You’re a risk pool of one
Hello and happy autumn. Here’s a new & surprising discussion of genetic testing called ‘You’re a Risk Pool of One’ by our Principal, Sara Eshelman. It’s packed with information most people don’t know—worth reading if you have any interest in the future of healthcare.
Beyond that, our portfolio news is abundant! Get up to speed on what we’re celebrating:
Clarity sensors are helping power the SF Chronicle’s California air quality map, where you can see air quality changing in real time.
Core, one of 2020’s greatest innovations, was acquired by the wellness company Hyperice.
DroneSeed closed its $36M Series A after acquiring the 130-year-old seedling supplier Silvaseed.
Fiveable closed its $10M Series A round to revolutionize social learning.
Huckleberry’s CEO Jessica Toh gave a heartening interview:
“Imagine a set of dominos,” said Jessica. “The first one is that a child is cranky and tired. That leads to the next domino — the fifth outburst of the day. This knocks over the next domino — an overworked, tired parent who has zero patience left. Ultimately when this goes on in a chronic way, the child may view themselves as a bad kid, and the parent might avoid spending time with their child… But what if we took out that first domino?”
Hyro was recognized as Microsoft’s Partner of the Year for 2021.
Rushtix enjoyed a playful NYT spotlight (‘Comedy Via Zoom: It’s the Golden Age of Mugging’) before hosting some new top-tier acts, including a show by Jeff Dunham.
Skillshare became one of Visa’s newest benefits for cardholders. They also added some of the world’s most entertaining people to their list of instructors, including Queer Eye host Jonathan Van Ness.
Tortuga is busy building thousands of new robots following its $20M Series A.
TalkShopLive has become a favorite hangout spot for some of the biggest, boldest personalities in the world, including Drew Barrymore, Jaime Foxx, and Reba McEntire.
Plus, one smile for the road—here’s a photo from our offsite in July. :)
Thanks and be well,
The team at Spero Ventures