Loading organizations...
Brown Venture Group operates as a venture capital firm and early-stage seed accelerator, investing in technology startups. It focuses on enterprises founded by Black, Latino, and Indigenous entrepreneurs, providing essential capital, tailored training, and professional networks. This approach cultivates innovation and addresses funding disparities within communities historically underrepresented in the technology sector.
The firm was co-founded in 2018 by Paul Campbell, Dr. Chris Brooks, and Jerome Hamilton. Campbell and Brooks, leveraging their technology and entrepreneurial backgrounds, identified a critical gap in venture capital access for Black, Latino, and Indigenous tech founders. This insight drove the creation of Brown Venture Group to unlock potential and create equitable opportunities.
Brown Venture Group serves Black, Latino, and Indigenous technology entrepreneurs. The organization’s vision is to empower these founders, building a supportive ecosystem where their startups can achieve substantial, sustainable growth. Through strategic resource deployment, the firm endeavors to drive economic development and foster innovation within diverse, under-resourced segments of the technology industry.
Key people at Brown Venture Group.
Brown Venture Group was founded in 2018 by Dr. Chris Brooks (Co-Founder + Managing Partner).
Brown Venture Group was founded in 2018 by Dr. Chris Brooks (Co-Founder + Managing Partner).
Brown Venture Group (BVG) is a Minneapolis-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 with a mission to invest in and support Black, Latino, and Native American technology startups. The firm focuses on providing transformational capital, mentorship, and strategic resources to underrepresented founders who are often overlooked by traditional investors. BVG primarily invests in early-stage companies across sectors such as marketplaces, enterprise technology, entertainment, sports, media, content creation, clean energy, health tech, and software. Their goal is to foster innovation and scalability within minority-led tech startups, creating an ecosystem where these entrepreneurs can thrive and drive economic empowerment[1][2][4].
BVG was founded by experienced operators including Dr. Paul Campbell, Jerome Hamilton, and Chris Dykstra, who bring extensive backgrounds in technology, entrepreneurship, and sales leadership. The firm emphasizes the resilience and unique perspectives of under-resourced entrepreneurs, viewing this as a significant untapped market opportunity. Brown Venture Group acts not only as a traditional venture capital fund but also as a venture studio, actively promoting and building startups within these communities. Notable portfolio companies include Big Navajo Energy, which focuses on sustainable hydrogen production on tribal lands, and Nice Healthcare, which provides in-home care services and has raised significant funding[2][3][6].
Brown Venture Group rides the growing trend of diversity and inclusion in venture capital, recognizing the economic and innovation potential of minority-led startups. The timing is critical as awareness and demand for equitable investment grow, alongside increasing recognition that underrepresented entrepreneurs bring resilience and unique insights. Market forces such as corporate diversity initiatives and social impact investing favor BVG’s mission. By focusing on overlooked founders and emerging sectors like clean energy on tribal lands, BVG influences the broader ecosystem by expanding access to capital and fostering innovation in communities historically excluded from mainstream venture capital[1][2][3].
Looking ahead, Brown Venture Group is poised to expand its fund size and portfolio, continuing to leverage its unique position as a venture capital and venture studio hybrid. Trends such as increased corporate commitments to diversity, growth in clean and health technologies, and the rise of minority entrepreneurship will shape BVG’s trajectory. The firm’s influence is likely to grow as it demonstrates the scalability and impact of investing in underrepresented founders, potentially inspiring more capital flow into these markets and contributing to a more inclusive tech ecosystem[2][6]. Brown Venture Group’s vision of a world where all talent has access to transformational capital remains a compelling and timely mission in the evolving venture capital landscape[4].
Key people at Brown Venture Group.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 2023 | Hollywood Unlocked | $1.7M Seed | — | Black Capital, Bracket Capital, Hidden Empire Film Group, Intuition Capital |
| Mar 1, 2022 | Nice Healthcare | $30.0M Series A | Partha Mishra | DNA Capital, Great North Ventures, High Alpha, Matchstick Ventures, Daren Cotter, Eduardo Cisneros, Conductive Ventures, F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Santa Barbara Venture Partners, Waterline Ventures |