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Key people at Coolwater.
Coolwater Capital is an institutional investment firm that launches and supports emerging venture capital funds, operating from an undisclosed headquarters. The organization provides capital, operational infrastructure, and specialized training to new fund managers while offering institutional investors seeking alpha a platform to access high-performing smaller funds. To date, the firm has completed more than 200 investments across the broader technology sector. Coolwater partners with various global entities to design and scale venture ecosystems through bespoke Cluster programs, serving clients that include development finance institutions, non-governmental organizations, and corporate entities. The platform also facilitates early co-investment access to breakout companies backed by its network of emerging general partners, recently detailing its infrastructure model in an interview with Finscale. The firm was established by founder and managing member Winter Mead, though its exact founding year remains undisclosed.
Key people at Coolwater.
Coolwater Capital is an investment firm founded in 2021 that pioneers a new model to launch, build, and scale emerging fund managers, particularly in venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE).[1][2][3] Its mission positions it as "innovation's rising tide," providing capital, cohorts, and resources to help new managers fundraise and institutionalize with confidence, operating in the financial services industry from its HQ in Salt Lake City, Utah, with around 24-45 employees.[1][2][4] The firm focuses on emerging VCs through accelerators and partnerships, such as with Versatile VC, to foster diverse managers in investment tech and beyond, impacting the startup ecosystem by amplifying underrepresented fund leaders who back early-stage innovation.[3][5]
Coolwater Capital was founded in 2021 by Winter Mead, who serves as CEO, launching from Salt Lake City, Utah.[1][4] The firm's inception addressed a gap in supporting emerging fund managers, evolving from a simple accelerator model into a comprehensive platform offering capital, cohorts, and operational scaling tools.[2][3] Key early traction includes partnerships like the one with Versatile VC, the first firm focused on investment tech companies, aimed at building more diverse emerging venture managers.[5] This evolution reflects a shift toward institutionalizing new VCs amid a maturing startup funding landscape.
Coolwater Capital rides the trend of democratizing VC access, capitalizing on the rise of diverse and emerging managers amid VC consolidation and a push for underrepresented voices in funding startups.[3][5] Timing is ideal post-2021 funding boom, as new managers face fundraising hurdles; market forces like investment tech innovation (via partners like Versatile VC) and demand for scalable platforms favor its model.[1][5] It influences the ecosystem by multiplying quality emerging funds, indirectly boosting capital flow to startups in tech and beyond, countering industry concentration.[2][3]
Coolwater is poised to expand its accelerator cohorts and partnerships, potentially scaling to 50+ employees as emerging manager demand grows with AI-driven investment tools and economic recovery.[1][5] Trends like diverse fund proliferation and tech-enabled fundraising will shape its path, evolving its influence from niche platform to ecosystem cornerstone—much like how it redefines support for innovation's rising tide.[2]
