Austin’s tech scene, also known as “Silicon Hills,” has been attracting talent and money for decades.
The city is home to some of the nation’s top VC firms, renowned for their focus on early-stage investments, hands-on mentorship, and tailored resources designed to help startups thrive. Finding the right match is about more than just capital—seed-stage VCs offer strategic partnerships that guide founders through critical growth phases and position their startups for long-term success.
Below are the top 6 early-stage investor VCs located and operating in Austin.
S3 Ventures
Year of Inception: 2005
Investment Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
Sectors of Interest: Business Technology, Digital Experiences, and Healthcare Technology.
Funding Range: $500K to $10M.
Portfolio Highlights: Alleviant Medical, Nexus, Sunthetics, BrainCheck
LinkedIn Summary
Based in Austin for 17+ years, S3 Ventures is the largest venture capital firm focused on Texas. We empower visionary founders with the patient capital and true resources required to grow extraordinary, high-impact companies in Business Technology, Digital Experiences, and Healthcare Technology. We lead Seed, Series A, and Series B investments ranging from $500K to $10M with the capacity to invest $20M+ over the life of a company.
With $900M+ in assets under management, our 50+ investments have raised nearly $2 billion in financing and 20+ to-date have exited. Since our inception, we have been backed by single philanthropic family with a multi-billion-dollar foundation. With this sole-LP structure, we are undistracted by fundraising and unencumbered by many of the constraints faced by traditional VC firms — better aligning us with the needs of founders.
Austin Ventures
Year of Inception: 1979
Investment Stages: Early to Middle Market
Sectors of Interest: Business Services, Supply Chain, Financial Services, New Media, Internet, Information Services.
Funding Range: Up to $500,000 seed financings, $40 million growth rounds.
Portfolio Highlights: Gelsight, Voyager Space; Scout Ventures.
LinkedIn Summary
ATX Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that focuses on leading Seed, Series A, and early-stage software investments across the US. The firm invests in disruptive and emerging B2B software, APIs, applications, frontier tech, and marketplaces across a number of industries including Supply Chain, FinTech, InsurTech, and Future of Work. ATX also opportunistically invests into different stages, investment structures, and profiles outside of our early stage fund vehicles.
ATX Venture Partners gives founders what they need most: access to the tools and talent from industry experts with hands-on support that sets the stage for success.
Our limited partners include a myriad of successful entrepreneurs, executives, institutions, and family offices. We combine the generational wisdom and experience of today’s industry operators with the best disruption and enabling technology operators of tomorrow.
ATX Venture Partners
Year of Inception: 2014
Investment Stages: Seed, Series A, Early-Stage.
Sectors of Interest: B2B software, APIs, Marketplaces, Frontier Tech, Applications.
Funding Range: $250,000 to $5M.
Portfolio Highlights: Fantasy Sales Team (Acquired by Microsoft), RideScout (Acquired by car2go North America), AlertMedia.
LinkedIn Summary:
ATX Venture Partners gives founders what they need most: access to the tools and talent from industry experts with hands-on support that sets the stage for success. Our limited partners include a myriad of successful entrepreneurs, executives, institutions, and family offices. We combine the generational wisdom and experience of today’s industry operators with the best disruption and enabling technology operators of tomorrow.
Next Coast Ventures
Year of Inception: 2015
Investment Stages: Early-Stage.
Sectors of Interest: Retail, Healthcare, Information Technology & E-Commerce.
Funding Range: $5 to $10M
Portfolio Highlights: Acadeum, BrainCheck, CrowdHealth, Goja (Amazon Seller), Enboarder (HR Tech).
LinkedIn Summary
Next Coast Ventures is an Austin venture capital firm that partners with bold entrepreneurs building innovative companies in big markets. It provides early-stage capital to high-growth startups in ‘Next Coast’ markets, using macro trends and themes to guide their investment strategy. In partnering with Next Coast, the fund provides hands-on, company building resources to its growing portfolio through its strong industry network, venture partner program and the founders’ own experiences as entrepreneurs.
Silverton Partners
Year of Inception: 2006
Investment Stages: Seed, Series A, Early-Stage Funding.
Sectors of Interest: Software, Tech-Enabled Services, And Cpg Brands.
Funding Range: Not Listed.
Portfolio Highlights: Stack Engine, WP Engine, Nuve.
LinkedIn Summary
Silverton Partners is focused on funding and mentoring early-stage businesses led by founders who share in its commitment to disrupt growth markets and build enduring companies. Founded in 2006, the firm brings the benefits of its vast network and decades of rich experience to each partnership. Austin-based Silverton is the most active venture capital investor in Texas and has been the initial investor behind visionary companies including WP Engine, Storable, SailPoint, Silicon Labs, TurnKey Vacation Rentals, The Zebra, AlertMedia, Aceable, Self Financial, Wheel, and Billie.
About the Author: Tess Danielson is a journalist and writer focusing on the intersection of technology and society.
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