Venture Dallas 2024 isn’t just another networking event—it’s where multi-million dollar deals get done and North Texas startups secure game-changing investments. Backed by J.P. Morgan and Perot Jain, this year’s summit will shine a spotlight on the region’s defense tech, biotech, and software startups, attracting investors from across the country eager to connect with the next big thing.

As Bryan Chambers, president of Capital Factory and co-founder of Venture Dallas, puts it, “Conversations and introductions are oxygen for startups.” On October 30, the George W. Bush Presidential Center will once again bring together the investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders driving the region’s growth. Early-bird registrations opened today.

Riding a wave of regional growth

Perot Jain partner Aaron Pierce, also a Venture Dallas co-founder, describes the summit’s growth as “hyperbolic,” mirroring the broader development of the region.

“Thinking about a chart, from where Venture Dallas started in 2019 to where it is today… our level of success has gone like this,” Pierce says, gesturing skyward to indicate the summit’s upward trajectory. “As a region, we’ve seen the same,” he says. “And a lot of the startups that were starting back then have grown—and continue to grow. We’re really just rising with them.”

That success, the Venture Dallas board chair says, reflects a maturing North Texas ecosystem where companies are growing, capital is flowing, and talent is emerging. “Venture Dallas represents that,” he adds.

Conversations with Champions: Venture Dallas Board Chair Aaron Pierce and Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki onstage at Venture Dallas in 2023 [Photo: Grant Miller Photography/Venture Dallas]

Capital connections for startups

Pierce says the Venture Dallas annual event has earned its stripes as a place where deals are made, partnerships formed, and North Texas’ entrepreneurial ecosystem grows stronger.

“It brings together the right people at the right time, creating a powerful network that drives the region forward,” he said.

Pierce and Chambers, along with fellow board member and co-founder Vik Thapar of Cypress Growth Capital, work closely with a steering committee that includes leaders from Mark Cuban Companies, Green Park & Golf Ventures, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies, among others. Their collective clout and connections help keep Venture Dallas at the center of the region’s growth.

Thapar, who has been instrumental in shaping the summit’s focus on actionable opportunities for startups, notes that “capital is starting to flow more than it was a year ago, signaling a positive trend for companies seeking investment.”

Using a baseball metaphor, he adds, “We’re giving entrepreneurs a lot of ‘at-bats,’ which is critical because you need those opportunities to secure funding. And our conference is producing that, whether it be with funds, angels, or family offices.”

From telecom to tomorrow: North Texas tech transformation

“The tech of the future will look a little bit different in Dallas,” Chambers says, pointing to a future where both the investment landscape and local economy are reshaped. He sees North Texas evolving into a national hub for next-generation industries—think defense tech, biotech, and life sciences.

The transformation is already unfolding. Exhibit A? Chambers says companies like Firehawk, a defense startup specializing in hybrid rocket engines and 3-D printed fuel, exemplify what the area is capable of. Firehawk relocated to North Texas to tap the region’s resources and talent pool. The move paid off quickly, with the company landing significant contracts with major aerospace and defense players soon after.

Firehawk Co-Founder and CEO Will Edwards speaking at the 2023 Venture Dallas Summit.

Recognized as a rising star at last year’s Venture Dallas summit, the fast-growing startup is just one example of how North Texas is becoming a magnet for defense technology innovation.

It’s also a promising sign for the region’s startups. Recent Wall Street Journal reports highlight $130 billion in venture capital flowing to defense tech startups since 2021, alongside $90 billion in annual U.S. Defense Department R&D spending and hundreds of billions to traditional contractors. And while top venture-backed startups currently secure a small fraction of defense funds, DoD officials signal interest in a swifter adoption of commercial technologies.

New boom in bits and biotech

Another significant development is North Texas’ emergence as the Texoma Semiconductor Hub. In 2023, the region clinched a pivotal role in the domestic semiconductor industry as one of four such hubs in the U.S. The federal nod positions North Texas as a linchpin in securing the nation’s technology supply chain.

“We’ve seen a real transformation in the venture landscape here,” Chambers says, noting a seismic shift from the region’s traditional telecom focus to a burgeoning enterprise software sector. That evolution is attracting diverse investments and fostering innovation, with “billions of dollars now enabling even smaller venture capital firms to participate,” he adds.

The boom doesn’t stop at software. Biotech and life sciences are also gaining traction, Pierce adds, with organizations like Lyda Hill Philanthropies playing a pivotal role in catalyzing growth in these sectors.

“We’re seeing a lot of exciting developments in these spaces,” Pierce says, noting the region’s rapid rise as a major hub in these industries. One of the most prominent indicators of that recognition is the 2023 selection of Dallas as one of three hubs for ARPA-H, the federal government’s new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Kevin Lavelle, founder and then-CEO of Mizzen+Main— now co-founder and CEO of Harbor, Michelle Yeh Gillis, market executive of technology and disruptive commerce at J.P. Morgan, Sara Johnson of Horizon Tech Finance, and Ashraf Hebela, head of startup banking at J.P. Morgan, discuss ‘The State of Venture Capital and Financing’ during Venture Dallas 2023. [Photo: Leon Contreras/Venture Dallas]

2024 sneak peek

The goal behind Venture Dallas’ annual summit is simple: Make it a must-attend event for investors, startups, corporate leaders, and regional stakeholders who want to tap into the region’s booming opportunities.

While the agenda isn’t public yet, Pierce tells us that this year’s summit will tackle some of the most important and timely topics in the industry—with a North Texas twist. He hints at expanded awards and sessions—and an opportunity to hear first-hand about “one of the biggest stories in Dallas-Fort Worth this year, the Texas Stock Exchange, or TXSE.”

Pierce describes the Dallas-based stock exchange as “a little different in nature” compared to typical startups, pointing out that its first raise was a significant $120 million. According to the Venture Dallas board chair, “the investors involved and the vision that they have” make TXSE a really important story for Dallas-Fort Worth. Hearing from Jim Lee, the founder of TXSE, “from day one and from the founder’s mouth,” Pierce says, “will be very interesting.”

James Lee, chairman and CEO of the Texas Stock Exchange  [Image: James Lee; domi8nic, flags istock; DI Studio]

Journey to hypergrowth

Pierce says the return of J.P. Morgan and Perot Jain as presenting sponsors signals the clout the event has gained.

J.P. Morgan’s involvement brings “a significant layer of credibility” and global connections, according to Pierce. The board chair says the support of the world’s biggest bank shows that Venture Dallas has “arrived at that level”—and, as a former analyst at J.P. Morgan, means a lot to him personally.

The bank plays a strategic role in the broader innovation ecosystem, Pierce says, not just in tech but also in sectors like consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and life sciences. He adds that the bank is involved in supporting founders with various banking services, lines of credit, and even private banking services once founders reach a certain level of wealth.

J.P. Morgan Managing Director Frank Medrano says the bank is proud to continue supporting Venture Dallas. As a native Texan, Medrano says he’s especially proud that “capital investments in Dallas startups in 2024 are on track to surpass last year’s, showing resilience and growth in the city’s venture ecosystem.”

Perot Jain’s Anurag Jain, Hillwood’s Hill Perot, and McKinsey’s Brendan Gaffey at a private reception for Venture Dallas 2023. [Photo: Dallas Innovates]

Perot Jain, in addition to its support of the 2024 summit, has long-standing ties to the nonprofit, according to Pierce. “Perot Jain has been investing in founders and startups for going on a decade now,” he says, adding that the alignment with the summit makes sense for the firm.

Pierce credits Perot Jain for providing much of the initial support needed to launch Venture Dallas. “I often describe Ross [Perot Jr.] and Anurag [Jain] as one of, if not the first check into Venture Dallas,” he said. “We knew Perot Jain’s involvement would add momentum.”

The launch of Venture Dallas six years ago marked a turning point for DFW’s startup ecosystem, which didn’t have a significant local venture capital event at the time. Now the Venture Dallas group is making up for lost time.

Pierce says the organization and its summit were born out of a simple question posed in 2018 at Dallas’ Old Parkland: Why does Dallas not have a big, premier venture capital event? In a round table meeting, Pierce, Chambers, Thapar, and other local venture capitalists and dealmakers realized they were the ones to do it. “We kind of were the market,” Pierce recalls.

Old Parkland, already a defacto hub for scaling startups and investors, was the perfect setting for this realization. The idea quickly led to the creation of Venture Dallas and its signature summit, now a cornerstone for the local venture and startup community.

Dallas successs stories: Enterpreneurial power couple Scott Harper, co-founder and CEO of Dialexa, and Dr. Lyndsey Harper, founder and CEO of Rosy, shared the stage at the 2023 summit. [Photo: Leon Contreras/Venture Dallas]

Where startups meet success

From the beginning, Venture Dallas was about more than just filling a gap in the local venture scene—it was about driving the growth of North Texas’ startup ecosystem. Now, as the event continues to grow, the board and its advisors are helping to push the region into a new league.

“I think the data would suggest things are better than ever,” Chambers observes, pointing to positive trends in the North Texas venture capital and startup landscape.

While the first summit in 2019 got things rolling, recent events have exceeded the board’s expectations. After a pandemic pause in 2020, the summit came back strong in 2021, pulling in over 400 attendees from nearly 20 regions outside Texas. But in 2022 and 2023, it really took off. Over a quarter of the summit’s participants traveled from outside Dallas-Fort Worth, with about 20% coming from beyond Texas.

Still, in the end, it’s about outcomes for dealmakers and startups.

“We try to get great founders, great investors, and great content in the room,” Pierce says, “and the magic happens.” Pierce shares a success story from the 2023 summit when a Perot Jain portfolio company found its lead investor for a Series B round after attending the event.

He emphasizes that this startup’s success wasn’t an isolated incident—Venture Dallas has seen many connections made at the summit that have led directly to critical funding rounds and business growth. Pierce adds, “If we just keep doing what we do, these outcomes will continue,” underlining the event’s role in driving “real results” for startups in the region.

A fireside chat with Nirav Tolia, the founder of Nextdoor, was a standout moment at the 2023 summit. [Source: Leon Contreras/Venture Dallas]

Fortune 1000 X startup hustle

One thing that sets Venture Dallas apart from other national events is the strong corporate base in Dallas-Fort Worth—a success factor that not all places can claim. As the home to 47 companies on the latest Fortune 1000 list, the region is well-positioned to leverage these corporate giants in the startup ecosystem.

Louisa McCarty, director of Venture Dallas and a team member of 7-Ventures, the corporate venture subsidiary of 7-Eleven, knows the strategic value of connecting startups with corporate leaders. McCarty wants to help make those critical connections happen, helping forge partnerships that can drive innovation and startup growth on a larger scale.

“Venture Dallas does a really good job of highlighting specific opportunities that startups can leverage and potentially plug into,” McCarty says, noting she looks for company needs that can “ultimately be paired with local startup solutions.”

Your Venture Dallas battle plan

No matter what role you play in the venture ecosystem, making the most of Venture Dallas is key. Here’s what the experts suggest to maximize your time:

First, preparation is key. Thapar emphasizes the importance of doing your homework before you even set foot in the Bush Center. The Venture Dallas app, which lists all attendees, is an invaluable tool.

“Definitely do a ton of research in advance and set up those meetings,” he advises. Being prepared not only maximizes your time but also ensures you’re having the right conversations with the right people.

Chambers highlights the need to make the most of every conversation. His advice? Engage actively, build relationships, and make every interaction count.

For startups, McCarty adds another layer of strategy—knowing exactly what problem your startup is solving is essential, whether you’re pitching to investors or potential corporate partners. Many of the big players at Venture Dallas are actively looking for external innovative solutions to their own internal pain points. “Knowing potentially what corporations could be there, and really having a clear idea of the problem you’re solving goes a long way,” she says.

And perhaps the most straightforward advice of all: Register early.

“We’ve sold out every year,” Pierce says. “Once we go live, buy early, because those tickets will be gone.”

Go here to learn more.

Dallas Innovates is a 2024 Venture Dallas Summit media sponsor. 

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