A lot of founders don't realize how much of their company they've sold until their first priced round. The reason is usually the SAFE stack. Most early rounds today use post-money SAFEs. A post-money SAFE locks in the investor's ownership based on the valuation cap. Put in $500K on a $5M post-money cap, and that investor will own 10% when the SAFE converts. The part that surprises people is what happens next. If you raise another $500K on an $8M cap, that new investor owns 6.25%, and the first investor still owns 10%. Each new SAFE doesn't dilute the earlier SAFE holders. It dilutes you. So two SAFEs that each felt small can add up to more than 16% before a priced round. Then the seed or Series A often adds a new option pool, which in most term sheets comes out of the pre-money valuation, meaning existing shareholders, mostly founders, absorb that too. None of this means SAFEs are bad. They're fast, cheap and founder-friendly in a lot of ways. But they're easy to stack without keeping score. A few habits that help: Model your cap table after every SAFE, not just before the priced round. Track total dilution across all your SAFEs, not each one on its own. Ask early how a future option pool will be sized and where it will come from. The best time to understand your dilution is before you sign, not after. #LvlUpVentures #VentureCapital #Founders #Fundraising

Congratulations to DOSE on a big few months. DOSE is an app for adults and young people with ADHD, built for the moments that are hardest to get through: starting a task you've been avoiding, managing an overwhelming day, or working through an intense emotion. Since we invested, DOSE placed in the top 5 of our Zendesk CX Challenge in July, then took first place at the Stanford GSB LISA Pitchfest in September. Dr. Olivia Skalski, a licensed psychologist, joined as Chief Clinical Officer, and the team launched three new products, including a medication tracker built on official FDA label data. DOSE is profitable, with $21K in monthly recurring revenue and about $189K in annual run-rate, all done without paid advertising. Congratulations to Steev and the DOSE team. getdose.app #LvlUpVentures #ADHD #DigitalHealth #Startups

Two and a half weeks out, and LvlUp Demo Day & Holiday Cocktail Hour is coming together. On Thursday, November 12, we're closing out the year in El Segundo. The brands graduating from our 10-week CPG accelerator will pitch live, their products will be out to taste, and then we'll open the floor for a holiday cocktail hour with our full CPG and tech community. Expect investors, retail buyers, distributors, operators and tech founders from across the LvlUp ecosystem, all in one room. Doors open at 6:00 PM PT. Not in LA? Join the livestream at 6:45 PM PT. Register: lvlup.vc/la-demo-day #LvlUpVentures #DemoDay #CPG #LosAngeles

We're pleased to share an update on GearBrain, a First Check Fund and Marketing Edge portfolio company. GearBrain helps consumers and businesses understand which connected-home devices work together. Its patented compatibility engine powers GearBrain Assistant, an AI product that retailers, manufacturers and service providers can license for their own customers. Since GearBrain applied to LvlUp, monthly revenue has grown almost triple. This year the company signed and implemented an enterprise agreement with Resideo, and GearBrain.com reached more than 550K users over the past 12 months. As AI assistants take on a bigger role in the home, we believe reliable cross-brand device data will become increasingly valuable. gearbrain.com #LvlUpVentures #FirstCheckFund #SmartHome #AI

Most early-stage founders treat email as an afterthought. The best ones use it to win customers and keep investors close. On October 26, LvlUp Ventures and Campaigner are hosting a free virtual session for US-based founders: Company Building Series, Email as Your Growth Engine. You'll leave with: ✉️ A go-to-market campaign built during the session and ready to send 📊 An investor update template that actually gets replies 📰 A newsletter plan built to grow your audience ⚙️ A working Campaigner account that runs all three No marketing background needed. To join, activate your Campaigner free trial and register at the link below. 📅 Monday, October 26 · Virtual · Free for founders Register: events.lvlup.vc/company-buil… #LvlUpVentures #LvlUp #Campaigner #EmailMarketing #Founders #Startups

LvlUp Demo Day & Holiday Cocktail Hour is three weeks away. On Thursday, November 12, we're closing out the year in El Segundo with live pitches from the brands graduating from our 10-week CPG accelerator, followed by a holiday cocktail hour. Guests can try the products, then stay for drinks with investors, retail buyers, distributors, operators and tech founders from across the LvlUp ecosystem. The cocktail hour is open to everyone, whatever industry you're in, so feel free to bring a friend. Doors open at 6:00 PM PT. If you can't make it to LA, the livestream starts at 6:45 PM PT. Register: lvlup.vc/la-demo-day #LvlUpVentures #DemoDay #CPG #LosAngeles

We're happy to share an update on Diva'Me, a portfolio company in the LvlUp CPG Fund. Founded by Nadine Audi and Prashant Prahlad, Diva'Me designs period underwear, swimwear and activewear for women aged 12 to 49, and positions it as everyday clothing rather than a hygiene product. Monthly revenue has grown from about $13K in April to $50K today, and Q3 revenue was more than 40 times higher than the same quarter last year. That growth has come entirely from the UAE, without paid advertising, and about a quarter of customers have purchased more than once. This quarter the company also signed a partnership with Emirates and registered its trademark in the U.S. ahead of launching there. idivame.com #LvlUpVentures #CPGFund #FemTech #ConsumerBrands

Power of the Pitch Week has wrapped. Over five days, 125 companies pitched to our investor panel across AI, B2B, Consumer Tech & CPG and Emerging Companies. Congratulations to the three highest-scoring companies of the week: 1st: Marqea, an AI CMO for small businesses that audits, plans and runs marketing across six channels 2nd: Native Labs, an operating system for AI-run companies, with agents that plan, sell, build and ship alongside one founder 3rd: The Good AI Company, which helps African enterprises adopt AI, built and maintained under one stack Thank you to every founder who applied and pitched, to our judges, and to everyone who joined us online. Apply to pitch at our next Power of the Pitch Week here: lvlup.vc/apply/funding-appli… #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #VentureCapital #Startups

When Arslan Ahmad first applied to LvlUp in May 2026, 3DIO had almost no revenue. The company has since grown to more than $300K in ARR. 3DIO helps companies create production-ready 3D assets from images, video and text, for use in games, XR, rendering and e-commerce. It recently launched an API that lets other platforms build 3DIO's generation into their own products, and this quarter it agreed a $200K engagement with a U.S. enterprise rendering customer. As 3D generation becomes more widely available, we believe the value will sit with companies that integrate it into real production workflows. That has been the team's focus from the start. We invested in 3DIO through the LvlUp Marketing Edge Accelerator, and we're glad to be supporting Arslan and the team. ai3dscanning.com #LvlUpVentures #AI #3D #Startups

Power of the Pitch Week ended the way it started: with founders building in places most investors aren't looking yet. Emerging Companies Day, Part 2 brought another round of early teams to pitch live to our investor panel. Your Part 2 winners: 🥇 SuperQueen AI, a women-focused intelligence platform that brings together safety, travel, health and personal AI assistance to help women understand risks before they act 🥈 FOLĒR, a device that measures the scalp directly (follicle imaging, sebum, blood flow) so people treating hair loss can see whether it's working 🥉 Arboresque, an operating system for nature-based carbon projects, from feasibility to AI satellite monitoring to registry-ready reports Congratulations to all three, and thank you to every founder who pitched across five days. Overall results are coming tomorrow. #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #EmergingTech #Founders #Startups

Almost six weeks ago, we opened applications for brands to nominate themselves for our first Top 100 CPG Brands to Watch list. We split it in half: 50 Food & Beverage brands and 50 Skincare & Beauty brands. We read every submission. Then we added a few companies from our own portfolio, plus some we've had on our radar for a while. The result is a list of founders moving faster than their categories usually allow. The full ranking is out today. Here's a quick snapshot of the top 5 in each category: Food & Beverage #1 ☕ Laurel's Coffee: A2 dairy lattes that went from launch to 1,800 Target stores in two years #2 ⚡ Neutonic: 7.5M cans sold and a $60M valuation in under three years #3 🍬 Behave: low-sugar candy that sold out on TikTok Shop and landed in ~2,000 Target stores #4 🍺 Bero: Tom Holland's non-alcoholic beer, now on Target endcaps and in the UK #5 🥗 TOSS: two sisters reinventing the dressing aisle, already in Harrods and Selfridges Skincare & Beauty #1 😴 Sleep or Die: sleep strips with zero lavender and a lot of personality #2 💇🏾‍♀️ Ruka Hair: textured hair extensions built on their own patent-pending fiber #3 🫧 Element Eight: oxygen skincare from spine-surgery tech, sold on three continents #4 🥾 Frasé Skin: skincare for "men in boots, not men in suits," built from a regional Australian town #5 🧴 Apostle: a men's tinted moisturizer in 12 shades named after Jamaican towns, already at Ulta Congrats to every founder on the list, and thank you to everyone who applied. The other 90 brands are in the full list: lvlup.vc/post/the-lvlup-cpg-… Building a consumer brand with early traction? Start with Labs CPG, our self-paced program for early-stage brands. You get masterclasses, office hours with the LvlUp team, and discounts on tools for marketing, accounting, banking and shipping. Go at your own pace on a clear path toward LvlUp investment! 🔗 Apply now: lvlup.vc/lvlup-labs-cpg #LvlUpVentures #LvlUp #CPG #ConsumerBrands #FoodAndBeverage #Beauty

Some of the most interesting companies we see don't fit neatly into a category yet. That's exactly what Emerging Companies Day is for. Today, founders building in new and fast-moving markets pitched live to investors in the first part of our Emerging Companies series. Different industries, one thing in common: they're early, and they're moving. Emerging Companies Day, Part 1 winners: KLUSTR takes first, with a better-for-you crunchy gummy cluster that pairs bold candy flavor with meaningful protein. Baritex AI Operating System comes in second, giving SMEs and professionals across Africa AI-powered strategy, mentorship and career guidance for $15 a month. Zerplay rounds out the top three, with a stream-to-own entertainment platform where fans watch, listen, read and play, and creators keep control of their work. Congratulations to our winners and to every founder who pitched this week. Part 2 is coming soon. #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #EmergingTech #Founders #Startups

Consumer founders have one of the hardest jobs in startups. They have to win over a buyer, a shelf and a shopper, often all in the same month. Today's CPG & Consumer Tech founders brought products people can hold, taste and use, and the numbers to show customers are coming back. Meet today's winners: 🏆 Wellspring Global: affordable, fortified everyday nutrition and safe-water brands for Bangladesh's growing middle class, already reaching 8,500+ outlets 🏆 ZoraSafe: a privacy-first, community-powered network that protects people from scams on their phones 🏆 AForce Hydration: premium performance hydration paired with AForce OS, an app that turns real-time health and activity data into personalized hydration guidance If you love discovering brands like these, join us in Los Angeles (or online) on November 12 for LvlUp Demo Day, where our accelerator's CPG brands take the stage: lvlup.vc/events/la-cpg-demo-… #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #CPG #ConsumerTech #Startups

Introducing LvlUp Ventures Portfolio Intelligence Today we are launching LvlUp Portfolio Intelligence, a publicly-available platform that turns the scale of our investment activity into a direct advantage for our companies and a new source of firsthand startup intelligence for the market. It is built on a data foundation few firms can match: 1,500+ portfolio and program companies and 25,000+ startup applications every year. What It Delivers Visibility. Every LvlUp portfolio and program company now has a dedicated public profile unlike anything on a standard startup database. Third-party platforms assemble startup data from the outside in, through filings, press and estimates. LvlUp profiles are built from the inside out: from what founders report directly to their investor, analyzed against proprietary data from one of the largest startup pipelines in venture, more than 25,000 applications a year. Each one combines the founders’ own account of their business, taken directly from what they shared with LvlUp, with proprietary insights generated from our portfolio data and the company’s latest updates. Alongside its founders, stage, products, milestones and, where disclosed, financial performance, every company is placed in context next to comparable companies across our portfolio. Benchmarking. We are building the ability for founders to track their progress and measure revenue growth, fundraising and traction against anonymized peers by industry, stage and geography. Proprietary intelligence. Real-time insights and research drawn directly from our pipeline, company evaluations and founder reporting. Early findings: • AI accounts for 52% of quarterly applications. • AI seed-stage founders target $1.8M raises, versus $1.5M across the broader pipeline. • 83% of CPG applicants already sell direct to consumer. Commercial opportunity. Understanding what our companies sell, buy and need allows us to actively connect them with customers, capital, enterprise pilots and strategic partners across the portfolio, and to surface the right opportunity at each milestone. Live Today • Full Portfolio database: lvlup.vc/portfolio-companies • About Portfolio Intelligence: lvlup.vc/portfolio-intellige… • Example profiles: BoldHue: lvlup.vc/portfolio-company-d… · Evil Genius Games: lvlup.vc/portfolio-company-d… • AI Showcase: 11,528 applications and 662 portfolio and program companies. lvlup.vc/portfolio/ai • Consumer & CPG Showcase: 2,611 applications and 107 portfolio and program companies. lvlup.vc/portfolio/cpg More industry, geographic and thematic showcases will follow. What’s To Come Every company we evaluate, back and support makes this intelligence more valuable, and every portfolio company benefits from that collective scale. Our objective is clear: make being part of LvlUp Ventures more valuable at every stage, from first check through exit.

In B2B, the strongest pitch usually isn't the slide deck. It's the customer list. Today at Power of the Pitch Week, B2B founders walked investors through the problems they solve for real businesses: the workflows they replace, the budgets they unlock and why customers keep renewing. Your B2B Day winners: 1. Sastra, AI and clinical care management that helps health systems identify high-risk chronic patients early and reduce hospital readmissions 2. SupplyMango, AI agents that run procurement for hotels in Latin America, paying suppliers on delivery and offering buyers credit terms 3. Halite Intelligence, portable consumer identity infrastructure that gives brands and AI shopping agents permissioned customer context from the first interaction Congratulations to all three, and to every team that pitched. Tomorrow we turn to CPG and Consumer Tech. Tune in here: form.typeform.com/to/Wl2houK… #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #B2B #SaaS #Startups

LvlUp Ventures was named one of the most active seed investors in the world in Q3 2026, according to Crunchbase News. In its latest ranking of active startup investors, Crunchbase News placed LvlUp third among seed investors globally. We write early checks because that's where conviction matters most, and where the right support changes a company's trajectory. Read the full Crunchbase article: news.crunchbase.com/venture/… #LvlUpVentures #LvlUp #VC #SeedInvesting #Crunchbase #Startups #Founders

AI Day at Power of the Pitch Week is a wrap. Every founder who pitched today is building with AI. The ones who stood out had turned it into something customers pay for, use every week and would miss if it disappeared. Congratulations to today's winners: 🥇 Marqea | an AI CMO for small businesses that audits, plans and executes marketing across six channels 🥈 Native Labs | an operating system for AI-run companies, with agents that plan, sell, build and ship alongside one founder 🥉 The Good AI Company | AI transformation for African enterprises, built and maintained under one stack Thank you to every founder who pitched, and to the investors who joined us live. B2B Day is up tomorrow. Sign up to watch our founders pitch live here: form.typeform.com/to/Wl2houK… #LvlUpVentures #PowerOfThePitch #AI #Startups #VentureCapital

Exciting news this morning! LvlUp Ventures has been named to Inc. Magazine’s CPG Power List, recognizing leading organizations and individuals shaping the future of the consumer brands industry. This is an exciting recognition of our firm's growing leadership, reach, and impact across the CPG ecosystem, and a reflection of the continued work we're doing to back and accelerate the next generation of consumer brands. Read the full feature in Inc. Magazine: inc.com/jennifer-conrad/cpg-…

When someone asks AI for the best tool in your category, does your company show up in the answer? Join the LvlUp Ventures × Semrush AI Search & Discoverability Hackathon, a live build session where you work through the SEO and AI SEO module on your own company's site. 📅 Thursday, November 5 · Virtual · Open to founders anywhere How the session runs: 🚀 Kickoff and the brief 🔍 How search is changing across Google and AI answer engines, and where your next customer now looks 🛠️ A live build session where you work through the SEO and AI SEO module on your own company 🎤 Share-outs, where founders show what they built What you walk away with: ✅ A clear picture of how your company shows up on Google and in AI answers today ✅ Your SEO and AI SEO plan, started live, with next steps laid out ✅ A $225 grant for every eligible founder Register here: events.lvlup.vc/ai-search-di… #Founders #AISearch #SEO #LvlUpVentures

Hundreds of millions of people across Africa still don't have reliable electricity, and many more have a grid connection they can't count on. Solar is one of the fastest ways to close that gap, and the cost of panels has fallen dramatically over the past decade. So the panel isn't really the hard part anymore. What is hard is everything around it: finding an installer you can trust, getting a system sized correctly, paying for it, and keeping it working five years later. We backed DECHANS through LvlUp Labs. DECHANS is a Kenyan, EPRA-licensed solar and electrical company building an AI-powered platform that helps homes, farms, businesses and institutions get affordable solar. It connects customers with trusted installers, suppliers, financing and maintenance in one place. What interested us is how the company makes money. It earns from selling and installing systems, and then keeps earning through maintenance, monitoring, subscriptions, and commissions from the suppliers and financing partners on its platform. That turns a one-time sale into a long customer relationship. That relationship is also where trust gets built. In markets where poor installations and unreliable vendors have made customers wary, a company that stands behind the system after it's installed has a real advantage. The early signal is strong. DECHANS reports $50K in monthly recurring revenue and has raised $300K. It remains early. We'll be watching the share of revenue from recurring services, installer quality across the network, and expansion beyond Kenya. Welcome to the LvlUp ecosystem, Humphrey and the DECHANS team. dechans.co.ke #LvlUpLabs #ClimateTech