Philo
Philo is a privately held Utah-based firm that builds and invests in early-stage companies through its venture studio while simultaneously developing real estate and hospitality assets. It serves exceptional founders seeking capital and operational support, as well as capital partners seeking integrated venture and real estate opportunities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersProvo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Philo does
Philo is a privately held venture and real estate development firm headquartered in Lehi, Utah, operating under the legal entity Philo Venture Management, LLC. The firm is organized around two interconnected business lines: Philo Ventures, a startup studio and venture fund that builds and invests in companies from the ground up alongside founders and capital partners; and Philo Real Estate (also branded Philo Hospitality), a real estate development division focused on developing real property assets including hospitality properties. Philo positions itself as a builder-first organization that intentionally operates at the intersection of venture and real estate, arguing that the same instincts — finding market gaps, assembling teams, and creating something new — drive both new venture creation and physical asset development.
The firm serves two primary customer segments: exceptional founders and management teams seeking capital and operational support to launch new companies, and capital partners seeking differentiated investment opportunities that combine venture upside with real estate stability. Philo works with these constituencies on a direct, relationship-driven basis rather than through public marketing or standardized product offerings. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed, but the model appears to rely on equity ownership in portfolio companies (realized through future exits) and value capture from real estate development and hospitality operations. There are no publicly disclosed pricing terms, fund sizes, AUM figures, or productized service offerings.
As of the available data, Philo maintains a 41-person team across its venture, real estate, and operational functions, co-founded by Christian Gardner. The firm holds no disclosed patents, certifications, regulatory actions, or external institutional capital, and there are no recorded funding rounds, M&A transactions, or product launches. Its competitive positioning rests on the integration of venture and real estate under one umbrella and on its ability to attract and deploy both entrepreneurial talent and capital.
Philo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Philo
- Legal name
- Philo Venture Management, LLC
- Website
- https://philo.ventures
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Philo is a privately held Utah-based firm that builds and invests in early-stage companies through its venture studio while simultaneously developing real estate and hospitality assets. It serves exceptional founders seeking capital and operational support, as well as capital partners seeking integrated venture and real estate opportunities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Philo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Real Estate Development
- NAICS
- Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
Keywords
Where Philo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Provo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Philo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Venture Investment Returns: Philo builds and invests in companies from the ground up, generating returns through equity ownership in portfolio companies. The firm works with capital partners to fund new ventures and realizes value through exits.
- Real Estate Development: Through Philo Hospitality and related entities, the firm develops real property assets including hospitality properties, generating returns through property development, appreciation, and hospitality operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Philo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Philo builds companies and develops real assets from the ground up through two interconnected divisions: Philo Ventures (a startup studio/venture arm that builds and invests in new companies) and Philo Real Estate/Hospitality (a real estate development arm that develops property assets including hospitality properties). The firm pairs venture creation with real property development, working alongside founders and capital partners.
Product overview
Philo is a unified company that operates across two distinct but interconnected business lines: venture capital (through Philo Ventures) and real estate development (through Philo Real Estate/Hospitality). The firm describes itself as building companies and developing real assets from the ground up, pairing the creativity and speed of launching new businesses with the discipline and permanence of developing real property.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Philo Ventures: Venture studio focused on building companies from the ground up with exceptional teams and capital partners.
- Philo Real Estate
Products and services
- Philo Ventures
- Philo Real Estate / Philo Hospitality
Companies that use Philo
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Philo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Philo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Philo Ventures (Studio)corePhilo Ventures operates as the venture arm of the Philo family of entities, focused on building and investing in companies from the ground up. This is an affiliated entity under the Philo umbrella.
- Philo HospitalitycorePhilo Hospitality is the real estate development division of Philo, focused on developing real property assets including hospitality properties. This is an affiliated entity under the Philo umbrella.
- Exceptional Founders and TeamscorePhilo partners with exceptional founders and management teams to build new companies from the ground up, providing capital and operational support alongside the talent that executes on opportunities.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Philo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bolt: Venture studio focused on building and investing in early-stage hardware-enabled software companies; comparable studio model with capital partner structure.
- Idealab: Long-running venture studio that creates and launches internet-based companies; directly comparable in the 'founders, capital, and operating support' studio model Philo employs.
- High Alpha: Indianapolis-based venture studio that builds B2B SaaS companies from scratch with dedicated teams and capital partners — the same 'find a gap, assemble a team, build' playbook Philo Ventures runs.
- Atomic: Venture studio that creates and funds companies in-house; comparable in launch-from-scratch model, team-based venture creation, and reliance on capital partners.
- Expa: Venture studio founded by Garrett Camp that creates and invests in technology startups; matches Philo's studio-plus-partner approach to company building.
- Pioneer Square Labs (PSL): Seattle-based venture studio co-founding companies from the ground up; directly comparable studio model, founder sourcing approach, and capital-partner structure to Philo Ventures.
- Science Inc. Los Angeles-based venture studio that builds and operates consumer and software companies end-to-end; same studio archetype as Philo with similar 'build from ground up' philosophy.
- Betaworks: NYC-based venture studio and fund that builds and invests in startups from inception; comparable studio-plus-fund structure to Philo Ventures.
Emerging players
- Heroic Ventures: Utah-anchored early-stage venture firm; partial overlap with Philo Ventures as a regional competitor for Utah founder deal flow.
Regional players
- Kickstart Fund: Salt Lake City-based seed-stage venture fund actively investing in Utah startups; a direct regional comparable for Philo Ventures given overlapping geography and Utah-focused thesis.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Philo social profiles
Digital presencePhilo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Philo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Philo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Philo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Philo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Philo
What does Philo do?
Philo builds companies and develops real assets from the ground up through two interconnected divisions: Philo Ventures (a startup studio/venture arm that builds and invests in new companies) and Philo Real Estate/Hospitality (a real estate development arm that develops property assets including hospitality properties). The firm pairs venture creation with real property development, working alongside founders and capital partners.
Is Philo a public or private company?
Philo is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Philo founded?
Philo was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Philo based?
Philo is headquartered in Provo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Philo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Venture Investment Returns are the primary driver. The others are real Estate Development.
Who are Philo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bolt, Idealab, High Alpha, Atomic, Expa, Pioneer Square Labs (PSL), Science Inc. and Betaworks. Heroic Ventures is listed as an emerging player. Kickstart Fund is listed as a regional player.
Does Philo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Philo.
What industry is Philo in?
Philo's product category is Venture Capital and Real Estate Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders. Its NAICS code is 55111 and its SIC code is 6532.