Bonfire Ventures

These past weeks have shown us the true spirit of LA. As fires devastated our neighborhoods, we've watched our community step up in extraordinary ways to help those who lost everything. Since Bonfire's early days, we've seen the LA community build incredible companies while supporting one another through challenges big and small. Time and again, founders, operators, and investors across Southern California prove it's not just about what we create, but how we show up for each other. That's why we're proud to share The LA Tech Community Cares Fund, created in partnership with GoFundMe to provide direct assistance to verified homeowners, small businesses, and workers most affected by the devastation. A portion of the funds will also support the firefighting organizations that worked tirelessly to protect our communities. For those looking for a way to make an impact, join us in helping our community recover and rebuild. ❤️ https://lnkd.in/gWzdN39u

Excited to announce our seed investment in Abstract, co-leading their $4.8M round alongside Communitas Capital! 🚀 Founders Pat Utz and 👨💻 Mohammed Hayat transformed their academic NLP project into an AI platform that helps businesses anticipate how proposed changes in government policy may affect them. Along with COO Matthew Chang, they've built a powerhouse team to help companies navigate complex regulatory landscapes By synthesizing data from over 145,000 government bodies in real time, Abstract enables companies to turn regulatory challenges into strategic opportunities. What started as a thesis project has evolved into essential infrastructure for modern enterprises, with their platform already serving 200+ organizations. The team's deep domain expertise and technological innovation in this space is truly impressive. Read more about why we invested below.

🚨CalmWave, is on the hunt for a talented Data Scientist to join their mission-driven team. 🚨 What’s CalmWave all about? They’re addressing one of healthcare’s most critical challenges—reducing alarm fatigue for clinicians and optimizing workflows using cutting-edge, AI-powered solutions. Why This Role is Exciting: 🤖 Build and deploy machine learning models that have a real-world impact 📊 Collaborate with a world-class, passionate team in a dynamic startup environment 💻 Work with cutting-edge AI to solve meaningful challenges Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gE2B_VjM

Looking for Account Executives in SF! 🚀 Truss Payments, a YC-backed fintech startup, is hiring! They’re simplifying the way construction businesses handle financial operations with an all-in-one platform for banking, payment automation, and workflow management. Truss is looking for motivated and enthusiastic founding Account Executives to join their fast-growing team. This is an incredible opportunity to dive into sales, own the full sales cycle, and make a real impact in a supportive, fast-paced environment. If you’re an excellent communicator, love problem-solving, and thrive on achieving ambitious goals, they’d love to hear from you! 📩 Reach out to learn more or apply directly.

Location matters. That’s the key takeaway in the LA Times’ latest piece on the venture ecosystem here in SoCal, and I couldn’t agree more. Bonfire Ventures 🔥 very own Jim Andelman weighed in, sharing how LA’s tightly-knit community of investors creates something truly unique. When Bonfire launched, our focus was on Southern California because there was (and still is) a ton of untapped potential here. We were driven by the belief that proximity allows for deeper relationships and more meaningful impact—something that has always been core to how we work with founders. As Jim shared in the article, “It’s easier to get together with [local companies] and refer them to resources that are helpful to them.” This perfectly sums up one of the best things about the venture ecosystem in LA: its spirit of collaboration. Whether it’s co-investing, sharing deal flow, or making introductions, the community here isn’t just competitive—it’s genuinely supportive. While our portfolio has expanded beyond SoCal, nearly 40% of the companies we back are still based right here. The Los Angeles Times does a great job capturing how LA’s venture ecosystem has grown while maintaining its heart. Check out the article: https://lnkd.in/gNCTUCFu. It’s a good one.

🚗 Congratulations to KeySavvy on securing $4.25M in funding! Anyone who's bought or sold a car privately knows the process can be inconvenient and uncertain. KeySavvy has made peer-to-peer car sales as simple as online shopping. What's even more impressive: they've partnered with Cars & Bids, AutoCheck by Experian, and Hemmings to bring their secure payment platform to even more buyers and sellers. Kudos to Andrew Crowell, Jason Hoetger, and the entire KeySavvy team on this milestone. You're making private car transactions safer and simpler for everyone. 🎉

Congratulations to Ophir Ronen 🚀 and the team at CalmWave on their $5.25M raise! 🚀 This milestone highlights their commitment to tackling the critical challenge of operational overload in healthcare systems. Healthcare professionals are under immense pressure, navigating complex workflows and overwhelming amounts of data. CalmWave’s platform leverages advanced AI to cut through the noise, streamline operations, and create clarity in even the most high-stress environments. This allows healthcare teams to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care. As healthcare evolves, CalmWave is leading the way with intelligent systems that reduce burnout and improve efficiency, and we’re proud to support their journey. Here’s to many more milestones ahead! 💙🔥 #BonfireVentures #PortfolioHighlight #HealthTech #AI #InnovationInHealthcare

We led GitStart’s latest round because we believe in their potential to reshape how development teams work. Originally developed by CEO Hamza Z. to tackle challenges he faced as an engineer, GitStart quickly gained the attention of his then-boss, Fred Stevens-Smith, who became one of the company’s first investors. By combining AI with human expertise, GitStart transforms routine tickets into ready-to-merge pull requests, freeing dev teams to focus on high-impact projects. ✨ Why we’re excited about GitStart: 🔹 Solving a Core Issue: GitStart removes critical bottlenecks by automating repetitive work, letting teams focus on high-value tasks. Teams can now buy outcomes, not just interfaces, reshaping software delivery. 🔹 A Strategic Market Fit: With demand for efficient dev solutions rising, GitStart is perfectly positioned to set a new standard in agile, productive development. 🔹 From Engineer to Founder: Hamza Zia, a former engineer at Rainforest QA, first built this solution to streamline his own work. Recognizing its potential, Rainforest CEO Fred Stevens-Smith became one of GitStart’s earliest backers, encouraging Hamza to turn it into a full-fledged company. Today, Hamza’s deep expertise fuels GitStart’s commitment to practical, results-driven automation. 🔹 Real Results for Clients: GitStart’s customers already see significant savings and faster results. One CEO noted, “every ticket GitStart handles costs one-sixth of what it does in-house—and it’s done faster.” Beyond saving costs, GitStart lets companies optimize their teams for higher productivity. Learn more about why Jim Andelman invested in GitStart here - https://bit.ly/4fK1hpm