XSeed believes in the creative destruction unleashed by technological innovators. Its portfolio companies boast significant differentiation that creates unique customer value.  With $110 million under management, they make their initial investment commitments at the seed stage and then continue to support their portfolio companies with time, effort and follow-on capital through multiple investment rounds. The company works hard from the get-go to help entrepreneurs build value, define, and reach risk-reduction milestones, and get to their next value inflection point quickly.

XSeed Capital

Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm specializing in investing in seed, start-ups, early, mid-stage, growth, and late-stage. It prefers to invest in the social media business and technology sector with a focus on software, back-end infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Internet, cloud computing, enterprise software and services, consumer, business Internet, mobile-Internet, consumer Internet, cloud computing, data storage, social network browsers data-storage, consumer electronics, networking functions, software related biology, biotech, and medicine companies at the intersection of computer science and life sciences with a focus on digital therapeutics, cloud technology in biology, and computational medicine.

Andreessen Horowitz

Rothenberg Ventures invests in early-stage frontier technology startups. Its team of investors, operators, and community builders support founders through portfolio success programs across virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, space, next-generation hardware, and IoT.   It was founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Rothenberg Ventures

StartX is a 501(c)(3) Stanford-affiliated nonprofit in Silicon Valley that runs one of the world’s top startup accelerator programs. Its mission is to advance the development of the best entrepreneurs through experiential education and peer learning. Since launching in 2010, it has supported more than 450 companies and 1000 entrepreneurs, from early to pre-IPO stage, working across a wide spectrum of industries.    StartX and StartX Med, dedicated to medical and biotechnology innovation, provide founders with access to a powerful network of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and industry partners, along with office space and a variety of other resources. Based in Palo Alto, the accelerator also operates StartX-QB3 Labs and the Stanford-StartX Fund. We are funded by Stanford University, Stanford Health Care, Microsoft, Steelcase, Hyundai, Oriza Ventures, Nissan, Panasonic, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Analog Devices, Silicon Valley Bank, Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital, and many others. For more information, visit startx.com The company is associated investment vehicle, the Stanford-StartX Fund is a partnership between StartX, Stanford University and Stanford Health Care.  It can invest only in StartX companies who raise qualified rounds of venture capital using objective criteria; it is founder opt-in.

StartX (Stanford-StartX Fund)

GSHS is Korea’s foremost multimedia retailer as well as a global leader in TV home shopping.  GSHS strives to fulfill its corporate vision of ‘Value No. 1 Online Commerce Leader’, working tirelessly to create a new quality of life by enabling our customers to shop conveniently whenever and wherever. This vision is the guiding light that has fueled our growth to the very apex of Korea’s multimedia retail industry.  GSHS focuses on creating a shopping environment that is convenient and accessible. To this end, we provide shopping services not only via TV, internet, and shopping catalogs but also through new media platforms, including digital cable TV, IPTV (internet protocol television), smartphones, and tablet PCs.  We continuously strive to enhance our customers’ quality of life. We search all corners of the globe for quality products that can further enrich our customers’ lives, and we never stop thinking about new services that would provide added convenience.

GS Shop

Brandtech Ventures is the investment arm of The Brandtech Group (formerly You & Mr Jones), and makes venture stage investments in brandtech startup and growth businesses. The firm is particularly focused on AI, AR, Video, Voice, Data, UGC and analytics. The Brandtech Group was founded by David Jones in 2015 and is headquartered in New York.

Brandtech Ventures

RTA Capital LLC is a seed stage venture capital firm focused on information technology investments.  Our exceptional international relationships assist portfolio companies in unique ways.   Investment themes of particular interest to us include education, healthcare, enterprise, and consumer mobile internet.  In the Vedic tradition, RTA is the principle that guides the harmonious operation of the universe.   RTA Capital seeks investments that contribute to a balanced, creative, and prosperous global society.

RTA Capital

Startup Capital Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the enterprise. Based in Silicon Valley, we focus on early-stage companies that require relatively small amounts of capital to achieve success.  The firm leverages its investments with unparalleled operations experience from a team of seasoned professionals. Generally, we target capital efficient companies, such as software, that are generating some revenue and can show likelihood of reaching near-term profitability. We focus on investing in strong management teams, not just technologies and strive to build a supportive working relationship with their companies based on flexibility, integrity, and patience. We know firsthand the hard work and challenges of building successful companies.  Our extensive network of strategic contacts and their presence makes a difference in how rapidly our companies achieve critical milestones.  Our geographic focus is principally Silicon Valley as well as Hawaii, Texas, and Oklahoma, where the firm has extensive relationships.

Startup Capital Ventures

GVA Capital is an early-stage, Silicon Valley based VC firm with $120m under management. The firm is focused on science-intensive innovations across a variety of verticals, including Artificial Intelligence, FinTech, Robotics, Big Data, Cloud, Consumer Mobile, Advertising, and Autonomous Vehicles. GVA Capital's portfolio includes over 20 companies, which the firm has helped with business development, strategic consulting, and international expansion.

GVA Capital

Supporting founders who are building iconic companies in their respective industries

Ambition VC

Grace Beauty Capital is an early stage venture capital firm dedicated to the consumer & retail sectors founded on the core belief that deep domain and industry knowledge, operating expertise and extensive networks are essential to support early stage entrepreneurs and generate superior investment returns. Our mission is to become the premier partner for early stage digital brands, consumer and retail technology startups on the journey from kitchen table to household name.

Grace Beauty Capital

Wisemont Capital fund makes equity investments in early-stage technology companies with a primary focus on wireless and mobility, software, and technology-enabled service companies. Their team of experienced investment professionals is committed to working with entrepreneurs to build great companies that address unmet needs in the marketplace. In addition to providing capital, They leverage Their broad industry knowledge, relationships and investment experience to complement the strengths of the entrepreneur.  Their focus is on ambitious entrepreneurs, disruptive technology and sustainable businesses.

Wisemont Capital

Foothill Ventures is a technology-focused venture fund that invests in seed-to-A-round startups in the United States. It is a successor fund to the TEEC Angel Fund. Foothill Ventures was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Los Altos, California.

Foothill Ventures

ZMT Capital is a technology-driven investment firm focused on FinTech, mobile, hardware, AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies.

ZMT Capital

TheVentureCity is a global early-stage venture fund, investing in product-centric startups across the US, Europe, and Latam. With more than $150M under management, the firm invests from pre-seed and seed with a ticket size from $100-500k to Series A with $1-4M.

TheVentureCity

We are an early stage investment firm focused on the digital consumer. We believe great products and services are disruptive in the most elemental sense: they surprise and delight us – and being integral to consumers’ lives, they make people happy.  We fund digital consumer & consumer fintech businesses transforming industry verticals that pay obsessive attention to the customer experience.

Elizabeth Street Ventures

Pixlee TurnTo

In early 2021, Pixlee merged with Ratings & Review company TurnTo, to become a combined entity dedicated to building customer-powered commerce. Paving the way for customer-powered commerce, Pixlee TurnTo now allows marketers and ecommerce executives to integrate UGC and Influencer Marketing with text-based customer content like Ratings & Reviews, Checkout Comments, and Community Q&A — without any additional technical resources required. This combination puts the customer at the center of marketing, and creates content proven to boost revenue, brand affinity, and engagement.  Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York and Toronto, Pixlee is funded by Andreessen Horowitz, XSeed Capital, Rothenberg Ventures, David Jones (founder of the world's first brand tech company You & Mr. Jones), GS Shop, and Bryan Weiner (chairman of 360i).

Pixlee TurnTo is a customer-powered commerce platform that enables brands to leverage user-generated content (UGC), ratings and reviews, and influencer marketing solutions. The company's platform allows marketers and ecommerce executives to integrate UGC and influencer marketing with text-based customer content like ratings, reviews, checkout comments, and community Q&amp;A. This combination puts the customer at the center of marketing, creating content proven to boost revenue, brand affinity, and engagement.

Time Marketing Analytics to Levi’s, Kimpton Hotels, and Converse with Keen

Emplifi Acquires Customer-Powered Commerce Platform Pixlee TurnTo to Enable Brands To Deliver Authentic Content at Scale

Harnessing the power of social influence to fuel online sales

Social Commerce

Pixlee

Pixlee TurnTo Review | Pricing & Features (2023) - Influencer Marketing Platforms

Pixlee TurnTo is a customer-powered commerce platform that enables brands to leverage user-generated content (UGC), ratings and reviews, and influencer marketing solutions. The company's platform allows marketers and ecommerce executives to integrate UGC and influencer marketing with text-based customer content like ratings, reviews, checkout comments, and community Q&A. This combination puts the customer at the center of marketing, creating content proven to boost revenue, brand affinity, and engagement.
Pixlee TurnTo's core offerings include influencer marketing tools, influencer discovery, influencer management, ratings and reviews, and social UGC curation. The platform empowers brands to discover user-generated images and videos shared by their most passionate customers and deploy these assets in digital marketing campaigns, fostering authentic marketing.
Pixlee TurnTo leverages Keen's cloud analytics platform to optimize the content displayed on clients' sites, delivering an 8-20% increase in engagement over a purely randomized approach. The company's clients, including Levi's Jeans, Kimpton Hotels, and Converse, can measure conversion rates, average order value, and sales generated through Pixlee TurnTo's solutions, quantifying the platform's value proposition.
In November 2022, Pixlee TurnTo was acquired by Emplifi, a unified customer experience platform. The acquisition aimed to enable Emplifi to help brands amplify authentic customer voices throughout the customer journey by leveraging UGC, ratings, reviews, and influencer marketing capabilities.

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows users to schedule, publish, monitor, and analyze social media content across multiple networks from a unified dashboard. Its key product offerings include content scheduling tools, social media monitoring and analytics, team collaboration features, social listening capabilities, and integrations with various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Hootsuite's core functionality revolves around the ability to streamline social media management processes by centralizing various social media activities into a single platform. Its scheduling tools enable users to plan and queue content for publishing across different social networks, while its monitoring features facilitate tracking brand mentions, competitor activities, and audience engagement. The platform's analytics tools provide insights into social media performance, aiding users in understanding the effectiveness of their social media strategies.
Hootsuite also emphasizes team collaboration by allowing multiple users to access and manage social media accounts, assign roles and permissions, and implement approval workflows for content publishing. Additionally, its social listening capabilities enable users to monitor conversations, trends, and keywords relevant to their brand or industry.
While Hootsuite offers a free trial and a limited free plan, its more advanced features are available through paid subscription plans, with pricing tiers ranging from the Professional plan at USD 99 per month (billed annually) to the Enterprise plan tailored for larger organizations with custom pricing.

Hootsuite

GRIN is a comprehensive influencer marketing platform designed to help brands manage their influencer programs efficiently. It streamlines the entire process, from identifying and recruiting suitable influencers to facilitating product seeding, campaign management, content tracking, and performance reporting. GRIN's key features include a vast creator database, advanced search capabilities, Shopify integration for seamless product fulfillment, automated communication workflows, and robust analytics tools.
GRIN's platform allows brands to discover and connect with influencers across various social media channels, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. By leveraging GRIN's extensive database, brands can filter and search for influencers that align with their target audience and campaign goals. The platform's Shopify integration simplifies the process of sending products to influencers, creating trackable links, and generating discount codes.
Once influencers are on board, GRIN enables brands to create and manage campaigns, define deliverables, and automate communication sequences. The platform tracks influencer content, captures user-generated content (UGC), and provides detailed performance metrics, including engagement rates, conversions, and revenue generated. GRIN's reporting capabilities allow brands to analyze the success of their influencer campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
Key customers and partnerships
GRIN has collaborated with notable brands such as MVMT, a luxury watch company, Lume Cube, a specialty lighting brand, tentree, an apparel brand, Darn Good Yarn, Tubby Todd, and Hush Blankets. These partnerships demonstrate GRIN's ability to cater to diverse industries and support businesses in scaling their influencer marketing efforts.

GRIN

Bazaarvoice is a technology company that provides a Social Commerce AI suite, enabling brands to curate and showcase user-generated content across various social media platforms. Its flagship product, the Media Library, serves as a centralized hub for collecting, publishing, and managing social content from customers, influencers, partners, and the brand itself. This tool leverages AI-powered features to sort, tag, and prioritize high-performing media content, streamlining workflow and expediting legal approvals.
The company's Social Commerce AI suite offers a range of solutions to optimize social engagement and drive conversions. It generates on-brand photo captions, surfaces authentic user-generated content aligned with the brand's identity, and identifies top trends and themes for social media strategies. Bazaarvoice's Like2Buy solution allows brands to create shoppable Instagram and TikTok feeds, where visitors can browse products, read posts, and make purchases directly from the social storefront.
Additionally, Bazaarvoice's Showroom feature transforms photos and videos into interactive storefronts, enabling users to discover new products through visually appealing AI-powered experiences. This approach has proven effective, with 46% of Showroom visits converting to ecommerce sessions.
In terms of performance metrics, the company's solutions have demonstrated impressive results. Like2Buy visitors convert to ecommerce sessions at a rate of 59%, and these referred visitors tend to spend more time browsing, view more pages, and have higher average order values compared to average mobile consumers.

Bazaarvoice

NTWRK is a curated live video shopping platform that offers exclusive access to limited-edition products across various categories like sneakers, streetwear, collectibles, and more. It revolutionized the ecommerce industry by combining live streaming with online shopping, creating an engaging and interactive experience for consumers.
NTWRK's platform allows customers to watch live streams hosted by influencers, celebrities, or brand representatives who showcase and discuss the featured products. During these events, viewers can interact through live chat, ask questions, and make purchases seamlessly without leaving the video stream. This innovative approach provides transparency, fosters a sense of community, and creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity around the products on offer.
Since its inception in 2018, NTWRK has partnered with renowned artists, brands, and personalities such as Post Malone, Lewis Hamilton, BLACKPINK, and Takashi Murakami, offering their fans unprecedented access to exclusive collaborations and limited releases. The company has been at the forefront of the live stream shopping industry, which is estimated to reach USD 68 billion in sales by 2026 in the US alone.
In February 2024, NTWRK acquired the popular youth culture media company Complex, marking a significant step in its evolution. By merging Complex's content and reach with NTWRK's ecommerce platform, the combined entity aims to create a comprehensive digital hub for "superfan" culture, encompassing commerce, digital media, and music.
Key customers and partnerships
Through its strategic partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), NTWRK gained access to industry-leading music labels like Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) and Capitol Music Group. This collaboration allows NTWRK to deliver exclusive collaborations and cultural experiences directly to passionate music fans, deepening the connection between artists and their audiences.
Notable partnerships include exclusive collaborations with BLACKPINK x Murakami and the Interscope 30th Anniversary vinyl collection, featuring dialogues between visual artists like Damien Hirst, Kehinde Wiley, and Ed Ruscha, and iconic Interscope artists from the past three decades.

NTWRK

ShopShops is a live-shopping platform that allows hosts to showcase and sell products in real-time to viewers through livestreaming. The company primarily focuses on the fashion and lifestyle segment, offering pre-owned luxury and designer brands. ShopShops' business model involves connecting retail brands with creators, referred to as hosts, who can represent and sell the brands' products through live video sessions.
The platform operates as a three-sided marketplace, facilitating the interaction between brands, hosts, and consumers. Brands can hire hosts on an hourly or event basis to showcase their products during live streams, providing a personalized shopping experience to viewers. This approach aims to bridge the gap between traditional retail and ecommerce by replicating an offline shopping experience online.
ShopShops initially launched in China in 2017 and observed consumer behavior similar to the early adoption phase of live shopping in that market. The company entered the US market in 2022, recognizing the growth potential as American consumers become more receptive to this shopping format. ShopShops anticipates that by 2024, major US brands will incorporate live streaming into their marketing strategies, following a similar trajectory to the adoption of platforms like TikTok.
While live shopping in the US is expected to be more segmented across vertical categories compared to China's more centralized platforms, ShopShops believes its focus on the female fashion and lifestyle vertical positions it well for success. The platform aims to expand into other verticals such as home and arts in the future.

ShopShops

Platforms for creating, scheduling, and managing a brand or independent seller’s social media presence. A number of these platforms also provide AI-powered social listening and data analytics tools to gauge customer sentiment.

AI-powered tools for automatically monitoring and responding to customer queries across multiple social media channels.

Platforms for identifying and managing influencers to promote and sell products and services through social media.

Tools typically used by influencers to demonstrate and sell products and services via social media. The solutions are the digital equivalents of live teleshopping programs.

Platforms for curating and displaying customer reviews, recommendations, and product and service feedback on a brand or independent sellers' social media pages and websites.

Tools to create and implement instant shopping features to an image or video advertisement

Increases transparency of the effectiveness of social commerce by providing solutions for attribution and measurement

Relevant for social chatbots segment that uses AI/ML to provide automated responses to customers

Creates virtual assets for Metaverse stores and marketing on metaverse platforms

Social media platforms such as Snap are developing AR solutions for live shopping experiences

Pixlee

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