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LiveOak Ventures

LiveOak partners with exceptional Texas-based founders, building tech and tech-enabled service companies.

Austin, TX, USA

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Description

LiveOak Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Austin, Texas. Established in 2012, it is one of the most active investors in the Texas tech ecosystem, focusing exclusively on building "category-dominating" companies within the state. 
  • Seed & Series A: This is the firm’s core focus, often acting as the first institutional lead investor.
  • Full Lifecycle Investor: While most relationships begin at the seed stage, the firm opportunistically participates in Pre-Seed and follows through to Series B and later growth stages. 
  • Referral & Networking: Like many institutional VCs, LiveOak heavily prioritizes warm introductions and referrals from their extensive network of founders and co-investors.
  • Direct Inquiry: Founders can engage through the LiveOak website or by directly connecting with investment team members on professional platforms like LinkedIn. 
  • Rolling Basis: LiveOak operates on a continuous investment cycle and evaluates deals year-round.

Eligibility

  • Geography: Strictly focused on companies where the founder or CEO is based in Texas.
  • Sectors: High-growth Technology and Tech-Enabled Services, including B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software, Cybersecurity, Fintech, and Health IT.
  • Business Model: Prioritizes disruptive technologies and models capable of creating large enterprise value. 

Process

  1. Sourcing & Vetting: The investment team actively sources deals from Texas's four major tech hubs (Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio).
  2. Due Diligence: A thorough evaluation of the technology, market opportunity, and founding team’s "grit" and technical domain strength.
  3. Active Partnership: Post-investment, partners typically take board seats and act as strategic advisors, assisting with executive hiring, go-to-market strategy, and subsequent fundraising. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  • Strategic Capital: Access to high-signal lead funding from a firm that has helped create nearly $5 billion in enterprise value.
  • Operator Network: Direct mentorship from a team with decades of experience in the Texas venture market.
  • Portfolio Synergy: Connectivity to a community of 60+ Texas-based leaders (e.g., Osano, OJO Labs, SchooLinks).
  • Recruiting Support: Direct help from the investment team in sourcing world-class management talent.