Author: Mark

First Leaf Capital portfolio company GeoH has raised $30 million in a transaction with Nashville-based Council Capital. Congrats to key GeoH managers Tom and David, one of the highest-performing leadership teams I have worked with to date. We first invested in GeoH in 2022 and we are delighted by the company’s rapid growth since that time. We look forward to new faces and new possibilities brought via Council’s partnership. Read the press release here.

This is an opportunity to take the reins and lead a successful organization to a bigger future. Oversee all aspects of ATS Acoustics. Lead the management team. Direct product and marketing strategy. Maintain key vendor relationships. Drive results across the business. Collaborate with me to write the next chapter of what ATS could be.

Qualities we are looking for: emotional intelligence, skill in leading people, digital savvy, decisiveness, ambition, high accountability, positive energy. This job will require you to wear a lot of hats, and challenge you to bring a broad A-game of skills and influence.

About the company: ATS Acoustics manufactures and sells sound-absorbing acoustical products, including fabric-covered wall panels, wooden sound diffusers, bass traps, and ceiling baffles. Our primary customers are music facilities, houses of worship, schools, and the contractors that build them. The company has produced excellent results for almost 20 years, and we see significant potential to grow under ambitious new leadership. ATS is strong in digital advertising, online lead generation, and e-commerce sales. Our team is currently around 35 people. Our facilities are 5 buildings in Piper City, IL and office space in Champaign, IL. Our culture is hard-working, scrappy, and small-town caring.

Reason for the Change: I (Mark Aardsma, Managing Partner of First Leaf Capital) am the founder, owner, and existing CEO. My plate is full with multiple endeavors including managing First Leaf Capital’s Venture Capital fund. I am looking for a CEO more experienced and skilled than myself in leading growth in a manufacturing business. I will transition to an advisor and chairman of the board role.

Experience requirements: Multiple years in a management role at a manufacturing and/or physical product fulfillment business. Five years or more as top leader (chief executive or equivalent) in an organization with at least two layers of management.

Locations: Two to three days per week at the factory in Piper City, Illinois. Other days at our offices in Champaign, Illinois.

Compensation: Salary, bonus, and equity compensation target $300,000 per year, depending on results. Benefits: Paid Time Off, Health Reimbursement Account, Retirement program with employer match.

We value diversity and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Send your resume to ceosearch@firstleafcapital.com.

I am very pleased to announce a successful exit of Surgical Innovation Associates. Our fund invested in 2021. Integra LifeSciences (Nasdaq: IART) acquired SIA in an all-cash deal valued up to $140 million depending on future milestones. Read the press release here.

We recently participated in GeoH’s Seed round, alongside VisionTech Partners, Boomerang Ventures, and Elevate. I will join their board as an observer. Read more in the press release.

We are pleased to be among the sponsors of the 2022 Cozad New Venture competition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Mark will participate as a judge of the final round as well.

Eclipse Orthopaedics is developing a handheld x-ray-guided orthopaedic drill to simplify a surgical procedure that is currently difficult for surgeons who are not trauma specialists. The device also offers lower x-ray radiation exposure for the surgical team and eliminates reliance on a C-arm and radiological technician.

Since getting to know David I am confident he has the relevant expertise, the connections to industry, and the personal character to succeed in this venture. I love that his creative innovation is grounded in practical application — starting with making one surgical procedure simpler and safer. I’m excited that Elevate Ventures and First Leaf Capital have partnered with David to move Eclipse forward.

Today I co-presented with Joe Aguilar from the Illinois State Treasurer’s office to a group of scientist / entrepreneurs at the Fermi National Accelerator. Our topic was the intersection of scientific innovation and human collaboration in startups that seek to commercialize tech from research settings. Thanks to the folks at Fermilab for putting this together and to STO for their on-going support of entrepreneurship in Illinois.

DAtAnchor provides a unique, easy-to-use data security system that allows data to be stored anywhere in encrypted form, while the data owner retains real-time, dynamic control over who can access that data under what conditions. Organizations using DAtAnchor can more easily comply with cybersecurity regulations, and protect their data from breaches, ransomware/doxware, and internal misuse.

When I first heard about what DAtAnchor does, I thought “that’s unique, and useful”. After a bunch of phone calls with CEO Emre and his team, I still think so. Along the way I came to really like this group of technologists and marketers. I’m excited to be on board.

First Leaf portfolio company BoxCast has raised $20M from UpData and Shure. TechCrunch broke the story.

It’s been a remarkable year at BoxCast, as streaming became the only way for audiences to engage with many events they used to attend in person. Many of BoxCast’s customers are houses of worship who faced major disruption during the pandemic.

I’m pleased that BoxCast has been able to serve such a vital role during this time. Big props to the tech team there for a building a system that withstood a tidal wave of increased usage and barely missed a beat.

We are excited to announce an investment in Chicago-based CareAdvisors.

CareAdvisors uses automated, scalable systems to increase medicaid enrollment and access to healthcare. This helps hospitals receive payment for emergency healthcare services they provide to medicaid-eligible patients. CareAdvisors also works with medicaid care managers to increase patient engagement, wellness, and re-enrollment.

We look forward to the growth and impact of the company under the leadership of CEO Chris Gay and the rest of the CareAdvisors team.