Place your bets
A year ago, we wrote about searching for the Next Big Thing to invest in. So, here’s an update on the companies and teams in which we have placed recent venture capital bets. But, first some context. The VCET squad advised & served 288 clients over the last 12 months, many of whom do not seek outside capital. We went deeper on a little over 50 companies seeking capital. These companies met our initial screening thresholds for being undeniable founders with a specific insight within an inevitable market. But, that is just the start of a review process with low odds, and not all worthy opportunities get funded. That’s the venture capital game. Over the last year, our funds ended up investing $3.4M into 7 firms across multiple sectors, stages, and in 3 Vermont counties.
🧪 ZymoChem – Bio-based materials to replace petrochemical-laden materials like nylon 6,6 (athleisure wear) and as a new super absorbable polymer (SAP) used in diapers.
🌲 Park Software – Radically easy-to-use reservation & booking SaaS for campsites, RV parks, marinas, stables and more.
🍿 Farmer Companies – Snack food joint ventures with signature brands such as Cabot Cheese, Guinness, Newman’s Own and Nathan’s Famous. (See profile below)
🔋 Resonant Link Medical – Wireless charging solutions for bioelectronic medical devices.
🚁 GPMS International – Predictive health & usage monitoring systems (HUMS) for aviation, eVTOLS and other high-value assets that spin and vibrate.
💰 Acceleron Bank – A new Vermont bank (In Formation) that offers small banks and credit unions international payments infrastructure and regulatory compliance.
💊 Aprexis Health Solutions – Provides medication therapy management (MTM) and clinical programs to pharmacies, medical centers and health insurers.
Capital is an input with a lot of competition. The outputs and impacts are from the outlier firms that can scale and sustain over time. That’s pretty awesome to see around Vermont and in our two funds over time. We remain in awe of founders who see a new market opportunity, devise a solution, and take a leap despite the odds. Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. For the last 20 years, VCET has played a supporting role in some of your journeys and is looking forward to what ideas you come up with next. #StartHere
–David
