Begin Before You’re Ready

Your Wednesday VC Breakfast Rundown

In The Lean Startup, Eric Ries’ chapter “Start” strips entrepreneurship down to its most essential act: beginning. Not when the timing feels perfect. Not when the plan is airtight. Just beginning, because momentum only happens in motion.

But starting doesn’t mean leaping blind. Ries pushes for structured creativity, a system that lets you move forward while the world around you stays unpredictable. The founders who thrive aren’t waiting for clarity. They’re building processes that make them agile enough to create, test, and adapt without losing their footing.

The companies we’re featuring today understand that “start” isn’t a one-time event. It’s a habit. Every launch, every pivot, every new initiative begins the same way: with a choice to step forward into uncertainty armed with a framework that turns chaos into opportunity.

They’re not waiting for conditions to be safe. They’re learning in motion. Because the real risk isn’t starting too soon, it’s waiting too long.

Employee Navigator closes $100M growth round (JMI Equity, Spectrum Equity). George Reese III and Walter Hill have built the broker‑first benefits platform now wiring 180K employers, 13M lives, and $35B in premiums. This raise gives them fuel to dominate the benefits tech market while pushing deeper into AI‑driven automation and large‑employer penetration.

Blue J raises $122M Series D (Oak HC/FT, Sapphire Ventures). Benjamin Alarie, Anthony Niblett, Albert Yoon, and Brett Janssen are scaling GenAI‑powered legal intelligence from 10K to 280K monthly queries in 15 months. The fresh capital will expand U.S. tax coverage, boost global reach, and cement their lead in AI‑driven tax law research.

Joinable Labs secures $2M Seed (Accomplice, Tess Ventures). Brian Shin’s “RAG in a Box” claims to slash AI deployment time by 50x, turning fragmented enterprise data into private LLMs in hours, not months. It’s a stealth‑to‑scale play that could redefine how enterprises operationalize AI.

Glassbox takes strategic investment (Poalim Equity). Yoav Schreiber, Yaron Gueta, and Hanan Blumstein deliver AI‑powered digital experience analytics capturing 100% of customer interactions for six of the world’s largest banks and other global giants. Backing from Israel’s largest financial group opens doors to some of the most regulated and lucrative markets on the planet.

Grasshopper Bank raises $46.6M (Patriot Financial Partners, Glendon Capital Management). Mike Butler’s digital‑first bank for SMBs and startups has doubled deposits to $2.37B and is scaling nationwide through its AAA partnership. With this round, they’re positioned to become the go‑to financial partner for the innovation economy.

Human Interest adds $50M to Series E (Morgan Stanley Tactical Value). Roger Lee, Paul Sawaya, and Jeff Schneble are expanding affordable 401(k) access for 35K+ businesses, chasing a $3.68T retirement gap. The move signals deep institutional confidence as they inch closer to IPO readiness.

Lyric lands $43.5M Series B (Insight Partners, Primary Venture Partners). Ganesh Ramakrishna’s AI‑powered supply chain platform is growing revenue 500% in 18 months, orchestrating decision intelligence for Coca‑Cola, DHL, Mondelez, and more. Funding will accelerate global expansion and broaden their library of reusable supply chain intelligence modules.

OLarry banks $10M Series A (TTV Capital, Walkabout Ventures). Eric Rachmel, Becky Hobbs, and Corey Heldreth are blending AI and white‑glove CPA expertise for high‑net‑worth clients, locking in predictive tax planning and strategic firm acquisitions. The firm is scaling to capture a massive wealth‑transfer market already in motion.

ketteQ raises $20M Series B (Vocap Partners, Circadian Ventures). Mike Landry and Chris Amet’s adaptive supply chain planning platform runs natively on Salesforce/AWS, delivering 170% CARR growth with 100% go‑live success. This round fuels global delivery expansion and deeper agentic AI capabilities across forecasting and logistics.

Wattch powers up with $6M Seed (Spero Ventures). Alex Nussey, Ryan Babaie, and Jared Duncan are scaling AI‑driven monitoring and controls for distributed solar and battery storage, already boosting portfolio performance 8%+ in 90 days. Capital will accelerate their entry into grid‑scale storage and advanced energy management.

Let’s connect and keep the momentum going across the tech ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder shaping the future, a leader driving change, a VC backing bold ideas, or an investor spotting the next big thing—together, we’re pushing boundaries. Proud to be building the future with you.

Let’s connect on LinkedIn and Twitter (X), and keep the conversation going.

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