Cortado Ventures is pleased to announce it has funded Socialwyze of Dallas. The seed investment from Cortado and other investors is enabling Socialwyze to run a pilot at scale of its novel job-tech platform connecting workers and employers. This round will also enable the company to grow in Oklahoma, home to Socialwyze Founder and CEO Cody Merrill. 

The Cortado Ventures fund is managed by partners Nathaniel Harding, David Woods, and Mike Moradi.  The fund invests in early stage companies in a variety of Oklahoma regional sectors by aggregating and managing investor capital, and helps startups grow through seed funding, collaboration, and mentorship.  The Cortado partners have launched the venture capital fund to build next generation companies which will bring future-ready technology jobs to the region.

Socialwyze is a gig economy platform providing barrier-free public benefit work to displaced workers.  The mobile app helps governments and foundations pay people to perform necessary work. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for work to continue in all aspects of the economy, especially those affecting the public benefit such as distribution of food and supplies. CEO Cody Merrill said, “Society pays more on the back-end for joblessness through ER visits, crime, expanded welfare programs, and a vicious cycle of generational poverty. Socialwyze is uniquely positioned to help government and charitable funders catch displaced workers in a Public Jobs Net before financial desperation takes hold. It is our distinct pleasure to partner with strategic investors like Cortado Ventures to scale our solution throughout Oklahoma and across the country.” 

Nathaniel Harding, Managing Partner of Cortado Ventures, said, “Socialwyze’s management has developed a truly differentiated platform to connect capital, capacity and consumers with the potential for a tremendous impact on the workforce. This job-tech platform is a novel technology solving problems that are seen throughout the country and the world.”

“We’re pleased to partner with Socialwyze through our investment and our network,” Cortado Partner David Woods added. “Their traction with strategic partners indicates that their technology and understanding of their market segment is fulfilling a real need for workers, nonprofits and governments.”

Socialwyze began their successful pilot in the Dallas area in September.  The company is hiring key roles in development and software engineering.  Cortado Ventures will support the company as it expands into Oklahoma and beyond, enabling strategic partnerships for the company’s growth and quickly scaling the company with channel partners.  

Cortado Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm investing in ambitious, growth-driven companies to define a new generation of economic prosperity for Oklahoma and the immediate region.

To learn more about Cortado Ventures, click here.

To learn more about Socialwyze, visit the about page here.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Nathaniel Harding at (405) 698-1748, or email nharding@cortado.ventures.