Human connection. I don’t think it’s a value we plainly voiced as we pitched Fund I, though it is definitely a key driver in how we operate at The Pitch. And we’re getting louder about it in Fund II. 

Business, like life, is about relationships. 

Every call I get on with founders in our portfolio, I ask, “…and how are you doing personally?” They can choose to answer as vague or detailed as they like. I won’t push them. But rarely does anyone seem taken aback by that question. Most seem thankful to have someone checking on them. 

We have founders in The Pitchfolio who are grieving loved ones, dealing with divorce, and raising newborns. It’s difficult to be a founder, and it's even harder when you are navigating major life changes.    

Here's what we've learned: human connection isn't separate from good investing—it is good investing. When we genuinely know our founders, we see things other investors miss. We understand how they handle stress, how they build trust, whether they listen as well as they speak.  

The best product in the world fails without a team that believes in the mission. And founders who've never experienced genuine human connection in their professional relationships? They struggle to create it for others. They don't know how to have the hard conversations, support team members through challenges, or build the kind of culture that retains top talent through the inevitable ups and downs.

When we invest in founders who value human connection we're not just being nice. We're investing in people who will build the kind of companies others want to work for, partner with, and believe in. 

Leaning into the human side of venture has gotten us into some incredible companies so far. And we can’t wait to see where it takes us in Fund II.

~ Lisa

Season 14 is a wrap! Check out the season finale to hear what happened in diligence.

We covered our first four investments from season 14 in our October LP update. And here are the final two investments this season:

Adam and Patrik met on the Slovakian National Swim Team. Now they’re in Indiana building all-electric construction equipment, starting with a mini skid steer that delivers diesel performance on a rechargeable battery. The market is massive—capturing just 10% of annual skid-steer sales could put them at $100M ARR. After four years of bootstrapping and a 36-day roadshow, they’ve locked in pre-orders from six dealers for 25 units ($1.1M). With a capital-light, dealer-first GTM that scales through floorplan financing, they’ve de-risked this opportunity far beyond what the price would imply.

Matt Truebe is a seasoned healthcare founder on a mission to fix a broken system. He pitched three diagnostic devices—each strong enough to stand alone—but combined them into a single value-based care platform that helps parents diagnose and treat allergies at home. He’s moving fast, aiming to begin patient care in 2026. It’s an audacious plan, and if he pulls it off, it could reshape how allergies are treated in the U.S., raising the standard of care while lowering costs.

Dopl Technologies was named to The Robot Report's Top 100 Robotics Startups to Watch in 2025 for their work in remote diagnostic ultrasound. The company uses robotics and AI to deliver diagnostic care to underserved communities, addressing critical gaps in healthcare access.

In other news, Dopl just closed a fresh round of funding at a valuation 1.7x our initial investment.

🎧 Listen to episode #149 Dopl

His cofounder Clayton Woodruff is taking over as CEO and despite the cofounder split, the company has made some exciting progress. They’re moving from pilot to contracting with many of their initial partners, early results are positive and Clayton is scaling up their sales motion at Lockstop. So if you know any city planners looking to make their cities more accessible to bike owners, Clayton would welcome the intro. 

Michael Burton remains a shareholder and supporter as the team continues forward.

🎧 Listen to episode #154 Lockstop: Secure the Bike, Save the World

Nectir AI made its broadcast debut on KPIX CBS San Francisco, where a teacher from Merritt College showcased how she's using Nectir AI to make her classroom more accessible.

By Peter Liu, venture partner at The Pitch Fund

Fans of The Pitch often ask, “What does The Pitch look for in founders?”

This is a trickier question than it might seem. We invest so early that there’s often little, if any, quantitative data to go on. Yes, we get the occasional deal with ridiculous traction (lookin’ at you Mappa with your $4 million ARR), but so many of our deals are pre-revenue or even pre-product. So, what are the qualitative features we look for in founders?

There are a few archetypes that really resonate with our team: the Missionary, the “Scientist”, and the Storyteller.

I’ll explore each of these personas in the upcoming newsletters starting today with the Missionary.

Missionaries look like Kavitta Ghai of Nectir. You might recall from Kavitta’s episode that she is autistic and has ADHD. Kavitta never felt comfortable in a classroom—in fact, the education system made her feel unintelligent and overlooked. So, she decided to build a solution.

Kavitta is building Nectir because it’s her core belief that classrooms should welcome and serve all learners. Nectir allows educators to easily create customized learning experiences for all their students, so every learner, whether they’re neurotypical or neurodivergent, can flourish. 

Kavitta’s not going to quit because she’s too young (Kavitta started Nectir as a college student). She’s not going to quit because she was raising her seed round in one of the toughest fundraising environments in years (Kavitta was raising just after the loosey-goosey Covid ZIRP era when money was cheap and VCs were tossing money at everything). 

Kavitta will see it through because she’s on a mission.

Stay tuned for a “Where are they now?” episode of The Pitch on Nectir’s progress since the show.

Thanks for reading! Our first capital call for Fund II is January 30th 2026. If you’d like to partner with us in Fund II, we’d love to hear from you! Just hit reply on this email and we can share more about what’s next.

The best is yet to come,

Josh & Lisa