Brown Venture Group Research
Investment Thesis
Brown Venture Group (BVG) is a Black and Indigenous-owned venture capital firm founded in 2018 with an explicit mission to provide capital and support to historically undervalued and underrepresented entrepreneurs in technology. The firm's core thesis is that underestimated and under-resourced founders, often from Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, represent the best underactivated market for technology venture capital investment. BVG believes that generations of adversity have made these entrepreneurs particularly resilient and innovative, yet they have historically received minimal venture capital attention. The firm envisions a world where all talent has access to transformational capital, and operates from Minneapolis as a Black and Indigenous-owned venture firm exclusively focused on this market segment.
Stage Focus and Check Size
Brown Venture Group operates across the entire early-stage spectrum:
- Pre-Seed: $10,000 - $100,000 range for concept validation and prototype development
- Seed: Primary sweet spot with typical investments of $250,000 - $1,500,000, with some reaching up to $3 million for proven teams with traction
- Series A: Occasional follow-on investments and larger rounds for portfolio companies demonstrating strong product-market fit
The firm has demonstrated significant check writing capacity, evidenced by their lead of Nice Healthcare's $30 million Series A in 2022, showing they're willing to support larger rounds for portfolio companies with proven traction. Investment range varies by partner: Jerome Hamilton typically writes checks of $100K-$5.0M with a sweet spot around $1.5M.
Lead Tendency
Primary: Leads and co-leads rounds. BVG has demonstrated consistent lead behavior:
- Led Nice Healthcare's $30M Series A (2022)
- Led Ecolution kWh's seed round (2020)
- Participated in various Series A and follow-on rounds
- Shows willingness to lead at multiple stages, from pre-seed through Series A for portfolio companies
Sector and Model Preferences
BVG maintains a broad technology focus with emphasis on:
Key Sector Areas:
- Clean energy and sustainability technologies (Ecolution kWh - kinetic energy harvesting for vehicles)
- Healthcare and wellness (Nice Healthcare - in-home care, Simpli-Fi Automation - telehealth automation)
- Fintech and financial services (Home Lending Pal - AI-powered mortgage marketplace, GoMoment)
- Enterprise software and automation (Warecorp)
- Creator and consumer platforms (Fan Fair - music industry platform, Black Irishmen Productions)
- Robotics and automation (Robocast)
- Federal technology transfer and NASA commercialization (Federal Mashup Lab partnerships)
Technology Focus:
- Leading-edge technologies and innovation
- NASA-licensed technologies and federal tech transfer commercialization
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-powered applications)
- Digital health and telehealth platforms
- Clean energy and sustainability tech
- E-mobility and kinetic energy solutions
Recent Activity and Fund Status
Fund I ($50 Million):
- Launched in 2018
- Achieved 75% commitment by August 2021
- Backed by major institutional investors including:
- Best Buy: up to $10 million commitment (August 2021)
- Bank of America: significant commitment (December 2021)
- Huntington: $3 million investment (2023)
Recent Investments (2020-2024):
- November 2020: Ecolution kWh seed funding
- August 2023: Big Navajo Energy (clean energy, hydrogen production for tribal communities)
- February 2024: NASA Startup Feature Series - Simpli-Fi Automation (telehealth and NASA-licensed sensor technology)
- Multiple follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies
Fund Status: Actively deploying with focus on seed-stage companies and strategic follow-ons. The firm has demonstrated consistent investment activity through 2024 and continues to deploy capital.
Portfolio Overview
BVG maintains a portfolio of approximately 15+ investments with a focus on underrepresented founders building technology solutions. Notable portfolio companies include:
Exits and Notable Outcomes:
- IKAZZ: Acquired by Grab (2018)
- Robocast: Patents for AutoPlay for Streaming (follow-on investment 2022)
Active Portfolio (Notable Examples):
- Ecolution kWh: Kinetic energy harvesting for e-mobility, partnership with Levo Mobility for smart cities
- Nice Healthcare: In-home care services, raised $30M Series A (largest Series A with Black founder at the time)
- Big Navajo Energy: Sustainable hydrogen production for tribal communities
- Simpli-Fi Automation: Telehealth automation using NASA-licensed Provectus sensor chip
- Warecorp: Multiple investments from team members ($1M+ from partners)
- Home Lending Pal: AI-powered mortgage marketplace platform
- GoMoment: Customer engagement platform
- TheUptake.org: News and media platform
- Fan Fair: Music industry platform connecting musicians with fans and opportunities
- Robocast: Streaming automation technology
- Open Therapeutics: Biotech (CEO - grew from $2.5M to $38M under Jerome Hamilton)
Team
Dr. Paul Campbell - Managing Partner
- Founder and CEO/Chairwoman level partner
- Track record: Founded/scaled multiple technology businesses
- Expertise: Oracle sales executive (top 100, managed $3.4M+ in complex deals), Sprint government sales executive ($25M business), AT&T sales executive
- Recognition: Selected as "40 Under 40" honoree by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
- University of Minnesota Venture Center Advisory Board member
- Fund track record: First Who Global Business Solutions ($35K), Black Irishmen Productions ($25K), NuTek Communications ($10K), Livewire Entertainment ($20K)
Jerome Hamilton - Partner
- Background: Operations and biotech executive
- Notable startup scaling: CEO of Open Therapeutics (grew from $2.5M to $38M)
- Large company experience: 3M Vice President (Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Quality), Stratasys Senior Vice President Global Operations
- Business acumen: Co-authored "Make Your Business a Lean Business"
- Fund track record: Open Therapeutics ($6M), Warecorp ($1M), HomeRoots ($250K), IKAZZ ($250K), GoMoment ($250K)
- Advisor to 5B Investment Group on deal sourcing
Chris Dykstra - Partner
- Background: Ecommerce, interactive design, and technology architecture
- Corporate experience: Firepond Global VP Interactive Design (80+ person practice, pre-IPO generated $1.4B+), EPAM Systems Global VP Ecommerce, West Law lead business architect, LasVegas.com team leadership (36-month successful acquisition)
- Fund track record: Warecorp ($1.5M), Impact Hub/Finnovation Lab ($3.5M), TheUptake.org ($500K)
- Startup involvement: Minuteclinic.com, Sophia.org, Warmhealth.com, DrupalSquad.com, GoodCarts.co
Operations Team:
- Lara Dreier: Director of Operations - 20 years program leadership, project management, and grant management experience. MBA from Augsburg University
Decision Process and Investment Approach
Decision Structure: Partnership model with experienced operators making collaborative decisions. The three founding partners bring complementary expertise (sales/business development, operations/scaling, technical architecture/product) that informs investment thesis and support.
Geographic Focus: Midwest-focused (Minneapolis headquarters) but willing to support underrepresented founders nationally. Strong emphasis on tribal communities and rural areas.
Support Model: BVG provides more than capital - the firm offers operational support, training, network access, and strategic guidance. Partners actively engage with portfolio companies, providing mentorship based on their deep operational backgrounds.
Warm Introductions: Current policy states "BVG is not currently accepting unsolicited pitches," indicating they prefer warm introductions and network-based deal sourcing.
Federal Technology Focus: Strong emerging focus on NASA technology transfer and commercialization through the Federal Mashup Lab partnership, which bridges government innovation with venture capital and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Founder Preferences
BVG explicitly targets:
- Black, Latino, and Indigenous founders
- First-time and repeat founders from underrepresented communities
- Technical founders with deep domain expertise
- Founders solving real problems in communities they serve
- Resilient entrepreneurs with track records of overcoming systemic barriers
Notable Characteristics and Differentiation
- Explicitly Inclusive Mission: Only venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to Black, Latino, and Indigenous technology founders
- Operational Expertise: Three-partner model brings deep corporate and startup scaling experience
- Community Focus: Emphasis on rural, tribal, and underserved communities alongside broader technology innovation
- Federal Technology Transfer: Pioneering partnership with NASA through Federal Mashup Lab
- Institutional Support: Backed by major corporations and foundations
- Track Record: Managing partners have successful exits and proven ability to generate returns