Geoff Robertson Named Director of Venture Investments at VCET
Burlington, VT (November 18, 2024) – The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) announced the appointment of Geoff Robertson as Director of Finance and Venture Investments. In this newly created role, Robertson will oversee financial resources and venture investing operations to drive growth in its startup portfolio and expand support for Vermont’s innovative founders and entrepreneurs.
“Business founders and economic development partners will benefit from Geoff’s broad experiences as an investor, business coach and trusted advocate,” said David Bradbury, VCET president. “He’s been in the startup and technology business trenches throughout his career. We are thrilled to welcome him to the VCET crew as we scale our venture platform impacts across Vermont.”
Robertson brings extensive experience in venture funding, economic development, and finance. As the Managing Director of DeltaClimeVT at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), he mentored 62 startups across North America, focusing on energy and food tech sectors. As Director of Business Assistance at VSJF, he worked closely with companies to drive growth and sustainability, solidifying his role as a key figure in Vermont’s entrepreneurial landscape.
At VCET, Robertson will play a crucial part in guiding the new $9 million evergreen venture fund and supporting founders at every stage—from startup to scale to sale. His leadership will strengthen VCET’s no-cost advising services and deepen its reach in promoting sustainable economic development across the state.
Robertson’s journey in finance began with managing a multimillion-dollar real estate fund. Since then, he has held various entrepreneurial finance positions, including as CFO of Empower Mobility and CFO at School Spring, LLC, where he successfully negotiated the company’s sale. Robertson is also a long-standing Board Director and Investment Committee member of the Robertson Foundation for Government and the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a non-profit institution conducting research in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, and bioinformatics.
“I’m delighted to join the VCET team and help entrepreneurs across the state realize their dreams, and to work with partners to drive economic growth, prosperity and wealth creation for all Vermonters. I’ve had the opportunity to work in a variety of technology-related industries throughout my career and look forward to leveraging that experience for the benefit of those we serve.”
A twenty five year resident of Vermont, Robertson earned both his BS and MBA from the University of Vermont. He also recently completed a certificate in Financing & Deploying Clean Energy from Yale University.
With momentum building at VCET, including a record year of service to entrepreneurs, Robertson’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter as the organization continues to support Vermont’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
About VCET
Accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship, the non-profit Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) provides expert business mentoring, technology professional networking, coworking and accelerator facilities in Burlington, innovation programs, and early-stage venture capital. VCET manages two evergreen venture funds, revolving $15 million in capital. Follow @VCET and visit www.vcet.co/podcast to listen and subscribe to VCET’s Start Here podcast.
