About The Startup Factory
The Startup Factory, an accelerator and incubator program founded in 2012, is based in Durham, United States. With a presence in 4 countries, it has supported around 35 startups in sectors like Enterprise Applications, Consumer. As of Jul 2026, The Startup Factory has witnessed 3 portfolio exits. Most notable companies in
its portfolio include ArchiveSocial, Rented.com and CareLuLu. The program is backed by a team of 2 people who primarily support Seed startups based in United States. Its latest investment was a Undisclosed Seed round in Elixir Health on 2015.
Key Metrics
Founded Year
2012
Location
Durham, United States
Portfolio Companies
Sectors of Investment
Stages of Investment
Seed
Locations of Investment
The Startup Factory's List of Top Investments
The Startup Factory has a portfolio of 35 companies. Their most notable investmentis in Agile RealmTheir portfolio spans across United States, United Kingdom, China and 1 more locations. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, Consumer, EdTech and 11 other sectors, across stages such as Seed stage. Here is the list of top investments by The Startup Factory:Provider of social media archiving and monitoring for regulatory compliance and risk management. RMA provides sentiment analysis, engagement patterns, and platform usage patterns as required. Reduces risk from monitoring social media by sending customized alerts, notifications whenever a regulated policy is violated. Cater to businesses from Financial services, Government organizations, and public law firms.
Key facts about ArchiveSocial
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: Durham (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $54.1M
- Employee Count: 89 as on Dec 31, 2022
- Investors: Revolution, Level Equity and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, May 08, 2019, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Rented.com
Rented.com is an online platform that connects homeowners with property managers to manage all bookings, maintenance, cleaning, etc. for their vacation homes. Homeowners can create listing on the platform and receive multiple bids from professional property managers. Homeowners can opt for guaranteed income or commission-based model for rental arrangement. Charges a subscription fees to managers for access to the listings.
Key facts about Rented.com
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Atlanta (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $12M
- Employee Count: 7 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Jackson Square Ventures, Service Provider Capital and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Oct 02, 2020, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
3. CareLuLu
Connecting parents with quality child care and preschool options. This platform simplifies the search for licensed child care programs, offering a comprehensive directory with photos, parent reviews, and detailed service information. Parents can easily search by location, age, hours, and tuition to find the perfect fit for their needs. The platform aims to provide easy access to high-quality information, including tuition rates and thorough descriptions, ensuring parents have an authentic impression of every child care provider before scheduling a tour. It serves as an all-in-one resource, saving time and effort in navigating childcare options. The platform also offers resources for both parents and providers, including articles on cost, pros and cons of different care types, and marketing strategies. This is a B2C platform that directly impacts families by providing a valuable service.
Key facts about CareLuLu
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Oakland (United States)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $1.7M
- Employee Count: 3 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Khosla Ventures, Tuesday Capital and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Nov 12, 2014, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. Offline
Key facts about Offline
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Raleigh (United States)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $861K
- Employee Count: 17 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: MDO Holdings and The Startup Factory
- Latest Funding Round: Venture Debt, Dec 05, 2017, $*****
5. RocketBolt
Rocketbolt integrates into websites to engage customers and convert traffic to leads through drop-in customer loyalty programs. Offers real time engagement, Social connectivity, email aggregation and analytics. Rocketbolt engage visitors through pop-under offering discounts, rewards and loyalty points.
Key facts about RocketBolt
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Deadpooled
- Total Funding till date: $70K
- Employee Count: 7 as on Apr 30, 2026
- Investors: Dorm Room Fund, Triangle Angel Partners and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Nov 18, 2016, $*****
The Startup Factory's Investments by Stage
The Startup Factory has made 28 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $217K.The Startup Factory's Investments by Sector
The Startup Factory has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Consumer, Enterprise Applications, EdTech, Retail and HealthTech. Notably, it has invested in 27 Tech companies, 16 Consumer (B2C) companies, 15 Software companies and at least 13 companies focusing on Enterprise (B2B).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Consumer | 8 |
Enterprise Applications | 7 |
EdTech | 4 |
Retail | 4 |
HealthTech | 3 |
Others | 11 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
The Startup Factory's Investments by Geography
The Startup Factory has made most investments in United States (23), followed by United Kingdom where it has made 4 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
United States | 23 |
United Kingdom | 4 |
China | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
The Startup Factory's recent investments
The Startup Factory has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by The Startup Factory:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | United States | Seed | 7490 | - | |
Mar 09, 2015 | United States | Seed | 8517 | - | |
Mar 06, 2015 | United States | Seed | 7763 | - | |
Nov 24, 2014 | United States | Seed | 8864 | - | |
Nov 12, 2014 | United States | Seed | 9849 | [+2] |
Acquired companies in The Startup Factory's Portfolio
3 companies from The Startup Factory's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Rented.com in Nov 2022 by TravelNet for $*****.Here are The Startup Factory's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nov 16, 2022 | Mar 11, 2013 | Seed | 5071 | |
Oct 05, 2021 | 2014 | Seed | 3324 | |
Nov 05, 2014 | - | - | 2890 |
Team profile of The Startup Factory
The Startup Factory has a team of 2 members located in United States. The Startup Factory's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of The Startup Factory
Over the past 14 years, 9 investors have co-invested in The Startup Factory's portfolio companies. This includes only funds.
- Invested before The Startup Factory: 500 Global, Triangle Startup Factory and 1 other have invested in rounds before The Startup Factory. There is 1 company where 500 Global has invested before The Startup Factory and 1 company where Triangle Startup Factory has invested before The Startup Factory.
- Top Co-investors of The Startup Factory: 2 investors entered a company along with The Startup Factory. These include investors like Khosla Ventures (1 company).
- Invested after The Startup Factory: A total of 4 investors have invested in The Startup Factory's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include 500 Global (1 company) and Triangle Startup Factory (1 company).
Recent News related to The Startup Factory
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Chris Heivly of The Startup Factory on Being an UnderdogTech Cocktail•May 17, 2017•The Startup Factory
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CareLulu Raises $1.7 Million For A Service That Helps Parents Find The Best DaycaresTechCrunch+•Nov 12, 2014•CareLuLu, 500 Global, Khosla Ventures, The Startup Factory and 1 other
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Private Equity Week Wire for Tuesday 10/16 - PE HubPE Hub•Oct 16, 2001•FirstRain, John N John, GREG.CH, Rajat Homes and 9 others
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