Our Groundbreaking Strategy
We invest in innovative, early-stage, founder-led companies that tend to be escape the notice of the big East and West Coast venture capital firms. Many of these companies have the potential to contribute to the economic growth of Oklahoma through job creation and affiliations with the University of Oklahoma ecosystem, its alumni and other Oklahomans.
We're committed not only to driving economic growth, but to generating above-average returns for our investors. We do this by investing at attractive prices, and by providing guidance and support to our portfolio companies - innovative firms competing in the fast-growing Life Sciences, HealthTech, FinTech, and Infrastructure Tech sectors.
Our unique strategy is captured by our tagline:
Under the Radar. Above the Crowd.®️
We pursue above-average returns in three ways:
01
Competitive Pricing
Because our portfolio companies tend to escape the notice of larger VCs, they're unlikely to be over-bid and over-priced.
02
Venture Studio by BSV
We and our Venture Studio by BSV provide de-risking strategic and operational guidance designed to help our portfolio companies avoid costly mistakes, get to market sooner, scale faster, and exit more profitably.
03
Follow-Ons
Whenever possible, we make follow-on investments in those portfolio companies that are demonstrating especially exceptional performance and the potential for truly exceptional returns.
Our Founders
Founder & General Partner James Spann (L) and Co-Founder & Strategic Advisor Jeff Moore (R) saw that promising startups from the University of Oklahoma and elsewhere in the state were failing to get to market for one primary reason: a lack of access to venture capital, most of which was located on the East and West Coasts. In 2016, they concluded that the only solution was to open a venture capital firm in OU’s home city of Norman. And in 2021, after five years of planning, they did precisely that.
The University of Oklahoma
BSV is proud and fortunate to enjoy a unique relationship with OU:
- Our headquarters is located across Boyd Street from OU’s beautiful campus.
- Our Founder James Spann is an OU alum and has been Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board for OU’s Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering since 2015.
- Our Co-Founder Jeff Moore has been Executive Director of OU’s Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth since 2010.
- BSV frequently collaborates with OU’s institutions and schools.
- BSV employs numerous OU interns each year.
The Carnegie Classification has awarded the University of Oklahoma its highest rating for research activity.
LPs on investing in BSV funds:
-
"I was immediately impressed by James. He’s exceptionally smart, experienced and thoughtful; the world needs more guys like him. I really think the fund will go to the top, and its mission will create a lot of positive change in the process. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever been involved with."
Michael Horton Founder, Good Living Ventures -
"From my first exposure to BSV, to becoming an investor, and now to reading updates on the progress of Fund I, I have been impressed with everything about this firm. The BSV team has done a fantastic job of selecting their portfolio companies, and the intellectual support they provide those companies is extremely important. Boyd Street Ventures is introducing the Oklahoma ecosystem to the world, and I am honored to support their efforts."
Dick Vojvoda Captain, American Airlines -
"My involvement in BSV was, at first, a new way to diversify my financial portfolio and to do something totally different and out of my comfort zone. Now, I am also enjoying being a small part of helping young, gifted and bright entrepreneurs pursue their dreams and ideas."
Linda Young Owner, LLY Oil & Gas LLC -
"My investment experience with Boyd Street Venture has been very positive. As a seasoned investor in various markets over the past 40-plus years, I have developed great confidence in – and been very impressed with – the quality of BSV’s management team and its investment portfolio."
Mehdi Azimi, Ph.D. Principal & Managing Director, Risk Management International