Calano Ventures
Venture capitalOrlando Β· Pre-SeedβGrowth Β· 2 people tracked
Investment thesis
Calano backs founders who have moved past the early hypothesis stage, focusing on companies that have achieved product-market fit and surpassed $1M in annual revenue and are positioned to scale. The firm typically leads rounds and pairs its investment with operational support to accelerate growth. Its focus spans technology, consumer, and vertical SaaS sectors, and it operates as both a venture capital and private equity investor.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team Β· 2 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 15 of 18 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning Γ7Consumer Γ5Marketing Tech Γ4SaaS Γ4AdTech Γ3Developer Tools Γ2Direct to Consumer Γ2Fintech Γ2
HQs:United StatesΓ9
Who they back
founder profiles across 9 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founderΓ72 foundersΓ13 foundersΓ1
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments Β· 18 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 Β· 22021 Β· 13 dated
AdPipe uses computer vision AI to analyze advertising creative and identify which creative decisions drive performance, then feeds those insights into briefs and helps teams build new ad versions for different audiences and channels.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningMarketing TechAthens, US
Sam Birdsong(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Levy(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsAtlanta Tech VillageTech Square Ventures
GoToAisle is a mobile marketing platform that enables retail businesses to engage customers through SMS and MMS messaging, offering features like cashback incentives, location-aware promotions, and customer data synchronization to drive sales and repeat purchases.
Marketing TechRetail Tech
Tiffin βοΈ(Founder)in
Co-investorsFinancial Venture StudioFJ LabsMidnightRestive VenturesShrug Capital
Artie provides a data replication platform built on change data capture (CDC) technology, enabling real-time data movement with sub-minute latency and zero data loss.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Jacqueline Cheong(Founder)inRobin Tang(Founder)inRobin(Co-Founder & CTO)
Co-investorsStandard CapitalCanaan PartnersFJ LabsGeneral CatalystIA Seed VenturesPathlight Ventures+6 more
BookSeats allows fans to book sports and event tickets bundled with flights and hotel accommodations in a single platform.
B2B MarketplacesMarketplacesSports TechTravel & Hospitality
Co-investorsComcast VenturesPhoenix Capital Ventures
CRAFTSMAN+ provides an AI-powered platform for building high-volume playable and interactive ad creatives, including agents that generate ad variants, write custom code, and analyze live campaign data.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningMarketing Tech
Alex Merutka(Founder)
diDNA offers a programmatic advertising stack that publishers integrate with a single Prebid.js script tag, giving access to 50+ premium demand partners such as Google AdX, PubMatic, OpenX, and Index Exchange.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningSaaS
East Cape builds saltwater fishing boats designed for anglers, including shallow-water skiffs and larger open-water models.
Advanced ManufacturingConsumerSports Tech
Future Mortgage is an online platform for obtaining home mortgages, offering pre-approvals, rate quotes, and a digital workflow to upload documents, e-sign disclosures, and manage loan tasks.
FintechPropTech
Hydrant makes electrolyte drink mixes formulated with real fruit juice, sugar, and balanced electrolytes for hydration, sold direct to consumers.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & FitnessNew York, US
John Sherwin(Founder)Jai Jung Kim(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsDorm RoomRx3 Growth PartnersThe MBA FundCoefficient CapitalRx3 Ventures
Lightfox Games is a venture-backed mobile game studio developing a new mobile title based on a well-known IP, with a publisher and IP partner lined up.
GamingSeattle, US
Jordan Douglas Arnold(Executive Officer, Director)Ryan Alan Hanft-Murphy(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardCherry Freeman(Director)inLouis Gresham(Director)in
Co-investorsHiro CapitalMarch Capital Partners
ConsumerGamingSan Francisco, US
Jesse Zhang(Founder)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzWayfinder VenturesY Combinator
MaxRewards is an app that helps credit card holders optimize their spending by recommending which card to use for different purchases, tracking rewards across multiple cards, and auto-activating merchant offers.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechAtlanta, US
Anik Khan(Executive Officer, Director)Ron Watson(Director)David Gao(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsTechstarsDundee Venture Capital
MuukTest provides AI-powered quality assurance automation as a managed service, combining proprietary AI agents with expert QA engineers to design, execute, and maintain automated tests for software teams.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaSRaleigh, US
Ivan Barajas Vargas(Founder)
Co-investorsContour Venture PartnerseLab VenturesIDEA NCTechstarsSilicon Road Ventures
Status (formerly Statusphere) operates a platform that automates influencer marketing campaign management for brands while connecting creators with brand partnership opportunities.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMarketing TechSaaSWinter Park, US
Kristen Wiley(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJacqui Deegan(Director)Larry Cheng(Director)in
Co-investorsBehind Genius VenturesHow Women InvestUlu VenturesVolition Capital1984 Ventures Management, LlcHearstLab
TWICE sells oral care products including whitening strips, floss picks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouth rinse formulated with wellness ingredients such as colloidal silver, zinc, and antioxidant vitamins.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsAusum VenturesThe Fund
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Aisle Β· doctorofcredit.com Β· Jul 16, 2026
Artie Β· ycombinator.com Β· Jun 9, 2026
Lightfox Games Β· nasdaqprivatemarket.com Β· Apr 3, 2026
Statusphere Β· forbes.com Β· Feb 24, 2026
Lowkey.gg Β· blog.wwvlabs.com Β· Jul 18, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Calano Ventures made?
- Calano Ventures has 18 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Calano Ventures invest at?
- Calano Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth stages.
- What is Calano Ventures's typical check size?
- Calano Ventures typically writes checks of $500K β $1.5M.
- What sectors does Calano Ventures focus on?
- Calano Ventures focuses on Consumer, Enterprise Software, Media & Entertainment, SaaS.
- Where is Calano Ventures located?
- Calano Ventures is headquartered in Orlando, US.
- Does Calano Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Calano Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does Calano Ventures co-invest with?
- Calano Ventures most often shares deals with FJ Labs, Techstars, Y Combinator, among 31 tracked co-investors.
Media Β· Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamInsights from Both Sides: Arron Solano (Calano Ventures) on Founding and Funding
Ryan Dodds Β· Arron Solano
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