Shepherd Ventures
Shepherd Ventures is a San Diego-based venture capital fund making first- and later-stage equity investments in information technology and life sciences companies, serving growth-stage founders with capital, operating support, and advisory networks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Shepherd Ventures does
Shepherd Ventures is a San Diego-based venture capital fund that makes first- and later-stage equity investments in information technology and life sciences companies. Founded in 2001, the firm concentrates its sourcing on Southern California's Tech Coast, an area it characterizes as underserved by VC capital relative to market potential, and targets portfolio companies exhibiting a "winning CEO," completed or near-completed products with defined sales channels, sustainable competitive advantage, and a credible path to profitability. The team — three Managing Directors (George C. Kenney, Tom Siegel, Richard P. Kuntz), two Venture Partners (Fred D. Lawrence, John R. Nelson), and an Operations Partner (Olga Kitsakos) — applies a hands-on "shepherding" operating model, providing equity capital alongside operational guidance, board participation, advisory networks, and strategic partnerships. The firm has invested in 18+ documented portfolio companies across fabless semiconductors (Andigilog, Planet ATE, wiSpry), specialty photonics and lighting (CEYX, LTI Lighting, NP Photonics), life sciences and medical devices (Revance Therapeutics, Emergent Respiratory, Oculir, Lucix), healthcare IT (Skylight Healthcare, MedManage Systems), mobile and consumer software (Quickoffice, Digital Orchid, Sendio), and storage and media infrastructure (SiliconSystems, SpecificMEDIA, Voyager Systems). Shepherd Ventures generates revenue through two standard VC streams: recurring management fees on committed capital under management and lumpy carried interest on profitable portfolio exits, with fee rates and fund size not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven — deal flow is sourced through personal networks, industry referrals, conference participation (most recently the C3 Davos of Healthcare Silicon Valley Summit at Plug and Play Tech Center), and direct outreach to founding CEOs.
Shepherd Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shepherd Ventures
- Legal name
- Shepherd Ventures
- Website
- https://shepherdventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Shepherd Ventures is a San Diego-based venture capital fund making first- and later-stage equity investments in information technology and life sciences companies, serving growth-stage founders with capital, operating support, and advisory networks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shepherd Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms
Keywords
Where Shepherd Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shepherd Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC funds typically charge annual management fees as a percentage of committed capital under management to cover operational expenses.
- Carried Interest: The fund generates returns through carried interest (performance fees) on profitable exits of portfolio companies, providing capital appreciation to the fund's limited partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Shepherd Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shepherd Ventures is a venture capital fund that makes first and later stage equity investments in carefully selected growth companies, primarily focused on information technology and life sciences sectors in Southern California's Tech Coast region. The fund provides equity capital alongside hands-on operational shepherding, advisory networks, and strategic partnerships to support portfolio companies. It generates returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest on profitable portfolio exits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shepherd Ventures III Fund
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio companies have achieved liquidity events including IPOs and M&A transactions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Shepherd Ventures
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Shepherd Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Shepherd Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered opportunity-based and venue partner.
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centreopportunity-basedPortfolio companies participating in the C3 Davos of Healthcare Silicon Valley Summit pitch competition are eligible for a potential Proof of Concept opportunity with King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Saudi Arabia. This represents a potential international market entry opportunity for winning portfolio companies.
- Plug and Play Tech Centervenue partnerPlug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California serves as the venue for the C3 Davos of Healthcare Silicon Valley Summit where Shepherd Ventures III has featured participation as a partner.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Shepherd Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Avalon Ventures: San Diego-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in information technology and life sciences. Directly comparable to Shepherd Ventures given shared geography, sector focus (IT and life sciences), and similar early/later stage investment thesis targeting Southern California Tech Coast opportunities.
- Rincon Venture Partners: Southern California early-stage venture capital firm focused on technology and life sciences. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures as a regional VC with similar sector mandate and early-stage investment orientation in underserved Southern California markets.
- Miramar Digital Ventures: San Diego-based venture capital firm with technology investment focus. Comparable due to shared San Diego headquarters, technology sector focus, and early-to-growth stage venture investing model.
- Pappas Ventures: Venture capital firm focused on life sciences and technology investments. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures through life sciences sector overlap, hands-on operating support model, and early-to-growth stage investment approach.
- Forward Ventures: San Diego-based venture capital firm focused on life sciences and technology investments. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures through shared San Diego headquarters, similar focus on life sciences and IT sectors, and parallel focus on first and later stage growth companies in the region.
- City Hill Ventures: San Diego-based venture capital firm investing in life sciences and technology. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures through shared geography, dual focus on life sciences and IT, and early-to-growth stage investment strategy.
- Enterprise Partners Venture Capital: San Diego-based venture capital firm investing in technology and life sciences companies. Directly comparable due to San Diego Tech Coast location, IT and life sciences focus, and early-to-growth stage investment approach overlapping with Shepherd Ventures' strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Andreessen Horowitz: Major venture capital firm with broad technology and bio/health investments. Comparable through overlapping technology and life sciences investment verticals, though operates at significantly larger fund size and broader scope than Shepherd Ventures' regional focus.
- Kleiner Perkins: Established Sand Hill Road venture capital firm with broad technology and life sciences portfolios. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures as it operates in the same IT and life sciences sectors, though at vastly larger scale and with broader geographic mandate rather than regional concentration.
Regional players
- Tech Coast Angels: Largest angel investor network in Southern California focused on early-stage technology and life sciences investments. Comparable to Shepherd Ventures through shared San Diego Tech Coast geography and early-stage IT/life sciences focus, though operates via angel network model rather than institutional fund.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Shepherd Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceShepherd Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shepherd Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Shepherd Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shepherd Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments26 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shepherd Ventures
What does Shepherd Ventures do?
Shepherd Ventures is a venture capital fund that makes first and later stage equity investments in carefully selected growth companies, primarily focused on information technology and life sciences sectors in Southern California's Tech Coast region. The fund provides equity capital alongside hands-on operational shepherding, advisory networks, and strategic partnerships to support portfolio companies. It generates returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest on profitable portfolio exits.
Is Shepherd Ventures a public or private company?
Shepherd Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Shepherd Ventures founded?
Shepherd Ventures was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Shepherd Ventures based?
Shepherd Ventures is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shepherd Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Shepherd Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Avalon Ventures, Rincon Venture Partners, Miramar Digital Ventures, Pappas Ventures, Forward Ventures, City Hill Ventures and Enterprise Partners Venture Capital. Broad incumbents are Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins. Tech Coast Angels is listed as a regional player.
Does Shepherd Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shepherd Ventures.
What industry is Shepherd Ventures in?
Shepherd Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAJ, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6282.