Since the pandemic, tech entrepreneurs have been moving to Indianapolis at an increasing rate. And where entrepreneurs go, venture capital funding will follow.
Heath Butler is a venture partner with Mercury Fund, a B2B software venture capital firm based in Houston, Texas. Butler says Mercury Fund and similar firms are increasingly looking to the middle of the country to find emerging tech companies needing access to capital.
Butler credits the lower cost of living as to why so many new tech entrepreneurs are choosing to start their businesses in Indianapolis. He also cites Indy’s ability to come together to help marginalized communities gain funding to start new organizations. In particular, he highlights InnoPower’s role in connecting minority-owned businesses with funding sources.
With a focus on high-tech and high-growth companies, Butler is working with the Urban Capital Network to identify local business leaders and new investors looking to pool money into a fund to invest in the innovation economy.
Butler wants minority communities to become more self-sustainable and invested in their own future. He says the Urban Capital Network is a great way to start a career in venture capital while reinvesting in the community.
