Dear SJF Friend,
We are excited to share our new investment in Iron Sheepdog, a supply chain technology company, along with our recent recognition on the ImpactAssets 50 2024 and several other updates from the SJF portfolio.
Warmly,
The SJF Ventures Team
Last month, SJF led a $10 million Series B financing in Iron Sheepdog, a Williamsburg, Virginia-based supply chain technology company focused on short haul trucking. Iron Sheepdog’s software platform allows for more efficient management of dump trucks and other short haul fleets through dispatching, GPS tracking, real-time communication, digital ticketing, data analytics, reporting, hauler payments, and automated invoicing. The company also operates a virtual exchange marketplace for the movement of construction materials, which matches trucks with loads on their return trips, eliminating empty miles traveled.
“At its core, Iron Sheepdog is a tool that helps the broker as a small business owner… Iron Sheepdog brokers, many of whom are also minority business owners, are able to provide a premier service and dramatically increase their growth potential,” noted Mike Van Sickel, CEO of Iron Sheepdog.
In March, SJF was named as an Emeritus Manager on the ImpactAssets 50 for 2024. The IA 50 Emeritus category recognizes impact fund managers who have been included in the IA50 for at least five years, demonstrating a commitment to, and deep expertise in, impact investing. We are proud to be included again this year alongside many distinguished peer funds.
Terabase's Terafab Automation Solution Wins Edison AwardTerafab, Terabase Energy’s construction automation solution for large-scale solar, was named as a Gold winner at the 2024 Edison Awards. The Edison Awards are an annual event honoring the world’s most innovate new products. Congratulations to the Terabase team! 
Interplay Launches Solar Apprenticeship ProgramsEarlier this year, Interplay Learning began offering online apprenticeship programs for solar developers, EPCs, and commercial-scale solar contractors. The apprenticeship packages will help these companies meet requirements for solar installation tax incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act. “Until now, the cost and complexity of in-house apprentice programs have been a barrier for many business owners. With Interplay’s apprenticeship packages, [developers, EPCs and contractors can] take full advantage of the opportunities available through the IRA and drive growth,” said Interplay CEO Doug Donovan. 
Springboard Publishes State of the Skills Gap ReportSpringboard recently published a research report on "The State of the Workforce Skills Gap" based on a survey of over 1,000 corporate professionals. Corporate leaders identified "strategic/critical thinking" and "problem-solving" as the soft skills their companies needed most, while data analysis and project management were the most in-demand hard skills. 70% of respondents noted they were operating with "underskilled workforces," and over half identified high employee turnover as a key challenge. 
Solera and Aon Announce PartnershipIn March, Solera Health and Aon announced a new partnership to streamline benefits management for employers. Solera's HALO omni-condition management platform will be integrated with Aon’s Health Risk Navigator tool, thereby allowing employers to access Solera’s network of resources and engage high-risk employees. Aon will also leverage Solera’s utilization and clinical data alongside employers’ medical and pharmacy data to measure health outcomes and employers’ ROI for specific health services. |
DUOS and Humana Launch Veterans InitiativeLast month, DUOS and Humana announced a new partnership to support military Veterans in Louisiana. Through the program, plan members can use DUOS' technology platform to get matched with relevant benefits and resources. “Veterans make countless sacrifices for our nation, and now it is our turn to demonstrate our gratitude by providing them with the highest quality of care,” said DUOS' CEO Karl Ulfers. 
Siemens and Voltaiq Announce CollaborationSiemens has announced a new partnership with Voltaiq intended to accelerate battery manufacturing. “By integrating our efforts, we not only... enhance operational decision-making, but also assist our customers to accelerate [digital transformation], contributing to a new era in battery manufacturing,” noted Raymond Kok, SVP and Managing Director at Siemens Digital Industries. 
Optoro CEO Honored with Diversity in Business AwardIn March, Amena Ali, CEO of Optoro, was recognized in Washington Business Journal's annual Diversity in Business Awards, which spotlight "outstanding business and nonprofit leaders" in the Washington, D.C. area. Amena joined Optoro in 2022 and grew revenue by 70% in 2023. Optoro also recently shared its 2023 impact report, which details the company's environmental and social impacts - among them, over 8 million pounds of waste diverted from landfills last year. 
mPulse Mobile Acquires HealthTrio and Decision PointSJF portfolio company mPulse Mobile has announced two strategic acquisitions: HealthTrio, a leading provider of comprehensive health management and member engagement solutions, and Decision Point, an analytics and member experience optimization company. "By integrating the capabilities of mPulse, HealthTrio and Decision Point, we are now positioned to provide organizations with the ability to understand the needs of their population, design effective outcome improvement programs, and to efficiently operate those programs via advanced omni-channel communications," said mPulse CEO Bob Farrell. |
SJF Thought Leadership
See below for recent thought leadership pieces from SJF team members:
- Nextracker: An Impact Investment Success Story, Dave Kirkpatrick
- In a Tumultuous Market, These Trends Will Shape Workforce Startups in 2024, Arrun Kapoor
SJF Events
Earlier in April, SJF hosted a webinar focused on optimizing customer success. Three SJF portfolio companies - SchooLinks, LeadGenius and ENTOUCH - delivered presentations about their respective customer success practices and key learnings. Participants from over twenty SJF portfolio companies joined the webinar, making for a lively discussion that yielded plenty of actionable takeaways for Customer Success teams.
In the next few months, SJF team members will be attending various industry events and conferences, including Impact Capital Managers' Spring Convening in Washington, D.C., NREL's Industry Growth Forum in Denver, Mission Investors Exchange's National Conference in Los Angeles, and Adapt Unbound in New York City. If you will also be at any of these events, please reach out - we would appreciate the opportunity to connect in person!
Job Opportunities
Select open positions are highlighted below; visit the SJF jobs board for a full list of the approximately 750 open roles across the portfolio.
City Innovate is hiring a Business Analyst (Remote)
DUOS is hiring a Head of Consumer Marketing (Remote)
Interplay Learning is hiring an Operations Manager, Customer Success (Remote)
Iron Sheepdog is hiring an Implementation Lead (Williamsburg, VA)
Revalue Nature is hiring a Software Developer (UK / Remote)
