Fundraising FoxInnovate Partners
Venture capitalNewport Beach · Series B–Late Stage · 16 people tracked
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Investment thesis
Innovate Partners is an operationally oriented private investment company focused primarily on growth-stage venture capital and early-stage private equity. It backs emerging companies with substantial market traction and a proven, scalable opportunity, favoring businesses using emerging technologies to deliver market-changing results. The firm prefers to invest ahead of institutional money alongside a limited group of co-investors, to stay geographically close to its investments, and to take an active, day-to-day role in strategy and execution. It emphasizes companies with potential to become market leaders and a history of successful acquisitions by Fortune 500 acquirers. The team supports portfolio companies through each stage of growth with operational resources beyond capital.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
Team · 16 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesHealthcare industry veteran, co-founder of Caremark and Pyxis, and prolific angel investor in medical device, healthcare services and healthcare IT companies.
Leads Innovate Partners' New York office. A former equity partner at Latham & Watkins, he founded Eurasia Advisors and is an author and advisory council member of the International Crisis Group.
Founded Innovate Partners LLC in 1995 after leading several electronics companies and serving as a general partner of Edgewater Private Equity Funds. Manages the Emerging Growth and Equity Fund and has led over fourteen investments including Jabra, Interworks and Emisense.
Joined Innovate in 2008 with over 30 years of experience in public and private financing, acquisitions and dispositions; previously a partner at Latham & Watkins and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
President of craft beer company The Bruery and Pear Sports board member; formerly SVP of Sales at Equinox with broad consumer, fitness and retail experience.
Healthcare industry executive with 25+ years experience; co-founder and chief business officer of Treatment Technologies & Insights and former SVP of Managed Care Operations at DaVita.
Executive search veteran with 30+ years advising boards and C-suite leaders, formerly at Spencer Stuart and Korn/Ferry, serving on several consumer and fitness company boards.
Joined Innovate in 2007 and works in the accounting department, providing senior accounting services to portfolio companies.
VP of Product at MindBodyGreen and co-founder of Blucarat; formerly head of MDC Corporate Ventures and VP at J Christopher Capital.
Private equity investor and former Chairman and CEO of Sunglass Hut International, having served on numerous public and private company boards.
Joined Innovate in 2006 in marketing and sales operations, handling direct-to-consumer and channel programs for portfolio companies; previously a merchandise marketing specialist at Swell.com.
Joined Innovate Partners in 2013 after a career in commercial real estate acquisitions and finance; handles research, analysis of potential acquisitions and investor relations. A Notre Dame graduate and licensed California Real Estate Broker.
Joined Innovate in 1995 and works in Corporate Administration and Human Resources, providing HR services to portfolio companies.
Originally joined Innovate in 2007 and rejoined in 2011 after serving as Creative Director at Logitech; leads design and brand efforts for portfolio companies.
Consumer and wellness entrepreneur, former CEO of Manduka and VP at YogaWorks, and board member of Pear Sports and Manduka.
CEO and Chairman of 5.11 Tactical, former President and CEO of Panda Restaurant Group, former COO of Taco Bell and founding YUM Brands executive, and a former U.S. Marine Corps captain.
What they invest in
from 7 of 19 portfolio companiesConsumer ×3Wellness & Fitness ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Fintech ×2Healthtech ×2Cybersecurity ×1Digital Health ×1E-commerce ×1
HQs:United States×4
Investments · 19 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBrightGuard makes touch-free sunscreen dispensers and supplies sunscreen for outdoor venues such as aquatic centers, beaches, parks, golf courses, sports venues, and businesses to support sun safety programs.
ConsumerHardwareWellness & Fitness
Envoy is a digital innovation agency that works with established brands and emerging companies on brand strategy, commerce, digital products, and marketing.
E-commerceMarketing Tech
FaceFirst provides AI-based face matching and video analytics software that identifies persons of interest to help prevent theft, fraud, and violence.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityRetail TechAustin, US
Happy Money is a consumer finance company that provides a fully digital loan origination platform for personal loans, serving both consumers and financial institutions like credit unions, banks, and asset managers seeking to scale their lending programs.
ConsumerFintechSaaS
Co-investorsConconi Growth PartnersGreat Oaks Venture CapitalToba CapitalTruStage VenturesSparkLabs Global Ventures
Lindora provides metabolic health assessments and personalized wellness plans guided by medical frameworks and lab analysis.
Digital HealthHealthtechLongevityWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsMontage CapitalPresidio
Payoff (part of Happy Money) offers fixed-rate personal loans of $5,000–$50,000 aimed at consumers consolidating and paying off credit card debt.
ConsumerFintechCosta Mesa, US
Ralph Scott Saunders(Executive Officer, Director)Scott Saunders(Executive Officer, Director)Matt Wilson(Executive Officer)Eden Warner(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJoe Saunders(Director)inSean Park(Director)
Co-investorsNat TurnerFirstMark CapitalGreat Oaks Venture CapitalGreen Visor CapitalTruStage Ventures
PEAR Sports offers Training Intelligence, an AI platform that generates personalized health and fitness plans by analyzing individual data patterns and goals.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSports TechWellness & FitnessIrvine, US
Alan Wade Pettis(Executive Officer)Lisa Williams(Executive Officer)inKristian Rauhala(Executive Officer, Director)inRobert G. Allison(Executive Officer, Director)Jeff P. Conner(Executive Officer)in
BoardScott Pruitt(Director)
Co-investorsClaritas CapitalEnvoy
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
CanopyHRChic BudsCo-Ev MagneticsEmisenseExpensableGovximATHLETEInterworksJabraOcean MindedSwellUltimate Ears
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Innovate Partners made?
- Innovate Partners has 19 tracked investments.
- What stage does Innovate Partners invest at?
- Innovate Partners invests at the Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What sectors does Innovate Partners focus on?
- Innovate Partners focuses on Consumer, Enterprise Software, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Innovate Partners located?
- Innovate Partners is headquartered in Newport Beach, US.
- Who does Innovate Partners co-invest with?
- Innovate Partners most often shares deals with Claritas Capital, Envoy, Great Oaks Venture Capital, among 10 tracked co-investors.
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