TLDR:
- New VC firm, South Loop Ventures, aims to invest in diverse founders and promising startups in industries like health care, climatetech, aerospace, sports, and fintech.
- The firm plans to bring these startups into Houston’s innovation ecosystem to help them grow and scale efficiently.
Houston-based venture capital firm, South Loop Ventures, is making waves in the startup investment scene by focusing on diverse founders and promising startups in various industries. Founded by Zach Ellis, the firm aims to invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across sectors such as health care, climatetech, aerospace, sports, and fintech. Ellis emphasizes the importance of casting a wide net to identify the best investment opportunities while also giving these startups the necessary resources to succeed. By connecting targeted companies with Houston’s ecosystem, South Loop Ventures hopes to accelerate their growth and enable them to work with world-class partners more efficiently.
Ellis’s background in the United States Military, academia, and corporate venture has provided him with a diverse range of experiences in the innovation landscape. Motivated by the events following the murder of George Floyd, Ellis decided to focus on investing in founders of color and overlooked innovators. With Houston being one of the most diverse and largest cities in the country, Ellis believes it is the ideal location to carry out South Loop’s mission of becoming the go-to source of venture capital for underrepresented, diverse teams nationwide. The firm currently has six portfolio companies, including Houston-based Milkify, a company that offers a breast milk freeze-drying service and received investment on Shark Tank.
Looking ahead, South Loop Ventures plans to announce several new investments in the coming year and continues to seek out innovative founders with valuable insights. By leveraging the unique resources and talent of Houston, the firm aims to catalyze the city’s ecosystem for tech entrepreneurship and support underrepresented talents in the startup landscape.
