Fundraising Fox

Next Coast Ventures

Venture capitaloperating company · company profile

Austin · Seed–Growth · 17 people tracked

Also known as NEXT COAST VENTURES, LLC

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Investment thesis

Next Coast Ventures takes a thematic, data-driven approach to investing, first selecting investment themes rather than focusing on specific sectors, then partnering with driven, resilient founders operating within those themes. The firm emphasizes that its partners were successful operators before becoming investors, offering founders pragmatic advice drawn from firsthand experience. It provides portfolio companies with access to an expert network of over 150 current and former operators, structured playbooks covering areas such as product/market fit KPIs, recruiting and succession, and a dedicated partner-level Head of Platform role focused on supporting founders. The firm positions itself as 'built for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.'

Source: firm website, verified Aug 27, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Growth
Check
$2M – $4M
HQ
Austin, Texas, US
Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2015
Last 12 months
4 investments
AUM
$500M
VC funds
7
Tracked investments
140

Team · 17 people

from the firm's website & public directories

Founder mafia

4 people who came through Next Coast Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 73 of 140 portfolio companies

SaaS ×40AI & Machine Learning ×29Fintech ×14Enterprise Software ×13Healthtech ×13Consumer ×11Digital Health ×11Marketplaces ×7

HQs:United States×53

Who they back

founder profiles across 44 portfolio companies
68%
solo founders
30 of 44 mapped founding teams
39%
repeat founders
of 18 founders with career history
~2 yrs
old at investment
median across 16 dated deals

Founding team size:solo founder×302 founders×43 founders×84+ founders×2

Where their founders studiedfrom 18 founders with education data

Princeton University ×3The University of Texas at Austin ×3Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 18 founders with career history

Georgia Institute of Technology ×2McKinsey & Company ×2YPO ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Y Combinator ×5Techstars ×2

backed the same founder in 2+ companies: 2 founders

Investments · 140 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 22025 · 32024 · 42023 · 12022 · 22021 · 22020 · 22019 · 32018 · 12017 · 32016 · 12015 · 226 dated

Cardlyticscardlytics.comin𝕏NASDAQ: CDLXMay 2017

Cardlytics operates a commerce media platform that uses card-linked purchase data to deliver targeted offers and closed-loop measurement for marketers and advertisers, and personalized rewards programs for banks and publishers.

AdTechFintechMarketing TechAtlanta, US

Scott Grimes(Executive Officer, Director)inLynne Laube(Executive Officer, Director)Kirk Somers(Executive Officer)David Evans(Executive Officer)

BoardJohn Klinck(Director)inMark Johnson(Director)in

Co-investorsBaroda VenturesCanaan PartnersKinetic Ventures, L.L.C.Savano Capital PartnersHyperplane Venture CapitalPolaris Partners+1 more

Marcusmarcus.comNYSE: MCSFeb 2019

Milwaukee-based public company operating the Marcus Theatres cinema circuit and Marcus Hotels and Resorts.

Milwaukee, US

Douglas A. Neis(Executive Officer)Thomas F. Kissinger(Executive Officer)Gregory S. Marcus(Executive Officer)Rolando B. Rodriguez(Executive Officer)Brian Stark(Director)Stephen H. Marcus(Director)

Acadeumacadeum.comin𝕏✓ verified

Acadeum operates an online course-sharing marketplace that connects colleges and universities so students can enroll in courses at other institutions.

B2B MarketplacesEdTechSaaS

Co-investorsLearn CapitalECMC GroupRethink Capital Partners

Enboarderenboarder.com𝕏✓ verified

Enboarder provides an AI-driven platform for employee onboarding and cross-functional HR journeys, helping enterprise customers like Deloitte, ING, and Cisco reduce time-to-productivity and attrition.

AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaSAustin, US

Brent Pearson(Executive Officer, Director)inDavid Jacobson(Director)James Butler(Director)

BoardWilliam Szczerbiak(Director)

Co-investorsGreycroftEscalate Capital PartnersFlucas VenturesGolub GrowthOIF VenturesOur Innovation Fund+1 more

Gojagoja.com✓ verified

GOJA builds and scales digital-first consumer packaged goods brands, operating as one of the largest Amazon sellers and as an investment and operating platform for such brands.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerE-commerce

Co-investors3L CapitalJP Morgan Chase

Hipecommercehipecommerce.com✓ verified

Hip eCommerce builds and operates online marketplaces and communities dedicated to specific collectibles, such as stamps (HipStamp) and comic books, where buyers and sellers can trade items.

ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesAustin, US

Mark Rosenberg(CEO & CTO)

Co-investorsAcurio Ventures

Osanoosano.comin𝕏Dec 2019✓ verified

Osano is a data privacy platform that helps companies manage compliance with global privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD through cookie consent management, subject rights (DSAR) automation, preference management, website compliance scanning, and vendor risk assessment.

CybersecurityLegalTechSaaSAustin, US

Arlo Gilbert(Co-founder & Chief Innovation Officer)inScott Hertel(Co-founder)Bobby Jaffari(Chief Executive Officer)Jessica Hamilton(Chief Financial Officer)inSkye McCullough(Chief Customer Officer)in

BoardMichael Smerklo(Director)in

Co-investorsLiveOak VenturesBaird CapitalJump CapitalLookout VenturesFirst Ascent VenturesSocial Starts+2 more

Velocityenginevelocityengine.coin✓ verified

Velocity Engine offers a "Campaign Operating System" for B2B marketing teams that audits content for coverage gaps, designs campaigns to close them, and generates the assets across segments, personas, funnel stages, and channels.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaS

Jay Hallberg(CEO, Co-founder)inNeil Day(CTO, Co-founder)

Co-investorsCopper Sky Capital

Alert Mediaalertmedia.comin𝕏Sep 2017

AlertMedia offers a risk intelligence and emergency communication platform that helps organizations identify threats, notify people, and coordinate response during incidents and disruptions.

Enterprise SoftwareSaaSAustin, US

Brian Cruver(Founder & Executive Chairman)Christopher Kenessey(Chief Executive Officer)inAlex Vaccaro(President)Marc Ostryniec(Chief Revenue Officer)Elizabeth Loucheur(Chief Operating Officer)Jeff Branc(Chief Technology Officer)

Board seatMike SmerkloThomas Ball· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsATX Venture PartnersJMI EquitySilverton Partners

Lomanloman.aiSep 2025

Loman provides a 24/7 voice AI phone answering service for restaurants that takes orders and reservations, answers menu and FAQ questions, and processes payments while syncing tickets to POS and reservation systems.

AI & Machine LearningFoodTechSaaSAustin, US

Christian Wiens(Executive Officer, Director)inAnita Liu(Executive Officer)Jansen Derr(Executive Officer, Director)

Board seatThomas Ball· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsAntlerTenOneTen Ventures

PhlurAug 2016AcquiredSEC filingmedium confidence

Phlur is a fragrance brand, founded in Austin in 2015 and relaunched in 2022, sold online and through retailers such as Sephora.

Austin, US

Eric Korman(Executive Officer, Director)Shawn Freeman(Executive Officer)

Board seatMike Smerklo· per SEC Form D · $2M raise · filed Aug 2016

RVSharervshare.comin𝕏Apr 2020SEC filingmedium confidence

RVshare is an online marketplace connecting RV owners who want to rent out their vehicles with travelers looking to rent an RV.

MarketplacesMobility & TransportationTravel & HospitalityAkron, US

Mark Jenney(Director)Jonathan Gray(Executive Officer, Director)Jon Gray(Chief Executive Officer)inMorgan Larkin(Chief Operating Officer)Tom Klenotic(Chief Finance Officer)Kevin Krone(Director)

Board seatBrian Sharples· per SEC Form D · $14.2M raise · filed May 2020

StopLightstoplight.ioin𝕏Feb 2021Acquired

Stoplight is a collaborative platform for API design that helps teams build and manage APIs at scale.

Cloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsSaaSAustin, US

Marc MacLeod(Founder)in

Board seatMike Smerklo· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsNextGen Venture PartnersSocial StartsTechstars

T-Radius HoldingsJul 2019SEC filinghigh confidence

Holding company whose subsidiaries run an online community for in-depth reviews of business software and technologies.

Austin, US

Vinay Bhagat(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardScott Miller(Executive Officer)inRajeev Batra(Director)

Board seatThomas Ball· per SEC Form D · $12.8M raise · filed Jul 2019

TeneologyJun 2015DefunctSEC filingmedium confidence

Mercer Island, Washington acquisition fund that buys and builds bootstrapped or lightly funded digital media brands.

Mercer Island, US

Cliff Sharples(Co-Chief Executive Officer)Lisa Sharples(Co-Chief Executive Officer)Ben Sternberg(Chief Financial Officer and Secretary)

BoardPhillip S. Siegel(Director)inDavid Lack(Director)in

Board seatBrian Sharples· per SEC Form D · $6.3M raise · filed Jun 2015

Co-investorsTritium Partners

Xomi HoldingsMay 2020SEC filingmedium confidence

South Jordan, US

Khalid El-Awady(CFO, Treasurer, Secretary and Manager)David Wilkes(Chairman, CEO, President and Manager)

Board seatJulian Castelli· per SEC Form D · $6.6M raise · filed May 2020

3D Robotics Construction Company
Account-Based Marketing Platform
Aceableaceable.comin𝕏

Aceable provides mobile-first, accredited licensing education courses in driver's education, real estate, insurance, and mortgage sectors.

EdTechSaaSAustin, US

Blake Garrett(Founder & CEO)in

BoardMorgan Flager(Director)inCharles Thornburgh(Director)

Co-investorsFloodgateHGGCNextGen Venture PartnersSageview CapitalSilverton Partners

Aclaimantaclaimant.comin𝕏

Aclaimant provides risk management software to help organizations identify and actively manage business risks.

Enterprise SoftwareInsurTechChicago, US

Michael Schultz(Co-founder)David Wald(Executive Officer, Director)inJim Farber(Founder)

BoardLaura Brady(Director)

Co-investorsLightbankMercury FundModerne VenturesRoyal Street Ventures Management Company, LlcRRE VenturesUrban Capital Network

Affordable Healthtech Startup
AI Bookkeeping and Tax Solutions
AI Customer Service Automation
AI Finance Tool
AI Robot Assistants
Amyamy.vcin𝕏

Amy is an AI assistant that teams delegate work to across roles like operations, sales, research, and executives, handling tasks and automated routines.

AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS

Co-investorsLeonis Capital

API Design Platform
Arcadearcade.co

Arcade is an AI coaching platform for frontline sales teams that converts a company's existing playbooks, briefs, and decks into AI-powered training, roleplay practice, certifications, and weekly manager coaching.

AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaSSales Tech

Anthony IndrausDavid CherrieJames McLaren

Co-investors500 GlobalStage 2 CapitalTen13Morgan StanleyRevTech VenturesSYN Ventures

Architectarchitect.io

Architect provides live migration and hibernation technology for stateful Kubernetes pods running on spot instances, enabling cost reduction of up to 90% compared to on-demand pricing without dropping connections or losing data.

Cloud ComputingDeveloper Tools

Co-investorsComcast VenturesCoinbase VenturesGalaxy VenturesKindred VenturesStrobe VenturesThird Kind Venture Capital+1 more

Architecture-as-Code Framework
At-Home Healthcare Access
BeFake

Social media platform powered by Alias Technologies' AI tech that lets users amplify their presence through imagination.

Befakeaibefakeai.com𝕏

The site presents ALEXISTOGEL, an online gambling platform offering toto number betting, online slots, and live casino games via alternative access links aimed at Indonesian users.

ConsumerGaming

BrainCheckbraincheck.comin𝕏

BrainCheck offers a platform for cognitive assessment and care planning, centered on an FDA-registered Class II digital cognitive assessment plus over 30 clinical evaluation tools that integrate into clinical workflows and EHR systems like Epic and athenahealth.

Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaSHouston, US

Yael Katz(Executive Officer, Director)inDavid Eagleman(Executive Officer, Director)Andrew Chen(Founder)in

Co-investorsBlue Hour VenturesNueterra CapitalS3 VenturesTensility Venture PartnersTrue Wealth Ventures

Brava Homebrava.com𝕏Defunct

Brava is a technology company that makes a countertop cooking appliance using its Pure Light Cooking technology to prepare home-cooked meals and snacks quickly.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechHardware

Brendan Hutchinson(Founder)in

Co-investorsCowboy VenturesDGNL VenturesLong Venture Partners

Calendar Monetization Platform
Cash Back App
Ceresaceresa.com

Austin-based leadership development platform that companies buy to help early- and mid-career and underrepresented employees advance.

Austin, US

Anna Robinson(Executive Officer, Director)Nicole Tanzillo(Director)

Co-investorsEduLab Capital PartnersLiveOak Venture Partners

Chargebackchargeback.comin𝕏acquired by Sift

Chargeback used AI agents and computer-use automation to cancel consumers' unwanted subscriptions on their behalf.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityFintech

Co-investorsForefront Venture

Clean Beauty Manufacturing Partner
Cognitive Health Solutions Provider
Collectibles Marketplaces
CollXcollx.app𝕏

CollX is a mobile app for sports card and trading card game (TCG) collectors that scans and identifies cards against a card database, estimates their value from recent marketplace transactions, and tracks collection value over time.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerMarketplacesHaddonfield, US

Theodore Mann(Executive Officer, Director)Ted Mann(Founder)in

BoardWesley Gottesman(Director)

Co-investorsMorrison Seger Venture Capital PartnersBrand Foundry Ventures

Community Health Insurance Alternative
Conversificonversifi.comin

Conversifi is a video-chat platform that pairs university language learners with fluent peers for real conversations, with instructor-assigned discussion topics from conversation guides mapped to textbooks and OER materials.

EdTechSaaS

Steven Krubiner(Founder)in

Co-investorsBoro CapitalHouston Angel Network

Copilotsearchcopilotsearch.comin𝕏

CoPilot is an AI-assisted car shopping app that searches cars across dealers daily, analyzes millions of listings, and ranks matches based on a shopper's stated preferences.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerMarketplacesMobility & Transportation

CoreChain Technologiescorechain.techin𝕏Acquired

Corechain provides a B2B payments platform that streamlines paperless payments and supply chain financing to help suppliers unlock working capital from unpaid invoices.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSNew Haven, US

Christopher P Aguas(Executive Officer, Director)Chris Aguas(Founder)inRandy Shuken(Director)Thomas G Romary(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardSteve Reale(Director)inJoseph Giordano(Director)in

Co-investorsBloccelerate VCUlu VenturesConnecticut InnovationsMotivate Venture Capital

CrowdHealthjoincrowdhealth.comin𝕏

CrowdHealth offers a community-based approach to health care funding, where members help cover each other's medical bills as an alternative to traditional health insurance.

ConsumerDigital HealthHealthtechInsurTech

Andy(Founder)

Cuvrdcuvrd.comin𝕏

Cuvrd Drive is a software platform for automotive dealerships that unifies DMS appointment, deal, vehicle, and warranty data into one advisor workspace to identify refinance, warranty (VSC), maintenance, lease-buyout, and trade-in opportunities during service visits.

FintechInsurTechMarketplacesMobility & TransportationSaaSSales Tech

Data Privacy Platform
Digital Asset and DeFi Platform
Digital Health Company
Diligent Roboticsdiligentrobots.cominAcquired

Diligent Robotics develops AI-powered robot assistants for healthcare settings, focusing on mobile manipulation and social intelligence to help hospital staff with routine non-patient-facing tasks.

AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsAustin, US

Andrea Thomaz(Founder & CEO)Andrea L. Thomaz(Founder)inVivian Chu(Founder)in

BoardQuaeed Motiwala(Director)Rohit Sharma(Director)Lance VandenBrook(Director)

Co-investorsATPCanaan PartnersCorrelation VenturesDnx VenturesGrit VenturesPathbreaker Ventures+6 more

Dispute Automation Platform
Distributedistribute.soin

Distribute records sales calls in the background without a meeting bot, then automatically writes follow-up emails and generates shareable buyer pages with notes, video clips, and next steps.

AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech

Andrew Mewborn(Founder)in

Co-investorsTau Ventures

Domain Moneydomainmoney.comin𝕏

Domain Money provides investment management and financial planning services, charging no asset-under-management fees while offering tax-aware portfolio construction, direct indexing, and tax-loss harvesting.

Digital HealthFintechSaaS

Adam Dell(Founder and CEO)

Co-investorsMaveronBessemer Venture PartnersArrington CapitalTorch CapitalValor Capital GroupArrington XRP Capital+2 more

Doshdosh.comApr 2018Acquired

Dosh is an Austin-based card-linked, transaction-based advertising platform that pays consumers cash back on purchases.

Austin, US

Ryan Wuerch(Director)Ed Mock(Executive Officer, Director)Mike Lohner(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsChetrit VenturesGoodwater Capital

Drinkboxtdrinkboxt.com𝕏

BOXT is a direct-to-consumer winery selling a monthly subscription of Napa-made on-tap wines in reusable boxes.

Dropoffdropoff.comin𝕏Jun 2015

Dropoff provides same-day courier and delivery services for businesses, including retailers and e-commerce brands, with real-time tracking, flexible delivery options, and supply chain optimization.

Logistics & Supply ChainSaaSAustin, US

Sean Spector(Executive Officer, Director)Jason Klann(Executive Officer)

BoardPaul Bricault(Director)Christian Carollo(Director)Theodore Hong(Director)

Co-investorsBAM VenturesEastward Capital PartnersFulcrum Equity PartnersMucker CapitalGreycroft

E-Commerce Brand Platform

Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.

Exits · 4

IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolio

CardlyticsNASDAQ: CDLXMarcusNYSE: MCSChargebackacq. by SiftTenfoldacq. by LivePerson

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Fund performance · per public LP disclosures · 3

as of Sep 2025
FundVintageCommittedNet IRRTVPIDPI
Next Coast ETA I, L.P.LPs: Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association202114.8%1.37x0.14x
Next Coast Ventures II, L.P.LPs: Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association2019-5.0%0.79x0.01x
Next Coast Ventures I, L.P.LPs: Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association201617.4%2.39x0.76x

Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Next Coast Ventures made?
Next Coast Ventures has 130 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 6 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Next Coast Ventures invest at?
Next Coast Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth stages.
What is Next Coast Ventures's typical check size?
Next Coast Ventures typically writes checks of $2M – $4M.
What sectors does Next Coast Ventures focus on?
Next Coast Ventures focuses on Creator Economy, Digital Health, Healthtech, PropTech, Robotics, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Next Coast Ventures located?
Next Coast Ventures is headquartered in Austin, US.
Does Next Coast Ventures lead rounds?
Yes, Next Coast Ventures leads investment rounds.
Who does Next Coast Ventures co-invest with?
Next Coast Ventures most often shares deals with NextGen Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Silverton Partners, among 160 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Episode #67, Mike Smerklo, cofounder, Next Coast Ventures, $600m+ Austin-based

Andrew Romans · Mike Smerklo

Meet the VC: Kaitlyn DeBernardo of Next Coast Ventures

Early Growth · Kaitlyn DeBernardo

Mike Smerklo from Next Coast Ventures on building disruptive companies in big markets

Life Self Mastery · Mike Smerklo

Mike Smerklo - Co-Founder and Managing Director of Next Coast Ventures

Road to Growth · Mike Smerklo

Images

Next Coast Ventures photo

Co-investors · 54

NextGen Venture Partners

NextGen Venture Partners (NGVP) is an early-stage venture firm that leads seed investments in B2B startups, backing companies from seed to scale.

$500K – $2M
Silverton Partners

Silverton Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Texas that partners with founders long-term, having backed 75+ portfolio companies with 30+ acquisitions and 4 IPOs.

$200K – $2M
S3 Ventures

S3 Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2005 that invests in technology companies and medical device/health software startups, backed by a single philanthropic limited partner.

$500K – $15M
True Ventures

True Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2005 that focuses on early-stage technology companies, with operations based in Silicon Valley.

$500K – $3M
Canaan Partners

Canaan Partners is a venture capital firm with over 30 years of history, backing companies across technology and healthcare sectors through close, hands-on partnerships with founders.

$500K – $20M
Stage 2 Capital

Stage 2 Capital is a venture capital firm backed by a network of go-to-market and revenue executives, focused on helping B2B software companies scale their revenue.

Both backed · 2
$200K – $4M
Andreessen Horowitz

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, known for pioneering the platform model with a large team of operators supporting founders across stages.

Both backed · 1
$500K – $50M
B Capital Group

B Capital is a global investment firm backing early to late-stage technology innovators across technology, healthcare, and energy & resilience sectors.

Both backed · 1
$10M – $50M
Norwest Venture Partners

Norwest Venture Partners is an investment firm whose growth equity team backs private, profitable, fast-growing companies, providing capital and hands-on support through its 'invited guest' approach.

Both backed · 1
$10M – $30M
Tiger Global Management

Tiger Global Management operates public equity strategies (long/short, long-focused and crossover) and a private equity business investing in early- through late-stage growth companies across new and existing industries.

Both backed · 1
$1M – $100M
Flybridge Capital Partners

Flybridge Capital Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs building companies with global reach. The firm focuses on supporting innovative ventures from their initial funding stages.

Both backed · 1
$250K – $10M
Floodgate

Floodgate is a venture capital fund that backs founders at the earliest stages, positioning itself as their first true believers.

Both backed · 1
$500K – $5M
42 more co-investors

Bullpen CapitalSierra Ventures8VCRidge VenturesDnx VenturesCapital FactoryAZ-VCForum VenturesLightShed VenturesJump CapitalSchematic VenturesLiveOak VenturesATX Venture PartnersMeridian Street CapitalScOp Venture CapitalSequoia CapitalNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)Founder CollectiveOffline VenturesPartech VenturesSciFi VCPrecursor VenturesCaffeinated CapitalEmergence Capital PartnersResolute VenturesRed Swan VenturesHarrison MetalKortschak Investments L.P.OurCrowdBlackbird VenturesCollaborative FundActive CapitalIndicator VenturesAdams Street PartnersFirefly HealthSandbox IndustriesElsewhere PartnersRPM VenturesDreamit VenturesKaya VenturesBoom CapitalHilltop Venture Partners

Firms observed investing alongside Next Coast Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Next Coast Ventures's recorded portfolio.

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