Our Philosophy
Investment Method: Stout Street prides itself on investing intelligently. Our investments are driven by extensive data analysis, market analysis, and due diligence. We invest in early-stage technology companies innovating in the software, fin tech, advanced materials, robotics, and artificial intelligence. We invest in under-served markets, especially in the middle of the country with an emphasis on the Rocky Mountain area.
Investment Portfolio: Stout Street Capital is an seed-stage fund that seeks to invest in early-stage companies focused on improving efficiency and generating bottom-line value in large established sectors in the market. Stout Street’s Value Fund-II is currently focused on post-revenue, seed-to-series-A investments in companies valued at less than $10 million. Stout Street’s Value Fund-I has invested in 36 companies by the end of 2018 and Stout Street Value Fund-II is projected to invest in 50 companies with an average initial investment of 100k by 2020. We usually reserve 500k-$1M in follow on investment for our portfolio companies.
Partners
Associate
Advisors
Prior to joining Grotech, Joe built an extensive, 20-year operating background in communications and data networking, including nine years with US West Communications (which is now CenturyLink), where he was instrumental in building US West’s Data Networking Division from startup to $2.5 billion in revenue and was the president of the division for the last four years as it grew from $300 million in revenue to $2.5 billion. While at US West, Joe was also responsible for managing a $30 million strategic investment fund. It was in this capacity that he began his relationship with Grotech as a result of US West’s A round investment and his board seat at a Grotech portfolio company, USinternetworking. Between US West and Grotech, he served as chief executive officer of Convergent Communications. Prior to US West, he held a variety of management positions at WilTel, LDXNet, United Technologies Communications, MCI Communications and Xerox Corporation.
Joe graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. He is a former member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and WPO (World Presidents Organization). He also serves or has served on the advisory boards of Silicon Flatirons, TiE Rockies and StartupColorado. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy, Colorado
Prior to co-founding Galvanize, Chris was a partner with Appian Ventures where he worked with Ping Identity (acquired for ~$650 mm by Vista Equity Partners), mPay Gateway (acquired by Payspan), T3 Media, Tendril and Auctionpay (acquired by Global Payments). Earlier in his career, he had the privilege of working with Broadbus Technologies (acquired by Motorola) and Datalogix (acquired by Oracle for $1.2 billion.) Chris is also an investor in Bullet Time Ventures (Uber, Sendgrid, Twilio, Simply Measured.) He served on the board of directors of Spex and led the company through its recent sale / majority investment from J.S. Held.
Chris spent four years with LEK Consulting, an international strategy consulting boutique, before locating to Colorado. Chris speaks often about entrepreneurial finance at both Denver University’s Daniels College of Business and the Leeds College of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is a current board member and the former President and Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association, and is a co-founder of the Associates Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado.
Education: BA in Economics, Northwestern University, (Phi Beta Kappa)