Grand’s August Newsletter
This month at Grand, we’re sharing a new investment in industrial AI, product launches across the portfolio, and perspectives on how AI-native companies are changing the way they operate in our August Newsletter, including:
A new investment:
- Shelfmark raised a $3.5M seed round led by Armory Square Ventures, with Grand Ventures participating. Shelfmark brings real-time defect detection and production intelligence to continuous manufacturing lines, helping operators identify problems earlier and reduce waste. Read Tim Streit’s take on why we invested.
Portfolio company momentum, including:
- Besty AI raised a $3.75M seed round to expand its AI operating platform for short-term rental managers.
- InvestNext opened early access to InvestNext MCP, bringing investor and fund data directly into the AI tools fund managers already use.
- medZERO expanded access to interest-free healthcare financing through new employer partnerships.
- Navidence introduced a free 30-day trial of Navigate: Code Lists, giving healthcare teams access to reliable, clinically validated code lists.
- Qumis launched attorney-certified AI agents that help insurance professionals analyze complex commercial coverage.
- Terminal49 launched an MCP server that brings container tracking directly into ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot.
Highlights from the Grand team:
- Following a State of AI roundtable with CEOs and CTOs across our portfolio, Nathan Owen shared his perspective on what makes a company truly AI-native and why the biggest shift may be in how companies operate, not just the software they use. Read Nathan’s blog.
- Jacqueline Lensing recently moved to Dallas and is already getting connected through pitch events, co-investor meetings, and Dallas Startup Week.
Want Grand Ventures news delivered directly to your inbox each month? Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll send you the latest investment announcements, portfolio highlights, insights, and team updates.
