Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
In this month’s Doubleshot Newsletter, you will find:
- Builder Highlight: 1 Million Cups
- LP Highlight: Citizens Bank of Edmond
- Cortado News
- PortCo Updates
- Ecosystem News & Events
Builder Highlight: 1 Million Cups
Founded in 2012, 1 Million Cups was established with the goal of creating a secure and inclusive environment that fosters support for entrepreneurs across the globe. Its mission revolves around transforming circumstances, tackling underlying issues, and dismantling systemic obstacles. The concept originated from entrepreneurs brainstorming solutions over countless cups of coffee. Over the course of a decade, the program has successfully gained national recognition, leading to the expansion of its entrepreneurial-focused network. Each chapter convenes for coffee meetings on Wednesday every month. Here are a few Midcontinent meetings you can attend:
Albuquerque, NM; Dallas, TX; Kansas City, MO; Lawton, OK; Oklahoma City; San Antonio, TX; Tulsa, OK; Wichita, KS.
LP Highlight: Citizens Bank of Edmond
We’d like to welcome Citizens Bank of Edmond as an institutional investor into our Fund II. The woman-owned depository is led by President and CEO, Jill Castilla, who has been named as one of the most innovative leaders in banking and as 100 Most Influential People in FinTech. The community bank continues to operate on the same downtown Edmond intersection where it was founded in April 1901.
In the early days of the pandemic, Castilla and her team worked closely with Mark Cuban to help process PPP loans as small businesses were experiencing difficulties accessing federal assistance. This created a model to streamline the PPP process for more than 300 financial institutions. We are grateful to have had the Citizens Bank of Edmond support entrepreneurs in our state and beyond.
Cortado News:
Venture Capital Journal: Oklahoma’s plan to become an innovation leader
Cortado Ventures, among others, was recently featured the Venture Capital Journal. VCJ Editor David Bogoslaw covered how new venture capital funds, state funding programs, accelerators and public/private investment partnerships are buoying start-up activity in the Sooner State. Read more here.
Harding and Basch to present at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
Your Votes Made It Happen! Our managing partner Nathaniel Harding and Atento Capital‘s GP Michael Basch are going to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco to lead the conversation on “Why Coastal Tech Hubs Should Pay Attention to the Innovation Happening in the Midcontinent.” Read More Here.
Harding announced as Kauffman Fellow
In a recent news, our managing partner Nathaniel Harding was welcomed into Kauffman Fellows Class 28, a prestigious two-year program that gathers VC investors from all over the world to operate with “diligence, self-awareness, and purpose”.
This program involves an intensive commitment of 30 to 40 days during which participants delve into every facet of innovation investing. They explore diverse topics ranging from thesis development and understanding human dynamics to deal flow, navigating public markets, and beyond. Read more here.
The Oklahoman: It’s time to acknowledge that prioritizing mental health is a winning move, Cody Merrill writes
“Everything in a founder’s life appears magnified, but better mental health care can help manage these emotions,” writes our Venture Executive Cody Merrill, a former founder himself that has dealt with prioritizing his mental health. Read more here.
405 Business Magazine: The Future of Oklahoma’s Venture Funding
Our very own principal, Susan Moring was recently featured in the 405 Business Magazine. Alongside two other Oklahoma VC investors, she engaged in a discussion regarding the profound influence of the upcoming capital investments. She expressed optimism outlook on the future being “promising” and is “excited” about the increase of available capital. Read more here.
PortCo News:
Volt wins the OVF Award for Most Promising New Venture
Cortado Portco Volt has recently won Oklahoma Venture Forum’s Award for Most Promising New Venture, an award that celebrates the outstanding contribution to Oklahoma’s economic growth, productivity and innovation. Congrats to this outstanding startup!
NUVIEW Welcomes Leonardo DiCaprio as an Investor
Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio recently made an investment in Nuview, a Cortado portfolio company. Nuview specializes in utilizing advanced technology LiDAR to map the Earth’s land surface. With this notable investment from DiCaprio, in a round lead by MaC Venture Capital, Nuview is poised to further enhance its groundbreaking work in high-resolution land surface mapping. Read more here.
Moat Biotechnology announces $6.5M first close
Moat Biotechnology has raised $6.5 million in its first close of funding. MoatBio is a clinical development stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel intranasal/inhaled and oral vaccines based on the SC-AdVax platform that was exclusively licensed from the Mayo Clinic. In its funding round led by Cortado Ventures, one of our general partners, Mike Moradi commented on this matter saying, “This technology arrives as we look forward to preventing future pandemics.” Read more here.
Mate Fertility raises $5M in Series A Founding Round
Cortado Portco Mate Fertility recently raised $5 million with a mission to address the significant shortage of IVF providers. Their goal is to revolutionize the field of reproductive health by leveraging innovative technologies and strategies to increase access and improve the quality of care in the realm of in vitro fertilization (IVF). To date, its flagship location in Oklahoma City boasts a pregnancy rate 22% higher than national averages. Read more here.
Exum Instruments closes $6M Series A Funding Round
Huge news as Cortado portco Exum Instruments closed its Series A round at $6M. This round was led by Oklahoma-based EIC Rose Rock and joined by several other Oklahoma-based investors. Read More Here.
Boddle Learning reaches 1 million monthly users
Cortado Portco Boddle Learning, a gamified platform that provides interactive 3D games to aid learning for kids, recently celebrated a milestone of 1 million monthly active users. Led by Edna Martinson and Clarence Tan, the Tulsa-based startup is a learning platform that engages with K-6 grade by gamifying practice & assessments, with an emphasis on math. To read more on their story
Ecosystem Events:
Founder Hour
Come join us and other investors, founders and ecosystem builders. We are hosting another Founder Hour on June 27th at Pool Bar and Bodega at21c Hotel in OKC. Like previous Founder Hours, this is a great way to connect and share with other founders and ecosystem builders from across Oklahoma. RSVP Here to join us.
Special Thanks to our programming sponsors Citizens Bank of Edmond and OU Price College of Business.
SBA Road Tour
On July 17th, The SBA Road Tour arrives in Oklahoma City offering an avenue for potential partnerships and networking opportunities. This event marks the entry of the most substantial seed fund into Oklahoma City. Read more
Other Local Events:
Pizzas, Pitches, & Pints:
Join The Verge OKC at Oklahoma Craft Nanobrewery for a 5-minute pitch and the chance to savor pizza and pints, on June 20th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
OKCID Get Funded Series:
Attend the Get Funded Series on June 29th from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the OKC Innovation District
OKC Tech++:
Join us for OKC Tech++ event, a tech, startup, and entrepreneurship mixer on June 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dunlap Codding.