- Business Units
- Capital
Capital
A founder-friendly enterprise that provides value beyond capital investments
More than Capital
We selectively co-invest with angel and VC funds in tech companies with strong leadership and high growth potential. We also actively collaborate with affiliated non-profits to boost mentorship and connectivity for our portfolio company founders.
- View our portfolio and investor network
- Plug into UVC’s Upstate NY Founder Network
- Discover resources for Caribbean entrepreneurs
Why People Love UpVentures
Martin and the UpVentures team have been a pleasure to work with in every capacity. They were early investors and supporters for my company, Chequed.com, and now are Limited Partners in my venture fund. They truly have the best…
Greg Moran
Founder, Chequed.com and General Partner, Evergreen Mountain Equity Partners
Martin was among the earliest business leaders that I met when I moved to Upstate NY a decade ago. Our fund, ASV, has played an active role catalyzing talent and attracting over $1B+ in follow on capital to our region. We appreciate…
Somak Chattopadhyay
Managing Partner, Armory Square Ventures
UpVentures is one of the most influential investors in Upstate NY. They don't just support startups, they also catalyze other successful entrepreneurs to pay it forward.
Marnie Lavigne
President & CEO, LaunchNY
As a tech entrepreneur, investor and ecosystem builder, I've been deeply inspired through experiences and creative collisions across the UpVentures portfolio. The UpVentures team is uplifting communities from Upstate NY to all across…
Elisa Miller-Out
Managing Partner, Chloe Capital
The UpVentures team are awesome community catalysts. They continue to pioneer a vision of what high growth businesses in Upstate NY can become and are continually bridging opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors in our region.
David Brown
Managing Partner, Impellent Ventures
FAQs
Insight for the startup community and those interested in collaborating.
What’s your target investment?
Between $100-150,000 for later seed-stage investments and $200,000-$300,000 for Series A investments, with considerable reserves for follow-on investments.
What sectors/industries do you focus on?
- SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)
- FinTech
- PropTech
- Automotive Tech
- HR Software (Candidate Assessment, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management)
- Healthcare IT
- Sales and Marketing Software (Tools that can be implemented by our PORTCOs)
- Cyber Security
- Food and Beverage
- Clean Tech
Do you invest outside of Upstate NewYork?
Yes. We also invest in the NYC metro area and other second and third-tier emerging tech hubs around the United States. We also invest in Silicon Valley through relationships in our Investor Network.
Is UpVentures Capital a venture capital fund?
No, we are not responsible for managing other people’s money and do not have any outside limited partners.
What is your funding process?
We typically require three conversations with an entrepreneur before investing.
The first is a screening call to get to know management and see if the deal aligns with our investment criteria. We also like to make sure that we are in a position to provide value beyond the capital.
The second call is a more formal due diligence call, in which we discuss topics ranging from go-to-market strategy, product, financials, governance, and future exit strategy.
After we complete our due diligence, the third call is for management and us to finalize the deal terms and then for us to start mentoring/coaching management.
Throughout our due diligence process, we love to provide constructive feedback and advice to the companies we speak with.
If a company has a deal room that includes financial model assumptions, cap table, corporate structure, contracts, etc., that will help expedite our due diligence process.
If we are investing through a venture capital fund that has already completed due diligence and has an Investment Memo, then we are also in a position to move quickly.
Does UpVentures Capital invest in venture capital funds?
Yes, we invest in both venture capital funds and member-managed seed funds. However, we are shifting most of our investing activity to direct investments. We do not invest in Fund of Funds.