Indianapolis-based venture studio High Alpha on Tuesday announced the formal launch of its latest company, Castiron Inc., which offers an e-commerce platform for independent culinary artisans.
Castiron has operated in stealth mode since late last year and already has hundreds of users of its beta program. The company’s software suite helps culinary artisans simplify business operations, sell online, manage inventory and delivery, and connect to customers.
The company is led by New York City-based co-founder Mark Josephson, the former chief executive of link management platform Bitly.
Castiron has five employees in Indianapolis, one in Ohio, and one in New York City. The company is already in hiring mode and plans to double employment over the next year.
“Kitchen-based creators represent a massive opportunity for growth in our economy,” said Josephson in written remarks. “Restaurant closings and job losses related to COVID-19, paired with the rapid changes in cottage food laws nationwide and changing consumer behavior has accelerated their growth. These entrepreneurs are driven by both passion and necessity to build real, durable businesses, and Castiron is built specifically to address these needs.”
High Alpha has formally launched more than 25 companies and more than 30 overall since its founding in 2015 by tech entrepreneurs Eric Tobias, Scott Dorsey, Mike Fitzgerald and Kristian Andersen.
Earlier this month, High Alpha announced plans to launch its third venture studio after raising $18 million from repeat investors Emergence Capital of San Francisco and Foundry Group of Boulder, Colorado.
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