Gadget, Qonversion, ArtStation, Simpleclub, Commaful–13th December, 2021
We see about 5,000 startups each week, and I want to give you a glimpse into how we at Headline think about trending tech companies and tracking new investment opportunities. In this post, I’m highlighting top tech companies that have announced or raised a seed round within the past week.
Gadget
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Serverless stack to build apps on commerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, Woo Commerce, etc.
Lead Investors:
Sequoia Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners
Total Raised:
$9M
Comparables:
Headless commerce platforms like Fabric or Swell
My Thoughts:
The existing commerce platforms are rigid in the sense that it is cumbersome to build custom workflows or unique experiences within them, which acts as the opportunity Gadget is addressing. Within that, e-commerce has not really innovated over the last 10 years outside of faster delivery. I hope that Gadget can change that!
Qonversion
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Cross-platform subscription infrastructure, A/B testing, revenue analytics, and user engagement automation for mobile apps
Lead Investors:
Flashpoint, s16vc, Visionaries Club
Total Raised:
$3M
Comparables:
Amplitude
My Thoughts:
We have seen many start-ups struggling to accurately track and analyze their revenue data, mainly because Apple does not make it easily available. Exciting EVA growth as well!
ArtStation
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Leading online platform for game designers to share their designs
Lead Investors:
My.Games Venture Capital
Total Raised:
$1M
Comparables:
DeviantArt, Behance
My Thoughts:
For reference, this is in the top 1.5k most visited websites on the internet which makes Artstaion the clear industry leader in a category that is really just in its infancy in my eyes. I see most consumer software experiences being gamified one way or another and great design is a core component for that, especially once the metaverse vision becomes a reality.
Simpleclub
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Mobile-first platform for students to find engaging educational content for topics they need to learn for school
Lead Investors:
HV Capital
Total Raised:
$4M
Comparables:
IXL, GoConqr
My Thoughts:
Kids and students hang out on their phones all day, why shouldn’t they learn there as well. I see a future where education is packaged in addicting gaming experiences, and this looks to be a clear step in that direction.
Commaful
EVA Growth Index:
Product:
Digital platform for rich-media storytelling
Lead Investors:
We Founder Circle
Total Raised:
Undisclosed
Comparables:
Medium meets Pinterest
My Thoughts:
The written word, for better or worse, leaves for so much interpretation. Commaful enables storytellers to share stories in a more engaging and complete medium. I am someone who loves visuals, so the site sucked me in pretty quickly.
Hi, I am Nicolas von Blottnitz, an Associate at Headline’s SF office focusing on Consumer, Fintech, and SaaS businesses. Since joining in 2018, I have led our investments in Trellis, Solid, Polygon, Flockjay, and Grin.
What is the EVA Growth Index?
The EVA Growth index is a composite of third-party data sources around a company’s website traffic. The vertical green lines in the charts represent a point in time where the company raised outside capital.
