About FastFWD
FastFWD is an accelerator and incubator program based in Philadelphia, United States. With a presence in 2 countries, it has supported around 8 startups in sectors like Enterprise Applications, Consumer. As of May 2026, FastFWD has witnessed 1 portfolio exit. Most notable companies in
its portfolio include Textizen, Safecity and VillageDefense. The program is backed by a team of 1 people who primarily support Seed startups based in United States. Its latest investment was a Undisclosed Seed round in VillageDefense on Feb 21, 2014.
Key Metrics
Location
Philadelphia, United States
Sectors of Investment
Stages of Investment
Seed
Locations of Investment
FastFWD's List of Top Investments
FastFWD has a portfolio of 8 companies. Their most notable investmentis in VillageDefenseTheir portfolio spans across United States and India. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, Consumer, Media & Entertainment and 3 other sectors, across stages such as Seed stage. Here is the list of top investments by FastFWD:1. Textizen
Textizen platform allows government agencies to reach out to citizens using text messaging. Government agencies use this service to promote civic engagement, citizen action, and behavior change. Incubated by Code for America and Knight Foundation, Winner of Knight News Challenge in the mobile category. Claims that more than 1000 agencies worldwide use the platform to engage about 90 million citizens. City of New York, Philadelphia, and county of Ventura are some of the clients.
Key facts about Textizen
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Philadelphia (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Employee Count: 1 - 10 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Knight Foundation and 1 Other
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Apr 22, 2015, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
2. Safecity
Key facts about Safecity
Online platform offering slot game guides and diverse product categories. This platform provides a comprehensive guide for playing online slot games, especially for beginners, offering insights into various slot types and bankroll management. Beyond gaming content, it functions as an e-commerce marketplace with a wide array of products across categories like electronics, fashion, home & living, sports & outdoor, and automotive. Users can download the app for exclusive vouchers and promotions. The platform supports user account management with features like order tracking, wishlists, and reviews. It also offers customer service through live chat, facilitating order assistance, payment support, and returns. The site includes login and registration functionalities.
Key facts about VillageDefense
- Founded Year: 2010
- Location: Atlanta (United States)
- Stage: Deadpooled
- Employee Count: 1 - 10 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: 500 Global, Village Capital and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Feb 21, 2014, $*****
4. D8A Group
D8A Group offers predictive analytics from social media. The company’s software analyzes Twitter streams and other social media feeds and overlays that data with city crime data to identify patterns. D8A was incubated at the FastFWD. Customers include a disaster response organization in Washington, D.C., that uses D8A to monitor happenings in South Sudan. Claims to be bootstrapped and profitable. Acquired MetaLayer in October of 2013.
Key facts about D8A Group
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: Philadelphia (United States)
- Stage: Deadpooled
- Total Funding till date: $45K
- Employee Count: 2 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Dreamit and FastFWD
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Sep 01, 2012, $*****
5. MING Media
Key facts about MING Media
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Philadelphia (United States)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Employee Count: 3 as on Apr 30, 2026
- Investors: FastFWD
FastFWD's Investments by Stage
FastFWD has made 1 investment in Seed stage.FastFWD's Investments by Sector
FastFWD has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Consumer, High Tech, Internet of Things - Industry Applications and Media & Entertainment. Notably, it has invested in 5 Software companies, 5 Tech companies, 4 Enterprise (B2B) companies and at least 4 companies focusing on Saas.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Consumer | 1 |
High Tech | 1 |
Internet of Things - Industry Applications | 1 |
Media & Entertainment | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
FastFWD's Investments by Geography
FastFWD has made most investments in United States (1).FastFWD's recent investments
FastFWD has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by FastFWD:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 21, 2014 | United States | Seed | 4611 | - |
Acquired companies in FastFWD's Portfolio
1 company from FastFWD's portfolio has been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Textizen in Jul 2015 by GovDelivery for $*****.Here are FastFWD's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 28, 2015 | - | - | 5404 |
Team profile of FastFWD
FastFWD has a team of 1 member located in United States. FastFWD's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of FastFWD
Over the past 12 years, one investor has co-invested in FastFWD's portfolio companies. This includes only funds.
- Invested before FastFWD: Civic Accelerator has invested before FastFWD.
