Complete Resource Guide for Female Founders in Austin

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Austin-Based Venture Capital Firms

LiveOak Venture Partners

  • Early-stage venture capital firm with nearly $500M under management, led/co-led over 60 high-growth investments in Texas-based companies
  • Named Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list in 2023, recognized as Venture Capital Firm of the Year at inaugural A-List awards by Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
  • Partners with exceptional Texas-based founders from Pre-seed to Series B, investing in ambitious entrepreneurs building tech and tech-enabled service companies
  • Investment Range: $2M-$15M over full company lifecycle
  • Portfolio includes DISCO (NYSE: LAW), Eventus, AmplifAI, Homeward, OJO Labs, Osano, SchooLinks, Take Command Health
  • LiveOakGives program has reached $1M in grants to 20 local non-profits over 5 years, including Women’s Fund (Austin Community Foundation) advancing economic security for women in Central Texas
  • Founded: 2012 by Krishna Srinivasan, Venu Shamapant, and Ben Scott
  • Website: liveoak.vc

S3 Ventures

  • Largest venture capital firm focused on Texas with $900M+ assets under management, based in Austin since 2005
  • Backed by single limited partner, enabling patient, flexible investments unencumbered by constraints faced by traditional VC firms
  • Initial investments of $500K to $10M+ with ability to invest $20M+ over life of company
  • Focus: Business Technology, Digital Experiences, Healthcare Technology
  • Portfolio includes Alkami (NASDAQ: ALKT), Live Oak Technologies (acquired by DocuSign), Acessa Health (acquired by Hologic), Favor Delivery (acquired by HEB)
  • Investment stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
  • Website: s3vc.com

Silverton Partners

  • Founded in 2006, Austin-based early-stage venture capital firm with over $655 million in assets under management
  • Most active venture capital investor in Texas, raised $248M across Fund VII and Opportunities II in latest close
  • Led by Managing Partner Morgan Flager and Partners Kip McClanahan, Mike Dodd, and Roger Chen
  • Focuses on Seed and Series A rounds across enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, consumer marketplaces, financial services, insurance, real estate tech, digital healthcare
  • Investment Range: Up to $10M
  • Portfolio includes The Zebra, Wheel, WP Engine, Storable, SailPoint, AlertMedia, Aceable, Self Financial
  • Honored as Venture Capital Firm of the Year at inaugural Austin A-List Awards, received Austin Gives Charitable Champion award
  • Website: silvertonpartners.com

Next Coast Ventures

  • Austin-based firm focusing on entrepreneurs building disruptive companies in emerging markets outside traditional VC hubs
  • Investment stages: Seed, Series A, Early-stage
  • Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Consumer Tech, Future of Work, Digital Media
  • Hands-on approach providing capital, mentorship and network access based on macro trends and themes
  • Portfolio includes AlertMedia, OutboundEngine, theSkimm, Acadeum, BrainCheck, CrowdHealth
  • Website: nextcoastventures.com

ATX Venture Partners (formerly ATX Seed Ventures)

  • Austin-based early-stage venture capital firm founded by Brad Bentz, Danielle Weiss Allen, and Chris Shonk
  • Focus on B2B software, APIs, frontier tech, marketplaces and applications
  • Investment Range: $250K-$7M
  • Provides access to tools, talent from industry experts with hands-on support, pre-negotiated deals, connections and partnerships
  • Invested in 37 companies including Everfest, IdealSpot, Slingshot Aerospace, Arcade, Assurely, Aceable, AlertMedia
  • Website: atxventurepartners.com

8VC

  • Invests in transformative technologies in smart enterprise, financial services, logistics, healthcare, and bio-IT
  • Unique team composition of engineers, investors, and entrepreneurs bringing operational expertise
  • Investment stages: Seed to Series C
  • Invested in 114 companies including Acutus Medical, Airbyte, Asana, The Boring Company, Hexagon Bio
  • Growing Austin presence
  • Website: 8vc.com

Sputnik ATX

  • Accelerator and VC offering 13-week program providing $100,000 in initial funding, training and mentorship
  • About 40% of backed businesses are led by women
  • Investment Range: $100K-$400K seed
  • Focus: Tech-enabled companies, AI and machine learning
  • Website: sputnikatx.com

Moonshots Capital

  • Seed-stage venture capital firm investing in extraordinary leadership, particularly military-trained entrepreneurs
  • Investment Range: $750K-$2.5M
  • Portfolio of 100 diverse companies since 2017
  • Focus: Leaders who motivate others, inspire trust, and plan heuristically
  • Website: moonshotscapital.com

Elsewhere Partners

  • Targets growth-stage investments in B2B software companies outside traditional VC hotspots with growing Austin focus
  • Focus: B2B Software, Growth-stage

Quake Capital

  • Austin-based venture firm
  • Focus: Early-stage technology investments

Ecliptic Capital

  • Seed-stage fund backing technical founders building next generation of technology companies

Firebrand Ventures

  • Midwest and Austin-focused seed fund investing in exceptional founding teams building software companies

Interlock Partners

  • Early-stage firm investing in enterprise software and frontier technology companies

Moneta Ventures

  • Expanding Austin presence with investments in early-stage technology companies
  • Focus: Enterprise Software, FinTech, Digital Health

Scout Ventures

  • Invests in groundbreaking technologies from military agencies, intelligence communities, and national research labs
  • Focus: AI, quantum computing, advanced materials, robotics, security, aerospace, energy
  • Investment Range: $1-2M seed rounds through Series B

Sapphire Ventures

  • Global software venture capital firm with $11B+ in assets, headquartered in Austin, London, New York, Menlo Park, and San Francisco
  • Specializes in scaling enterprise software companies from expansion stage to IPO, backed 30+ companies through IPO and 45 acquisitions
  • Focus: B2B Enterprise Software
  • Investment stages: Seed, Series A & B

Unknown Ventures

  • Austin-based venture studio providing funding and operational support to pre-seed to Series A startups
  • Focus: Gutsy entrepreneurs bringing innovation

Women-Focused Venture Capital

True Wealth Ventures

  • Founded by Sara Brand and Kerry Rupp in 2016, closed first $20 million fund in 2018, largest fund ever raised with gender diversity focus
  • Over $60 million in assets under management, with one-third of investments in Texas
  • Focus: Health, wellness and sustainable consumer industries
  • Website: truewealthvc.com

Dynabrand Ventures

  • Founded by Carla McDonald, provides capital and marketing expertise to early-stage consumer goods companies
  • Focus: Consumer goods with growth potential

Breyer Capital

  • Austin headquarters since 2020, focuses on AI and life sciences intersection
  • Named Morgan Cheatham as partner and head of healthcare and life sciences in April 2025
  • Led by Jim Breyer (featured on Forbes cover September 2025)
  • Focus: AI, digital health, data-driven businesses
  • Website: basepowercompany.com

Angel Investor Networks

Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN)

  • Doubled the number of women-founded companies in which members invested from late 2014 through 2017
  • Focus: Diversified portfolio including women-led startups
  • Active mentorship component

ACCELERATORS & INCUBATORS

Women-Focused Programs

DivInc – Women in Tech Accelerator

  • 12-week program providing $10,000 equity-free grant upon completion
  • World-class curriculum, co-working space in Austin & Houston, 100+ subject matter experts and mentors
  • Weekly strategic workshops covering business development, sales, legal, marketing, finance, operations, PR, and funding
  • 18 months of focused founder support after program completion as part of Alumni program
  • Requirements: U.S.-based, for-profit, tech-enabled with MVP, 25-30 hours/week commitment
  • Website: divinc.org

AccelerateHER Incubator Program

  • Five-month residency at Stoke coworking space in Denton, TX offering business training, mentorship, funding access, and networking
  • Offered by Texas Woman’s University Center for Women Entrepreneurs
  • Requirements: At least 51% woman-owned

General Accelerators Supporting Female Founders

Capital Factory

  • Most active investor in Texas since 2010 according to Pitchbook
  • 12-week accelerator with six months free coworking space and up to $250,000 in hosting credits from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft
  • Takes only 1% equity plus option to invest in future funding round
  • Multiple locations: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Washington DC
  • Website: capitalfactory.com

SKU (Consumer Products Accelerator)

  • Austin-based accelerator for consumer product startups, connecting participants with industry mentors, investors, and retail partners
  • Provides crucial guidance in fundraising, retail strategy, and public relations
  • Nation’s leading CPG accelerator
  • Focus: Consumer packaged goods companies

BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

Mayor’s Task Force & City Initiatives

Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs

  • Led by Carla McDonald, 22-member group formed by Mayor Kirk Watson in summer 2023
  • Surveyed 370 women entrepreneurs and created 12 pragmatic recommendations
  • Focus areas: Access to capital, broader networks, affordable office space and childcare

Women’s Business Center (Opening 2025)

  • Austin’s first Women’s Business Center approved by Better Business Bureau Foundation, opening in coming months
  • Provides free business training, access to capital, and federal contract certification opportunities
  • Addresses gap where women founders receive less than 1% of Austin VC funds

Austin Chamber of Commerce – Entrepreneurs Council

  • Forming to integrate women founders more effectively into local business community

Education & Training

Texas Venture Labs (UT Austin McCombs School of Business)

  • Led by Executive Director Mellie Price
  • Focus on educational programs emphasizing financial literacy and business fundamentals

Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (UT Austin)

  • University of Texas-based program supporting female entrepreneurship

Austin Technology Incubator (ATI)

  • Historic tech incubator at UT Austin
  • Created by tech pioneer Laura Kilcrease

Business Development Resources

BiGAUSTIN – Women’s Business Inc

  • Women-owned businesses in greater Austin generate $5.3B in sales and employ over 43,000 workers
  • Provides education, consulting, round-table discussions, innovative networking opportunities, and lending programs
  • Website: bigaustin.org/womens-biz-inc

Dell for Startups

  • Austin Funding Blueprint designed for women founders to guide through local funding landscape
  • Website: dellforstartups.com/resources/austin-texas-funding-blueprint

NETWORKING & COMMUNITY

Meetup Groups

Women Entrepreneurs & Female Founder Friends

  • Regular workshops including “Refine Your Business Idea” and morning coffee socials
  • Provides resource sharing including business templates, planning tools, and reading materials
  • Website: meetup.com/female-founders/

Support Organizations

Black Women Talk Tech

  • Community partner organization

Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce

  • Supporting diverse women entrepreneurs

Hello Alice

  • Free business resources and funding opportunities platform

Girl Develop It (Austin Chapter)

  • Supporting women in tech

Feminist Hack

  • Tech community for women

FUNDING STATISTICS & CONTEXT

The Challenge

  • Female founders in Austin receive only 1% of venture capital funding, compared to 2% nationally
  • Women founders typically receive half the funding amount compared to male counterparts pitching identical business plans
  • Women-owned businesses make up 26% of privately held companies in greater Austin area

The Opportunity

  • If women founders received same support as male founders, could increase local GDP by $6-12 billion and create thousands of new jobs
  • Women-led startups use less capital, exit faster, and provide good returns to investors
  • Women entrepreneurs tend to be more capital efficient, advantageous in current economic climate

KEY CONTACTS & LEADERS

Carla McDonald

  • Founder, Dynabrand Ventures
  • Chair, Mayor’s Task Force for Austin Women Entrepreneurs
  • Mentor at SKU accelerator, founding investor in Capital Factory

Sara Brand & Kerry Rupp

  • Co-founders, True Wealth Ventures

Mellie Price

  • Executive Director of Technology Innovation at Dell Medical School, eight-time entrepreneur, founding mentor and Managing Director of Capital Factory

Preston James

  • CEO, DivInc

Krishna Srinivasan & Venu Shamapant

  • Co-founders, LiveOak Venture Partners

Morgan Flager

  • Managing Partner, Silverton Partners

ANNUAL EVENTS

Female Founders Outlook

  • Annual event in January at Zilker Lodge benefiting Austin Sunshine Camps, featuring panels and networking by Silicon Hills News.
  • Sponsored by EisnerAmper, Unnanu, Active Capital, Lumen Insurance Technologies, Perkins Coie

Austin Tech Week

  • Multiple female founder sessions and networking opportunities
  • Held annually at Capital Factory

DivInc Champions of Change Awards

  • Annual recognition event celebrating diversity advocates

RECOMMENDED FIRST STEPS

  1. Join Capital Factory – Free membership gets you into the ecosystem
  2. Research Austin VCs – Review LiveOak, S3, Silverton, and other firms aligned with your industry
  3. Apply to DivInc Women in Tech – If you have an MVP and can commit time
  4. Connect with BiGAUSTIN – For foundational business training and micro-loans
  5. Join Female Founder Meetups – Start building relationships locally
  6. Review Austin Funding Blueprint – Understand your funding options (Dell for Startups)
  7. Connect with Mayor’s Task Force – Stay informed on new city initiatives

For more information, contact:

  • Silicon Hills News for latest updates on female founder ecosystem
  • Capital Factory events calendar: capitalfactory.com
  • DivInc application: divinc.org/apply
  • BiGAUSTIN consulting
  • LiveOak Venture Partners: liveoak.vc

This resource guide reflects Austin’s evolving commitment to supporting female founders. While challenges remain with funding equity, the city’s infrastructure of accelerators, angel networks, venture capital firms, and community organizations provides substantial support for women entrepreneurs at every stage.