Our Investments

We back founders at the pre-seed and seed stage, connecting them with a community of advisors who offer practical advice and connections to future customers. 70% of our portfolio companies are founded by women, LGBQT+, or people of color.

Our primary focus is business software, with a particular interest and expertise in ecommerce infrastructure, vertical SaaS, fintech, and the Latinization of commerce. Initial checks range from $300,000 to $1mm with millions more possible. We lead rounds but are willing to be part of a good syndicate with someone else leading.

Founders

Group 190

Michael and Alejandro never back away from the tough talk. I appreciate their honesty and support, because I know it’s authentic. The Act One team has been right where I am — building a company from the ground up. Because they’ve been in my shoes, I can sense the honesty and experience in their advice.

Li Haslett Chen,
Founder/CEO of Howl

Group 190

As a Latino technical founder, I hear a lot about how important diversity is in the workplace, but it is still rare to see it actually happen. Their commitment to investing in minority-created companies and putting together their own team of diverse LPs and advisors was a big part of my decision and I couldn’t be happier about having them as part of our journey.

Richie Serna,
Co-Founder/CEO of Finix

Group 190

The Act One team really brought a level of operational experience that was truly valuable through the stage of scaling the business as well as the financing process. They play a valuable role in helping to navigate the challenges that come with building a world-class SaaS company and also bring an incredible network of people and resources.

Daniel Kim,
Co-Founder of AuditBoard

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AuditBoard
Finix
Howl
Tapcart
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 AuditBoard

 

The next-generation of GRC, designed and purpose-built to streamline your audit, risk, and compliance programs in one, unified platform.

 

With a unified and intuitive audit management platform, enterprises can automate, manage, collaborate, and report on risk and controls data in real time without thousands of spreadsheets and shared folders.
Clients for AuditBoard (PKA SOXHUB) include Intuit, Apple, Pinterest, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Deloitte, Zynga, Lionsgate, and Intel.

 

 

Founders: Daniel Kim, Jay Lee

Locations: Los Angeles, Orange County

 

 

 

 Finix

 

Infrastructure-as-a-Service that eliminates the time, cost and headache of bringing payments in house.

 

 
When SaaS companies, ISVs, and marketplaces bring payments in house, it’s often more trouble than it’s worth. Finix’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service cuts the time, cost, and headache.
Its gateway is perfect for the most complex funds flow scenarios, and Finix offers an underwriting API that eliminates bulky apps and paper contracts. Clients include Visa, Lightspeed, and Clubessential.

 

 

Founders: Richie Serna and Sean Donovan

Location: San Francisco

 

 

 

   Howl

 

A creator platform for the customer centric and product obsessed

 

 
Howl is the evolution of the online creator community and the brands they work with. Gone are the scripted ads shoppers see right through. Howl allows creators and brands to grow faster together by offering a platform where partnerships are win-win: higher earnings, same-day payments, and better tools to understand your shoppers.
Creators on Howl get better rates and more flat fee deals because Howl does not charge brands fees for sponsorships. Brands can trust creators on Howl, so they're never penalized for returns. This makes it possible for Howl to fund same-day payments through its Instant Pay feature. 

 

 

Founders: Li Haslett Chen

Location: New York City

   Tapcart

 

Making mobile shopping easy, fun, and attainable for every ecommerce brand

 

 
Thanks to the internet, shopping has drastically evolved over the past decade and today’s consumers have come to expect a remarkable shopping experience, no matter where they shop. However, not all companies have the time or financial means to engage an agency or hire a developer to build a mobile app.
Tapcart was launched in April 2017 with the intention to solve mobile commerce for all. The goal was to bring mobile apps to the masses and create a platform that enabled a brand to design, launch, and manage an app with no coding or development work required.

 

 

Founders: Eric Netsch, Sina Mobasser

Location: Los Angeles

 X_Stereotype

 

The world’s first inclusion operating system eliminating stereotypes and bias in marketing

 

AI-powered SaaS solution that helps large brands predict how effective content will be across different demographics through data powering decisions: void of emotionality/drivers, all observational.
No platforms exist that track race and its implications on multicultural marketing (things can and have gone bad with well-intended brainstorming group sessions not made up of the right demographics).

 

 

Founders: Larry Adams, Phil Alexander

Location: New York City

Investment Portfolio