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Gradient's December Roundup

December 30, 2024

Hey there!

This December, we're highlighting Spade's founders making Forbes 30 Under 30, deep-diving into GTM Sprints, recapping the latest fundraises, and spotlighting roles at a few of our portfolio companies.

Recent Funding

  • Cake raises $13 million to make open-source AI more accessible (TechCrunch)

  • Gigs gets $73 million to power mobile network services for any company (TechCrunch)

Portfolio Spotlights

Spade’s co-founders Oban MacTavish and Cooper Hart featured in Forbes 30 under 30

Behind every bank transaction is a string of cryptic codes and abbreviations – a legacy problem that makes it surprisingly hard for banks to track where money is moving. After founding Spade and developing technology to turn this confusing data into clear merchant names, Oban MacTavish and Cooper Hart were named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Finance list.

The value of accurate transaction data extends across multiple areas of banking operations, from fraud detection to customer insights and operational efficiency. This need is particularly relevant given the scale of financial crime – Nilson reports that credit and debit card fraud alone resulted in $39.62 billion in global losses in 2023.

Spade has gained early traction, processing over $1 billion in monthly transactions for more than 20 customers, including established companies like Stripe and Corpay. Their growth reflects the financial sector's increasing focus on improving transaction data clarity.

Featured Blogs

The GTM Sprint - A Framework for Testing Early Stage GTM Hypotheses

At the early stage, you need to iterate on your go-to-market (GTM) as fast, if not faster, than you’re iterating on your product. Here’s why: before investing a ton of engineering resources into building a product, it’s critical that you validate there’s a market for what you’re building. Customer feedback is crucial. That’s where GTM Sprints come in. This agile methodology forces early-stage companies to embrace experimentation and quick iteration to validate product-market fit and generate sales leads faster.

Portfolio opportunities

  • Krea is looking for an AI/ML Engineer to develop and optimize generative AI models for image generation and processing. Apply here.

    Spline is looking for a Graphics Engineer who can help solve Spline’s app technical/graphic challenges. Apply here.

  • Gynger is hiring a Business Development Representative to drive sales growth. Apply here.

  • Range is seeking a talented Product Designer with 5+ years of experience to own the end-to-end design process for their cutting-edge wealth management platform. Apply here.

See you next month!

Gradient