Midwest VC, area startup vet join Firebrand Ventures following $17.7M fund raise
April 25, 2018 | Bobby Burch
On the heels of smashing its fundraising goal, Firebrand Ventures has added a pair of new team members.
The Kansas City-based seed fund is welcoming Cincinnati venture capitalist Wendy Lea as an advisor and Kansas City startup vet Maranda Manning as fund associate, said managing director John Fein.
Lea brings a wealth of investment and business experience as well as a global network to Firebrand’s already impressive advisory board. She is now CEO of Cintrifuse, a public-private partnership organization that helps build the Cincinnati tech scene. Lea is also a board member of Techstars and several startups. In 2012 and 2013, Lea was recognized as a Women of Influence in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
Lea joins a powerhouse advisory board at Firebrand. Techstars CEO David Cohen, Kansas City venture capitalist Keith Harrington, Brian McClendon, former Uber vice president of maps, and Next Coast Ventures co-founder Tom Ball each help Firebrand via its advisory board.
Manning previously worked with Fein while he served as managing director of the Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator where she led day-to-day operations of the program. Most recently Manning served as director of marketing for Kansas City-based tech startup SquareOffs.
”I’m very excited to be working with Maranda again and to welcome Wendy to our stellar advisory team,” Fein wrote in a company blog. “I look forward to the great things I know both will bring to the fund’s mission of investing in exceptional founders!”
Firebrand recently raised $17.7 million for tech ventures in the Midwest, exceeding its initial goal by about 250 percent.
The Firebrand Ventures fund will invest its $17.7 million in about 10 to 12 Midwest startups per year with an average check size of $200,000, Fein said. The fund’s portfolio currently includes 12 companies, including Super Dispatch, FitBark and Sickweather, which call the Kansas City metro home.
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Listen: How does Kansas City regard failure?
In the entrepreneurial world, the word “failure” takes many definitions. For some entrepreneurs, failure is a badge of honor, while for others it’s taboo. Regardless, failure is a part of reality amongst startups and it’s a topic that’s been examined at length in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community. KCUR’s Up To Date recently hosted Startland editor-in-chief Bobby Burch, Pipeline Inc.…
Events Preview: Compute Midwest, Shark Tank
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Compute Midwest When: October 22 – 23 Where: Municipal Arena Over a thousand remarkable people from around the globe will converge in…
Lager: Why I quit my cushy job for a broke startup
It’s 4:03 a.m. My bedroom is still dark and the late August heat leaves me little need for a blanket. I lay here wide-awake, arms crossed behind my head on a pillow that’s too thin, while the rest of the world sleeps in deep peacefulness. I hear nothing, save for the wind occasionally singing outside…
90 on the Clock with Mighty Handle
90 on the Clock with Mighty Handle By John McGrath, KCPT, and Bobby Burch, Startland News Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the fifth and final episode in the series. Think of Mighty Handle as your digital defender. No, Mighty Handle is not anti-virus…