Category: angel investors

Nexxa.ai, a Sunnyvale, CA-based, a trailblazing AI-native company, has announced a successful $4.4 million pre-seed funding round, spearheaded by a16z Speedrun. This significant investment is poised to accelerate Nexxa.ai’s mission to embed highly specialized AI agents into the core operations of heavy industries, from manufacturing and energy to mining and logistics. The funding signals a strong belief in Nexxa.ai’s innovative approach to tackling complex industrial challenges with intelligent automation.

Heavy industries, long the backbone of global economies, are grappling with an urgent need for digital transformation. Faced with increasing regulatory pressures, evolving investor expectations, sustainability mandates, and intricate operational complexities, traditional methods are often insufficient. While the promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has loomed large, its widespread adoption in these sectors has been hampered by unique obstacles: fragmented legacy systems, a shortage of specialized AI expertise, and the sheer complexity of industrial processes that demand a nuanced understanding beyond general-purpose AI.

This is precisely where Nexxa.ai steps in. The company is developing specialized AI agents designed to seamlessly integrate with existing industrial software and support engineers in executing highly technical tasks. Unlike broad AI solutions, Nexxa.ai’s platform is built to understand and learn the intricacies of industrial operations from the ground up, enabling AI agents to either collaborate with human engineers or autonomously assist them. This “Full Self Computing” approach aims to streamline business processes through cognitive Robotic Process Automation (RPA), offering a pay-per-use model that eliminates upfront costs and provides unparalleled flexibility and scalability for businesses of all sizes.

The $4.4 million pre-seed round, which saw participation from Augment Ventures, Propeller Ventures, Plug and Play, Beat Ventures, SBI, Untapped Ventures, Cross Atlantic Angels, and prominent angel investors Rick Berry and Pat McCarthy, will be instrumental in Nexxa.ai’s strategic expansion. The funds will be primarily allocated to growing its engineering team, accelerating the development of its specialized AI capabilities, and scaling its solutions into additional industrial sectors.

The impact of specialized AI in heavy industries cannot be overstated. From predictive maintenance that anticipates equipment failures and drastically reduces downtime, to enhanced quality control through machine vision systems that detect defects imperceptible to the human eye, AI is already demonstrating its transformative power. In logistics, AI-driven solutions are revolutionizing demand forecasting, optimizing intricate supply chains, and streamlining transportation routes for greater efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

However, the path to widespread AI adoption in these sectors is fraught with challenges. Data quality and fragmentation remain significant hurdles, as does the often-cited “skills gap” within the workforce. Integrating new AI systems with decades-old legacy infrastructure can be a technical and logistical nightmare. Furthermore, measuring the exact return on investment (ROI) for complex AI projects can be elusive, making executive buy-in difficult.

Nexxa.ai’s focus on “specialized AI” directly addresses many of these pain points. By developing AI agents that speak the language of industrial engineers and understand the nuances of specific equipment and workflows, the company aims to overcome the integration barriers and accelerate the realization of tangible value. Their emphasis on integrating with legacy industrial software is a critical differentiator, acknowledging the realities of deeply entrenched operational systems.

Looking ahead, the future of AI in heavy industries is bright, with specialized solutions like those offered by Nexxa.ai paving the way for unprecedented efficiency, safety, and sustainability. As industries continue to navigate an increasingly complex global landscape, the ability to leverage intelligent automation that is finely tuned to their unique demands will not just be a competitive advantage, but a necessity for long-term resilience and growth. Nexxa.ai’s successful funding round positions it at the forefront of this crucial industrial revolution, promising to unlock new levels of productivity and innovation for the sectors that power our world.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.

Collate, the Menlo Park, CA-based the innovative company behind the rapidly growing open-source project OpenMetadata, announced that it was successfully funded $10 million in Series A funding. The round, led by Venrock with participation from strategic angel investors from Unusual Ventures and Karman Ventures, positions Collate to significantly accelerate its mission of solving complex data intelligence challenges for enterprise customers.

Despite massive investments in data platforms, businesses globally continue to grapple with extracting full value from their data and AI initiatives. The explosion of data and diverse tools has led to pervasive data silos, fragmentation, and a fundamental disconnect between business and technical teams. Issues such as a lack of trust in data due to quality concerns, and manual, fragmented tooling that stifles productivity, are rampant across organizations. Collate aims to directly address these pain points with its AI-powered platform for “agentic data intelligence.”

Suresh Srinivas CEO of Collate stated, Collate’s Series A couldn’t come at a more critical time, they’re during an AI race — not just for getting data ready for AI, but for how AI itself helps prepare that data. The winners will be organizations with highly functioning data teams augmented by AI.

Collate’s platform, built on the open-source core of OpenMetadata, provides a unified solution for data discovery, observability, and governance. OpenMetadata itself has seen phenomenal growth, boasting over 9,800 members and a 3,000% increase in community engagement, a testament to its relevance and utility within the data ecosystem. The recent $10,000 grant from Bloomberg’s FOSS Contributor Fund further underscores its importance to the open-source community.

The new capital infusion will be strategically deployed across several key areas to fuel Collate’s growth and innovation. A significant portion will go towards accelerating the OpenMetadata community, fostering further collaboration and development. Collate also plans to expand its engineering investment in AI agent development, enhancing the platform’s ability to automate tasks and drive collaboration for data teams. Furthermore, the funding will scale go-to-market operations for both enterprise and cloud-native organizations, and bolster customer success services, particularly for Fortune 500 customers.

Collate’s leadership team, including CEO Suresh Srinivas and CTO Sriharsha Chintalapani, brings extensive experience in modern data infrastructure. Their backgrounds include significant contributions to industry-standard tools like Apache Hadoop and Apache Kafka, and leadership roles at companies such as Hortonworks and Uber, where they were instrumental in shaping data cultures. Their vision for Collate is centered on delivering AI-powered data discovery, observability, and governance through a Unified Knowledge Graph, a democratized user experience, and open-source technologies.

Enterprise customers frequently encounter challenges related to poor data quality, lack of data awareness, and the sheer complexity of managing vast and disparate data ecosystems. Collate’s platform directly tackles these issues by providing a single source of truth for data sources, pipelines, and products. With over 90 data connectors, its solution enables seamless search, facet, and preview capabilities across an organization’s entire data estate, fostering collaboration and empowering data practitioners.

The impact of robust data intelligence on enterprise strategy is profound. Companies no longer just compete on products or price, but on actionable, timely insights derived from well-structured and understood data. Collate’s “agentic approach,” uniquely powered by richer metadata context from its knowledge graph and open-source core, is designed to solve these “last-mile” data challenges, enabling enterprises to innovate faster with AI and data. This investment marks a significant step forward in making advanced data intelligence accessible and actionable for businesses striving for a truly data-driven future.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.

Parspec, a San Mateo, CA-based developer of an artificial intelligence platform designed to serve the supply chain for the building and construction industry. The company’s platform provides information and online workflows to support the selection and sale of construction products by leveraging artificial intelligence to create a submittal instantly, enabling sales agents and distributors to author and manage product submittals online hassle-free.

Parspec was funded $20 million led by Threshold Ventures (formerly DFJ), with participation from existing venture investors including Innovation Endeavors, Building Ventures, Heartland Ventures, and other strategic angel investors from Hometeam Ventures.

The global construction materials industry, valued at around $5 trillion, remains highly fragmented comprised of manufacturers, distributors, sales reps, and contractors. Parspec targets this complexity with AI-driven tools that streamline specification discovery, quoting, and procurement workflows. Using advanced vertical AI, Parspec’s platform enables users to match project specifications with suitable materials in seconds.

Ahead of this round, Parspec has seen impressive momentum:

• 200+ customers live on the platform
• Over $10 billion in materials quoted
• 4× year-over-year revenue growth

These metrics reflect strong adoption and effectiveness in automating traditionally manual and error-prone procurement processes.

With fresh capital on board, Parspec plans to expand its AI offerings and deepen its footprint across the construction ecosystem:

• New AI features spanning the full project-order lifecycle
• Enhanced collaboration tools for contractors, agents, distributors, and manufacturers
• Continued scaling of its customer base domestically and internationally

Threshold Ventures principals Mo Islam and Josh Stein will also be joining the company’s board, strengthening its ties with strategic industry partners.

Construction tech startups have attracted significant investor attention recently. The space has seen companies like HammerTech and Higharc secure Series B rounds ranging from $50 million to $75 million. Parspec’s $20 million raise places it firmly within the Series A growth stage, positioning it as a strong contender in a rapidly evolving sector.

Why This Matters

1. Combatting fragmentation
   Construction materials supply chains are notoriously disjointed—with data often siloed across stakeholders. Parspec seeks to unify this with a centralized, intelligent platform.
2. Improving accuracy and speed
   Manual product specification is prone to delays and errors. AI helps accelerate quoting and ensures better compliance with project requirements.
3. Driving digital transformation
   With only a minority of materials procurement workflows fully digitized, Parspec’s momentum validates the demand for automation and AI in construction.

Outlook & Growth Trajectory

• Parspec will channel the new funding into product innovation, scaling efforts, and partnership formation.
• Continued customer acquisition is expected, especially across contractors and manufacturers seeking efficiency gains.
• International expansion, though not explicitly announced, is a logical next step—especially as supply chains become more globalized.

Parspec’s $20 million Series A marks a pivotal moment in construction technology: its AI-first approach tackles persistent inefficiencies in supply chains head-on. With robust growth metrics and backing from top-tier investors, the company is well-positioned to scale and reshape procurement workflows across the industry.

As AI becomes increasingly central to industrial transformation, Parspec’s solution not only promises cost and time savings—it could fundamentally change how construction projects source and manage materials.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.

Paraform is a San Francisco, CA-based developer of a recruiting platform intended to connect companies with specialized recruiters. The company’s platform provides a platform for connecting with companies and businesses, referring candidates to job opportunities with specialized recruiters at a lower cost, and monitoring their performance to adjust flexibly based on demand. This enables individuals to find jobs through a digital portal at their desired startups and companies.

Paraform was funded $20 million led by Felicis, with participation from A*, BOND, DST Global, Liquid 2, and angel investors, including the co-founders of Canva, Instacart, YouTube, and xAI, along with Shyam Sankar, Harley Finklestein, Mark Pincus, and others.

The company intends to utilize the funds to scale its platform to meet the demand of startups and enterprises alike, deepen product development, and expand its global community of recruiters.

In a landscape saturated with generative AI tools for recruitment—automating resume parsing, outreach, and even interviews—Paraform is making a bold, contrarian bet: human recruiters, not AI, should steer the hiring process.

Jason Rumney, a top recruiter on Paraform’s network, explains that recruiting platforms today use AI to replace recruiters, but Paraform uses it to empower them. Paraform streamlines the busywork, allowing them to focus on what drives results – building relationships and closing critical hires.

Paraform’s CEO and co-founder, John Kim, likens elite recruiters on the platform to sports agents: strategic figures who navigate complex negotiations and advocate for talent. The company’s proposition: equip recruiters with powerful AI tools—call transcription, CRM automation, candidate matching—while leaving key decisions firmly in human hands.

John Kim notes that AI cannot evaluate soft skills, predict team dynamics, or assess whether a candidate will make a meaningful contribution to long-term success. Paraform is betting that these human judgments differentiate a good hire from a transformative one.

Currently connecting high-growth startups and enterprises—such as Palantir, Cursor, Windsurf, Decagon, and Hightouch—with independent recruiters and boutique search firms; Paraform boasts placements 3 times faster than traditional agencies.

The Series A funds will support:

• Expansion of its global recruiter community
• Enhanced product development, including deeper AI workflow tools and CRM systems
• Scaling to address surging demand from both early-stage and enterprise customers

Paraform’s rise occurs amid a broader boom in AI recruiting. While many startups chase fully automated hiring, a growing segment emphasizes human-centric workflows. A mid-year survey from Staffing Industry Analysts found that AI is best suited for specific tasks rather than full-scale role replacement—suggesting fertile ground for platforms like Paraform.

Post‑funding, Paraform has also made strategic acquisitions, such as Styx—a sourcing tool that enhances AI-driven candidate fit by pulling signals from GitHub and Stack Overflow. Already, 25% of candidate-interview matches on Paraform are AI-suggested—a hybrid approach that enables faster and more informed selection.

Paraform’s fresh war chest—$20 million—marks a clear investment in people over AI, utilizing technology to amplify human hiring expertise, not replace it. As AI continues to reshape HR, Paraform asserts that a recruiter-first model can offer a competitive edge, providing faster placements, a stronger candidate-company fit, and outcomes that AI alone cannot deliver.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.

Algoma, a NYC-based developer of a forward-thinking digital platform designed for feasibility, pre-construction process, and automating the integrated and repeatable delivery of sustainable buildings. The company’s platform combines automation with mass timber, resulting in rapid architecture and engineering designs by streamlining processes, to achieve quick delivery, reduce costs and enhance returns for real estate developers, enabling developers to leverage mass timber for swifter construction delivery while effectively eliminating embodied carbon emissions.

Algoma was funded $2.3 million led by Zacua Ventures, with participation from SOSV, Iron Prairie Ventures, DOMiNO Ventures, Compose VC and angel investors. Algoma plans to invest the funds in expanding its engineering team, enriching its product suite, and advancing its web platform.

Algoma is on a mission to simplify and streamline how real estate deals are managed online. Its web platform acts as a centralized digital hub for real estate agents, buyers, sellers, and other stakeholders to coordinate, document, and close deals more efficiently.

The real estate sector has long been criticized for its reliance on outdated systems and disjointed workflows. Many deals are still handled through a patchwork of emails, spreadsheets, PDFs, and phone calls — often resulting in delays, missed details, and added costs. Algoma’s web platform is designed to eliminate those inefficiencies by offering a single dashboard that connects all parties and automates common tasks.

With tools for contract management, document sharing, scheduling, compliance tracking, and real-time communication, the platform is already gaining traction among boutique brokerages and mid-sized real estate firms across Canada and the U.S. Early users report faster deal cycles and fewer errors, helping them close more transactions with less friction.

According to industry research, the global real estate software market is projected to grow to $18.7 billion by 2030, driven by increased digitization and demand for more efficient property management tools. Algoma positions itself at the center of this transformation by targeting the high-friction segment of deal management.

The company’s roadmap for the next 12 months includes launching AI-powered assistants for agents, more customizable workflows for brokerages, and a mobile app version of the platform. Additionally, Algoma is exploring partnerships with national real estate associations to further integrate its tools into everyday agent practices.

Beyond product development, Algoma will use the funding to grow its customer success and sales teams, with the goal of expanding into new U.S. markets by Q1 2026. The company currently operates out of its headquarters in Toronto, with a remote team spread across North America.

As the real estate industry continues its shift toward digitization, companies like Algoma are positioning themselves to be the connective tissue that powers the next generation of property transactions. With fresh funding and a clear vision, Algoma appears well-prepared to make that vision a reality.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.

ClearVector, a Reston, VA-based developer of an identity-driven security system designed to help organizations protect themselves in a cloud-native and cloud-first future. The company’s platform offers information support, one-click remediation, a real-time notification facility, activity status, and others, enabling clients to be prepared for a breach well in advance.

ClearVector was funded $13 million Series A funding round, aimed at accelerating the growth and capabilities of its identity-driven cybersecurity platform. The new investment was led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Okta Ventures, Inner Loop Capital, and existing angel investor Menlo Ventures, in conjunction with the funding. Ariel Tseitlin, Partner at Scale Venture Partners, will join the Board of Directors.

Founded in 2020, ClearVector protects organizations from modern threats by continuously monitoring and controlling identity and access across cloud-native environments. Unlike traditional perimeter-based models, ClearVector’s platform focuses on identifying and mitigating risks at the identity layer, which has become a top attack vector in recent years due to the widespread adoption of remote work and cloud technologies.

ClearVector CEO and co-founder John Laliberte said they built ClearVector to give enterprises real-time visibility and control over how identities behave across the entire environment. With this funding, they’re scaling to meet the growing demand for zero-trust and identity-first security.

The new capital will enhance product development, expand go-to-market strategies, and grow the company’s engineering and customer success teams. ClearVector plans to double its headcount over the next 12 months, with a strong focus on hiring experts in cloud security, machine learning, and behavioral analytics.

ClearVector’s platform uses a combination of behavioral analytics, real-time policy enforcement, and machine learning to detect and respond to anomalies in identity usage. This includes everything from excessive privilege escalations to suspicious lateral movements, often precursors to serious breaches. The company supports integration with major identity providers and cloud platforms, making it easier for customers to adopt identity-first security without overhauling their existing infrastructure.

Several mid-sized enterprises in the technology, financial services, and healthcare sectors have already adopted the platform. According to Allen, customer feedback has driven the company’s rapid iteration and feature development.

The cybersecurity industry has seen a surge in funding over the past few years as organizations grapple with a growing number of sophisticated threats. According to Gartner, identity-related attacks account for over 80% of breaches, making identity protection a top priority for CISOs worldwide.

ClearVector’s funding comes at a time when security budgets are under more scrutiny, but decision-makers remain committed to tools that improve resilience without increasing complexity. The startup’s identity-first model offers a targeted, efficient way to reduce risk without adding unnecessary friction to users and operations.

Looking ahead, ClearVector plans to expand its product capabilities into new areas, including non-human identity monitoring, advanced threat simulations, and integration with broader XDR (Extended Detection and Response) ecosystems. ClearVector is well-positioned to be a key player in the next generation of cybersecurity, starting with identity at its core.

By: K. Tagura

Who we are: Funded.com is a platform that is A+ BBB accredited over 10+ years. Access our network of Angel Investors, Venture Capital or Lenders. Let us professionally write your Business Plan.