Capital Factory

Tech Talk and ‘Meaningful Connections’: 10 Takeaways From Venture Dallas 2022

by | Nov 7, 2022
At last week's Venture Dallas conference, more than 400 VCs, angel investors, startups, and business leaders gathered for a showcase of North Texas' entrepreneurial and venture ecosystem. Here's a look at the highlights—from Troy Aikman saying "There are no shortcuts" to Alto Founder Will Coleman on the power of doing "the opposite" to Mark Cuban's "ready, fire, aim" approach. “Regions like Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth, we’re the model for the rest of the nation on how to get things done," Ross Perot Jr. said at the conference kickoff.
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SMU Is Bringing Its ‘Innovative Biotech Research’ to Pegasus Park
by | Oct 24, 2022
The Biotech+ Hub at Pegasus Park in Dallas has been attracting more and more life science startups and university teams. Now a whole herd of Mustangs are about to stampede there. The SMU Institute for Computational Biosciences at Pegasus Park will have space at the 23-acre development. SMU researchers from a variety of disciplines will be focusing on bio-scientific discoveries, leveraging advanced computational algorithms and technologies.

"We're excited to give SMU faculty this new opportunity to pursue world-changing research for good and to do so in close proximity to a broad range of academic, medical, corporate, and non-profit collaborators," says SMU Provost Elizabeth Loboa. "We're excited to give SMU faculty this new opportunity to pursue world-changing research for good and to do so in close proximity to a broad range of academic, medical, corporate, and non-profit collaborators," says SMU Provost Elizabeth Loboa.
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Venture Dallas Brings ‘the Premier Venture Capital Conference in North Texas’ to George W. Bush Presidential Center this November
by | Oct 4, 2022
Venture Dallas 2022—a full-day conference to be held Nov. 3 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center—will connect investors from all over the U.S with the “best founders in our region” with the goal of sparking “collisions” and “meaningful connections," co-founder Aaron Pierce says. He adds that those could potentially lead to fundings—and successful exits. Here's a look at why the North Texas startup and VC scene is hopping, and what Venture Dallas 2022 could mean for you.
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Follow the Money: Book.io Aims to Put E-Books on the Blockchain with New Funding, Tech Startup Kalpa Aims to Raise $1M, and More
by | Sep 30, 2022
In this week’s North Texas deal flow, you’ll also find news about crowdfunding platform Harvest Return landing $2.5M; Supply’s acquisition by Foundry Brands; Moss Adams acquiring local CPA firm Kurtz & Company P.C.; Tri Global Energy being acquired for $270M by Canada's Enbridge; and more.
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DSW Dispatches: Startup Mentor Helps Founders Craft Their Pitch

by | Aug 9, 2022
“Remember, we're just one pitch away from changing the world,” says Wen Zhang. “It's our job as a founder, as a co-founder to show people the world that we are seeing.”

The founder and CEO of the INNW Institute helps leaders hone their pitches when approaching venture capitalists and other investors
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Follow the Money: Southlake Biotech Raises $14.9M, American Airlines Invests in Innovative Engine Maker, and More
by | Aug 8, 2022
Plus: 7-Eleven acquires last-mile delivery startup; American Heart Association invests in $43M healthcare innovation fund; Fort Worth real estate investors raise $32.4M for new fund; Dallas College Lands $8.8M to boost biotech workforce; UT Southwestern researchers land funding for hypothermia therapy study; and more North Texas deals.
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Follow the Money: Dallas Unicorn Adds Cisco Investments as New Backer; Fort Worth Glove Maker Lands $58M for Facility, HQ Upgrades; and More
by | Jul 29, 2022
Plus: Southlake SPAC to take financial services firm public; real estate startup Nada Closes $8.1M seed round; Southlake PE firm is raising two biotech-focused funds; Jones family-backed investment firm acquires travel software company; and more North Texas deals.
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Dallas-Based Nada Closes $8.1M Seed Round to Make Real Estate Investments More Accessible to All
by | Jul 27, 2022
Nada's Cityfunds enable people to invest in single-family rental homes and fractionally invest in owner-occupied homes in Dallas, Austin, and Miami. With the new funding, Nada plans to expand Cityfunds to six new cities, grow its Oak Lawn-based staff to around 60, and develop a home equity-accessing debit card.

“We fundamentally believe that we can make a material difference to people's lives by making real estate as an asset more accessible,” co-founder and CEO John Green told Dallas Innovates.
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‘Affecting Every Aspect of Our Society’: McKinney Startup Aims to Identify Mental Health Issues

by | May 31, 2022
Many who are diagnosed with a mental health condition had no idea the symptoms they suffered were related to mental health. McKinney-based Connected Mind aims to change that with technology that screens people for the most common types of mental health conditions. “It's like being interviewed by a psychologist, but it's a computer,” says CEO and CTO Christian Lehinger.
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Health Supernova 2022: Scenes from a Dallas Startup Crawl
Capital Factory is celebrating its plans to launch the Center for Health Innovation at Pegasus Park in Dallas.

Partnering with companies like McKesson and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’ C1 Innovation Lab, it expects to open the doors to the new center before the end of 2023.
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Center of Gravity: Capital Factory Kicks Off New Dallas Digs With Startup Crawl and Health Supernova Event
by | May 6, 2022
Earlier this week, the Austin-based accelerator and investor announced its plans to launch a Center for Health Innovation at Pegasus Park in Dallas.
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DI People: Match Group, Island, UT Southwestern, BBG, and More Announce Leadership Moves
by | May 6, 2022
In this week’s roundup of hires, promotions, and accolades in North Texas, you’ll also find news from Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator, Divurgent, IKS Health, Invitation Homes, Comerica, New Friends New Life, Lennox, Trademark Property, Golden State Foods, and Catapult Health.
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Fort Worth Founder Aims to Help People Tackle Debt Through Content Creation

by | Apr 21, 2022
Demetrius Curry founded Fort Worth-based College Cash in 2019, giving users a way to pay off their student loan debt by creating content for brands. With a $50 minimum threshold to join a campaign, he says high school students can start the program and earn up to $25,000 by the time they graduate college. Along with investments from Overlooked Ventures, Impact Ventures, and Capital Factory, Curry expects College Cash to close a $1 million seed funding round soon—and he's expanding his solution to cover a number of major forms of debt.
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A Finnish Business Delegation is Touring Texas to Launch Direct DFW-Helsinki Flights—and Deepen Business Ties
by | Mar 30, 2022
Finnish Ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala and a delegation of business leaders is touring the Texas Triangle to talk economic cooperation and new technologies.

“For us, the key message to Finnish companies and travelers is that there's also the U.S. South, and Texas is the center of that. You have a bigger GDP than Brazil," Hautala told Dallas Innovates.
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Funding
Follow the Money: Dallas SPAC Raises $123M IPO, FortyTwo.VC Aims to Raise $50M Fund, Crestline Investors Closes Funds with $3.6B in Commitments, and More
by | Mar 21, 2022
What companies are finding funding or having a big exit? From startup investments to grants and acquisitions, Dallas Innovates tracks what’s happening in North Texas money.
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Dallas-based Fashion Tech App Launches to Connect Brands, Consumers Via Digital Content
by | Mar 15, 2022
Orma, a new app from Dallas-based fashion tech platform MakersValley, lets businesses bring the kind of content found on a social media feed or online shopping experience into brick-and-mortar retail. We talked with the team about helping both luxury Italian brands and smaller U.S. brands to connect with their customers, as they gear up for growth and a $1 million seed funding round.
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