentive platform directly linking payment to performance. By incentivizing workers with bonuses aligning with company objectives, Protiv fosters improved quality, productivity, and project teamwork. Protiv Reimagining Construction Labor Management with Performance Pay: In its first year of operation, Protiv facilitated nearly $1 million in worker bonuses across 34 states, effectively addressing labor shortages and boosting productivity for clients. By incentivizing workers with bonuses aligning with company objectives, from small landscaping companies to large civil construction incentives, Protiv led to a 10% wage growth and a 12–15% increase in team productivity. By creating a culture shift that motivates workers to align with business outcomes, Protiv enhances overall project performance and workforce management. Investment Timeline with LOVC LOVC co-led Protiv's $2.4 million pre-seed funding round in April 2024 alongside Lightbank, with participation from Parameter Ventures and Early Light Ventures. Why We Believe in Protiv The construction industry faces persistent challenges with productivity and labor shortages—issues that Protiv directly addresses through its performance pay platform. Designed by industry veterans who understand the complexities of aligning worker incentives with business goals, Protiv supports better workforce management and enhances project outcomes by motivating workers through meaningful bonuses tied to performance. LOVC's Mark Volchek shared his thoughts on Protiv's potential: "Protiv is well-positioned to play a major role in solving labor and production issues in the U.S. construction industry. David and Michael invested six years into solving the incredibly complex legal, technical, and human challenges when disrupting the traditional hourly pay model." ?? Join us in celebrating David Franco-Julian, Michael Fortinberry, and their team's success and Protiv's impact on the construction industry. Visit Protiv's website to learn more about their platform and explore opportunities to join their team: protiv.com

We're one week away from the LOVC · Primary Venture Partners: Scale in B2B SaaS · Live Podcast in NYC! Register today?? ? Register here: https://lu.ma/1jfmicko ?? November 7th | 6:00 - 9:00 PM ?? Bryant Park, NYC (addressed revealed on acceptance) The evening will feature a fireside chat and live podcast with Mark Volchek (Founding Partner, LOVC) and Cassie Young (General Partner, Primary Venture Partners), with a cocktail and light bites reception.

Why We Invested in Paccurate's Series A ?? https://lnkd.in/e-bPTki9 "Since our initial investment in the summer of 2023, Paccurate’s platform usage has grown exponentially from processing ~1M monthly shipments to almost the same amount per day. Part of this comes from the fact that their timing couldn’t be better. With e-commerce demand higher than ever and recently announced EU regulations mandating a maximum “space ratio” of 50% for packaging, Paccurate’s technology helps companies comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations while maximizing operational efficiency. The incentives align perfectly." - Asif Khan, Senior Associate at LOVC We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Paccurate’s journey and look forward to seeing what this next chapter of growth has in store for them. Congratulations to James Malley the entire?Paccurate?team on reaching this milestone!