New deals, new exits and new team members. Needless to say summer slowdown is not a thing for Next Coast Ventures.
10. Summer Kickoff Meat-Up
We love any opportunity to bring Austin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem together, and we are firm believers that it shouldn’t take an industry conference or panel of experts to do it – that’s why we founded our series of ‘Meat-Ups’ in 2018. We have truly enjoyed bringing Austin’s founders, investors and service providers together in our backyard for great BBQ. We can’t think of a better way to kick off summer.
9. Three Entrepreneurs Council additions
We were so thrilled to announce that we added iconic entrepreneurs Cotter Cunningham (founder of RetailMeNot), Brian Sharples (founder of HomeAway), and Julian Castelli (former CEO of LeisureLink and VacationRoost,) as the newest members to our newly-branded Entrepreneurs Council, which advises and mentors our portfolio leadership. Learn more about our Entrepreneurs Council here.
8. New Chief Operating Officer
We were excited to finally announce the addition of Jonathan Kaplan as our COO and couldn't be more excited for what he'll bring to NCV and our portfolio: “I was drawn to the opportunity to join Next Coast Ventures because of its differentiated commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in markets throughout the United States and the quality of the firm’s investments to date." Learn more about Jonathan here.
7. Led the $12.5M Series C in TrustRadius
We were proud to announce that we led the $12.5M Series C in TrustRadius, the leading software review platform. This was a great moment for the Austin ecosystem with two experienced, local entrepreneurs creating an a differentiated product supported by a great Texas syndicate.
6. Led the $10M Series B in Submittable
We were so psyched to announce that we led the $10M Series B in Montana-based Submittable, the leading submission review platform. It was one of the top-10 largest Series B rounds in the state’s history and our first deal in Montana. It was right up our alley: an entrepreneur with deep domain expertise creating a full-stack business model in a Next Coast market that solves a big pain point for numerous industries.
5. Added Enboarder to our portfolio
We were proud to announce that we participated in the $8M Series A in Enboarder, an experiential employee onboarding platform that was founded in Sydney, Australia. We’re especially excited to bring the company to Austin to open its U.S. headquarters and grow its team as they continue to change the HR game for companies big and small.
4. Phlur raised Series A, acquired Texas Beauty Labs
We were thrilled to be follow-on investors in Phlur, the leading sustainable fragrance and beauty brand that acquired fellow Texas-based clean beauty manufacturer Texas Beauty Labs to expand their offerings from fragrance and candles to now include a line of clean beauty and deodorant products. And yes, they smell just as fabulous.
3. Added Backtracks to our portfolio
We were proud to announce that we are investors in Backtracks, the Austin-based podcast analytics and hosting platform that helps businesses of all shapes and sizes understand their audience and monetize their podcasting content.
2. Added an Entrepreneur-in-Residence
It has always been important to our firm’s culture to have a strong entrepreneur in our office to bring their unique perspective on emerging market trends and discover their next project, which is why were so excited to announce that we added Sarah Puil as our Entrepreneur-in-Residence. She’s an experiential marketing and podcasting expert that’s going to explore the changing world of digital assets. Learn more about Sarah here.
1. Had a portfolio exit
Our portfolio company Finery, the wardrobe operating system, was acquired by online fashion styling service Stitch Fix. We are so proud of Whitney Casey and Brooklyn Decker and the fashion technology they have created to empower both consumers and female founders in the tech community. Congratulations to the Finery team!
