Rich LeFurgy

Rich LeFurgy is the Managing Partner at Next Coast Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Austin, Texas. In this leadership role, he oversees a portfolio of more than 50 technology companies and manages over $200 million in total assets, which includes raising a $115 million third fund in 2024. Before transitioning to venture capital investing, he co-founded and led WP Engine, successfully scaling the cloud platform to over $100 million in annual recurring revenue prior to its 2021 private equity sale. The University of Texas at Austin alumnus previously held senior executive positions at Rackspace Hosting and currently serves on the board of directors for the global news platform Semafor. His current early-stage investment strategy centers on B2B software, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity startups operating primarily within the Central United States ecosystem.