Kairos HQ
{{Short description|U.S based private company}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Kairos HQ
| logo =
| type = Private
| industry = {{bulleted list|Finance|Venture capital|Startups}}
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = 2008 {{small|(as Kairos Society)}}
| founder = Ankur Jain
| defunct =
| hq_location_city = New York
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served =
| key_people = Ankur Jain and Alex Fiance {{small|(Co-CEOs)}}
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
| website = {{URL|http://kairoshq.com/}}
| former_name = Kairos Society
}}
Kairos HQ is a U.S based private company that builds products in the housing and healthcare sectors. Founded in 2008 as The Kairos Society by Ankur Jain, it is headquartered in New York City.{{Cite magazine|last=Heller|first=Nathan|date=2018-09-13|title=The Startup Whiz Trying to Make Big Business out of Social Philanthropy|language=en-US|magazine=The New Yorker|url=https://www.newyorker.com/sections/tech/insanely-good-making-big-business-out-of-social-philanthropy|access-date=2018-11-29}} As of 2023, the firm managed US$300 million to invest in affordable housing & personal health startups. {{Cite web|last=Lien|first=Tracey|date=2017-11-16|title=Forget $700 juicers — this venture fund wants to help solve middle-class problems|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-kairos-fund-20171116-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2018-11-29|website=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite magazine|last=Hempel|first=Jessi|date=2017-06-28|title=The Master Networker Will Connect You Now {{!}} Backchannel|language=en-US|magazine=WIRED|url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-ace-networker-will-connect-you-now/|access-date=2018-11-29}}{{Cite news |last=Lopez |first=Linette |author-link=Linette Lopez |date=2017-11-16 |title=Silicon Valley has turned into the place it hates the most |work=Business Insider |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/kairos-ventures-raises-fund-focusing-on-middle-class-problems-2017-11 |access-date=2018-11-29}}
History
The Kairos Society was launched in 2008 by Ankur Jain while at Wharton Business School as a talent incubator.{{Cite news|last=Ioannou|first=Lori|date=2017-04-21|title=These student entrepreneurs have raised billions in a quest to change the world|work=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/21/kairos-society-entrepreneurs-raising-billions-to-change-the-world.html|access-date=2018-11-29}}{{Cite news |last=Lopez |first=Linette |author-link=Linette Lopez |date=2017-04-29 |title=Inside young Silicon Valley's elite meeting about the soul of the entire global economy |work=Business Insider |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/kairos-meeting-2017-2017-4 |access-date=2018-11-29}}
Some founders{{Who|date=May 2021}} from Kairos later founded Periscope, Casper, FiscalNote, and Digital Genius.{{Cite news|last=Henry|first=Zoë|date=2017-11-16|title=Kairos Commits $25 Million to Startups Addressing 'Real Problems'|work=Inc.com|url=https://www.inc.com/zoe-henry/kairos-fund-25-million-average-americans.html|access-date=2018-11-29}}{{Cite news|last=Pilon|first=Mary|date=2018-08-23|title=This Company Finds Tough Problems In the World, Then Launches Startups to Solve Them|language=en|work=Entrepreneur|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/317719|access-date=2018-11-29}}{{Cite news|last=Robehmed|first=Natalie|date=2012-06-14|title=The Kairos Society: Turning Dreams Into Businesses|language=en|work=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2012/06/14/the-kairos-society-turning-dreams-into-businesses/|access-date=2018-11-29}}
In 2017, The Kairos Society re-launched as a venture studio named Kairos HQ, building and investing in several companies in their focus areas.https://shift.newco.co/2017/11/16/silicon-valley-is-under-attack-heres-why-we-deserve-it/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}{{cite news |title=Startup Jobanzeigen |url=https://www.gruendertheke.de |access-date=23 November 2023}} Rhino is an alternative to security deposits for renters. Little Spoon is a direct-to-consumer baby product brand. Cera is a homecare service for the elderly based in the United Kingdom.{{Cite news|last=Tepper|first=Fitz|date=2017-11-16|title=Kairos' $25M venture fund will invest in ideas that help the middle class|language=en-US|work=TechCrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/16/kairos-25m-venture-fund-will-invest-in-ideas-that-help-the-middle-class/|access-date=2018-11-29}} Kairos also invested in Bilt Rewards - a rewards program that lets renters earn points each time they make a rent payment, and menopause-focused company Alloy Health. {{cite web | url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/22/a-rewards-program-for-your-rent-payments-meet-bilt/ | title=A rewards program for your rent payments? Meet Bilt | date=22 June 2021 }} {{cite web | url=https://www.finsmes.com/2021/10/alloy-raises-3-3m-in-seed-funding.html | title=Alloy Raises $3.3M in Seed Funding | date=15 October 2021 }}
The firm spun out an early stage venture fund, K50, which focuses on financial services products at the pre-seed and seed stages.