Access Venture Partners was founded on the belief that entrepreneurship is a powerful catalyst for growth and positive change. Funding and nurturing early-stage companies drives the economy forward, creates high-paying jobs, and generates prosperity. Having experienced the thriving startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley, our founding partners returned home in 1999 to bring much-needed early-stage capital to the Mountain West.
Over the last 25 years, Access has invested in over 70 companies, with a primary focus on the Colorado ecosystem. We built our reputation as experienced, fundamentals-focused investors and partnered with some of the top local companies, cultivating deep relationships with founders, fellow board members, and even customers of our portfolio companies. These curated networks have become a powerful asset, enabling us to identify and back exceptional companies that leverage similar technology or sell into the same customer persona or industry.
The Colorado venture ecosystem has grown significantly since we started. Access’ companies alone have raised more than $3B in funding and hired over 7,500 employees. Today, venture funding pours into Colorado from across the country, with total funding growing from about $400m in 2016 to a peak of $11.5B just 5 years later in 2021. Additionally, the rise of remote and hybrid work has brought countless entrepreneurs and new talent to Colorado from the coasts.
Given the changing landscape, our growing focus in certain technology and market areas, and the interests and network of our expanded team, we made the decision with Fund V to transition to a thematic investment strategy. We have identified three broad themes – Build, Enable, Secure – where we believe the scale of problems, persistent macro forces, and emerging technologies converge to open up generational opportunities for value and wealth creation.
While we continue to leverage our local advantage to connect with the best Colorado founders in our focus areas, we believe that a national, thematic approach will allow us to capture the most promising opportunities. By focusing our research, learning, and network-building on specific areas, we create synergies across our operations and a flywheel that enhances our advantages over time.
As we deepen our thematic focus and make new investments, we continuously improve our:
- Expertise: Research and learn about specific problems faced by enterprise buyers, macroeconomic forces impacting industry growth, and emerging technologies that enable new solutions.
- Brand: Share our perspectives and build relationships with a broad network of people thinking deeply about our themes, including founders, buyers, and industry analysts.
- Deal Flow: Receive high quality referrals from our aligned network as clear positioning and visibility in our themes keep us top of mind.
- Diligence: Leverage our knowledge to run a more informed and thorough diligence process, and our network to make relevant introductions to potential mentors and customers.
- Win Rate: Win deals in better companies leading to better returns and a better reputation in our themes.
- Support: Provide superior support to our portfolio founders, thanks to our specialized knowledge and networks.
This thematic evolution is well underway, and we are actively building the essential components of our flywheel. We will continue to refine our thematic perspectives, build our networks, and help our companies succeed. If you have thoughts, connections, or questions regarding our themes or approach, please reach out!
