The mission of SeatMe was as bold and elegant as haute cuisine: to connect every diner and restaurant on the planet. Founded in 2011, the idea was to improve restaurant reservations—both for consumers and restaurateurs. It also has a few other neat tricks, like texting customers when their table is ready, or flagging a return customer’s known allergens and seating preferences. Co-founder Alexander Kvamme was then 23 but going on 50, wise beyond his years. He had the right innate instincts while displaying a preternatural ability to listen and learn. We thought that template was ideal and we invested early. Yelp bought SeatMe in 2013, two years after its start, and it’s continued to grow inside their family.