Mercury Fund
Mercury Fund is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm. The firm’s total capital under management is $200 million. Mercury selectively invests in promising software and science-based startup opportunities and has a focus on technology innovation in the U.S. Mid-continent. According to co-founder Blair Garrou “innovation doesn’t only happen on the coasts.”
The fund was founded in 2005 by Blair Garrou and Dan Watkins who are still among five partners that now direct the firm. Their previous funds totaled $20 million in 2006, $70 million in 2010, and $105 million in 2014. From this third fund they made initial investments between $50,000 and $2 million with designs to fund up to $5 million over the life of a company. These investments also include some mentorship and networking for clients and talent.
The fund also prefers working with startups that have come through local accelerators, with one of the reasons being that Mercury has developed relationships with many, some even helping to found.
Team
Partners
Blair Garrou https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgarrou (Co-Founder)
Dan Watkins, PhD https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-watkins-2880141 (Co-Founder)
Aziz Gilani https://www.linkedin.com/in/azizgilani
Danny Janiak, PhD https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljaniak
Adrian Fortino https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianfortino
Operations
Winston Gilpin https://www.linkedin.com/in/winstongilpin
Andreas Galliker https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasgalliker
Lauren-Kristine Pryzant https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkristine
Tolonye Williams
Advisors
Paul Campbell, Rich Cilento, Andrew Clark, Scott Forrest, Jay Gardner, Misha Govshteyn, Mark Hasebroock, Ned Hill, Emily Keeton, David Olson PhD, Don Schemer MD, Rob Schultz, Jennifer West PhD, John Westwic PhD
Portfolio
Software
Apto
Vatical
Deerfield
GameSalad
Grayling
Coupon
Label Insight
LISNR
ShareThis
Sight Machine
TrendKite
Unwired Nation
Science
Ambiq Micro
Apsara
Benson Hill
BlackThorn
Clean Chemistry
Confluence
Deep Imaging Technologies
DNAtrix Therapeutics
GlycosBio
Illumitex
Prolacta Bioscience
Synopsis Surgical
Swift Biosciences
Versos Medical
Exits
Alert Logic
BlackLocus
Cage
Dónde
FluenSee
Info chimps
Machine
Modest
Furnace Software
Retention.ai
Locations
Primary Offices
Houston
One Greenway Plaza
Suite 930
Houston, TX 77046
Ann Arbor
303 Detroit Street
Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
San Diego
1025 Prospect St.
Suite 390
La Jolla, CA 92037
Secondary Offices
Austin
Sechstars Austin
412 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701
Cincinnati
Centrifuge
299 E 6th St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Chicago
1871
222 W. Merch Mart
Chicago, IL 60654
