New Look, Same Bridge! We’re pleased to share our refreshed website, which reflects Bridge’s growth and evolution over the years. We remain laser-focused on early-stage venture investing, targeting overlooked categories underserved by innovation, and while much of the VC market follows the herd, Bridge always strives to “Venture Beyond the Hype”. We’re proud of having built a portfolio with companies like PartySlate, Casetext, Part of Thomson Reuters, Caraway Home, Simple Mills, haku, Mack Weldon, ConverseNow.AI, and Trajektory (among so many others!) led by a diverse group of founders who deserve the spotlight for their hard work and success. We look forward to sharing more of their unique stories and accomplishments! Bridge Venture Fund specializes in SaaS, digital marketplaces and consumer brands, and Palo Santo, our mental health focused fund, leads the way in psychedelic therapeutics. Bridge and Palo Santo’s teams are each dedicated to their respective theses, yet our combined resources uniquely position us for success in the early-stage VC market. To our founders, co-investors, LPs, and the extended Bridge network: We are so grateful for your collaboration throughout our journey and we look forward to 2025! ?? Check out Bridge’s new look at www.bridgeventurefund.com Bridge Venture Fund Team: Jason Thomas, Connor Ryan, Daniel Goldberg Palo Santo Team: Daniel Goldberg, Tim Schlidt, Edny Inui, PhD, MBA, Adrienne Jo
关于我们
Investing in overlooked categories underserved by innovation, Bridge is a Seed-stage venture capital fund specializing in SaaS, digital marketplaces and consumer brands. Backing companies like Casetext, Caraway Home, Simple Mills, haku, Lawmatics, ConverseNow, Trajektory, Mack Weldon, and Priori Legal!
- 网站
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https://www.bridgeventurefund.com
Bridge Venture Fund的外部链接
- 所属行业
- 风险投资与私募股权管理人
- 规模
- 2-10 人
- 总部
- Chicago，IL
- 类型
- 私人持股
- 创立
- 2015
- 领域
- Venture Capital、Consumer、SaaS、Marketplaces、Vertical Software和Seed
地点
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主要
获取路线
171 N Aberdeen St Suite 400
US，IL，Chicago，60607
Bridge Venture Fund员工
动态
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Vision is evidence of venture outcome potential. Metrics are evidence of progress towards that goal. Both are necessary!
Founders are strong believers in their vision. Early investors are strong believers too. But success isn’t just about belief—it’s about testing, refining, and proving viability. ?? Connor Ryan, our guest in The Sure Shot Entrepreneur Podcast (Episode 160), shares why he looks beyond traction to assess real product-market fit. As he puts it: “There’s infinite product-market fit for giving away a dollar in exchange for 99 cents.” In Episode 83, Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures explains why execution and real-world proof matter more than flashy projections. Read the newsletter by clicking the link in the comments! Also featured in the newsletter, AI-powered construction platform Lumber has joined the Fulfilled by Acumatica program, streamlining workforce management with cloud ERP integration. Gopi Rangan #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Podcast
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Bridge Venture Fund Partner Connor Ryan was recently featured on The Sure Shot Entrepreneur Podcast! Check out his episode here ??
?? “There’s infinite product-market fit for giving away a dollar in exchange for 99 cents.” – Connor Ryan, partner at Bridge Venture Fund. Venture capital is obsessed with growth—but not all growth is created equal. Many startups manufacture revenue through heavy discounts, ad spend, or inflated projections. But real traction? It shows up in unit economics, not forecasts. ?? In a new episode of The Sure Shot Entrepreneur Podcast, Connor breaks down why early-stage investors care about demonstrated product-market fit, how misleading LTV/CAC assumptions kill deals, and why founders who truly understand their customer’s pain points stand out. ?? Tune into @The Sure Shot Entrepreneur Podcast. Special mention: Trajektory Alex Kerr Matt Powers Jason Thomas #VentureCapital #Startups
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Excited to welcome our 2025 Winter MBA Associate Eli Giterman! Eli has a background in strategy consulting with a focus on software and technology. He joins us from the 1Y program of the Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management! Welcome aboard, Eli!
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We're thrilled to share that Simple Mills Founder and CEO, Katlin Smith, is back on NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz for the second time! ?? This episode of the How I Built This Advice Line series covers topics like: ?? When to go "all in" with your business ?? How to make the most of your marketing budget ?? Choosing the right partners for your growth Listen now to hear Katlin’s valuable tips for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. You won't want to miss this one! https://lnkd.in/gSfx_Zdm
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If you're an investor or founder in Chicago who's interested in the future of women's health, come join us next Wednesday! ??
?? Join Us for a Meaningful Conversation on Women’s Health ?? Distributed Ventures is thrilled to be co-hosting a Women’s Health & Wellness Breakfast with our friends at Listen Ventures, Bridge Venture Fund and Norton Rose Fulbright focused on connecting early-stage founders and funders in the space in Chicago. I'm particularly interested in meeting founders who are working in the preventative health space! ?? Date: Wednesday, January 29 at 9am ?? Location: 1045 W Fulton Market suite 1200 Space is limited: https://lu.ma/ke88vwy1 Joelle Cosmas Connor Ryan George Khalife #WomensHealth #Innovation #PreventativeCare #DistributedVentures #Chicago #Startup #VentureCapital
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Excited to announce our seed investment in Abstract, co-leading their $4.8M round alongside Communitas Capital! ?? Founders Pat Utz and ???? Mohammed Hayat transformed their academic NLP project into an AI platform that helps businesses anticipate how proposed changes in government policy may affect them. Along with COO Matthew Chang, they've built a powerhouse team to help companies navigate complex regulatory landscapes By synthesizing data from over 145,000 government bodies in real time, Abstract enables companies to turn regulatory challenges into strategic opportunities. What started as a thesis project has evolved into essential infrastructure for modern enterprises, with their platform already serving 200+ organizations. The team's deep domain expertise and technological innovation in this space is truly impressive. Read more about why we invested below.
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Congratulations to Pat Utz and the Abstract team on their Seed round led by Bonfire Ventures ?? and Communitas Capital!
Thrilled to announce our $4.8M seed round, co-led by?Bonfire Ventures ???and?Communitas Capital! So proud of our Abstract team and grateful to our investors, advisors, and customers for their support. We're excited for what's to come and to continue to grow our AI-driven regulatory solution that is empowering teams across legal, lobbying, government relations, finance, HR, and more to stay ahead of shifting regulatory landscapes?? https://lnkd.in/gHSRWFeJ
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Bridge Venture Fund 2024 Q4 Newsletter is out! ??Simple Mills to be acquired by Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries ??Bridge's New Website! ???Abstract CEO Pat Utz interviewed by Authority Magazine ????Trajektory CEO Alex Kerr on Sports Loft Podcast and more! https://lnkd.in/gXbyzKbb
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??Celebrate Your Exits!?? It has been a privilege watching Simple Mills grow over the years, and this transaction is a testament to their incredible success. Katlin Smith’s journey began with a personal mission to make purposeful, nutrient-rich food a staple in every home—and she’s succeeded on every level. Through strategic leadership and steady innovation, Simple Mills has grown from a startup winning a pitch competition at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business to a brand sold in 30,000+ stores across the U.S. Their business growth, customer loyalty, and market leadership are truly remarkable. This acquisition by Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries is a new chapter in the Simple Mills story and we’re excited to watch them continue their mission—not only continuing as a brand leader in better-for-you foods, but also as a leader in regenerative agriculture with the goal of building a more sustainable food system. As Katlin said, “This transaction marks the beginning of a new phase of growth for Simple Mills. With Flowers’ resources, we’ll broaden distribution, accelerate innovation, and amplify brand awareness while staying true to our mission.” Congratulations to Katlin and the team for their work over the last 13 years and well-deserved success! ?? #exits #startups #regenerativeagriculture #betterforyou
Today, we’re excited to share that Simple Mills has entered into a definitive agreement to join?Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries. ? ? Simple Mills was built upon a simple yet powerful belief: food holds tremendous power to ignite meaningful change. Over the past 12 years, our incredibly talented team has transformed that belief into reality -- we reimagined beloved pantry staples with simple, wholesome ingredients and exceptional taste, introduced unique, nutrient-dense nut, seed, and vegetable flours to the snacking category, and partnered with farmers to implement regenerative practices and nurture our vision of a world where food creates a better tomorrow for people and planet.? ? With Flowers’ partnership, we are well positioned to take Simple Mills to new heights. Together, we will focus on broadening our distribution, accelerating our innovation, amplifying brand awareness to reach more consumers, and advancing our ambitious mission. Upon close of the transaction (expected later in Q1), Katlin and the Simple Mills team will be staying onboard, operating as an independent subsidiary and collaborating with Flowers to build upon our strong history of growth and break new ground.? ? Beyond the opportunities for our business, we are equally excited about this partnership because of the compatibility of our cultures, missions, and values. Like Simple Mills, Flowers’ culture centers on the value of its team, doing business the right way, and supporting its communities. Flowers’ company values – honesty & integrity, respect & inclusion, sustainability, passion, and humility – serve as the guiding principles for everything they do. And most importantly, they are equally invested in our mission to revolutionize the way food is made and are committed to maintaining our exceptional ingredient and product standards.??? ? This is an incredible milestone for our organization, and we’re thrilled about what this venture will mean for our team, for our customers, for our mission, and for our broader impact.?? ? Thank you for your support! https://lnkd.in/eqjd2fh9