Key Takeaways
- • Capital Factory has formed strategic partnerships with ARK Invest and venture capitalist Tim Draper to expand its national network supporting deep technology founders, with both joining its All Access 2027 program as investors and strategic partners.
- • The partnership links Capital Factory's Texas founder network with ARK's ecosystem in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Draper's Silicon Valley venture network.
- • Capital Factory reports a portfolio of more than 1,000 early-stage companies and its All Access program has worked with approximately 100 high-potential companies annually since 2017, supporting businesses from seed through Series B.
- • ARK's venture and research teams will share deal flow and due diligence, and Capital Factory will station a venture team member at ARK's spARK Labs in St. Petersburg to identify technologies and startups across Florida.
- • All Access 2027 targets autonomy, robotics, space, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and technologies tied to economic competitiveness and national security.
Summary
Capital Factory has formed strategic partnerships with ARK Invest and venture capitalist Tim Draper to expand its national network supporting founders building deep technology companies. Both ARK Invest and Draper have joined Capital Factory's All Access 2027 program as investors and strategic partners, according to the announcement.
The initiative will connect founders across Capital Factory's Texas network with ARK's ecosystem in St. Petersburg, Florida, and with Draper's Silicon Valley venture network. Capital Factory describes a portfolio of more than 1,000 early-stage companies and relationships with dual-use investors, corporations, government organizations, and grant providers. Its venture team and ARK's research organization plan to share deal flow and due diligence. The organizations have previously co-invested in several of the same companies, including humanoid robotics developer Apptronik, which joined Capital Factory's portfolio in 2017 and is also held by the ARK Venture Fund, and Colossal Biosciences, which entered Capital Factory's portfolio in 2021 and received an early investment from Draper.
ARK's spARK Labs operates from the 45,000-square-foot ARK Innovation Center in St. Petersburg. Capital Factory plans to station a member of its venture team at the center to identify technologies and startups across Florida. The All Access program has worked with approximately 100 high-potential companies annually since 2017. Previous portfolio companies include Apptronik, Saronic, ICON, Paradromics, Colossal Biosciences, and Firehawk Aerospace.
All Access 2027 will focus on deep technology areas including autonomy, robotics, space, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and technologies related to economic competitiveness and national security. Cathie Wood, founder, CEO and chief investment officer of ARK Invest, said the partnership brings ARK's researchers closer to entrepreneurs and brings Capital Factory's government and defense relationships to St. Petersburg. Tim Draper, founder and managing partner of Draper Associates, said he has backed founders from Silicon Valley for four decades and has watched Austin become a place where founders secure capital, customers and talent over the last fifteen years. Bryan Chambers, president and co-founder of Capital Factory, said the firm has spent fifteen years connecting founders with investors and institutions that buy from them.
The initiative will connect founders across Capital Factory's Texas network with ARK's ecosystem in St. Petersburg, Florida, and with Draper's Silicon Valley venture network. Capital Factory describes a portfolio of more than 1,000 early-stage companies and relationships with dual-use investors, corporations, government organizations, and grant providers. Its venture team and ARK's research organization plan to share deal flow and due diligence. The organizations have previously co-invested in several of the same companies, including humanoid robotics developer Apptronik, which joined Capital Factory's portfolio in 2017 and is also held by the ARK Venture Fund, and Colossal Biosciences, which entered Capital Factory's portfolio in 2021 and received an early investment from Draper.
ARK's spARK Labs operates from the 45,000-square-foot ARK Innovation Center in St. Petersburg. Capital Factory plans to station a member of its venture team at the center to identify technologies and startups across Florida. The All Access program has worked with approximately 100 high-potential companies annually since 2017. Previous portfolio companies include Apptronik, Saronic, ICON, Paradromics, Colossal Biosciences, and Firehawk Aerospace.
All Access 2027 will focus on deep technology areas including autonomy, robotics, space, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and technologies related to economic competitiveness and national security. Cathie Wood, founder, CEO and chief investment officer of ARK Invest, said the partnership brings ARK's researchers closer to entrepreneurs and brings Capital Factory's government and defense relationships to St. Petersburg. Tim Draper, founder and managing partner of Draper Associates, said he has backed founders from Silicon Valley for four decades and has watched Austin become a place where founders secure capital, customers and talent over the last fifteen years. Bryan Chambers, president and co-founder of Capital Factory, said the firm has spent fifteen years connecting founders with investors and institutions that buy from them.
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