Venture Capital Firms in Salt Lake City

Cross Creek is an independently owned venture capital firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah, specializing in bridging the gap between private and public markets. The firm focuses on late-stage growth equity investments and also employs a fund-of-funds strategy, targeting companies poised for transition from private to public ownership. With a significant track record, Cross Creek aims to identify and support innovative companies with sustainable growth prospects, leveraging its expertise to guide them through the complexities of public offerings and acquisitions.Founded in 2006 by Karey Barker, Cross Creek initially operated within Wasatch Advisors before becoming an independent entity in 2012. Barker, who previously managed small-cap public growth funds at Wasatch, recognized the increasing trend of private companies going public later in their life cycles. She established Cross Creek to capture value creation earlier in this process, building a firm dedicated to late-stage venture-backed companies and top-tier venture funds.The firm's diverse portfolio includes notable investments across various sectors. Key portfolio companies have included HubSpot, DocuSign, Angi (formerly Angie's List), Gusto, and Scopely. Cross Creek's investment focus spans healthcare technology, marketplaces and consumer internet, enterprise software, cybersecurity, and manufacturing and supply chain. They target Series C and later funding rounds, seeking businesses with proven models, exceptional management teams, and potential for near-term liquidity.Cross Creek's senior investment team, which has been working together since 2010, brings diverse public and private sector expertise. The team includes founding and managing partners like Karey Barker, Tyler Christenson, and Peter Jarman, alongside a dedicated group of investment professionals, investor relations specialists, and operations staff. Their collective experience and strategic guidance are integral to supporting portfolio companies and facilitating their successful transition to public markets.

Matchstick Ventures is an early-stage technology investment firm that focuses on supporting ambitious and diverse entrepreneurs in rapidly growing, yet underserved startup ecosystems, particularly those located "between the coasts" of the United States. The firm's mission is to act as a catalyst for its founders, partners, and startup communities by providing capital, camaraderie, connections, and community. They emphasize a "founder-first" approach, believing they work for the entrepreneurs they back, offering hands-on support and building trustworthy relationships. Matchstick Ventures typically invests between $500,000 and $1.5 million in pre-seed and seed-stage startups, with a willingness to invest from the idea stage through scaling.The firm was founded in 2015 by Ryan Broshar and Natty Zola, both of whom are serial entrepreneurs with experience in founding and scaling companies, as well as leading Techstars accelerator programs. Ryan Broshar, based in Minneapolis, has a background as a 3x founder and former Managing Director for Techstars in the Twin Cities. Natty Zola, based in Boulder, also started as a founder before running the Techstars Boulder program as Managing Director. Their combined experience as founders and accelerator leaders underpins Matchstick Ventures' deep understanding of early-stage challenges and its commitment to providing comprehensive support beyond just capital.Matchstick Ventures boasts a diverse portfolio of over 100 companies, reflecting its broad investment focus across various technology sectors. Notable investments include companies like Automate.Clinic (AI healthcare), Paperstack (fintech working capital), Locate.ai (AI real estate brokerage), Juno (guest travel and expense), Cast Finance (AI accounting), Pageport (AI-native CRM), and Reema Health (social-care navigation services). The firm's portfolio also spans areas such as enterprise & B2B software, e-commerce solutions, marketplaces, cybersecurity, and climate technology. Matchstick Ventures actively seeks out innovative solutions that address unique challenges in their target markets.The team at Matchstick Ventures extends beyond its founding partners to include Nicole Glaros, a Venture Partner known for her foundational role at Techstars, and Shannon Shroyer, Head of Network, who brings a unique background to venture capital. The firm leverages a robust network of over 400 entrepreneurs, operators, and corporate partners, as well as a community of fellow founders and subject matter experts, to provide mentorship, connections, and resources to its portfolio companies. This collaborative ecosystem is designed to help startups navigate their journey, access follow-on funding, and achieve significant growth.

Origin Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that strategically invests in companies at the forefront of the Artificial Intelligence Economy. The firm's investment thesis centers on transformative technologies that redefine how people live, work, and play, focusing on infrastructure, software, applications, services, and marketplaces that leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, robotics, and quantum computing to drive productivity and innovation. They are known for leading Seed and Series A funding rounds, providing early capital and strategic resources to help companies scale with purpose.The firm was founded in 1999 by Steve Miller and Bruce Barron, both of whom brought significant operational and engineering expertise to the venture capital landscape. Their vision was to collaborate with ambitious founders to build high-growth, category-defining technology companies. Over its more than two-decade history, Origin Ventures has consistently ranked among the top-performing VC firms nationally, demonstrating a patient and deeply committed approach to fostering lasting businesses.Origin Ventures boasts a robust portfolio of innovative companies. Key investments include Opticore, a photonic computing company; Torus, which develops secure energy storage and management systems; Veho, focused on enhancing last-mile delivery; Clearjet, providing delivery infrastructure for e-commerce; Voze, an AI solution for field sales representatives; Tovala, a smart oven and meal subscription service; Fountain, specializing in hiring and onboarding hourly workers; and Swarmbotics, which creates unmanned ground vehicles for defense applications. The firm was also an early investor in Grubhub.The Origin Ventures team is strategically distributed across major U.S. technology ecosystems, including San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. Managing Partners such as Brent Hill, Jason Heltzer, and Alex Meyer, alongside other partners and investors, contribute diverse backgrounds in operations, engineering, and venture investing. The firm prides itself on a collaborative, values-aligned, and people-first partnership model, actively supporting entrepreneurs with deep industry expertise to challenge norms and redefine economies.

Peterson Ventures is the venture capital arm of Peterson Partners, an independent investment management firm with over $1.8 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2008, Peterson Ventures focuses on backing exceptional entrepreneurs primarily in the SaaS and digital commerce sectors, including fintech, healthtech, and e-commerce. The firm has a strong track record, having invested in over 125 companies and backing six unicorns. The firm operates with a founder-first philosophy, emphasizing long-term partnerships built on trust and respect. Peterson Ventures invests mainly at the pre-seed and seed stages, providing capital typically ranging from $500,000 to $2.5 million. Beyond funding, they offer strategic support, network introductions, and community engagement through CEO and CXO events to help startups scale from seed to Series A. Led by experienced partners including Managing Director Ben Capell and Partner Ilana Stern, Peterson Ventures leverages deep industry expertise and a collaborative approach. Their portfolio spans innovative companies in AI-driven hiring solutions, consumer-friendly life insurance, e-commerce tools, and graphical collaboration applications.

Portal Innovations is a venture development platform that provides crafted capital to fuel science-driven companies towards breakthroughs in the life sciences sector. The firm offers a unique membership model, granting startups access to world-class lab space, state-of-the-art equipment, and a comprehensive network of expertise and investors. They focus on identifying top innovators in emerging ecosystems, providing early-stage capital, fully equipped lab facilities, and strategic support across scientific strategy, data, and commercialization to accelerate growth.Founded in 2020 by John Flavin, a seasoned life sciences executive and entrepreneur, Portal Innovations was established to address the critical gaps faced by breakthrough scientists, namely the lack of capital, lab space, and operational support to build companies where they are. John Flavin, along with co-founder Patrick Flavin, leveraged their extensive experience in building and scaling biotechnology companies and innovation hubs to create a platform that not only invests financially but also provides physical infrastructure and human capital. Walder Ventures serves as the founding sponsor, sharing a vision to accelerate biomedical innovation.Portal Innovations has made numerous investments in companies operating in the life sciences, medical technology, biotech, and bioinformatics sectors. Notable portfolio companies include CrossBridge Bio, which was acquired by Eli Lilly, as well as Syntis Bio, March Biosciences, Cardiosense, Vasarya Therapeutics, Transcera, TopoDx, Vivtex, Vincere Biosciences, ReAx, RNAV8, ARase, Grove Biopharma, and ClostraBio. The firm typically provides seed capital, with investments ranging from pre-seed to Series A, and has supported over 150 member companies.The team at Portal Innovations comprises accomplished science-driven leaders with vast experience in health tech, life sciences, finance, and operations. Key team members like John Flavin and Patrick Flavin bring a strong track record of successful company building and capital raising. The in-house scientific and operational teams, including individuals like Yuan Zhang, Elizabeth, and Parth, provide critical support in preclinical development, lab operations, and strategic growth, ensuring portfolio companies navigate critical milestones and scale effectively.

Run Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, founded by veteran investors Brandon Tidwell and Ben Dahl. The firm focuses on leading Series A investments in technology companies, particularly those innovating in artificial intelligence and other transformative sectors. Run Ventures aims to empower ambitious entrepreneurs building companies in emerging tech ecosystems across the United States, especially outside traditional coastal hubs like Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston.The firm’s investment philosophy emphasizes deep, hands-on partnerships with founders, providing not only capital but also strategic support, coaching, and operational expertise. This approach has been validated through successful collaborations with portfolio companies where Run Ventures helped accelerate growth by assisting with capital raises and key team recruitment. Run Ventures positions itself as a "running partner" to entrepreneurs, committed to helping them go faster and further in their journeys.Run Ventures manages a $290 million early-stage fund dedicated to identifying and backing the next generation of technology trailblazers in high-growth ecosystems including Austin, Denver, and Atlanta. The firm leverages its strong national connectivity and local presence in Salt Lake City to challenge traditional venture capital concentration and foster innovation in rising tech centers across the country.