Yesterday, 8 graduate students wrapped a summer-long NavTech Fellowship with @AnthropicAI and @bicyclesftmind, presenting tools built alongside the frontline experts they were designed for.
Here's what each team made:
NextLadder Ventures
@nextladder
NextLadder Ventures is a new initiative investing in transformative technologies so more Americans can reclaim their path to progress.
Joined April 2026
- The AI models powering NavTech tools need an independent evaluator, and @ValsAI is just that. We’re proud to join @a16z, @8vc, @pearvc, @BloombergBeta, & @HRTVentures as a part of Vals AI’s Series A and support their goal of bringing trust and accountability to the AI industry.Today we're announcing our $40M Series A at a $400M valuation, led by @a16z , with participation from existing investors @8vc, @pearvc, and @BloombergBeta and new investors @HRTVentures and @nextladder. Alongside the fundraise, three more announcements: - Vals Smith: is now
- In 2018, Noella Sudbury was running time-intensive expungement clinics that could only reach a fraction of the people who needed help. Now, 34k people have a blank slate because of the NavTech she built. We’re proud to back her and @RasaLegal. Read her story below:
- We’re proud to partner with the @DRKFoundation to catalyze new NavTech tools empowering individuals and families to climb the economic ladder. Together, we’re supporting founders deploying tech to break down barriers across key domains that impact economic mobility. Read on:
- Proud to announce our partnership with @FfwdOrg to scale 4 NavTech nonprofits — Lemontree, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, @Dollarfor_, and @empowerwork — building tools that help people navigate the decisions that shape their economic futures.
