C2V August Notes From The Trenches
Welcome friends! We thought we’d keep it light this month, as most of you are hopefully on vacation, or at least mostly just pretending to work while enjoying your last days of summer. Plus we have a loaded month of portfolio company news and a new investment to announce, so it seemed like a good time for a break from the usual long-winded (but always super compelling… ?) opener.
Never fear, though, September’s edition is looking frisky. In addition to some public statements on the frothiness of AI funding that, on top of causing a stir in the markets, are also crying out for a healthy dose of cynicism, we also have a new report on this year’s venture-backed IPOs (courtesy of the folks at Pitchbook) that is in need of a thorough unpacking.
Until then, though, please enjoy the latest and greatest from our portfolio…
We’re pleased to announce our first invesment in a product that flies (after passing on dozens of similar concepts over the years), with the addition of Avol Aerospace to our pre-seed, Tributary Fund. Avol provides time-critical shipments of blood, stem cells, tissues, and other medical products between cities. via autonomous, small aircraft (i.e., “drones”, though that seems to undersell their sophistication).
These types of medical shipments are a regular part of regional healthcare ecosystem operations and, by their nature, are always time-sensitive; however, customers are currently limited to options that are either affordable but slow (ground transport) or fast but extremely expensive (helicopter). Avol’s aircraft are able to effectively thread this needle, completing deliveries 2 - 5x faster than ground transport options (depending on distance and traffic), at the same or lower cost (or, alternatively, in the same time as a helicopter at 10 - 20% of the cost).
Furthermore, while there is no automonous drone competition in this particular vertical at the moment, Avol has a significant edge over any potential new entrants via its proprietary, blended-wing design (similar to the military’s F-117 and B-2 stealth aircraft designs).. This design is superior to the traditional tube-and-wing design of other commercial cargo drones in terms of range (5 - 10x), operational costs (half to one-third per flight), and paylaod (2 - 5x cargo weight; 1.5 - 3x cargo volume, both of which are critical advantages in this and other air freight markets).
As you might imagine, we’ve seen dozens (and dozens) of drone companies over the years, but Avol is the first that checked all of the boxes that we consider to be critical for this type of business. Notably, Avol’s combination of a targeted, but still huge, initial end-market with an obvious and urgent need for this type of solution, necessary infrastructure already in place, and product performance needs/expectations that are well within the scope of Avol’s current aircraft model is unique among products we’ve seen, as is a proprietary design that provides as material an edge in customer utility as Avol’s does.
Compared to most of what we see in the drone transport space — fanciful, all-things-for-all-sectors products that are long on promises of future capabilities and infrastructure, and short on current usefulness to customers in any sector — this was an obvious fit for us (finally).
We expect big things from Avol; stay tuned for news on their progress in this space moving forward.
Signals and Red Flags
In a recent post, Chris shared a candid breakdown of the signals VCs look for. The red flags they spot instantly when hearing a pitch. His advice to founders: stop “spray and pray” outreach, treat AI as a layer rather than the whole story, and show up prepared with data, traction, and a lead investor if you’re raising a priced round. Momentum matters, and so does patience. VCs are juggling multiple deals. The takeaway: Targeted, clear communication isn’t just polite; it’s the difference between a quick pass and real momentum in your fundraising.
C2V Featured in “The Rise of Female Founders”
Dr. Paul Yang highlighted C2 Ventures in his latest piece, The Rise of Female Founders, which also includes a curated list of 140+ VCs actively backing women-led startups. We’re proud to be recognized among firms pushing for greater representation and impact in venture.
Chris’s Conference Speaking Agenda
Chris will be sharing insights with founders and investors at several upcoming conferences this fall. He’ll be speaking at the Seed to Growth Conference (September), the Chatham Conference, and Gener8tor’s BOLT Summit (October). Each event brings together founders, operators, and investors focused on scaling companies in today’s fast-moving tech landscape.
Paladin Launches Law School Platform
Big milestone for Paladin: the team just launched Paladin for Law Schools with their first 4 of 30 schools, and the response has been immediate. In the first 12 hours, nearly 100 students signed up to provide pro bono support across critical areas like domestic violence, housing, workers’ rights, human rights research, and more. The enthusiasm highlights both the demand from students eager to serve and the impact Paladin is driving by making pro bono opportunities accessible from day one of legal training.
UptimeHealth Expands Nationwide with New Facilities Partnership
UptimeHealth has teamed up with National Facilities Direct to give dental and medical practices a single, integrated solution for managing both clinical equipment and facility maintenance. From suction units to ceiling tiles, practices can now handle compliance, equipment service, plumbing, electrical, janitorial, and more—all through one dashboard, one team, and one invoice.
This partnership eliminates the chaos of multiple vendors, ensuring faster response times, fewer disruptions, and full visibility for operations teams.
Portfolio Win: UptimeHealth Named to the Inc. 5000
Big news for our portfolio: UptimeHealth ranked #110 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, landing among the fastest-growing private companies in America. With three-year growth that puts them in the top 3% of honorees nationwide, UptimeHealth joins the ranks of past Inc. 5000 standouts like Chobani, Grubhub, and Zappos. The recognition is a testament to the team’s relentless push to modernize healthcare operations and deliver real efficiency for dental and medical practices across the country.
Civ Robotics Hits 10 Million Points
From one job site to more than 10 million coordinates marked worldwide, Civ Robotics has come a long way. The milestone highlights not just scale, but hard-earned lessons from the field: simplicity drives adoption, customer feedback beats any roadmap, and better tools don’t just increase efficiency—they change behavior. Ten million points later, Civ continues to prove that when you build alongside your customers, they’ll take you further than you ever planned to go.
BriefCatch Launches BriefChat
BriefCatch just rolled out BriefChat, a new conversational chatbot built right into the platform. Designed for legal professionals, BriefChat delivers quick, trustworthy writing guidance, whether it’s sharpening arguments, drafting persuasive headings, navigating adverse facts, or pulling up curated examples for inspiration. It’s expert legal-writing advice, on demand, helping attorneys elevate their advocacy and streamline their workflow.
Condoit Partners with FLIR for 2X Faster Electrical Thermography
Big upgrade for the electrical world: Condoit and FLIR have teamed up to cut inspection times in half while boosting accuracy and customer satisfaction. The new integration eliminates SD card transfers, syncs thermal images directly to Condoit’s cloud platform, and enables same-day reporting, turning what used to take a week into minutes. By combining FLIR’s industry-leading thermal imaging with Condoit’s digital workflows and automated NETA-standard analysis, contractors can deliver faster, safer, and more profitable inspections.
WATS Leadership Update
Big news from WATS: co-founders Laura and Meredith have realigned roles as the company scales. Laura will step into the CEO role to drive growth, while Meredith takes on COO responsibilities, leading operations, customer success, and marketing. The shift reflects the evolution from WATS’ scrappy launch in 2022 to the focused priorities of a scaling company, positioning the team to push forward with clarity and momentum.
Driver Technologies Partners with Bolt in Kenya
Our portfolio company Driver Technologies has teamed up with Bolt, Kenya’s leading shared mobility platform, to launch a first-of-its-kind dash cam solution for drivers. Using the Driver® app, smartphones can now function as dual-facing dash cams—capturing both the road and the vehicle interior—boosting safety, transparency, and trust between riders and drivers.
Steelhead at FABTECH
Catch Jeff Halonen, CEO of Steelhead Technologies, speaking at FABTECH, North America’s largest manufacturing event. Jeff’s session, “Track It – Delivering a Premium Customer Experience: Meeting Modern Customer Expectations”, will highlight how digital tools are transforming customer experience in metal finishing and beyond. With 800,000+ square feet of exhibits and 180+ conference sessions, FABTECH is the place where manufacturing leaders gather to connect, share insights, and shape the industry’s future.
Rigorous is expanding its team in Williston, VT.
Current openings include:
Software Engineer Level II/III
Robotics Engineer Level III
Mechanical Engineer Level II
Industrial Electrical Engineer
All roles are based in Williston, VT, with occasional travel for testing, installations, and service.