Washington DC Venture Capital Funds

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For a class I was recently asked to put together a list of opportunities for technology startups seeking financing around the Washington DC area. The following list contains light details of some of DC’s premier VC firms/funds specializing in technology. Also please see the link to the more comprehensive list at the bottom of this entry. Please email me any corrections, additions or comments. PS: I know Microsoft is not DC based, but I liked the photo.
Here we go in no particular (~alphabetical) order:

Amplifier Fund (Jonathan Aberman): Amplifier Venture Partners, LP is a seed and early stage venture capital fund that principally targets investments in technology companies in the Washington, DC region. We are positioned to be the first institutional investor in promising technology companies and to provide highly focused, hands on assistance for entrepreneurs looking to team up with experienced business operators and managers to grow world class companies. Source

CAPCO program: $50 million venture fund dedicated to Washington-based startup companies, has invested nearly $14 million in 11 companies since the program’s launch 18 months ago. While the program has far exceeded its initial goal of investing 20 percent by May 2007, it has only added one new company to the CAPCO portfolio in the last six months. Source

Columbia Capital: Manages investments in approximately 100 companies in the communications and information technology sectors, ranging from small, early-stage investments to multibillion-dollar public companies. Our most recent private equity fund of $560 million closed in 2006 brings our total dollars under management to over $2.0 billion Source

Core Capital: Core Capital is a $370 million private equity fund that provides capital to both early-stage ventures and small to mid-sized growth companies. The common thread is that these companies are developing or incorporating disruptive technologies into their businesses. Source

eMedia Club: Composed of 60 active, accredited investors, the eMedia Club invests $500,000 to $1 million in early-stage technology companies in the mid-Atlantic area. Part of the New Vantage Group of Funds Source

Federal Sources of Technology Financing: (too many to list) Source

Intersouth Partners: Intersouth Partners is one of the most active and experienced venture funds in the Southeast, having invested in more than 80 private companies over the last twenty years. Founded in 1985, Intersouth manages $780 million in seven venture capital limited partnerships. Source

IT GAP Fund: CIT’s Growth Acceleration Program (GAP) helps close Virginia’s “funding gap” for pre- seed and seed stage technology companies. CIT identifies and makes funds available to early-stage tech companies with a high-potential for technology commercialization, rapid growth and downstream private equity financing. GAP will invest up to $100,000 in early-stage technology companies. Source

Lazard Technology Partners: Lazard Technology Partners is a venture firm dedicated to being a capital partner of choice for exceptional management teams with the vision, capacity and commitment to create leading information technology and technology-enabled businesses. Managing over $400 million, we have invested in more than 35 companies since 1998. Source

MidAtlantic Venture Funds: The Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds are four private venture capital partnerships (the first two were called NEPA Venture Funds) with approximately $200 million under management. Source

New Horizons: New Horizons aims to serve as a long-term, value-added partner to its portfolio companies. This long-term relationship is reinforced by extensive on-going strategic, financial, and operational support. New Horizons, with its sister leveraged buy-out firm Capitol Partners, manages $200 million in assets. Source

The New Markets Growth Fund is an independent, $20 million venture capital fund investing in early-stage deals in low-income areas in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Dingman Center helped launch the fund, which is located at the Smith School. Source

NewVantage Group Funds: Dinner Club, Active Angels, eDC Capitol HiLLtc Source

Novak Biddle Venture Partners (October 2006), the Greater Washington, DC metro region’s premier early stage IT venture fund, announced first and final closing of its fifth partnership (NBVP V), raising $227 million. The fund will continue the firm’s investment strategy of nurturing young technology companies and innovations spun out of government labs and universities. Source

RedShift Ventures (Reston): More than 10 years of investing success and $270 Million in assets under management. Source
Here is a much more extensive list (not all are technology focused). Put together from MAVA. Also see the National Venture Capital Association.

Note: know contacts at a few of these places, so if you email me I may be able to offer some additional insights.

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