Every one received the same $25,000 check. Eight have since raised $100,000 or more in investment, and the full record by year, closed companies included, is on our research page.
The year on each card is when we invested. "Raised follow-on" means the company has since raised $100,000 or more. "Building" means the company is still operating.
A school-run AI environment where students learn to think with AI, and teachers can see how they are doing it.
A standalone machine that repairs a factory's own plastic scrap at the molecular level, so it goes straight back onto the line as production-grade resin.
Runs the first round of a technical interview with a conversational AI, then reports how the candidate thinks.
Tracks the whole hormonal cycle, not just the period, and lets you share where you are with people you choose.
Handles the credentialing a clinician needs before they can legally treat patients and bill insurance.
Manages when electric cars charge, so owners skip a costly panel upgrade and utilities keep the local grid steady.
Works inside small accounting firms as an outside AI lead, building the automations that take the grind out of tax season.
A marketplace that matches companies with vetted student freelancers for marketing, business and tech work.
A marketplace for the toys, tapes, clothes and tech people grew up with, from the '80s through Y2K.
Electric bikes and conversion kits, built for delivery riders in Detroit and Accra.
Two taps call 911 and send your location, medical details and a recording, for when you can't speak.
Plans a real outing and puts you in a small group of compatible strangers, so you don't show up alone.
A membership that pays a small business automatically when the power goes out, with no claim to file.
Finds the restaurant, books the table and pays the bill, and sends a cut of every transaction to local food banks.
One membership dashboard of classes, coaching, lender connections and software discounts for minority-owned businesses.
Helps students without a professional network build skills, find mentors and get in front of employers.
Lets founders and creatives trade services with each other instead of paying cash.
Point your phone at a statue or a building and get the story, in audio and text.
A queer-owned media company behind E3 Radio, the weekly Queer News podcast and The Qube, a discovery platform for Black and Brown podcasts.
Ticketing and event software for the hosts who shape Black culture, with service fees shared back to them.
Fund accounting for nonprofits, so money restricted to a purpose is tracked to that purpose.
Threat detection and encryption for critical infrastructure and the organizations legacy vendors ignore.
Buy and sell luxury and vintage goods in person, with the money held until the buyer has the item in hand.
Matches parents driving the same direction so they can share the school run and the practice run.
Shows you who else is in the room and why they came, so you can go and say hello.
Book paid one-to-one time with someone hard to reach, by video, audio or text.
Makes Opal, a screen by the sink that coaches proper hand washing and records how long it takes.
Rent, buy or sell good second-hand furniture from people nearby, with pickup and delivery handled.
"Fifth Star Funds' investment in Eventnoire helped accelerate the development of our front end... Having their support changed my mindset and gave me a sense of pride knowing that I was not alone on this journey."
They're counted in our research, not listed here. All eight came from our first two cohorts. The portfolio by year, closed companies included.
If any of these companies exits, our share comes back to the fund and goes out again as another first check, which is what makes us an evergreen fund.
Updates on the founders we back and the work behind the checks.
