Kickstartfund

Active

Overview

Kickstart Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Utah and Colorado, investing in pre-seed and seed-stage startups primarily in the Mountain West region, including Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It focuses on sectors such as enterprise and SMB software, fintech, healthtech, marketplaces, and consumer SaaS, leading the majority of its investments and providing operational support and network access to founders. Notable for being the first dedicated seed investor in the region since 2008, it manages around $480M in assets under management with over 237 investments and 150+ active portfolio companies.¹²³

History

Kickstart Fund was founded in 2008 by Gavin Christensen during the financial recession as Utah's first dedicated seed fund to address a regional capital gap, closing its initial $8M fund. It has since raised multiple funds, including Kickstart Seed Fund VI in February 2023, managing 8 funds total with strategies in early-stage seed, startup, and expansion investments. The firm has grown to become the dominant seed investor in the Mountain West, with offices in Utah and Colorado, and maintains an active portfolio of over 150 companies while deploying from its current fund.¹²⁴⁵

Notable Products

Kickstart Seed Fund VI - Latest seed fund closed in Feb 2023, focusing on early-stage investments in Mountain West startups.
Campus Founders Fund - Student-run VC fund sponsored by Kickstart, investing solely in student entrepreneurs.

Reputation

Kickstart is regarded by founders as the leading seed investor in the Mountain West, with high founder satisfaction reflected in a 96/100 NPS score from portfolio CEOs and strong metrics in deal flow, board participation, and regional brand strength. Professionals note its competitive advantages in deep regional roots, founder-centric support, and longest track record since 2008, though it faces competition from smaller regional funds and national players in select sectors. Its active deployment and 70%+ lead rate in seed rounds underscore its influential position among early-stage VCs.¹²

Sources (6)