Phil Herget

Phil Herget is the Co-founder and General Partner of Ardent Venture Partners, operating from New Alexandria, Virginia. Before launching the firm in 2020 alongside Phil Bronner, he served as the Founder and Managing Member of Avonlea Capital and spent over two decades as the Co-Managing General Partner of Columbia Capital. During his tenure at Columbia Capital, which he joined in 1992, Herget managed communications and technology investments that resulted in acquisitions by major corporations including Cisco, Oracle, and Ericsson. His earlier career includes leading the initial public offering for Telular Corporation as its Chief Financial Officer, and he holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia alongside an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler. Herget currently focuses his 30 years of investment experience on early-stage enterprise software, specifically targeting AI-native applications, vertical SaaS, and B2B fintech startups.