Sam Zaitz

Managing Director at JLL

📍 Denver, Colorado, United States🔄 Updated October 2026💼 14 investments📅 17 years investing🗓 Last invested Apr 2026
Angel investor🌍 United StatesInvested this year
14
Total investments
6
Early stage
3
Mid stage
1
Late stage
17y
Years active

Portfolio

11 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Investor
Apr 2026
Born from our work on NASA space missions, were applying new technologies to solve age-old problems in the HVAC industry and other commercial processes. By 2050, CO2 emissions from air conditioning power use will reach nearly 10% of the global output - more than the entire aviation industry or passenger vehicles. Were starting with breakthrough HVAC retrofit devices that bring unmatched efficiency and energy savings to existing air conditioning units (RTU, DOAS). By removing moisture from outside air before entering the main system, our devices can supply outside air more cost effectively than any other solution. This is a game changer for those paying utilities on commercial properties and buying equipment. Adding Helix products will be a good choice for both retrofits and replacement situations. With many incentives and tax credits available, the Helix products may cost $0 out-of-pocket making our devices an easy and obvious addition to rooftop HVAC systems.
Investor
Jan 2026
PathSpot is the leading health & safety operating system for smart restaurants, delivering clear results with their patented solutions and real-time hand hygiene management system. With 24/7 data monitoring and white-glove onboarding and support, PathSpot helps operators protect their patrons and employees from illness and outbreaks.
Investor
Aug 2021
Bento’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of all Americans. We are a Social Determinants of Health SMS text messaging platform that connects people experiencing food insecurity with nutritious meals from local restaurants and grocery stores. Bento uses our platform to connect marginalized and under-resourced people with nutritious, stigma-free meals from nearby restaurants and grocery stores. We then further engage participants through this trusted communication channel to identify and address additional needs by connecting them to existing resources like transportation, chronic disease management programs, job training, and other wraparound services to improve health outcomes and quality of life.
Investor
Sep 2020
We’re the fastest-growing sports gaming company ever. Our mission is to build innovative games and products for American sports fans. Founded in 2020, our team built three of todays most widely played fantasy games and successfully launched the largest contest in the history of fantasy sports: a $15M NFL Best Ball tournament -- and there’s a lot more to come! Underdog’s modern tech environment and in-house product development allow us to continuously deliver the best experiences for our users.
early stageSpectator Sports
Investor
Jan 2019
PopID is the universal gateway for verifying an individuals identity based on biometrics, such as face and palm, for applications such as loyalty, payment, and entry.
Investor
May 2018
We offer restaurants a top-tier food production facility combined with insights and ideas on how to profitably expand into the food delivery business. For high-volume commissary businesses, KU offers commercial kitchen space, business intelligence, and resources to succeed with minimal risk and capital outlay.
Investor
Jan 2017
Square Roots is a leader in urban indoor farming. Its scalable farm-tech platform brings fresh, healthy food to urban areas year-round, while simultaneously training future generations of farmers. The company was founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneurs Tobias Peggs and Kimbal Musk (WEF Social Entrepreneur of The Year 2017) and is headquartered in New York City.
early stageFarming
Investor
Jan 2015
Azira LLC, a global Consumer Insights platform, helps marketing and operational leaders improve their effectiveness with actionable intelligence to drive business results. Azira delivers innovative marketing solutions to curate audiences, activate omnichannel campaigns, and understand footfall attribution. It also provides operational insights for use cases such as site selection, trade area analysis, competitive intelligence and more. Azira serves enterprises in retail, hospitality, travel, real estate, financial services and media. A global company, Azira is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Paris, Bangalore, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. To learn more, please visit https://azira.com.
Investor
Jan 2015
UM provides the highest quality mobile data solutions trusted by businesses to creatively solve their persistent challenges. The company’s diverse suite of products process billions of social, demographic, and location signals daily for Fortune 500 companies across retail, automotive, and entertainment to better understand and influence modern consumers with the most accurate business decision science. Recognized as a pioneer in targeted mobile advertising, UM was listed as Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies,” The Wall Street Journal’s Top “50 startups,” Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America,” and as one of Advertising Age’s “Best Places to Work.”
Investor
Jun 2011
Ship Sticks™ is a simple solution for shipping golf clubs for travelers who want to take on courses around the world without the hassle of lugging their clubs through the airport. Founded in 2011, Ship Sticks aims to grow the game by opening up the golf travel experience in a cost-effective, easy-to-use way. The company’s partnerships with major delivery carriers including UPS, FedEx and DHL, as well as premier golf resorts, keep costs down while sending golf clubs quickly and safely. Once a traveler schedules a shipment online, Ship Sticks picks up the golf clubs, provides complimentary insurance, and guarantees on-time delivery at hotels and golf destinations worldwide. Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ship Sticks operates seven days a week providing customer service. The company has direct partnerships with thousands of courses worldwide, including 80 percent of Golfweek’s Top 400 Golf Courses, Country Clubs, and Resorts. Profiled in Forbes, Golf Digest, CNBC and more.
Investor
Apr 2009
To us, market-made means four important things: fresh, quality, crafted, community. It’s what makes us different. Whole ingredients, like you find at your farmer’s market, come in one door and crafted, inspired meals go out the other. And just like at your local market, our restaurants are abuzz with culinary and communal energy, from the sounds of our open kitchens to our neighbors enjoying a meal together.
early stageRestaurants
Experience · 18 entries
All (18)
Investments (14)
2026
Investor
Apr 2026
Born from our work on NASA space missions, were applying new technologies to solve age-old problems in the HVAC industry and other commercial processes. By 2050, CO2 emissions from air conditioning power use will reach nearly 10% of the global output - more than the entire aviation industry or passenger vehicles. Were starting with breakthrough HVAC retrofit devices that bring unmatched efficiency and energy savings to existing air conditioning units (RTU, DOAS). By removing moisture from outside air before entering the main system, our devices can supply outside air more cost effectively than any other solution. This is a game changer for those paying utilities on commercial properties and buying equipment. Adding Helix products will be a good choice for both retrofits and replacement situations. With many incentives and tax credits available, the Helix products may cost $0 out-of-pocket making our devices an easy and obvious addition to rooftop HVAC systems.
Investor
Jan 2026
PathSpot is the leading health & safety operating system for smart restaurants, delivering clear results with their patented solutions and real-time hand hygiene management system. With 24/7 data monitoring and white-glove onboarding and support, PathSpot helps operators protect their patrons and employees from illness and outbreaks.
2025
Modern Bread and Bagel
Investor
Mar 2025
2024
Investor
Apr 2024
Getting our start in 1995, QDOBA Mexican Eats now has more than 740 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. While our footprint has grown tremendously in the last two decades, we’ve always stayed true to our brand promise: bringing flavor to people’s lives. We do this by ensuring every ingredient that goes into our guests’ burritos, tacos, salads, nachos, bowls, and quesadillas is full of flavor. Our most important ingredient to our success, though, is our people. We look for team members that are not only talented, creative and optimistic, but are willing to stay true to themselves. We encourage them to celebrate their uniqueness and express, what we like to call, their flavor. That’s because, we believe when everyone’s flavor is united, a truly great brand is possible. When we’re not busy working on the next great QDOBA dish, we’re most likely participating in some office fun. From free snacks and surprise catered lunches to burrito rolling competitions and impromptu dance parties, no day at our headquarters is dull. QDOBA employees can also expect mentoring programs, community involvement opportunities and tuition reimbursement. Think you have what it takes? Learn more about us at qdoba.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Managing Director
Mar 2024
We’re a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. We want the most ambitious clients to work with us, and the most ambitious people to work for us. Join us.
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Investment activity
2009–2026 · 14 investments
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