Fundraising Fox
Watchfire Ventures
Venture capitalActively deployingMontecito · Pre-Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked
Also known as WATCHFIRE VENTURES, LLC
Find your way into Watchfire Ventures
1,580 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 22, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 19 of 24 portfolio companiesSaaS ×9Consumer ×7AI & Machine Learning ×6Enterprise Software ×6Direct to Consumer ×5FoodTech ×5Fintech ×3B2B Marketplaces ×2
HQs:United States×16
Who they back
founder profiles across 10 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×52 founders×33 founders×14+ founders×1
Where their founders worked beforefrom 11 founders with career history
Gramercy Tavern ×2Gravity Payments ×2
Investments · 24 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22025 · 52024 · 12023 · 32022 · 213 dated
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 VenturesChicago VenturesNewark Venture Partners
Resource Monitor produces electromagnetic and ultrasonic flow meters with integrated cellular connectivity and 10-year batteries for water system monitoring.
CleantechEnterprise SoftwareIoTSaaSWashington, US
Nakul Garg(Founder)in
Board seatPatrick Dillingham· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsVeridical 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
Mark Hanson(Founder)in
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.fundGaingelsTenOneTen Ventures
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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 VenturesFootworkTogether FundY CombinatorBlume VenturesBreakwater 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
Footwork is a venture capital firm that leads and co-leads Seed and Series A rounds, typically investing $1–15 million in companies with early product-market fit.
ConsumerEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Mike Smith(Partner)inNikhil Basu Trivedi(Partner)in
Co-investorsVintage Investment PartnersAcrew CapitalBarrel VenturesBFG PartnersBTVFootwork+1 more
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 CapitalGraphite HealthSaas 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
Fynn is a software platform designed for senior living communities to manage care coordination, staffing, compliance, and resident outcomes.
Enterprise SoftwareHealthtechSaaS
Co-investors7BC Venture CapitalSusa VenturesTenacity Venture CapitalVillage GlobalY Combinator
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)inDave Ritterbush(Director)
Co-investorsAntiCostella KirschPure VenturesSonoma Brands CapitalTouch CapitalAccess Capital+5 more
Operto develops technology solutions tailored to hospitality businesses, addressing operational and guest experience challenges.
Enterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaSTravel & Hospitality
Co-investorsBlackPines Capital PartnersCentana Growth PartnersFUSEDERIVE VENTURESThayer Ventures
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 TechSaaSPark City, US
Gina Perrelli(Co-Founder, CEO)inTaylor Cawiezell(Co-Founder, Innovation)inPierson Krass(Director)
Co-investorsBarrel VenturesKCRise FundRiverPark VenturesRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcSocial Impact CapitalTelescope 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 PartnersForerunner Ventures
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
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Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Automated Fruit Scouting Inc.Linok Inc.Little Sesame, Inc.Black BuffaloLinoktech
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 companiesConfido · confidotech.com · Aug 11, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Watchfire Ventures made?
- Watchfire Ventures has 24 tracked investments, including 8 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 31 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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