Fundraising Fox
Hilltop Venture Partners
Venture capitalSan Diego · Pre-Seed–Seed · 6 people tracked
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Investment thesis
Hilltop Venture Partners believes successful startups combine rapid iterative product development with early revenue generation from independent customers to validate business models and reduce dilution. The firm emphasizes that merely bringing traditional services online is insufficient; instead, startups must deliver genuinely valuable, differentiated solutions to customer needs. Success is optimized through small, experienced founding teams backed by engaged advisors. The firm invests in pre-revenue or early-revenue service businesses across consumer and business segments with clear paths to attractive exits.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website & public directories
Brad Greenwald is Managing Partner of Hilltop Venture Partners and has spent roughly 25 years launching and operating startup and corporate businesses. He started at Bain & Co. and later held sales, marketing, and operations roles at Time Warner Cable, Loyalty Management Group, and WildBlue Communications, and founded and ran TidBitts and Education Funding Partners. He teaches Executive MBA strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of Denver's Daniels School of Business, holds a B.A. from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Charles Knight is the Founding Attorney of Venture Law Advisors, with a background in corporate and securities law after working as an associate and partner at California and New York law firms and serving as general counsel of a public distribution company. He later held operating roles including CFO, CMO, COO, and CEO, including leading a public real estate investment trust and a private wind energy development company, both later acquired. He is an angel investor and corporate advisor, and teaches entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business. He holds a J.D. and M.B.A. from UCLA and a B.A. in Experimental Psychology from UC Santa Barbara.
David Cohen is the founder and CEO of TechStars and has previously started several software and web technology companies. He was founder and CTO of Pinpoint Technologies, acquired by ZOLL Medical Corporation in 1999, and founder and CEO of earFeeder.com, sold to SonicSwap.com in 2006. He co-authored the book Do More Faster with Brad Feld and is involved with entrepreneurship programs at the University of Colorado.
Jeremy Verba is General Manager of VUDU and Video Games & Media at Walmart.com. He previously served as CEO of eHarmony, Inc. and earlier founded and ran the Treasure Isle studio at Zynga. His career has centered on online services, communications, media, and entertainment, and he is also an active angel investor.
Jon Nordmark is co-founder and CEO of Iterate.ai, an enterprise innovation workflow platform. He previously co-founded and led eBags.com as CEO until 2008, growing it to over $100 million in annual revenue before its acquisition by Samsonite for $105 million, and was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Region in 2003. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder and advises and invests in early-stage companies.
Steve Shaffer is Founder and Chairman of Triple Crown Investments, a Colorado-based investment firm focused on senior health care, food service, and retail. He previously served as President of Quiznos Subs, having joined in 1992 as a franchisee and helping expand the brand to over 5,400 units before retiring in 2007. Earlier in his career he spent more than 20 years in merchandising and store operations roles at Macy's, Federated Department Stores, and Carroll Reed, and he holds a BBA from the University of Georgia.
What they invest in
from 22 of 51 portfolio companiesSaaS ×11Fintech ×7AI & Machine Learning ×6Data & Infrastructure ×6Enterprise Software ×4B2B Marketplaces ×3Digital Health ×3Healthtech ×3
HQs:United States×22Germany×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 20 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×52 founders×73 founders×54+ founders×3
Where their founders studiedfrom 30 founders with education data
The University of Texas at Austin ×3Stanford University ×2UC San Diego ×2University of Mannheim ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 29 founders with field-of-study data
Computer Science ×8Business & Management ×6Engineering ×5Economics ×4Finance & Accounting ×4Humanities ×3Life Sciences ×2Politics & Policy ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 27 founders with career history
Adentro ×2Babbel ×2Deutsche Bank ×2Ibex Medical Analytics ×2Intuit ×2Oracle ×2RightNow ×2Venture First ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
1 founders hold a PhD · 7 hold an MBA (of 30 with degree data)
Investments · 51 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 32023 · 22022 · 22021 · 110 dated
Palantir builds data integration and analysis platforms — Gotham for defence and government, Foundry for commercial operations — and deploys forward engineers inside customer organisations.
Palo Alto, US
Peter Thiel(Founder)inStephen Cohen(Founder)Nathan Gettings(Founder)Joe Lonsdale(Founder)inAlexander C. Karp(Founder)Alex Karp(Founder)
Co-investors137 Ventures8VCA*AiSprouts VCAkkadian VenturesAllied Venture Partners+73 more
915 Labs manufactures food and beverage processing systems using proprietary microwave-assisted thermal sterilization and pasteurization technologies.
Advanced ManufacturingFoodTechHardwarePullman, US
Co-investorsNew Ground Ventures
Bridge Money is a mobile app that rewards users with cash back and coins for everyday purchases, surveys, games, and in-app deals, which can be redeemed for gift cards or direct bank transfers.
ConsumerFintechBoston, US
Lalit Janak(Founder)Chris S.in
Co-investorsBread And Butter Ventures, LlcChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Founder CollectiveKapor CapitalLofty VenturesPlug and Play Ventures+16 more
Needham, US
Eric Schraufnagel(Founder)inAndrea Valente(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardSteve Lindseth(Director)Bob Conway(Director)
Co-investorsCivilization Ventures Management, LlcJoyance PartnersNelstone VenturesSocial StartsStout Street CapitalBoulder Ventures+2 more
Covered operates a homeowners insurance marketplace connecting mortgage borrowers with 80+ carriers across all 50 states, offering quote comparison, licensed advisor guidance, and renewal re-shopping to help borrowers secure adequate coverage and competitive rates.
B2B MarketplacesFintechInsurTechMarketplacesSaaSRapid City, US
Ross Diedrich(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)inChris Diedrich(Co-Founder & Chief Administrative Officer)inMichael Diedrich(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Co-investorsModerne VenturesTemerity Capital PartnersRET Ventures
Forecastr helps founders navigate business growth and plan exits through financial visibility and modeling.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSLouisville, US
Jonathan Frazier(Founder)inSteven Ambs(Founder)Steven Plappert(Co-Founder & CEO)inLogan Burchett(Co-Founder & COO)inEric Shrinerin
BoardRobert Penta(Director)in
Co-investorsCapital Midwest FundChartline Capital PartnersConnetic VenturesConvergeElevate VenturesGaingels+10 more
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Fullpath provides a customer data platform (CDP) and agentic CRM for car dealerships, unifying data from sources like the website, CRM, and DMS into a single customer profile.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMarketing TechSaaS
Aharon Horwitz(Founder)inEliav(Co-founder & Chief Product Officer)Yishai(CTO & Co-founder)Eliav Moshe(Founder)Yishai Goldstein(Founder)
Co-investorsAlephCox EnterprisesRiverwood CapitalTarget GlobalPICO Venture Partners
Homeday is a German real estate brokerage founded in 2015 that supports buyers and sellers through the full transaction process, from property valuation to closing, using local partner agents and digital tools including the myHomeday customer platform and a price-assessment tool.
MarketplacesPropTechSaaSBerlin, DE
Dmitri Uvarovski(Founder)inSteffen Wicker(Founder)inPhilipp Reichle(Founder)in
Co-investors500 GlobalAVIV GroupCaesar Business AngelsPICUS CAPITALProject A Ventures10x Founders+2 more
IronCore Labs provides application-layer encryption tools for engineering teams building AI applications and multi-tenant SaaS on sensitive data.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper ToolsBoulder, US
Patrick Walsh(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inBob Wall(Founder)inRobert Hall(Executive Officer, Promoter)
BoardJudson Valeski(Director)Richard Harjes(Director)in
Co-investorsFirstMile VenturesLontra VenturesMatchstick VenturesNext Frontier CapitalTechstarsNext Frontier Venture+2 more
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Lambda operates cloud infrastructure and supercomputers purpose-built for AI training and inference, serving hyperscalers, enterprises, and frontier AI labs.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureSan Francisco, US
Stephen Balaban(Founder)inBenhamin Nelson(Executive Officer)Austen Allred(Executive Officer, Director)ML engineers in(Founder)Michael Balaban(Founder)
BoardJessica Verrilli(Director)
Co-investorsAccess Ventures (New York)Air Street CapitalAlpha Square GroupAlumni VenturesB Capital GroupB4 Capital+37 more
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LeaseQ operates an online platform that provides businesses with instant pre-qualified equipment lease and financing quotes from commercial finance companies.
B2B MarketplacesFintechSaaSWoburn, US
Vernon Tirey(Executive Officer, Director)Marc Stein(Executive Officer, Director)Mike Zolik(Director)Gil Syswerda(Director)
BoardCliff Rucker(Director)Jared Hanlin(Director)
Co-investorsWalnut Venture Associates
NeuroKaire uses cellular modeling and biological measurement to help mental health providers and patients make treatment decisions for depression based on measurable biological response rather than trial-and-error approaches.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical DevicesMental HealthKearny, US
Talia Cohen SolalinDaphna LaifenfeldinIssar Yazbinin
Co-investorsMeron CapitalSapir Venture PartnersJumpspeed Venture Partners
Odynn is an AI-powered, modular white-label platform with APIs that lets fintechs, banks, card issuers, and travel companies launch embedded travel, loyalty, and rewards programs.
FintechSaaSTravel & HospitalityLakeville, US
Bruce Garner(Founder, COO & CFO)inJohn Taylor Garner(Founder & CEO)inAnuj Patel(Co-Founder & CTO)inYohan Mehary(Chief of Staff)in
BoardMike Mullen(Director)
Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalBonfire VenturesFiat Ventures
PAKsense provides temperature tracking and monitoring solutions for cold chain logistics, helping reduce food waste and energy use while ensuring regulatory compliance for perishables in global supply chains.
CleantechFoodTechLogistics & Supply Chain
Co-investorsKeiretsu ForumTrans-it Capital
Project Admission provides a ticketing platform that integrates directly with box office systems to help live event organizers—including sports teams, leagues, artists, and venues—manage inventory, customize sales channels, and capture audience data across event lifecycles.
MarketplacesSaaSNashville, US
Stephen Glicken(Executive Officer, Director)inThomas Giles(Executive Officer, Director)Jordan Stone(Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary)in
BoardBukie Adebo Umeano(Director)Tristan Mace(Director)inMarcus Whitney(Director)
Co-investorsAnthemis VentureBread And Butter Ventures, LlcCartan CapitalCharmides CapitalFlyover CapitalNOMO Ventures+5 more
PureCode AI provides a control plane that orchestrates and governs AI agents across the software development lifecycle, from planning and legacy code modernization to incident response and data pipelines.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareAustin, US
Ben W.(Founder)inEdward Daniel(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsConnetic VenturesDraper AssociatesFf Venture CapitalLOI Venture
ROOK provides a wearable health data API that enables developers and companies to integrate health and fitness data from wearable devices into their applications.
Data & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtechIoTWellness & FitnessMiami, US
Marco Benitez(CEO)inDaniel Martinez(CTO)inJonas Dücker(CMO | COO)inOscar Garcia(CFO)inJose Esquivel(CQA)in
Co-investorsAllied Venture PartnersBreakaway Partners OÜHarvard Business Angels of ChicagoInsta VenturesLong Way VenturesTechstars+5 more
RootNote provides data analytics and insights for content creators and businesses, helping them understand and optimize their content performance.
Creator EconomyData & InfrastructureGamingMarketing TechSaaSNashville, US
Jason Burchard(Chief Executive Officer)inJeremy Burchard(Chief Creative Officer)inChandler Barnes(Chief Technical Officer)in
BoardMyles Grote(Director)in
Co-investorsElevate VenturesJohnson Venture PartnersLaunch TennesseeLong Way VenturesPopstar VenturesTechstars+3 more
Thrive is an inventory management, catalog control, and reporting system for small retailers and merchants.
E-commerceFintechRetail TechSaaSSan Diego, US
Bach Le(Executive Officer, Director)inRares Saftoiu(Founder)inDavid Carlson(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardTimothy Moynihan(Director)
Co-investorsTechstars
StellarFi offers a tiered digital Visa credit card that helps consumers build credit, earn rewards, and unlock higher spending limits over time, with AI-guided tips based on a user's full credit picture.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechAustin, US
Lamine Zarrad(Founder)in
BoardChristopher Shonk(Director)Richard Blankenship(Director)
Co-investorsAcrew CapitalATX Venture PartnersEvolution VenturesFJ LabsGaingelsInterplay Ventures Early Stage Management Llc+4 more
Tembo Health provides care coordination and management services for seniors, particularly those with chronic conditions and dementia.
Digital HealthHealthtechLongevity
Anurag Gupta(Founder)inTanya Perkins(Founder)
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesCity LightEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)GaingelsHDS CapitalHeadwater Ventures+6 more
TermScout provides contract intelligence software that analyzes agreements, benchmarks commercial terms against market data, and generates risk signals to help legal, sales, and procurement teams execute deals faster.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSDenver, US
Brian Schwalm(Executive Officer)Mark D. Frank(Executive Officer)Christopher Burton(Executive Officer)Chris Silvestri(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardHoward Diamond(Director)Nancy Pierce(Director)
Co-investorsBridge Venture FundGround Up VenturesLegalTechNFXRockies Venture ClubTechstars+2 more
TrueCoach is a software platform for fitness coaches and trainers to manage their clients, workouts, and coaching businesses.
HealthtechSaaSWellness & FitnessBoulder, US
Co-investorsSpringTime VenturesTechstars
vAIsual operates a dataset marketplace providing legally licensed datasets for AI training, with a focus on image and media files secured through professional licensing agreements.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareWilmington, US
Michael Osterrieder(Managing Director)in
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AtmosfyBrightNestColorcastCorral DataCyber GuildEducation Funding PartnersFideoFirst To FileFlextripGratis IntelligenceHello rewardsHelper BeesHogsheadHyphaMetricsJoustLongbridgeMarginOutlierPanaPolymorphRankedRanked®RookMotionSeen CapitalSynthesis HealthTekDryWedge
Exits · 2
1 IPOs · 1 acquisitionsPalantir Technologies Inc.NASDAQ: PLTRHomeDayacq. by Axel Springer
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesOdynn · stocktitan.net · Aug 19, 2026
Bridge money · startupintros.com · Jul 13, 2026
TermScout · natlawreview.com · Jun 4, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Hilltop Venture Partners made?
- Hilltop Venture Partners has 51 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Hilltop Venture Partners invest at?
- Hilltop Venture Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Hilltop Venture Partners focus on?
- Hilltop Venture Partners focuses on Consumer, Digital Health, Enterprise Software, SaaS.
- Where is Hilltop Venture Partners located?
- Hilltop Venture Partners is headquartered in San Diego, US.
- Who does Hilltop Venture Partners co-invest with?
- Hilltop Venture Partners most often shares deals with Techstars, Gaingels, Bread And Butter Ventures, Llc, among 114 tracked co-investors.
Co-investors · 1
Next Coast Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in emerging 'next coast' companies at the critical make-or-break stage of development to accelerate them into hyper-growth.
Firms observed investing alongside Hilltop Venture Partners, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Hilltop Venture Partners's recorded portfolio.
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