Fundraising for Texas Startups in 2020
In this session, partners from the largest and most active venture capital firms in Austin converge to discuss recent trends in the Texas venture market. Featuring Silverton Partners, S3 Ventures, LiveOak Venture Partners, Next Coast Ventures and True Wealth Ventures.
What you’ll find out
- What are the recent trends firms are seeing in the Texas venture market?
- How are these trends impacting investor’s approaches to investing?
- Who are the most active venture capital firms in Austin?
Key takeaways
- “Most of our portfolio companies were very deliberate and cautious at the beginning [of COVID]. It varies across what industries they’re focused on. I think the consumer stuff probably was more cautious than some of the enterprise stuff that has more recurring based revenue streams. I think they all made very hard decisions and most, hopefully all of them come through it stronger as a result of that.” — Thomas Ball, Next Coast Ventures
- “To get that comfort level that you are really starting to build rapport because it’s so important because you’re going to be working together in the up times and the down times. With a company that can actual work well together you can manage conflict, etc. You really need to spend a lot of time together and you aren’t doing that physically. So now we engage in Zoom a lot sooner.” — Kerry Rupp, True Wealth Ventures
- “The best way to get my intro is a warm intro, somebody that knows us, that’s the easiest way. And cold emails, that’s why I love that you Charlie funded a company with a cold email.” — Mike Dodd, Silverton Partners
- “All their investments are showcased on their portfolio, just reach out on LinkedIn and go talk to the entrepreneurs they’ve backed before to get a sense of how they are to work with.” — Krishna Srinivasan, LiveOak Venture Partners
Who you’ll hear from
About Austin Startup Week
Started in 2011, Austin Startup Week is a celebration and showcase of everything entrepreneurial in Austin. Each year, we bring entrepreneurs, local leaders, and friends together to connect, collaborate and grow through our educational tracks, mentor office hours, startup showcases, and networking mixers.
About Capital Factory
Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the number one startup state in the U.S. Thousands of entrepreneurs, programmers and designers gather day and night, in-person and online for meetups, classes and coworking. With boots on the ground in Austin, Dallas and Houston, we meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2010.
