Cincinnati · Pre-Seed–Series A · 7 people tracked
Investment thesis
Lightship Capital invests in entrepreneurs and funds that leverage limited resources to achieve outsized returns, with a focus on finding and developing remarkable talent and catalyzing emerging ecosystems. The firm operates on the belief that impact and profit can be pursued simultaneously, positioning itself as an impact-oriented investor that supports underserved or overlooked founders.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 7 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 17 of 20 portfolio companiesConsumer ×6AI & Machine Learning ×5Healthtech ×4SaaS ×4Direct to Consumer ×3Data & Infrastructure ×2E-commerce ×2FemTech ×2
HQs:United States×10
Who they back
founder profiles across 10 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×52 founders×43 founders×1
Investments · 20 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2020 · 22017 · 12014 · 14 dated
MoviePass is a movie subscription service that also operates Mogul, a prediction market and fantasy league for film and entertainment.
ConsumerGamingMedia & EntertainmentSaaSNew York
Stacy Spikes(Co-Founder)inHamet Watt(Director)Christopher Kelly(Director)
Co-investorsCanaan PartnersClaritas CapitalElevate Innovation PartnersEvolution VC PartnersZenStone Venture CapitalAnimoca Brands+4 more
Allergyamulet develops a portable food allergen and ingredient sensor to help people with food allergies safely identify potential allergens in food before consumption.
ConsumerHardwareHealthtechMedical Devices
Abigail Barnes(Co-Founder & CEO)
Co-investorsAllerfund Ventures, LlcColle Capital PartnersDipalo VenturesGreat North VenturesGreat Oaks Venture CapitalHealthX Ventures+1 more
Arbit provides real-time marketplace pricing and normalized product data through APIs and custom integrations, serving marketplaces, authenticators, and commerce applications in the sneaker resale sector.
B2B MarketplacesData & InfrastructureMarketplacesForest Hill, US
Gregory DiNardo(Executive Officer, Director)Alexander Bullington(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsAtento Capital
Boddle develops interactive learning software for students that adapts to individual learners and tracks their academic performance.
EdTechTulsa, US
Edna Martinson(Executive Officer)Clarence Tan(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsAtento CapitalCortado VenturesPlains VenturesKCRise FundScout Fund
Brevity provides AI-powered sales simulation and practice platform for sales teams, enabling them to rehearse calls with realistic AI buyer personas that provide immediate feedback and coaching to develop selling skills.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech
Co-investorsHomegrown CapitalIlluminate Ventures
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A decision-making assessment tool that evaluates business leaders' decision processes, preferences, and teamwork dynamics to provide insights for organizational decision-making.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareHR TechVallejo, US
Teasha Cable(Executive Officer, Director)inRuss Muzzolini(Executive Officer)inJazmine Cable-Whitehurst(Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsRogue Womens FundTechstars
CurlMix creates natural hair care products designed for curly hair, particularly for women with textured and gray hair.
ConsumerWellness & FitnessChicago, US
Kim Lewis(CEO & Co-Founder)Tim Lewis(Founder)in
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalCleveland AvenueNext Play VenturesOssian Capital
Enable Injections develops and manufactures enFuse, a wearable drug delivery device that delivers large volumes of pharmaceutical and biologic therapeutics subcutaneously for patients with chronic diseases.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesCincinnati, US
Mike Hooven(Chairman, President and CEO)Timothy Flaherty(Executive Officer)Simone Song(Director)Karen Robards(Director)Richard J D'Augustine(Director)Norman R. Weldon(Director)
Co-investorsAngel Physicians FundCincyTechOhio Innovation FundMagnetar AI VenturesVersant Ventures
Femi Secrets produces period products including reusable period underwear, pads, and liners designed for menstrual hygiene and comfort.
ConsumerFemTech
FreshFry makes an all-natural, self-contained adsorbent pod that filters and extends the life of frying oil without additional equipment.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyFoodTechNew MaterialsLouisville, US
Jeremiah Chapman(Co-Founder & CEO)Jacob Huff(Co-Founder & COO)
BoardAlex Frommeyer(Director)
Co-investorsBluegrass Angel VentureFTW Ventures
Haute Hijab designs and sells hijabs and related accessories, including underscarves and magnets, for Muslim women seeking modest fashion products.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceNew York, US
Melanie Elturk(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ahmed Zedan(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardAnthony Tjan(Director)
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalHelmLudlow VenturesMaveron
Healthy Roots Dolls manufactures dolls designed to celebrate children's beauty and promote self-love.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerDetroit, US
Yelitsa Jean-Charles(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalThe Perkins Fund
The page promotes online slot gambling with deposits made via the DANA e-wallet, marketed to Indonesian players.
Co-investorsBase Venture Management, Inc.
Kare Mobile operates a direct-to-consumer dental service delivery model through mobile units, aiming to increase access to oral healthcare across the country.
Direct to ConsumerHealthtech
Co-investorsRender Capital
Proov offers at-home hormone and fertility testing products, including systems to identify the fertile window, confirm ovulation, and screen for leading causes of infertility, paired with an app providing hormone insights and personalized recommendations.
Digital HealthFemTechHealthtech
Co-investorsGingerbread CapitalPortfoliaSteelSky VenturesTexas HALO Fund
Undock provides a calendar assistant that integrates with email clients (Gmail, Outlook 365, Superhuman) and messaging apps (Slack, Twitter, LinkedIn) to help users propose, manage, and schedule meetings.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaSNew York City, US
David Altman(Founder)
Co-investorsEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)Visible Hands37 AngelsActive CapitalBessemer Venture PartnersLerer Hippeau
Co-investorsSfventures Group LLC
Vyrill is an AI platform that analyzes video content from social, mobile, and desktop platforms to provide brand marketers with quantitative and qualitative insights from user-generated and brand videos.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceMarketing TechSilicon Valley, US
Ajay Bam(Founder)inDr. Barbara Rosario(Founder)inBarbara Rosario(Founder)
Co-investorsBeresford VenturesLong Venture PartnersNOEMIS Ventures
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesMoviePass · kingscrowd.com · Nov 3, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Lightship Capital made?
- Lightship Capital has 18 tracked investments.
- What stage does Lightship Capital invest at?
- Lightship Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Lightship Capital's typical check size?
- Lightship Capital typically writes checks of $100K – $10M.
- What sectors does Lightship Capital focus on?
- Lightship Capital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Consumer, E-commerce, FemTech, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Lightship Capital located?
- Lightship Capital is headquartered in Cincinnati, US.
- Does Lightship Capital lead rounds?
- Lightship Capital typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Lightship Capital co-invest with?
- Lightship Capital most often shares deals with Backstage Capital, Atento Capital, CincyTech, among 33 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamLightship Capital's Brian Brackeen on Capital, Bootcamp, and Accelerator Programs
AALBC.com · Brian Brackeen
Silicon Global Online: Ask A VC Anything! Candice Brackeen, Lightship Capital
Silicon Global Online · Candice Brackeen
Images
Co-investors · 3
Backstage Capital is an investment firm focused on supporting underrepresented founders. It publishes a weekly newsletter, The Mixtape, sharing news, opportunities, and stories for these founders.
NOEMIS Ventures is an investment firm that supports companies in bringing technology and commerce to market through its platform and services.
Collide Capital is an early-stage venture firm that backs diverse founding teams and supports them with resources, networks, and operational help on their institutional capital journey.
Firms observed investing alongside Lightship Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Lightship Capital's recorded portfolio.
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