Venture Hive, a Miami-based startup accelerator, incubator and education company, and venture and tech firm Disruption Corporation have teamed up in a move aimed at expanding opportunities for early stage entrepreneurs and investors to educate themselves on how to grow a successful company. The partnership is being announced Tuesday in Washington DC.
"The partnership with Disruption is a win-win for all of South Florida," Susan Amat, founder of Venture Hive, said Monday night. "Finding investors who have been involved in hundreds of early-stage tech deals and who have raised over $100 million in seed and post-seed tech investments is rare. Even more than that, they are dedicated to education and economic development. We are excited about the collaboration, which will lead to more investable companies and wider rang of financing options for our companies. ... Paul [Singh] and George [Kellerman] are full- spectrum investment experts and most importantly, they understand how to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem from scratch.”
Paul Singh founded Disruption Corporation last year as a platform offering research, investment and advice about the maturing private market. Earlier this year Singh, a globally recognized expert on tech investment and growth, launched Crystal Tech Fund, the venture arm whereby Disruption invests in high-growth tech companies. Singh, a northern Virginia native, was a founding partner of Silicon Valley venture firm and accelerator 500 Startups. George Kellerman was a fellow partner at 500 Startups and joined Disruption as a Managing Partner in May.
“In Venture Hive we are partnering here with a true leader in entrepreneur education,” Singh said in a news release. “The fastest way to grow a new entrepreneurial ecosystem is to make sure investors are learning how to make smart investment decisions at the same rate that founders are learning how to build smart companies.”
As a result of the partnership Disruption Corporation’s team of investors and analysts will take the lead in managing and educating the investor community, as well as diligence and investment in accelerator companies, both in Miami and among Venture Hive’s network of investor partners in Latin America. Venture Hive offers young companies in its accelerator a $25,000 non-equity grant and six months of rent-free office space and collaboration to grow their businesses.
Venture Hive will also be honored at the White House on Wednesday as one of the 50 winners of the inaugural nationwide Growth Accelerator Fund competition by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Venture Hive was selected from a pool of more than 800 applications. The prize comes with a a $50,000 SBA grant.
Last month, Venture Hive announced a partnership with DLA Piper, a global law firm in more than 30 countries. DLA Piper will provide Venture Hive companies with legal guidance as well as on-site office hours.
Opened in January, 2013, Venture Hive offers governments, institutions and communities turnkey solutions to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem based on sound educational and economic development principles at the K-12, university, and incubator and accelerator levels.
The deadline for applying to Venture Hive's third accelerator class is Nov. 24. Apply at www.venturehive.co.
Posted Nov. 11, 2014