Pacific Northwest Tech Startups Find Their Beacon in VentureUs
SeaChange alumni Keith Laepple, Jonathan Kagle, and Jenn Wrenn Henry have established VentureUs, a group dedicated to supporting tech startups in the Pacific Northwest.
Inspired by SeaChange’s collaborative investment approach, VentureUs has implemented several revisions. Instead of voting, an investment board makes final investment decisions, enhancing consistency and expediting the allocation process.
VentureUs aims to invest $100,000-$400,000 annually in six to ten startups across various sectors. They have already invested in Nowadays, Roby, and Ambassador.
Beyond investments, VentureUs seeks to foster the growth of angel investing. Recognizing the region’s need for more investors, the group facilitates additional “sidecar” investments, allowing founders to increase their funding and investors to allocate extra capital to preferred deals.
Lack of angel investors has hindered the Seattle startup ecosystem. VentureUs joins other initiatives, such as the Seattle Angel Conference and Alliance of Angels, to address this issue and promote angel activity.
“We believe in the abundance of undervalued and under-supported companies in our region,” said Kagle, reinforcing VentureUs’ commitment to investing in the Pacific Northwest’s tech startup landscape.
Susan Preston, a veteran Seattle-area investor and former SeaChange managing partner, serves as an advisor to VentureUs. William Finney and Peter Mueller, former SeaChange leaders, now lead Breakwater Ventures.
