Welcome to the Refinery Ventures Newsletter! We’re excited to bring to you a recap of our recent X15 events, an introduction to our new team members, and updates on our portfolio companies. Enjoy this month’s edition!
Team Updates
We are thrilled to have Michael Keller join the Refinery Ventures team this Summer as our newest Marketing Intern!
He is an incoming fourth-year student at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Marketing and Real Estate. Michael is eager to gain hands-on experience in venture capital and contribute to innovative marketing approaches and brand development efforts.
We’re also very excited to welcome Matthew Brady to the team this Summer!
Matthew joins us as our newest Financial Analyst Intern! He is an incoming third-year student at Miami University, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, majoring in Finance and Accounting. Matthew is excited to dive deeper into the venture capital and startup ecosystem, with a strong interest in fundraising strategy and deal flow.
Where We’re Going
The Refinery team is traveling to New York, Columbus, Cleveland, and Indiana! Check out the dates below and email Tim if you would like to connect.
X15 Dinner in Chicago
In May, we continued our X15 Dinner series with a thoughtful and energizing evening in Chicago. Tim joined a diverse group of founders, operators, and advisors for a night of meaningful conversation centered on the realities of building and scaling companies in the Midwest. With no prior connections in the room, the dialogue quickly became rich and real—touching on culture-shaping leadership, hiring with intention, and the value of discernment in advice. The evening reinforced the power of shared perspective and the importance of creating space for honest, growth-oriented conversation. One dinner at a time, this community continues to build momentum.
X15 Dinner in Pittsburgh
Also in May, the X15 Dinner series made a meaningful stop in Pittsburgh, where Tim joined a committed group of founders, operators, and advisors for an evening centered on what it truly means to scale with intention. The discussion tackled key challenges facing the region—like retaining top talent, balancing business attraction with attrition, and approaching fundraising as a strategic tool rather than a final milestone. The energy in the room reflected Pittsburgh’s immense potential and the value of gathering leaders who see building a company not just as a job, but as a way of life. One dinner, one dialogue, one connection at a time—we are building momentum.
News Across the Portfolio
New Data Quality Features Launched
Astronomer launched enhanced data quality checks in Astro Observe, starting with Snowflake and expanding soon to Databricks, BigQuery, and Redshift.
New Knowledge Base Launch Focused on Customer Success
Champion launched a new customer-only Knowledge Base, highlighting their commitment to customer success through intuitive design, detailed documentation, and user-inspired features.
FoodHealth Company and NielsenIQ team up to integrate the FoodHealth Score into NIQ’s data platform.
April Fools’ Campaign Launch With Huggies
Partnering with Huggies, Fooji launched a playful April Fools’ campaign featuring the “Poop Poncho” to spotlight diaper blowout protection and engage parents through humor and real-world experiences.
Advancing Innovation in Digital Health
Picture Health graduated from the 2024–2025 cohort of Endless Frontier Labs, completing key milestones alongside top innovators in digital health and life sciences.
Strategic Integration to Advance Public Safety
Vantage Robotics announced a strategic integration with Motorola Solutions, combining their Trace nano drone with CAPE software to enhance public safety drone operations.
Refinery Job Opportunities
Check out the link below to explore careers at Frayt
