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Key people at Texas Venture Alliance.
Texas Venture Alliance operates as a venture advocacy group, strengthening the state's startup ecosystem. It amplifies the innovation community’s voice, particularly at the Texas State Capitol, by fostering collaboration among key stakeholders. The organization hosts signature statewide events, like the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and entities to facilitate strategic partnerships.
Christa "CS" Freeland co-founded Texas Venture Alliance in early 2023; Glenn Hamer serves as Founding Chairman. Freeland’s entrepreneurial background and prior leadership in a venture association highlighted the need for unified advocacy. This insight drove the organization’s establishment, providing robust support for Texas's innovation sector, enabling companies and capital providers to thrive.
The organization serves Texas venture professionals, including venture capitalists, tech studios, family offices, incubators, and the startups they empower. Texas Venture Alliance envisions a more interconnected and supportive community, ensuring the state remains fertile ground for technological advancement and economic development. It empowers new leaders and innovators, contributing to the Texas economy’s long-term vitality.
Key people at Texas Venture Alliance.
Texas Venture Alliance has 3 tracked investments across 2 companies. The latest tracked deal is $53.0M Series C in AI21 Labs in November 2023.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2023 | AI21 Labs | $53.0M Series C | Intel Capital, Allison Goldberg | Inventus Capital Partners, SteelSky Ventures, Chuck Feerick, Amnon Shashua |
| Aug 1, 2021 | Motivo | $12.0M Series A | Intel Capital | Accelerated Digital Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Shield Capital, SteelSky Ventures, Chuck Feerick, Michael FEY, Peter Barris, John Dougery, Seraph Group, Storm Ventures |
| Dec 1, 2019 | Motivo | $2.0M Seed | — | Intel Capital, Inventus Capital Partners, SteelSky Ventures, Ecmc, Emmett Partners, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Next Wave Impact, SEI Ventures, Techstars, The Jump Fund |
Texas Venture Alliance (TVA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to amplifying and advocating for the startup and venture capital ecosystem across Texas. Its mission centers on promoting innovators and investors statewide, fostering collaboration, and supporting economic growth through venture advocacy and ecosystem-building events. TVA focuses on connecting startups, entrepreneurs, and investors, particularly emphasizing "Texas-sized" deals and partnerships. It plays a critical role in the Texas startup ecosystem by facilitating resources, events, and policy advocacy that strengthen the innovation economy and attract capital to the state[1][3][4].
Founded to serve as a statewide force multiplier for startup support, TVA has evolved into the largest and only statewide association for innovation in Texas. It works beyond city limits to unify the diverse venture community across the state. Key leadership includes CEO C.S. Freeland, who has emphasized strategic partnerships such as the Texas Scale-Up Coalition launched with the Texas Association of Business to accelerate economic growth and global connections for Texas startups. TVA’s evolution reflects Texas’s rapid growth as a venture hub, with increasing venture capital inflows and a growing network of investors and support organizations[1][2][3][4][7].
Texas Venture Alliance rides the wave of Texas’s emergence as a top-tier venture capital hub, fueled by the state’s economic diversity, political support, and growing startup activity. Texas ranked 4th in the US for venture funding in 2022, with Austin alone accounting for $5 billion. TVA’s timing is critical as Texas sees a quadrupling of its venture community, attracting family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors. The organization helps shape market forces by connecting local innovation with global markets, supporting dual-use technology, defense tech, AI, and other high-growth sectors. TVA’s advocacy and network-building efforts contribute to Texas’s positioning as a global economic leader in innovation[1][2][4][7].
Looking ahead, Texas Venture Alliance is poised to deepen its influence by expanding its coalition-building efforts and enhancing policy advocacy to sustain Texas’s competitive edge in venture capital. Trends such as AI, defense technology, and dual-use innovations will likely shape the startups TVA supports. As Texas continues to attract capital and talent, TVA’s role as a statewide convener and advocate will be crucial in maintaining momentum and ensuring that the ecosystem remains vibrant and well-supported. The alliance’s integration into the state’s economic development plans signals a future where it will remain central to Texas’s innovation economy[2][4][7].
