Duke Capital Partners’ Post

🚀 Carpe, a Duke-founded Startup, Acquired by Topspin Consumer Partners! 🏆 Duke Capital Partners (DCP) is proud to announce the successful acquisition of Carpe, a disruptive, digitally-native sweat control brand, by private equity firm Topspin Consumer Partners. This transaction marks a significant milestone for Carpe and highlights the strength and impact of the Duke community. Carpe was founded in 2015 by Kasper Kubica (Duke University ’17) and David Spratte (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ’17) in their dorm rooms. They met through the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program and discovered they both had hyperhidrosis – excessive sweating – which impacted their daily lives. Determined to find a solution, they embarked on a mission to create an effective antiperspirant hand lotion. Their dedication and innovative approach led to the launch of Carpe, a company with multiple sweat solutions that has helped individuals manage their sweat and regain confidence. The company has grown exponentially, thanks in no small part to unwavering support from Duke alumni and the broader Duke community. Duke Capital Partners led every round of Carpe’s fundraising, with DCP members and Duke alumni Joseph Saldutti, Jay Mebane, Ben Feldman, and Chris Ng Cashin serving on Carpe’s Board. Additionally, Duke Alumni Association President Vikas Patel provided invaluable advisory support and DCP member and investment banker Thomas Mazzucco guided Carpe throughout its acquisition. Collectively, the individuals who constitute Carpe’s board, board observers, and advisors have earned 11 degrees from Duke University, Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University School of Medicine, and Duke University Pratt School of Engineering. Kubica, a Melissa & Doug Entrepreneur, and Spratte received early support from the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, which played an important role in the company’s earliest days. The collective efforts of these individuals have been instrumental in Carpe’s success. “This past decade has been the most incredible journey I could imagine, and none of it would be possible without Duke,” Kubica said. “The brilliant, supportive members of the Duke community are the reason Carpe has grown to this massive milestone. We are incredibly excited to partner with Topspin and leverage their retail expertise to bring Carpe to every sweaty person in the United States.” Carpe truly is a Duke success story: founded in the Duke dorms, funded by Duke alumni, supported by Duke board members, and ultimately acquired with the support of a Duke investment banker. True to its roots, Carpe continues to be based in downtown Durham, creating local jobs and an enduring impact on the local economy. Carpe’s journey is a testament to the power of the global Duke community. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eUXg3u5r #VentureCapital #DukeCapitalPartners #Acquisition #DukeNetwork #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

🎉 Big news for the Duke University community! Aaron Schumm, founder of Vestwell and a proud Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business alum, has been honored as one of Goldman Sachs’ Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2024! 🏆 Aaron’s work at Vestwell is truly game-changing—he’s reimagining workplace savings, expanding access to millions of Americans, and tackling the savings gap head-on. This recognition from Goldman Sachs is a testament to his visionary leadership and the impact he’s making. At Duke Capital Partners, we’ve been proud supporters of Aaron’s journey from the start. His success highlights the incredible innovation and drive coming out of Fuqua and the broader Duke network. Learn more about Aaron's journey and vision: https://lnkd.in/eZhVgXbz #GSInnovators #DukeProud #Entrepreneurship #DukeFuqua #VentureCapital #FinancialInclusion #DukeCapitalPartners

Interested in innovative AI? Liquid AI, a Duke Capital Partners portfolio company, will unveil its first products built on Liquid Foundation Models at an exclusive event held at MIT's Kresge Auditorium on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, from 10 am to 1 pm ET. Register now (https://lnkd.in/dYhxqFHU) to attend in person or watch via live stream. Ramin Hasani, CEO and co-founder of Liquid AI, emphasized the significance of this product launch: "Our Liquid Foundation Models elevates the scaling laws for general-purpose AI systems at every scale for any data modality. Our first series of language LFMs achieve state-of-the-art performance at every scale, while maintaining a small on-device memory footprint. This opens new possibilities for real-time, local AI applications, allowing our enterprise customers to harness AI without the limitations of heavy cloud dependence or extensive memory requirements." Check it out! https://lnkd.in/eCz5ADaA

🚀 Exciting News from RetailReady! 🚀 We're proud to announce that RetailReady, one of our portfolio companies, has just released part 1 of their video case study with BrüMate, following their recent partnership announcement! In this episode, Jim Cox (Director of Logistics & Fulfillment) and Karley Schuler (Wholesale Operations Manager) discuss the challenges BrüMate faced with retail compliance, and how RetailReady’s chargeback management solutions helped streamline operations. 🛍️💡 Founded by Elle Smyth (Duke University Pratt School of Engineering) and Sarah Hamer (Georgia Institute of Technology), RetailReady is setting new standards in retail tech, solving complex issues for fast-growing brands. We can’t wait to see what’s next in parts 2 and 3, where they’ll dive deeper into the features that are driving big results for their partners! 🎉 #RetailReady #DCPPortfolioCompany #BrüMate #RetailTech #ChargebackManagement #Founders #WomenInTech

🏒 Innovating the Fan Experience at Amerant Bank Arena 🎉 AiFi Inc., in partnership with Verizon 5G, has transformed the fan experience at the home of the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Their cashierless checkout technology allows fans to grab their snacks and drinks in mere seconds without the hassle of long lines. The ease and speed of AiFi’s solution mean fans are returning to their seats faster, becoming seasoned pros at using this cutting-edge technology. The future of fast, efficient, and seamless checkout is here! #CashierlessCheckout #FanExperience #TechInnovation #5G #AiFi #Verizon #NHL #DukeCapitalPartners #VentureCapital #SportsTech

🌟 Innovating AI Benchmarks! 🌟 Liquid AI has made a significant leap forward in the world of artificial intelligence. Their LFM-3B model recently demonstrated outstanding results in NVIDIA’s public long-context benchmark, RULER. The model can recall information from its 32k context window as efficiently as, or better than, other models of similar size—all while utilizing a much smaller memory footprint. This advancement is set to revolutionize the way AI models manage large data sets and enhance efficiency across industries. Exciting times ahead for AI innovation! #AI #MachineLearning #TechInnovation #LiquidAI #ContextWindow #Nvidia #DukeCapitalPartners #VentureCapital

We’re excited to share that Superb AI Inc. a portfolio company of Duke Capital Partners, has successfully raised $10.2 million in its Series C funding round. Led by Doosan Investment with participation from new strategic investors like Hyundai Motor Group, Kakao Investment, and Samsung Next, this funding brings Superb AI Inc. total funding to $36.9 million. Founded by Duke University alum Hyun Kim from the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering Superb AI continues to make strides in computer vision AI solutions. With this new capital, they plan to expand their operations in the Japanese and U.S. markets, and have already achieved significant growth, matching their 2023 revenue in the first half of 2024. We’re honored to support their journey as they continue to scale, innovate, and drive progress in the AI space. #SuperbAI #SeriesCFunding #DukeUniversity #AI #ComputerVision #TechGrowth

🚀 Cutting-Edge Innovation at the Prudential Center! AiFi Inc. advanced computer vision technology combined with Verizon 5G is transforming the retail experience at the Prudential Center, home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The newly launched Pepsi Grab N Go cashierless stores, developed in collaboration with Levy Restaurants, provide a frictionless way for fans to purchase food and drinks in under a minute. These stores are revolutionizing convenience for fans. 🔥 Duke Capital Partners is excited to support AiFi Inc. as they lead the future of retail innovation with practical and impactful solutions. #FutureOfRetail #ComputerVision #5G #CashierlessCheckout #Innovation

🎉 Exciting News from Realtime Robotics, Inc. Realtime Robotics' Optimization Solution has just been honored with the prestigious Gold Merit Award for Technology in Robotics! This innovative technology is recognized for its ability to eliminate production bottlenecks and significantly improve manufacturing productivity. Founded by Duke University Professors Daniel Sorin and George Konidaris, along with Duke Alumni Will Floyd-Jones and Sean Murray, Realtime Robotics continues to lead the way in cutting-edge robotics solutions, with CEO Peter Howard at the helm. Duke University School of Law alum Seiji Miyasaka served on the company’s board. We’re proud to see this recognition for such a forward-thinking team. Read the full press release here: https://hubs.li/Q02S2C6w0 #Robotics #Automation #Innovation #Technology