Top Venture Capital Firms in Houston, TX
Due to the emerging technology nowadays, the industry keeps on growing and transforming. Many businesses in different sectors are being established most especially in the digital and information technology businesses. Many entrepreneurs and top talents take advantage of their growing market with plenty of opportunities by exploring and creating new business ideas, products and services. However, a few of these business concepts and ideas are put to a halt due to a lack of funds. Particularly, startups and small companies were the most affected ones. Luckily, there are multiple venture capital firms existing and continuously supporting these entities.
Top 20 Venture Capital Firms in Houston, TX
When it comes to establishing a technology-based business, Houston is one of the great places to reside in. Aside from the wide network of top entrepreneurs, it has a market full of plenty of opportunities. Not to mention that the city also has a low cost of living and huge working spaces, ideal for those rookies in the entrepreneurial world. Since it has a huge number of emerging tech companies, it also has a vast number of local venture capital firms. One of the best valid reasons to establish a startup in Houston. Below are some of the top VC firms in Houston, TX that you can rely on in terms of financial support.
Mercury Fund
Mercury Fund is one of the leading venture capital and private equity firms based in Houston that offers early-stage investment to entrepreneurs and startups operating within the technology sector. Generally, they focus more on technology innovation with a great emphasis on AI platforms/Data Science, Cloud, SaaS, and other data-centric startups to make the U.S. midcontinent industry more competent and efficient.
In the past ten years in the service, Mercury Fund was recognized as the rise of entrepreneurs and innovation in the Midcontinent. With their excellence and best funding approach, they managed to invest in 10 different funding rounds with over $335 million under management.
The Artemis Fund
The Artemis Fund is the first female-founded venture capital and private equity firm in Houston. It was founded in 2019 and made its successful initial investment later that year. The VC firm is committed to funding early-stage companies founded and run by female founders. Generally, they will be investing $20M in 15 to 20 US-based companies ruled by female founders.
They focus its investments on a wide array of consumer markets. Particularly, they back up high-growth tech companies with disruptive and revolutionary products and services that the Consumer Tech, Life Tech, Fin-Tech, and Energy Infrastructure industries will benefit from. The latest investment of the firm went towards a seed round for an Oakland-based finance company-CNote.
Texas Halo Fund
Texas HALO Fund is an investment fund company with a specialization in early-stage investment, Typically, they are interested to invest in businesses with high growth prospects and exceptional and passionate management teams. The VC firm focuses on a diverse portfolio but should fall anywhere from healthcare to manufacturing.
Texas HALO Fund was founded in 2012 to provide investors great access to the high returns of early-stage investments while addressing the emerging problems of investors and entrepreneurs at the same time. In 2021, they had the most investments out of any Houston-based venture capital firm, with a total of 16 investments.
Chevron Tech Ventures
Chevron Technology Ventures is a venture capital arm of Chevron, investing in growing technology to commercialize and integrate it within Chevron. They invest in businesses particularly those working under technology and cultural innovation to support Chevron's ultimate goal which is to provide more affordable, renewable and cleaner energy.
Although they specialized in its portfolio, the VC Tech firm also invests in a wide variety of tech-enabled startups to be listed as one of the leading VC firms in Houston. The VC firm was launched in 1999 to introduce pioneering technology advancements across the energy industry. Last year, they had invested in 12 businesses.
Texas Atlantic Capital
Texas Atlantic Capital is one of the top VC firms based in Houston. TAC invests in all stages of investment, be it an early-stage, seed or growth-stage startup. The VC firm's investment ranges from as low as $500,000 for seed-stage to $30 million for growth-stage investments. They prefer to invest in tech industries in n Europe and the USA, particularly they back up digital life, e-commerce, Internet, and software. Currently, they had invested with more than 35 total investments, nine of which are allotted in software companies.
Since its founding year, the firm still actively working with its partners to scale up its portfolio companies. And fulfill their mission which is to provide entrepreneurs and founders with enough resources and networks to speed the growth of their companies.
Amnis Ventures
Founded in 2013, Amnis Ventures is a Houston-based venture capital and private equity firm that seeks to invest in a wide array of sectors with high priority in innovative technologies that improve renewable energy and real estate. The areas of their interest are Financial Services, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Renewable Energy, Technology and Industrial Services.
Most of their investments include block-chain, energy-related specialty chemicals, financial services platforms, innovative hardware technologies in renewable energy, novel democratized, and sustainable real estate development. Amnis Ventures invested for the first time in 2019 and made two additional investments in 2020. Its most recent investment portfolio was a seed round for fintech company Qredo.
Montrose Lane
Montrose Lane is a venture capital firm and private equity founded in 2017. They are interested to invest in leading and growing tech and software companies to support and develop clean energy. The firm is formerly known as Cottonwood Venture. Last year, they have invested in four companies, the most recent being a series A funding round for Austin-based HUVRData in October.
Since it was established, their main goal is to help their portfolio companies to achieve their full potentials and encourage them to make clean energy more affordable and eco-friendly. They also always leverage their collective expertise and wide networks in the energy, industrial, and technology sectors across Montrose Lane to bring enough funds, knowledge and skills to their portfolio companies.
Fritz Gate Ventures
Fitz Gate Ventures is a micro venture capital firm interested in early-stage investments with a majority of investment allotted, but not exclusive, to the Princeton University ecosystem. Whereas the portion of the capital is dedicated to more broadly sectors.
The VC firm invests in tech companies particularly those operating within the FinTech and Mobile sectors across the US. Usually, they back up their portfolio companies with more than $250K. Some of the notable investments they had include Overtime, RocketVisor, SmartAsset, Optimal Dynamics.
Fitz Gate is currently investing out of its second fund and has $25 million under management. With their excellence in the field, many of their portfolio companies have been featured in many top media outlets like Bloomberg, CNN, Forbes, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Vogue and others.
Blue Bear Capital
Blue Bear Capital is a venture capital and growth equity firm with a high interest in scaling businesses working within the energy sector. Particularly, they focus on offering growth equity capital to high-growing tech companies. Blue Bear Capital specializes in Alternative Investments, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Energy, Renewable Energy, Technology, and Global Markets.
The company seeks to invest in private technology companies that apply AI, IoT, cybersecurity data-driven technologies, and software-led solutions for the growing markets within the energy, infrastructure and climate industry. Since it was founded in 2016, they have been actively bringing success to their portfolio companies. Most of their notable portfolio companies are working under the AI, IoT, and cybersecurity technology sectors.
Yellowstone Capital
Yellowstone Capital Partners, LLC is a venture capital and private equity firm based in Houston. It was established in 1993 with a goal to provide capital to talented founders with entrepreneurial-minded management teams. Generally, it is a family investment company that seeks to acquire, discover and invest in small-to-medium-sized businesses.
They are interested in various sectors like branded food and beverages, consumer products, energy technology and life sciences, oilfield, power, industrial and water products manufacturing.
Also, their investment strategy is highly focused on buying land, developing, and operating mixed-use and sustainable large-scale residential projects in Colombia and investing in sustainable residential real estate credit opportunities in the U.S.A.
Vesalius Ventures
Vesalius Ventures is a venture capital firm founded to target large and growing tech companies lacking a proper market approach, compelling tech-enabled products and services, but run by exceptional management teams, and passionate founders. They seek to invest in businesses operating in the information technology, healthcare, telecommunication and energy sectors.
It was founded in 2002 to offer diversified investments preferably in medical informatics and technology or Telemedicine. They are committed to supporting companies to transform and improve the future of healthcare and medicine through technology and innovations.
Vesalius Venexasture also built a unique firm for exploiting life-changing technologies in growing industries through entities like the Vesalius Ventures – early-stage investments in Vesalius accelerator, health advisory services through VHA, Vesalius Capital Group and Vesalius International.
Texas Medical Center Venture Fund
The Texas Medical Center Venture Fund (TMCVF) is the venture capital arm of the TMC, which is one of the prestigious medical centers in the world. It is launched to serve the health, education and research needs of different areas in Texas and the other sides of the world. Through their VC firm, they can easily identify, connect and partner with exceptional entrepreneurs and founders working to bring advancements in the medical field and future health.
They are not only offering their portfolio companies financial support but they also support their strategic and operational needs. TMVCF team is dedicated to helping these companies get easy access and a huge connection to the world-class member institutions of TMC.
Rock Hill Capital
Rock Hill Capital is a venture capital and private equity firm based in Houston. The VC firm seeks to invest in small to lower middle-market companies based and operating in the South and Southeast U.S. They are highly focused on helping SME businesses in creating objectives, setting business goals, bring bigger opportunities and turn into transformational companies in the market. In particular, they invest in industrial products and services companies.
Rock Hill Capital works actively with their portfolio companies to speed the growth of their business and help them improve the company's operating results to achieve long-term success in the market.
Murphree Venture Partners
Murphree Venture Partners is one of the top venture capital and growth equity firm in Houston that are highly focused on investing in entrepreneurial enterprises and startups with high-growth potential in the market. Particularly, they provide financial support to technology-enabled companies based in the South and Southwest region of the United States. with great emphasis on companies operating within the consumer durable, energy, healthcare and information technology, tech-enhanced business services, waste management, and critical infrastructure sectors.
Since it was founded, they have been working with their partners and promising entrepreneurs and founders side by side to establish and launch profitable and market-leading companies, primarily in the southern region of the United States.
Main Street Capital
Main Street Capital is a principal venture capital and private equity firm, based in Houston, Texas providing long-term debt and equity capital to lower middle-market businesses and debt capital to middle-market businesses. They usually provide companies working in different industry sectors with management buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings, and refinancing services aside from the capital.
Since its founding year, it has helped more than 200 private companies scale their businesses and gradually help them transition from lower middle market companies to high-growing market leaders by providing them flexible private equity and debt capital solutions.
The areas of their specializations are Flexible Debt and Equity Capital Solutions, Financing, Growth Capital, Recapitalization, Minority Equity Investment, Majority Equity Investment, Lower Middle Market, Middle Market, Unitranche Debt, Succession Planning, Private Investments, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Broadvail Capital Partners
The BroadVail Capital Partners is a venture capital, private equity and advisory firm providing financial support to the commercial real estate (“CRE”) sector. The investment company has less than $150 million in assets under management and actively operates three private funds. Their leadership team is dedicated to delivering diverse commercial real estate expertise in investment banking, investment management and principal ownership.
The company seeks to provide funds to early and growth-stage real estate operating businesses with proven track records and high potentials in their respective markets. With more than 4 decades of combined experience across multiple asset classes including office, hospitality, multifamily, student housing, retail, self-storage, industrial and healthcare BroadVail turn many companies into growing market leaders.
Denham Capital
Denham Capital is a global energy, resources and sustainable infrastructure investment and private equity firm interested in investing in energy and commodities companies with a great focus on oil and gas, mining, renewables and the international power sectors.
They also offer investment across all stages of private and public, domestic and international corporate, asset, metals and minerals project life cycle from development projects to mature, middle market, and buyouts.
With their investment team’s extensive investment experiences, and technical experience as engineers, operators, and business founders they have already offered more than $10 billion of investment and committed capital across 11 fund vehicles since its founding year.
Donovan Ventures
Donovan Ventures is a venture capital and private equity firm based in Houston, providing lower middle market growth capital through their private equity funds. They are interested in invests in early-stage energy companies seeking growth capital of $1-20 million and deliver advisory services to their portfolio companies’ management teams seeking institutional capital ranging from $50 to 500 million.
Particularly, they seek to invest in the companies operating in the energy, manufacturing, utilities and business products and services sectors.
Encap Investment
EnCap Investments is one of the leading American venture capital and private equity firm providing financial support to the independent energy industry, particularly in upstream and midstream gas and oil companies. When it comes to midstream assets, they prefer to back up those companies operating within the natural gas pipelines, gathering, processing facilities, energy infrastructure, natural gas gathering, treating, compression, processing and storage operations; oil gathering, and transportation sectors. They preferred seed, start-ups, emerging growth, and early-stage venture investments.
First Reserve
First Reserve is one of the top global private equity and investment firms primarily interested in funding companies operating within the energy industry. Particularly, the VC firm prefers to back up the companies in energy equipment, energy services, and commercial products sectors.
With more than 35 years of extensive investment expertise and operational excellence in the VC field, they have leverage and created a large network of global partners and raised more than USD $32 billion of aggregate capital since its establishment.
Final Thoughts
These top venture capital firms in Houston are good to consider when you’re looking for the right capital provider. They are not only providing funds but also marketing and business assistance that can help you to create exceptional business ideas, produce game-changing products and services and scale your startup businesses. They generally back up startups to formulate smart insights, efficient products and exceptional services that can help your business achieve its full potentials in its given niche.