About Us
At Catamount we are entrepreneurs first and investors second. We are passionate about the art of entrepreneurship and look for opportunities to position our talents and experience where they can deliver game-changing value.
Catamount specializes in early-stage companies that are often too young and unproven for most venture capital firms. We serve the gap in the market that often exists between angel investors and large venture funds, which are generally more interested in established businesses. Nothing is too early for us. We embrace the uncertainty of an untested product or business, and work hard to embed success deep within the DNA of our companies.
As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand your excitement and have felt your pain. Most important, we know what it takes to launch and manage a successful business. Unlike many funds, we back only a limited number of companies in each fund and remain active with our companies throughout their lifecycles. Our primary goal is building great companies—from the earliest days of solidifying a business model to hiring, fundraising, scaling the business and planning an appropriate exit.
Building great companies and returns, however, is only part of the picture. Our mission is to create jobs, provide economic opportunities, limit our impact on the environment and contribute to our communities. We are here to make a difference, and we see the creative process of company building as a means of giving back to society. By backing game-changing companies, we hope that the value of our investments will be measured by more than economic returns alone. That said, we want to be very clear that we also strive to generate top returns within the venture capital industry, and believe that our mission has set us up to do so.
Catamount is currently investing out of its fourth fund, which consists of $80 million in committed capital.
Our Name
The catamount—a mountain lion that once widely roamed the Green Mountains of Vermont—symbolizes Catamount Ventures' energy and ideology. We liken the catamount's spirit to that of an entrepreneur. The catamount is solitary and efficient; it possesses a mystique and quiet strength. Like an entrepreneur, the big cat strikes it alone, seeking its own way in the face of constant challenges and harsh realities.
History
Upon leaving drugstore.com, Catamount founder Jed Smith conducted a study of the venture capital industry, quickly identifying a gap in the financing process between angel investors and large venture funds. Jed decided to fill that gap by founding a firm that would couple very-early-stage capital with experienced hands-on help. Rather than become an angel investor himself, he felt he could better serve entrepreneurs by raising a distinct venture fund with the team, capital and resources to back companies for long-term success. Catamount Ventures was launched in 2000.
In 2005 Catamount began investigating firms and industries committed to environmental sustainability, an investment philosophy that complemented Catamount's core focus on early stage technology investment.
Mark Silverman joined Catamount as a full managing partner in 2006 to help lead the firm to the next level.