Cortado Ventures
Cortado Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Oklahoma City that invests in frontier technology companies serving legacy industries (energy, healthcare, manufacturing, mobility/logistics) across the U.S. Midcontinent, with $110M+ AUM across Fund I, Fund II, and an Angel Fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersOklahoma City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cortado Ventures does
Cortado Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm founded in spring 2020 and headquartered at 600 N Robinson, Suite 600, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The firm invests in frontier technology companies building B2B solutions for large legacy industries — specifically energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and mobility & logistics — concentrated in the U.S. Midcontinent (Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana). The firm's core product is Fund II, an $80M oversubscribed seed vehicle that closed in September 2023, alongside Fund I ($20M, 2020) and a $10M Angel Fund launched in February 2026. The firm derives revenue from standard VC economics: ~2% management fees on committed capital and ~20% carried interest on profitable exits, and serves institutional LPs including OCAST ($20M commitment), WatersEdge, SWOSU Foundation, Citizens Bank of Edmund, and Presbyterian Health Foundation.
The firm's investment process is paired with operational support infrastructure, including portfolio company mentorship programs delivered through Magellan Executive Partners, sector-specific advisory from operators in energy, biotech, aerospace, and government contracting, and ecosystem partnerships with The Verge OKC incubator (co-founded in April 2024), the gener8tor Oklahoma City Investment Accelerator (June 2025), and the annual Midcon VC Summit. The firm has deployed $30M across 27+ portfolio companies generating $1.5B in aggregate enterprise value, with 2/3 of seed rounds graduating to Series A — approximately double the industry average. In June 2025, Cortado launched the Frontier Fund in partnership with The Artemis Group (led by former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine) and Marlan Space (led by former Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib), extending the thesis into space economy and national security with advisory support from former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien.
The team consists of four core partners (Nathaniel Harding, Mike Moradi, Susan Moring, David Woods) supported by investment, marketing, and accounting staff, plus 24-plus named advisors covering blockchain, energy, agtech, aerospace, government contracting, and ecosystem building. Cortado has secured three consecutive Kauffman Fellows (Mike Moradi Class 29, Matt Waraich and Mike Moradi 2024, Susan Moring Class 30 2025), Forbes Diversity Advocacy recognition (2024), the 405 Business Magazine Finance Innovator of the Year award (2023), and TIME Magazine's Top HealthTech Companies list (2025) for portfolio company Recuro Health. The firm went on to realize exits including PatchRx (acquired by Custom Health in 2025), Sway Medical (acquired by Healthy Roster in 2025), and NuView's acquisition of Astraea (2024).
Cortado Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cortado Ventures
- Legal name
- Cortado Ventures
- Website
- https://cortado.ventures
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cortado Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Oklahoma City that invests in frontier technology companies serving legacy industries (energy, healthcare, manufacturing, mobility/logistics) across the U.S. Midcontinent, with $110M+ AUM across Fund I, Fund II, and an Angel Fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cortado Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Cortado Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oklahoma City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cortado Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Venture capital firms typically charge 2% management fees on committed capital during the investment period. Fund II targets $80 million.
- Carried Interest: Standard VC carried interest structure (typically 20%) on profits from successful portfolio company exits after returning invested capital to LPs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Cortado Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cortado Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in early-stage frontier technology companies serving large legacy industries in the U.S. Midcontinent region. The firm manages multiple investment vehicles (Fund I, Fund II, Frontier Fund, Angel Fund) and provides operational support, mentorship, and co-investor network access to portfolio founders in energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and mobility & logistics sectors.
Product overview
Cortado Ventures is a venture capital firm offering seed-stage investment services to frontier tech companies in America's Midcontinent Region. The firm operates multiple investment vehicles including its core VC Fund and the specialized Frontier Fund, while providing ecosystem support through programs like The Verge OKC Accelerator and the Gener8tor OKC Investment Accelerator. The firm hosts the annual Midcon VC Summit and publishes the Doubleshot Newsletter to support portfolio companies with executive mentoring and growth resources. Investment focus areas include Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Mobility & Logistics sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Doubleshot Newsletter: Monthly newsletter covering portfolio updates, investment announcements, and ecosystem news.
- Midcon VC Summit
Products and services
- Cortado Ventures Fund I
- Cortado Ventures Fund II
- Cortado Ventures Angel Fund
- Frontier Fund
- Gener8tor Oklahoma City Investment Accelerator
- The Verge OKC
Quantifiable outcome
- 2/3 of seed rounds go on to raise Series A rounds (2x industry average)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cortado Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cortado Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cortado Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.
- University of TulsaminorProvided backing to Tobe Energy, which uses technology developed with university research support.
- FDAcorePortfolio company Watkins-Conti received FDA clearance for Yōni.Fit bladder support device, enabling nationwide online sales.
- InhaTarget TherapeuticsmajorPortfolio company CorriXR partnered to develop inhaled genetic therapy for lung cancer delivering treatment directly to tumors.
- Merxin LtdmajorPortfolio company CorriXR partnered for development of inhaled genetic therapy for lung cancer.
- Cenlar FSBmajorPortfolio company Ardley launched refinance and recapture intelligence platform in partnership with nation's leading mortgage subservicer.
- The Artemis GroupcorePartnership with The Artemis Group for the Frontier Fund focused on space economy investments. Jim Bridenstine (former NASA Administrator) leads this initiative.
- Marlan SpacecorePartnership with Marlan Space for the Frontier Fund. Hamdullah Mohib (former National Security Advisor) leads efforts to advance resilient space infrastructure.
- American Global StrategiesmajorAdvisory partnership with American Global Strategies (led by former National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien) for Frontier Fund's national security and defense focus.
- gener8torcoreCortado Ventures partnered with gener8tor to invest in the Oklahoma City Investment Accelerator's 2025 cohort. Each startup eligible for $100,000 investment as part of 12-week mentorship-driven program.
- Magellan Executive PartnerscoreProvides nationally recognized executive training at no cost to all portfolio companies through CEO mentoring program.
- The Verge OKCcoreThe Verge is a nonprofit incubator providing 10-year state income tax exemption, low-cost space, shared services, and support for startups. Cortado co-founded and actively supports this ecosystem initiative.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cortado Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boyd Street Ventures: Oklahoma-based early-stage VC. Co-invests with Cortado in the gener8tor OKC Investment Accelerator and operates in the same regional ecosystem.
- Flyover Capital: Kansas City-based early-to-growth VC firm investing in B2B tech across the U.S. heartland. Directly comparable as a fellow Midcontinent-focused VC with overlapping sector and geographic coverage.
- Lewis & Clark Ventures: St. Louis-based venture firm focused on early-stage companies in the Midwest. Already co-invests with Cortado (ArborXR Series A) and overlaps directly on Midcontinent early-stage opportunities.
- Mercury Fund: Houston-based early-stage VC investing in transformative tech from the South and Midwest. Co-led ArborXR's $12M Series A with Cortado and shares a frontier-tech / capital-efficient thesis.
- S3 Ventures: Austin-based early-stage B2B software/tech VC investing across the South and Midwest. Comparable frontier-tech seed and Series A thesis anchored in a non-coastal geography.
Broad incumbents
- Rev1 Ventures: Columbus, Ohio-based startup venture fund/accelerator with regional Midwest thesis and structured portfolio support programs. Comparable as a regional Midwest platform investor serving legacy industries.
- Drive Capital: Columbus-based Midwest-focused VC firm investing across early and growth stages. Comparable regional and operating-partner approach backing heartland entrepreneurs.
- OCA Ventures: Chicago-based early-stage VC with a Midwest focus. Comparable as another regional VC investing in B2B tech and frontier categories outside the coastal hubs.
- Techstars: Global accelerator platform with which Cortado partner Susan Moring works nationally. Comparable as an ecosystem-builder and seed-stage capital-adjacent platform, though at vastly larger scale.
Emerging players
- gener8tor: Nationwide accelerator platform that has partnered with Cortado on the OKC Investment Accelerator. Comparable as a startup-ecosystem builder and adjacent capital-allocator in the same regional deal flow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cortado Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceCortado Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cortado Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Cortado Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cortado Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments62 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cortado Ventures
What does Cortado Ventures do?
Cortado Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in early-stage frontier technology companies serving large legacy industries in the U.S. Midcontinent region. The firm manages multiple investment vehicles (Fund I, Fund II, Frontier Fund, Angel Fund) and provides operational support, mentorship, and co-investor network access to portfolio founders in energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and mobility & logistics sectors.
Is Cortado Ventures a public or private company?
Cortado Ventures is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Cortado Ventures founded?
Cortado Ventures was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cortado Ventures based?
Cortado Ventures is headquartered in Oklahoma City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cortado Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Cortado Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boyd Street Ventures, Flyover Capital, Lewis & Clark Ventures, Mercury Fund and S3 Ventures. Broad incumbents are Rev1 Ventures, Drive Capital, OCA Ventures and Techstars. gener8tor is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cortado Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cortado Ventures.
What industry is Cortado Ventures in?
Cortado Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.