Hello Friends,
Momentum continues to accelerate across the Hallstone ecosystem as Fund I moves toward final close and our community of founders, operators, and investors continues to grow alongside it. Across portfolio progress, new initiatives, and broader market signals, we’re seeing increasing validation for the belief that AI is reshaping how media is created, discovered and monetized and how entire workflows and businesses are built around it.
If you or someone in your network would like to get closer to what we’re building, as an investor, founder, or strategic partner, now is a strong time to connect and explore what comes next.
Main Highlights
Fund I is moving through final allocations, with room for 8 additional investors ahead of close.
Hallstone Founder Support & Expert Matching is now live, connecting founders and operators with senior media & entertainment technology leaders across our investor network.
Portfolio companies are reaching new milestones across traction, enterprise demand, and fundraising momentum.
We’re advancing diligence on a new set of companies aligned with our thesis in AI-native workflow, information, and content infrastructure.
Hallstone continues to deepen its position across the ecosystem through community events, industry panels, and thought leadership.
Fund I Momentum Into Final Close
Hallstone Fund I now has $11.2M of aggregate demand across closed capital and signed reservations as we move toward final close. That level of demand is a strong signal for the conviction building around Hallstone’s thesis and network.
Remaining capacity is now being allocated selectively, with room for approximately 8 additional investors, depending on commitment size and fit, and priority given to high-conviction investors and strategic introductions ahead of close.
Hallstone VIP Investors & Founders Event at HPA Tech Retreat
Hallstone Founder Support & Expert Matching
This month, we launched Hallstone Founder Support & Expert Matching, a curated, double-opt-in introduction program that connects select founders and operating teams with committed Hallstone fund investors who are senior media & entertainment technology leaders across our network.
Building in this industry is complex. The fastest way to de-risk key decisions is often access to people who have already navigated the issues that don’t show up in a pitch deck. In many cases, the right introduction can compress months of learning into a single conversation.
For our committed investors, it creates meaningful opportunities to get closer to the next generation of companies shaping the future of media. For founders, it unlocks trusted expertise, strategic perspective, and high-value relationships exactly when timing matters most.
👉 If you know a founder who wants to get connected with our media tech leader investors, please share this link.
👉 If you’d like more information on how to get connected with founders and operating teams looking for consultancy or advisory support, please email [email protected] or book a meeting.
Portfolio Updates
REX → AI Chief Marketing Agent for SMBs
Completed its first customer pilot, delivering stronger ROAS than agency benchmarks at a fraction of the cost. The team is now expanding pilots and broader go-to-market conversations.
ORBES → Autonomous space cinematography & inspection
Panavision designed a custom lens for ORB, a strong validation of the team’s imaging ambitions as it advances toward in-space deployment.
ORBES is progressing toward a late-March Critical Design Review, with a new 3D-printed model completed and air-bearing testing underway.
The company is also seeing early traction with Space Force / SpaceWERX contacts and was admitted to the NVIDIA Inception Program.
Waffle Video → Training data for visual AI
Waffle received its first enterprise order to supply 1,200 hours of video training data to a major model developer. Since launch, its mobile app has onboarded thousands of creators completing bespoke data missions.
In Diligence
We’re actively exploring companies building the next layer of infrastructure around how media is financed, marketed, and scaled.
A software-driven underwriting and financing platform for premium creator content that packages projects, generates scores to assess future reach and monetization, and matches creators with brands, producers, and financing partners before production. The team includes former Google/YouTube leaders.
A fan-driven AI marketing platform for entertainment brands that lets fans create and share brand-safe, personalized media at scale, turning fandom into both a high-performing acquisition channel and a new consumer revenue surface.
Macro Signals We’re Tracking
1️⃣ Commercial Space Station Haven-1 Readying for Launch (Ars Technica)
Accelerates orbital commercialization, expanding demand for robotic filming and operations tools like ORBES.
2️⃣ Runway Raises at $5.3B Valuation (TechCrunch)
Validates breakout outcomes in AI for media, making the case for a new wave of unicorns in the sector.
3️⃣ Senators Introduce AI Copyright Disclosure Bill (Deadline Hollywood)
Greater transparency requirements strengthen demand signals for commercially safe training data sources like Waffle Video.
4️⃣ CMOs Are Adopting AI More Slowly Than it’s Evolving (Digiday)
Rapid AI progress outpacing marketer implementation drives demand for turnkey execution agents like REX.
Around Town
Seth moderated panels at Silicon Valley Video Summit (watch here) and HPA Tech Retreat, continuing Hallstone’s visibility at the center of AI + MediaTech.
Seth also published a new article, “AI Makes Code Cheap. Judgment Becomes the Moat,” on why AI is shifting value toward workflow ownership, reliability, and outcomes.
Thank You & How to Get Involved
We’re grateful to the founders, investors, and friends helping shape the Hallstone community, and especially to the investors who backed Fund I and helped bring this vision to life. The momentum we’re seeing across the portfolio and ecosystem is a direct reflection of that partnership.
In the months ahead, we’ll be expanding our Founder Support & Expert Matching program and hosting more gatherings across the community, including something larger we’ve been quietly building toward as we approach final close.
As Fund I moves through its final stretch, we’re spending time with a select group of investors and strategic partners looking to get closer to what we’re building. If you’d like to connect, make an introduction, or explore involvement before close, we’d be glad to start the conversation.
Warm regards,
— The Hallstone Ventures Team
Seth Hallen, Managing Partner
Leon Silverman, Venture Partner
Claire Lee, Venture Partner
Dave Kochbeck, Venture Partner
Derek Mether, Analyst
Disclaimer: This communication is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.