The Beginning...
The concept behind Cardinal Ventures Partners was developed on a roadtrip between Los Angeles and San Francisco by a few members of the Stanford Ice Hockey Team who had a passion for start ups, technology and venture captial. It was one of those conversations where big ideas emerge, but the majority of the time, nothing comes out of it. This was a bit different though as two members decided to pursue the concept further. After a bit of research and a lot of cold calls, Cardinal Ventures Partners was formed and is continuing to grow aggressively by seeking out phenomenal early-stage technology companies and partnering with strong investors and venture funds.
The Focus...
The focus of Cardinal Venture Partners is in providing capital for two important yet commonily neglected areas. The first being very early seed capital and the second being before a Series A round is raised, commonly known as the "Funding Gap". Over the last few years venture capital funds have moved to focusing on opportunities later in the funding cycle. This has resulted in a large problem, and we would say a huge opportunity, for companies raising funds to advance through the early stages of their company, and if needed, attract investment from a large venture capital fund.
In looking at prospective technology companies we primarily evaluate 3 factors:
- The Founder(s) - you better be passionate about what you are doing and bring an amazing skill set to the table.
- The Market - you need to show that there is a market and business for your technology.
- The Team - it takes a lot of talent and guidance to build a company, we want to see who you have surrounded yourself with.
The Value...
In addition to providing our own capital, we look to partner with investors that can bring more to the table than just money. We know that technology companies are not built with capital alone, but with extradorinary entrepreneurs, devoted people that can execute and strong management and advisory teams. From our experience investing in, and working in, early-stage technology companies we bring our passion, resources and network to your company.