What Howdy Partners does

Howdy Partners is a Colorado-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 (originally as the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, rebranded in September 2025) that provides first-check capital of $250,000 to $500,000 to early-stage founders building companies in rural and overlooked Colorado markets. Headquartered in Durango with the founding team based locally, the firm explicitly targets high-caliber entrepreneurs operating outside major metropolitan and coastal venture hubs, with a stated thesis that culture-aligned companies in non-metro markets outperform. Since founding, Howdy Partners has deployed $26 million across 50 companies spanning 33 Colorado communities and 15 industries, including aerospace, AgTech, AI, B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, EdTech, FinTech, food & beverage, GovTech, health tech, IoT, outdoor products, robotics, telecommunications, and Web3.

The firm's core product is its venture fund offering first-check equity capital with potential for follow-on participation. Howdy Partners does not develop proprietary technology; its competitive differentiation is its specialized deal sourcing in rural/overlooked markets, relationship-first investing approach, and value-added support including founder summits, Howdy Ski Days community events, coaching, hiring support, and ecosystem introductions. The firm maintains active engagement programs led by Community & Events lead Kiki Hooton, with back-office fund administration handled by Meritage Accounting Group. Notable portfolio companies include Agile Space Industries ($17M Series A co-led in February 2026 with revenues tripled over three years), Cloudrise (acquired by Exclusive Networks in 2024), SmartMedia Technologies (Web3 platform trusted by PepsiCo, Visa, NBA), Glade Optics, BOPA autonomous agriculture robotics, and BiteZen (dental tech).

Howdy Partners generates revenue through conventional VC fund economics: management fees on committed/deployed capital and carried interest from successful exits. The firm is backed by dozens of private LPs including institutional names such as the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and the Gates Family Foundation, alongside private investors from major financial institutions. Co-founders Cory Finney (Managing Partner, sixth-generation Coloradan, prior SnowGate exit) and Marc Nager (Managing Partner, former CEO of Startup Weekend/UP Global and Chief Community Officer at Techstars) anchor the team alongside Jamie Finney (Venture Partner, finance and investing operations). To date the firm reports nine successful portfolio exits and has expanded its narrative from Colorado-specific rural investing toward a broader "rural America" thesis.

Name

Howdy Partners

Legal name

Howdy Partners

Website

https://howdy.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howdy Partners is a Durango, Colorado-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 (rebranded from Greater Colorado Venture Fund in 2025) that provides $250K-$500K first-check equity capital to early-stage founders building in rural and overlooked Colorado markets, with 50 portfolio investments and 9 exits to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Early-stage investment
• Seed funding
• Pre-seed capital
• Rural startup investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Durango

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Management / Investment Returns: VC fund that deploys capital into early-stage startups in exchange for equity. Generates returns through exits (IPOs, acquisitions) and follow-on investment appreciation. Previously operated as Greater Colorado Venture Fund (GCVF) before rebranding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howdy Partners operates a venture capital fund that deploys first-check equity capital (typically $250,000-$500,000) into early-stage startups headquartered in rural and overlooked markets across Colorado. The firm invests across 15+ industries including aerospace, AgTech, AI, B2B SaaS, FinTech, Health Tech, and outdoor products, with capacity for follow-on funding and an ecosystem of founder support programs (annual founder summit, Howdy Ski Days, pitch series, founder resources).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Howdy Partners Venture Fund Early-stage venture capital fund providing first-check capital (typically $250,000-$500,000) to founders building companies in rural and overlooked markets across Colorado, with follow-on investment capacity and value-added partner support. Invests across 15+ industries including aerospace, AgTech, AI, B2B SaaS, consumer applications, cybersecurity, edtech, FinTech, food & beverage, GovTech, health tech, IoT, outdoor products, robotics, telecommunications, and Web3.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 successful exits from portfolio companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Local FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Local First organization supporting independent businesses across Southwest Colorado. Kiki Hooton serves as Program and Membership Director at Local First while also leading founder-facing programs at Howdy Partners.
• Boomtown AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCory Finney served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Boomtown Accelerator before co-founding the fund. Ongoing relationship with startup ecosystem support organization.
• Kokopelli CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado's first pre-seed fund, co-founded by Cory Finney. Represents prior venture that evolved into current fund structure.
• Meritage Accounting GroupminorOthersBack-office and fund administration partner providing expert services including investor communications, compliance, and accounting to ensure smooth operations.
• OEDIT (Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLP/backer of Howdy Partners. Colorado state economic development organization supporting entrepreneurship across the state.
• ZOMA LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem partner and supporter of Howdy Partners ecosystem development.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foundry Group: Long-established Boulder, Colorado venture firm investing across stages. Comparable as a Colorado-anchored VC, but with a much broader mandate and significantly larger AUM.
• Techstars: Global accelerator and early-stage investor. Comparable in stage and ecosystem-building orientation (and via Marc Nager's prior role), but far larger and geographically diversified.
• gener8tor: National accelerator/early-stage investor with regional programs, including in undercapitalized U.S. geographies. Comparable in early-check sizing and rural/regional programs, but at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Pioneer Fund: Micro-VC focused on overlooked rural and heartland founders across the U.S. Closely comparable in thesis (rural-first), check size discipline, and seed-stage focus.
• Rev1 Ventures: Ohio-based early-stage investor and accelerator supporting founders in overlooked/regional markets. Comparable in stage, regional underdog thesis, and structured founder support.
• M25: Chicago-based micro-VC investing early in startups across the Midwest. Comparable in micro-fund size, seed-stage check discipline, and focus on founders outside the coastal mainstream.
• Right Side Capital Management: Pre-seed/seed investor writing ~$250K-$1M checks into a high volume of companies. Comparable in check size, stage discipline, and portfolio-construction approach.
• Rockies Venture Club: Colorado-based early-stage investor and angel network active across the state. Most directly comparable by geography, stage (seed/early), and mission to back regional founders outside major coastal hubs.
• Matchstick Ventures: Early-stage micro-VC backing founders outside major coastal tech hubs. Directly comparable in overlooked-markets thesis, pre-seed/seed check sizing, and portfolio-support model.
• Plains VC: Early-stage investor focused on founders building in middle America / rural regions. Comparable in regional-underdog thesis and seed-stage check sizes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howdyvc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments13 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howdy Partners