Ring Ventures Community Newsletter — July 2022
Content at the intersection of entrepreneurship, venture capital, and our Texas A&M community.
IN THIS ISSUE: A note from Managing Partner Larry Warnock, read a feature story on portfolio company Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical, investments in our 2022 fund, portfolio companies in the news, and more.
Still Time to Join Ring’s 2022 Fund!
Our team is helping investors finalize their paperwork, and we are taking final calls for a few open spots. Interested investors should create an account and log in to Ring’s data room to access all fund materials and make a commitment. If you have any investing questions, connect with us for a short 1×1 call.
New to the fund? Sign up here.
Save The Date
Thursday, August 11, 4:15 PM
Join us in Dallas for a panel discussion regarding why now is the time to invest in the venture capital asset class. Details to follow, or email [email protected] for more info.
A Note from Managing Partner Larry Warnock
Howdy!
In Ring’s 2021 Fund, we have already seen three portfolio companies raise new money at an increase of market capitalization value. It is very positive to see “step-up values” this quickly in a venture fund. That is the whole point of venture investing. Increases in market value with the potential for an eventual exit that triggers a distribution to our fund investors. While increases in paper valuation are good to see with these companies and any others in the portfolio, we need actual distributions from portfolio company exits to determine returns, which could be higher or lower.
In addition, the fund has nine portfolio companies in the process of raising new rounds of financing. According to the companies, each is anticipating a “step-up” in valuation. This fast and positive movement in a venture fund is a good thing. There have been no “out of business” events in the portfolio so far, although we do expect a handful over the life of the fund.
A few more interesting and positive stats we received from Ring’s 2021 Fund portfolio companies over the past 12 months:
- A data aggregator company more than doubled their customer base and added new flagship customers including JP Morgan, Deloitte and PwC.
- A business marketplace company grew registered user count by 170% year-over-year and improved social media lead conversion by 324%.
- A robotics company increased its year-over-year revenues by ~2.2x and expanded their product offering.
- A company that provides online tutoring services increased their revenue ~1,790% year-over-year and massively grew their user base.
- A financial services company increased their revenues year-over-year by more than 300%.
- A financial service company related to mortgage markets grew revenue at 260% year-over-year and launched new offerings for the ever-changing real estate market.
Of course, the reported operating performance results ultimately need to be reflected into positive investment results to benefit the portfolio. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results, and venture investing comes with risk, including the risk of loss of capital invested.
Don’t miss out on investing in Ring’s 2022 Fund. Sign up today.
Gig ’em,
Larry Warnock (’83)
Managing Partner
RIng Ventures
Alumni Ventures
Ring Ventures’ 2022 Portfolio
There are currently eight companies in Ring’s 2022 Fund. Investors in the fund will own these investments as part of a portfolio of ~20-30 venture-backed startups — many with an Aggie connection.
Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical is a drug discovery and development company creating a portfolio of novel compounds that capture the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics — and fundamentally reshape the treatment of mental illness. Read Feature Story »
- Virdee: A B2B back-end application used by hotels and other companies that enables check-in, room access, and concierge services all from a mobile device.
- SourceDay: B2B supply chain software that improves purchasing and tracking while reducing errors for direct materials and components in manufacturing industries.
- Proxi: A free-to-users interactive mapping app that recommends activities/places based on your interests. Groups and companies can create their own tailored maps.
- TRAXyL: A robotic system that lays fiber-optic cable on top of road surfaces eliminating the need to trench, massively reducing the cost of expanding fiber infrastructure.
- Veritonic: A B2B research and analysis application for the marketing of brands and products that use audio in their go-to-market strategy.
TO BE ANNOUNCED:
- The first non-contact, thermal-drilling robot that can uniquely bore through hard rock, making it possible to bore utility tunnels through previously impenetrable geologies.
- B2C financial services network for connecting professional wealth advisors to individual clients nationwide.
Ring Portfolio Companies in the News
FOR CURRENT INVESTORS
Thinking of becoming an investor? Access Materials »
Visit Your Club Portal
We invite existing investors to visit your Club portal for updates from Managing Partner Larry Warnock and our team, including webinars and events, Syndications, portfolio news, and exclusive content.
Visit Club Portal »
Campus and Community Update
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a landmark piece of legislation that paved the way for all persons to pursue their educational goals by making all forms of sex discrimination illegal in federally funded educational programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects students, faculty, staff and visitors to the Texas A&M campus from discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment. Read More »
AV Talent Referrals
Interested in joining a cutting-edge startup or know someone who might be? Our portfolio companies are growing and always looking for high-caliber talent. Check out their open positions on our job board. If you find a match, fill out this short form, and we will try to make a personal referral. Visit Job Board »
Contact [email protected] for additional information. To see additional risk factors and investment considerations, visit av-funds.com/disclosures.