The Watertower Ventures In The Flow Lab
At Watertower Ventures, we pride ourselves on being forward-thinking and flexible early stage investors. In late 2021, as our team regrouped to discuss our role in the market, we came to realize that our biggest value add was at the earliest stages of a company’s inception. However, we also recognized that the “earliest” stage is different for every company. Across our team we have founded 12 companies, instilling in us a founder’s entrepreneurial mindset and a personal understanding of how dynamic the early days of a startup can be.
For the past several years, we have been tracking impressive entrepreneurs, engineers, and other individuals who were at the nascent, ideation stage of their businesses. These individuals and teams excited us with their ideas but were slightly too early for a core investment from our fund.
It was with these two challenges in mind that we decided to launch the WTV In the Flow Lab. The Lab is designed to support exceptional founders, with an initial investment ranging between $100,000 — $500,000, whose companies are still in the earliest stages of their development and possess the growth potential we seek in all our investments.
The Lab provides initial capital, strategic guidance, fundraising assistance, and bespoke support to founders. As former founders, we understand that the earliest stage of a company’s lifecycle is unique to each business. We don’t believe in cohorts or demo days. We take a unique and tailored approach to all of our Lab companies.
As a complement to our core fund strategy, our vision is to be long-term partners in the success of the companies that go through the Lab. We aim to help these companies grow into core positions in our portfolio and establish a strong, lasting relationship with the founders. As the business of a Lab company progresses, our goal is to lead or co-lead the subsequent financing round. Since the launch of the Lab program in early 2022, we have welcomed two companies, Kodezi and Glacier, and have led follow-on financing rounds in both. Watertower Ventures is actively seeking its next Lab investment and is dedicated to helping companies at their earliest stage bring their ideas to life as long-term capital partners.
If you or someone you know is in the ideation or foundational stage of their business, we encourage you to apply to the WTV In the Flow Lab. Together, we can turn radical ideas into successful companies.
Learn more and apply to the Lab at https://www.watertowerventures.com/in-the-flow-lab.
