A group run by ex-aides of former President Obama that focuses on technology for Democratic candidates’ campaigns announced on Wednesday that 10 startup firms would share in its initial $1.5 million investment round.

“For too long, progressives have counted on Presidential campaigns to incubate and build campaign technology- a strategy that isn’t optimal when conservatives like the Koch brothers and the Mercers are pumping big money into permanent GOP campaign technology companies,” Ronald Klain, the chairman of Higher Ground Labs’s (HGL) advisory board, said in a statement. Klain is a former Obama aide who also served as chief of staff for former Vice President Biden.

{mosads}“We need to close this ‘progressive tech gap’ and Higher Ground Labs is giving these ten promising young companies a jumpstart to have impact in 2018 and beyond.”

The 10 companies are developing campaign tools covering areas including voter turnout and data analysis.

The fund was launched last month with more than $2.5 million to promote progressive tech startups.

HGL lists  a number of notable Democrats on its advisory board including former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, who currently hosts a popular podcast, Democratic National Committee CTO Raffi Krikorian and former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler.