Meet LongJump's First Four Portfolio Companies
Today, we're thrilled to announce our first four portfolio companies! Please meet:
Bottlecode: Bottlecode is an online retailer for men's grooming and personal care that makes finding solutions that deliver real results easier and faster. It is democratizing access to expertise and education, making men more comfortable and confident with their choices in personal care.
Sanarai: Sanarai is an online platform that connects the Latinx community to mental health professionals to provide culturally sensitive, Spanish-language emotional support at accessible prices.
Science On Call: Science On Call is the 24/7 subscription-based help desk for family-owned and local restaurants. It offers support for points of sale, internet issues, online ordering, and other issues via text message or phone call.
STIGMA: STIGMA is a mental health app that enables people to send messages of support to others who share their struggles. Its mission is to reduce loneliness and normalize conversations about mental health by offering people safe spaces to share their stories.
We're investing $100,000 in each company and providing them with unprecedented access to our network of 180+ LPs, including leaders like Sam Yagan, Arlan Hamilton, Kristi Ross, Ayo Jimoh, and Steven Galanis. The companies were evaluated based on their founder-market fit, market validation, and vision and strategy to scale the business.
“We knew there was a big need for this in Chicago, but we’ve still been overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of companies that have applied so far,” says Brian Luerssen. “We’re not slowing down — we need to encourage more founders to start companies and help those who have already started to raise more capital and keep growing.”
“The majority of LongJump’s General Partners (GPs) team comes from underrepresented communities and has experienced firsthand how hard it is to raise early-stage capital, which is why we take a broad (no warm intros needed) and intentional approach to sourcing founders across communities,” says Garry Cooper. In the first application pool of 168 companies, 91% had at least one minority founder, and 100% of the selected companies have diverse founders.
“We’re thrilled to be part of these founders’ journeys and to help change the narrative of what successful entrepreneurs look like in Chicago. We were extremely impressed by the applicants in the first cohort and are excited to continue learning about, funding, and helping scale diverse entrepreneurship across the city,” says Kristen Sonday.
Our next application cycle closes on October 31, 2021. To apply, please visit https://longjump.vc/apply.
