StartupNation Ventures provides critical, early-stage development services through a unique, completely performance-driven model.
For select ventures, our team actively guide the business planning process, invest directly and/or raise seed funding in the startup and provide ongoing strategic guidance through the entire development, launch and growth lifecycle.
We have tremendous confidence in our ability, and we have a proven track record of success to substantiate it: we have raised over $60 million in venture and angel funding for a portfolio of startup ventures and have successfully led five portfolio companies from startup to exit, totaling over $200 million in exit value.
In exchange for providing the critical services necessary to create the business, StartupNation Ventures receives an equity share in the entities it helps create. StartupNation Ventures wins only if the innovator wins, and we’d have it no other way.
Jeff is one of America’s leading entrepreneurial and small business experts. The website he co-founded in 2002, known as StartupNation, has become a leading provider of high-quality content relating to starting and growing a business. In his role at StartupNation, Jeff has co-hosted the award-winning nationally syndicated call-in StartupNation radio show – which has aired in over 85 markets; keynoted numerous conferences – including the Microsoft Small Business Conference and the Small Business Administration of America annual conference. He’s appeared on numerous national television news networks as an entrepreneurial expert – including CNN, CNBC, Fox and others. He’s authored a highly acclaimed book on starting a business known as “StartupNation: Open for Business” published by Doubleday; and has received numerous awards – including U.S. Small Business Administration “Journalist of the Year.”
As the lead partner at StartupNation Ventures, Jeff guides a portfolio of fast growing startup ventures from startup to exit including strategic planning and modeling to fundraising to marketing and sales to team-building.
Jeff’s expertise has been earned from his own lifelong journey as a serial entrepreneur across a broad range of businesses ranging from traditional businesses to high tech ventures, including the development and commercialization of his own invention, the “Battery Buddy” to the launch, growth and successful exits of a variety of ventures ranging from Clarity, Genego, Aereous and Rubicon Genomics.
Currently Jeff leads the startup he founded known as FanLabel, and has a strong passion for supporting local commerce through Aria Ventures portfolio ventures ShopLoyal, NeedAnything and Main Street Nation.