Overview

FundingUniverse connects qualified entrepreneurs with active VC's, angel investors and lending sources. In addition, FundingUniverse provides services to help entrepreneurs prepare for investment, such as helping them create compelling business plans and pitches, advising them on strategic business direction, and preparing them for investor scrutiny.

Entrepreneurs are introduced into a network of active investors who rely on FundingUniverse to bring them qualified investment opportunities. FundingUniverse enables investors to view and listen from the comfort of their home as qualified entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in written, video, and live formats.  Funding Universe also provides live SpeedPitching events where entrepreneurs pitch investors in a fast-paced, high-energy format.  These events provide the perfect opportunity to cultivate business opportunities between multiple investors and entrepreneurs.

 

History

In late 2004, serial entrepreneur Paul Allen and attorney David Bradford were troubled by the fact that there was not an easy way for entrepreneurs to connect with angel investors.  Determined to find a solution, they asked current FundingUniverse CTO Trent Miskin to create a web-based solution.  Miskin's efforts lead to the first version of FundingUniverse. 

In September 2005, Brock Blake joined the FundingUniverse team and assumed the role of CEO, leading the company to its current status as the nation's leading connector of entrepreneurs and investors.

 

Quick Facts

• Investors and angel groups that use FundingUniverse.com have access to thousands of quality business plans and, in some states, video proposals called VideoPitches.
• FundingUniverse.com provides users with educational podcasts, 10,000 company histories, sample business plans from successful startups, and hundreds of pages of resources and tips for entrepreneurs and investors.
• Brock Blake, FundingUniverse CEO, has been voted to the vSpring Capital Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs, also known as the v|100.  In addition, Mr. Blake has been selected as one of the Top Forty under 40 businessmen in Utah.
• Headquartered in American Fork, Utah, 30 miles south of Salt Lake City.
• Phone:  877.638.3616

 

Board of Directors

 

Brock J. Blake, Chief Executive Officer FundingUniverse

Mr. Blake leads the strategy and execution of the FundingUniverse team.  His number one goal is to make the angel investing industry more efficient by increasing the amount of deals done across the nation.  He has a passion for entrepreneurship and angel investing and is regularly asked to speak at conferences and seminars across the nation.

During his time at FundingUniverse, he has received several awards of recognition on behalf of the FundingUniverse team.  Most recently, he was named the 2007 Emerging Executive of the Year by the Utah Technology Council.  At age 24, he was recognized by Utah Business Magazine as one of the Top 40 Under 40 business professionals in Utah.  In addition, he joined an elite group of venture entrepreneurs when his peers selected him to vSpring Capital’s v100 list.  

Brock currently serves on several advisory boards including Gifts that Lift, Rahster.com, and Weber State University’s Entrepreneurial Society.  He graduated from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management in Entrepreneurial Finance and played semi-professional soccer for the BYU Cougars.  Brock is happily married with two children.

T. Craig Bott, President/CEO of Grow Utah Ventures

Craig Bott has provided senior level management advice and council on strategy, marketing and management to hundreds of emerging and expanding businesses throughout the western United States. He directed Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneurial Management consulting services and owned and operated his own successful consulting business for many years. He has served in a variety of senior operational positions at such companies as Franklin Covey, MarketStar as well as the Utah Governor’s Office. He has operated and led numerous companies in the areas of software technology, consumer electronics, services, and most recently wireless broadband. He has helped numerous businesses raise investment capital, design product and operational strategies and implement successful marketing and sales campaigns.

Paul Allen, Co-Founder of FundingUniverse, CEO WorldVitalRecords.com

Current serving as CEO of WorldVitalRecords.com, Paul was CEO of Infobases (a religious and educational CD-ROM publisher) from 1990-1997 and as CEO of Ancestry.com from 1997-1998. In 1998, he conceived and helped launch the MyFamily.com service to provide private Web sites for families. The efforts of the MyFamily.com founding team were recognized in the Ernst & Young 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year awards and by Technology Marketing Magazine who named MyFamily.com the Viral Marketing Company of the Year.

 

Advisory Board

Alan Hall, Founder/Chairman of Grow Utah Ventures Alan Hall is the founder and chief executive officer of MarketStar Corporation. Marquee clients include: Hewlett Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Whirlpool, Sharp, Canon, and Samsung. Last year the company was responsible for delivering well over eight billion dollars in sales for its clients through the retail, B2B and direct channels. Mr. Hall was the 1997 Ernest and Young Utah Entrepreneur of the Year and is also founder and chairman of Grow Utah Ventures, a new financial fund for entrepreneurs in Utah.

Bill Payne, Entrepreneur-in-Residence Kauffman Foundation

William H. (Bill) Payne is an entrepreneur and angel investor, and serves as entrepreneur-in-residence with the Kauffman Foundation. Payne founded an electronic materials company in 1971, which was sold to DuPont in 1982. Payne currently is involved with four early-stage companies and serves on the Board of the Vegas Valley Angels. He has been active in the San Diego Tech Coast Angels, the Chairmen’s RoundTable, the San Diego Social Venture Partners, and the Aztec Venture Network. Since the early 1980s, Payne has made angel investments in 30 early-stage companies and served on the Boards of a dozen, adding up to more than 120 years of Board experience for private companies and nonprofit organizations. As entrepreneur-in-residence since 1995 with the Kauffman Foundation, Payne’s most recent projects include the development and delivery of a full-day seminar on angel investing and his work as an entrepreneur editorial advisor for eVenturing. Payne started his career working in engineering positions for two Fortune 1000 companies. He earned his engineering degrees from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Ann, reside in Henderson, Nevada.

Greg Warnock, Mercato Partners

Greg Warnock is a co-founder of vSpring Capital, a regional venture capital firm with over $200 million under management.  Mr. Warnock was the Coordinating Managing Director from inception through 2004.  The firm’s first fund has emerged as a top decile performer.  At the invitation of Mr. Hall, Mr. Warnock has transitioned to a founding role with Mercato Partners.  Mr. Warnock is recognized as one of the most prolific regional angel investors.  Mr. Warnock believes in the power of entrepreneurship and working with entrepreneurs.  In June of 2006, Mr. Warnock was honored with the Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award at the Ernst & Young Special 20th Anniversary Gala Event.

Rick Gibson, HOTventures  

Rick Gibson has had a 31-year career building businesses. He founded and co-founded several successful technology companies and has consulted to over (45) others. Since 2000, Rick has served as Managing Director of HOTventures, a "mentor capital fund" for the Southwest U.S., which invests in and advises early-stage companies. He is also a limited partner in Solstice Capital II (one of the largest venture capital funds in Arizona) and on the Executive Board and Screening Committee of the Desert Angels.

Jeff Jordan, FundingUniverse Co-founder

As a founding member of the FundingUniverse team, Mr. Jordan continues to evangelize the FundingUniverse mission and provide strategic counsel to the company.

 

During his tenure at FundingUniverse, he served as its COO with responsibility over day-to-day operations and the company's venture consulting arm.

Mr. Jordan's writing on angel investing has been featured in The Street, Worth Magazine and many news publications.  Previous to FundingUniverse, he served as VP of Marketing with Mr. Blake at KnowMarketing, LLC. He spent time as a professional blogger for EnablingAngels, sponsored by Know More Media and is a regular contributor to Connect Magazine.

David Bradford, Attorney/Entrepreneur

David Bradford is a seasoned business leader and lawyer with over 25 years in industry.  He is known as someone with very strong corporate board and government level connections across the United States.  From 1985-2000, he served as Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of Novell, Inc. the world leader in computer networking software.  Today, Mr. Bradford is engaged in legal and business consulting for a variety of companies.  He recently finished a stint as a  Partner with one of the Top Ten Law firms in the Country, Greenberg Traurig, where he specialized in counseling Venture Capital and Private Equity groups (Intel Capital was a personal client) as well as provided advice to emerging growth technology companies.