Watchfire Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingMontecito · Pre-Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked
Also known as WATCHFIRE VENTURES, LLC
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1,480 people in our graph share verified history with the Watchfire Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Watchfire Ventures invests in early-stage companies across four core verticals: consumer products, commerce infrastructure software, industrial modernization technology, and tech-enabled services. The firm's identity draws on the frontier metaphor of 'watchfires' — beacons that guided pioneers venturing West with promises of safety and support — framing its role as a source of backing for founders building the future.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 1, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 16 of 22 portfolio companiesSaaS ×7AI & Machine Learning ×6Consumer ×6Direct to Consumer ×5FoodTech ×5Enterprise Software ×3Fintech ×3B2B Marketplaces ×2
HQs:United States×15
Who they back
founder profiles across 8 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×32 founders×33 founders×14+ founders×1
Investments · 22 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22025 · 42024 · 12023 · 12022 · 19 dated
Blaine, US
Matthew King(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Marc Murphy(Director)
BoardBryan Wilson(Director)Loren Straub(Director)
Board seatSean Koffel· per SEC Form D · $4M raise · filed Oct 2025
Co-investorsBowery CapitalSaas Ventures, L.L.C.TFX Capital
Gearflow is an AI-powered procurement platform for fleet teams, letting them report equipment needs, route request workflows, and source parts, service, equipment, and freight from vendors.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesConstruction TechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSChicago, US
Luke Powers(Executive Officer, Director)inBenjamin Preston(Director)
BoardGreg Owens(Director)Austin Yount(Director)in
Board seatPatrick Dillingham· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsBrick Mortar VenturesChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)NVP CapitalPath VenturesNewark Venture Partners
Lakewood Ranch, US
Boaz Grof(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardCharles Robbins(Director)Reuven Harrison(Director)
Board seatSean Koffel· per SEC Form D · $3.5M raise · filed Feb 2026
Washington, US
NICHOLAS WISEMAN(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)RONEN TENNE(Executive Officer)inISABEL TORRES(Executive Officer)TANNER SMITH(Executive Officer)inALEXIS DIAZ-ALBERTINI(Executive Officer)inDavid Baer Wiseman(Executive Officer)
Board seatPatrick Dillingham· per SEC Form D · $14.7M raise · filed Jul 2025
Resource Monitor produces electromagnetic and ultrasonic flow meters with integrated cellular connectivity and 10-year batteries for water system monitoring.
CleantechEnterprise SoftwareIoTSaaSWashington, US
Board seatPatrick Dillingham· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsVeridical Ventures
Chicago, US
KELLSI BOOTH(Executive Officer)inJeffery David(Executive Officer, Director)inMark Hanson(Executive Officer, Director)inLOREN EGGLETON(Executive Officer)MATTHEW HANSON(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardJEFF CANTALUPO(Director)in
Co-investorsListen VenturesVice Ventures
Black Buffalo makes a smokeless tobacco alternative, offering dip products that mimic traditional chewing tobacco but without the tobacco leaf or stem.
ConsumerDirect to Consumer
Commander AI offers a customer relationship management platform designed to help sales teams track opportunities, manage pipelines, and close deals faster.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSales TechSouth Bay, US
David Berg(Chief Executive Officer (CEO))inShantanu Bhardwaj(Chief Technology Officer (CTO))inDave Meizlik(President & Chief Operating Officer (COO))
Co-investorsBarrel VenturesTribes Ventures42CAPBADideas.fund
Marina Del Rey, US
David Berg(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsGaingelsTenOneTen Ventures
Confido provides AI-powered automation for cash application, deduction management, and dispute resolution on a single platform, designed specifically for accounting teams at consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSNew York City, US
Kara Holinski(Founder)inJustin Hunter(Founder)inTrevor Hanus(Executive Officer, Director)inEmery Wager(Executive Officer, Director)inStephanie Watanabe(Executive Officer)AJ Hanus(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsBarrel VenturesTogether FundY CombinatorBlume VenturesBreakwater VenturesContext Ventures+7 more
Little Sesame makes and sells freshly-spun hummus through a flagship restaurant in Washington, DC and retail distribution across the United States.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechWashington, US
FruitScout applies industrial process instrumentation to agriculture by providing machine vision systems and AI-powered planning tools for agave growers.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningYakima, US
Co-investorsBarrel VenturesBowery CapitalTFX CapitalSaas Ventures, L.L.C.
Fynn offers private loans to finance trade school education for students entering fields such as electrical work, nursing, welding, and pharmacy.
FintechNew York City, US
Eric Menees(Founder)inEthan Anderson(Founder)inBhavin Gupta(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorSocially FinancedSusa VenturesTenacity Venture CapitalVillage Global
Clipp is an AI-powered order management platform for food distributors and suppliers, offering order tracking, analytics, promotions, payments, and AI automation such as voice agents and delivery routing.
AI & Machine LearningFoodTechSaaS
Co-investorsEvolution VC Partners
Graza sells extra virgin olive oil, packaged in squeeze bottles for cooking, baking, frying, and dressing, along with related products like potato chips cooked in olive oil.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechNew York City, US
Andrew Benin(Founder)in
Co-investorsAdapt Ventures
Oats Overnight makes ready-to-mix, spoon-free overnight oats in customizable flavor bundles, using whole grains and protein sources like whey and pea protein.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechTempe, US
Brian Tate(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardManpreet Singh(Director)Mark Leavitt(Director)Dave Ritterbush(Director)
Co-investorsAntiCostella KirschPure VenturesSonoma Brands CapitalTouch CapitalEnlightened Hospitality Investments
Scotch builds point-of-sale and business management software designed specifically for liquor retailers, helping them reduce manual tasks and improve operational efficiency.
FintechRetail TechSaaS
Co-investorsToba Capital
Stay AI is a subscription management platform for e-commerce merchants that enables A/B testing, cross-selling, and personalized offers to reduce churn and increase average order value.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceMarketing TechSaaS
Gina Perrelli(Co-Founder, CEO)inPierson(Co-Founder)Taylor Cawiezell(Co-Founder, Innovation)in
Co-investorsKCRise FundRiverPark VenturesRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcTelescope Partners
Stress-Free operates an auto repair service that offers transparent pricing at discounts up to 30% below dealership rates, along with amenities like loaner cars, real-time work updates, and a luxury lounge.
B2B MarketplacesRetail TechCalifornia, US
Co-investorsAfore CapitalHarmony PartnersNextGen Venture Partners
Sweet Nothings makes organic, ready-to-eat snacks from whole fruits, nuts, and seeds with no added sugar, targeting busy families and health-conscious consumers.
Circular EconomyConsumerFoodTech
Beth Porter(Co-founder)Jake Kneller(Co-founder)
The Renatural manufactures custom wigs using ultra-thin, breathable base materials designed to mimic natural scalp.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFemTechHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsHoaQHumba VenturesIngeborg InvestmentsRareBreed VenturesRedbud VC
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesGraza · newsinfo.inquirer.net · Aug 24, 2026
Commander · vgtimes.com · Aug 16, 2026
FruitScout · startupintros.com · Jul 13, 2026
The Renatural · inc.com · Mar 10, 2026
Confido · financialit.net · Feb 27, 2026
Oats Overnight · theconsumervc.com · Feb 6, 2026
CommanderAI · latimes.com · Nov 12, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Watchfire Ventures made?
- Watchfire Ventures has 16 tracked investments, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Watchfire Ventures invest at?
- Watchfire Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Watchfire Ventures focus on?
- Watchfire Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, Consumer, SaaS.
- Where is Watchfire Ventures located?
- Watchfire Ventures is headquartered in Montecito, US.
- Who does Watchfire Ventures co-invest with?
- Watchfire Ventures most often shares deals with Barrel Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners, Royal Street Ventures Management Company, Llc, among 30 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamPart 2: Reaching Gen Z | Sean Koffel, Watchfire Ventures
Beyond the Bottom Line with Bert Miller · Sean Koffel
Part 1: Shifting Consumer Behaviors & Finding the New Cool | Sean Koffel, Watchfire Ventures
Beyond the Bottom Line with Bert Miller · Sean Koffel
Images
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