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§ Private Profile · New York City, NY, USA
Video conferencing company offering cloud software and hardware solutions for businesses, founded in 2012 and acquired by Dialpad in 2020.
Highfive, a prominent video conferencing company headquartered in Redwood City, California, was established in 2012 by co-founders Shan Sinha, a former Google employee, and Jeremy Roy. Their ambitious vision aimed to make videoconferencing as commonplace as email in business, achieved through a unique system combining cloud-based software with proprietary in-room hardware solutions. The company operated initially in stealth mode under the name Parlay Labs from 2012 until its public launch of the comprehensive platform in October 2014. This venture-backed firm rapidly gained significant recognition and capital, successfully raising over $45 million in total funding by March 2015 and being named one of the "10 Best Small Workplaces in Technology" by Fortune in 2016. Highfive's successful trajectory concluded with its acquisition by Dialpad in September 2020, marking a notable chapter in its history.
Highfive Brands has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Highfive Brands has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Highfive Brands has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Series U in March 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2020 | $1M Series U | — | Courtney Robinson, Batshit Crazy Ventures, Baukunst, Black Jays Investments, Freestyle Capital, Lerer Hippeau, Trace Cohen, RRE Ventures, Torch Capital, Gokul Rajaram | Announced |
Highfive Brands has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Highfive Brands's investors include Courtney Robinson, Batshit Crazy Ventures, Baukunst, Black Jays Investments, Freestyle Capital, Lerer Hippeau, Trace Cohen, RRE Ventures, Torch Capital, Gokul Rajaram.
Highfive Brands is a holding company founded in 2020 in New York City, focused on acquiring and scaling digital-first consumer brands. Unlike a traditional technology company developing proprietary software or hardware, it operates as an investment vehicle that consolidates and grows consumer-facing businesses in the digital space.[4] It serves investors and entrepreneurs by identifying undervalued digital consumer properties with growth potential, solving the challenge of fragmented e-commerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) markets through strategic acquisitions and operational scaling. While specific portfolio details and growth metrics are limited in available data, its model capitalizes on the post-2020 boom in digital consumer goods, positioning it to benefit from rising online retail trends.[4]
Highfive Brands emerged in 2020 amid the acceleration of digital commerce during the global pandemic, establishing itself in New York City as a holding company dedicated to consumer brands.[4] Key details on founders or initial partners are not publicly detailed in available sources, but the entity's formation reflects a response to opportunities in acquiring DTC brands strained by market shifts. Early focus centered on digital-first consumer products, with the company evolving to emphasize scaling through acquisition rather than organic product development, setting it apart from tech builders like video conferencing firms or talent platforms with similar names.[4]
Highfive Brands stands out in the investment landscape through its targeted approach:
This differentiates it from pure-play tech firms or agencies, focusing on brand aggregation rather than product engineering or service delivery.
Highfive Brands rides the wave of DTC brand consolidation, a trend where holding companies aggregate online consumer businesses to achieve economies of scale amid cooling VC funding for standalone startups. Timing is favorable post-2020, as pandemic-driven e-commerce growth stabilized, creating acquisition opportunities for undervalued digital assets squeezed by inflation and logistics costs.[4] Market forces like rising ad spend efficiency needs and consumer shifts to branded online shopping work in its favor, influencing the ecosystem by stabilizing smaller DTC players through integration. It contributes to a maturing tech-consumer intersection, bridging pure tech (e.g., platforms) with branded goods.
Highfive Brands is poised to expand its portfolio as DTC consolidation intensifies, potentially targeting AI-enhanced personalization or sustainable consumer niches amid economic recovery. Trends like omnichannel retail and data-driven branding will shape its path, evolving its influence from acquirer to category leader in digital consumer holdings. Watch for portfolio announcements or exits that could amplify its role, tying back to its core strength in scaling what others build.