Lewis & Clark Ventures

Congratulations to Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, co-founder of Summersalt, on being named to the 2020 St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 list. We’re excited to watch this Lewis & Clark Ventures-backed brand continue to make waves in the swimwear and fashion industry!

Crop science firm Benson Hill is the 2020 Best Tech Startup in St. Louis, says The Tech Tribune. Lewis & Clark Ventures is proud to support this agtech innovator that has rapidly grown to become a leader in using plant genetics to modernize the food system.

With its smart toothbrush and innovative approach to dental insurance, Beam Dental continues to see impressive growth. Check out why The Metropreneur named this Lewis & Clark Ventures-backed startup the #1 business success story in Central Ohio for 2019!

The impact of companies like the fast-growing Benson Hill stretches far beyond the agtech sector. The Telegraph digs into how Benson Hill's expansion in Creve Coeur, as well as other positive indicators, is elevating the region’s status as a world-class freight hub.

The runaway success of companies like Lewis & Clark Ventures-backed Beam Dental bode well for Central Ohio’s tech startup scene. Columbus Business First looks at the impact Beam and others are having on the region and its burgeoning tech ecosystem.

If the future of farming is digital, Lewis & Clark Ventures-backed FarmLead is leading the transition. Ottawa Citizen talked with co-founder Brennan Turner about how his company, dubbed an eBay for cash-grain trading, is changing the industry.

Congratulations to Springbuk VP of Finance James Norris on being named a 2019 CFO of the year by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Under his leadership, the rising-star health tech firm has seen a six-fold growth of its customer base, 100% revenue growth, an increase in employment, and two successful capital raises. Way to go, James!

In the database performance monitoring software & service market, key players like Lewis & Clark Ventures-backed Blue Medora are helping to define the sector’s future. A new research report from IT Intelligence Markets breaks down the key players and trends in this booming industry. Read more about the report (and get a copy) below.

At Lewis & Clark Ventures, our strategy is to identify amazing entrepreneurs and do everything we can to support them as they grow from early stage to expansion. We are honored to receive Investor of the Year from the St. Louis Business Journal Startup Exit Awards, and we look forward to continuing our between the coasts focus looking for great businesses in areas of the country that are often overlooked by coastal venture funds. (St. Louis is a core part of this geography, and we are proud to say that six of our 18 portfolio companies are St. Louis-based!)

We are honored to receive Investor of the Year from the St. Louis Business Journal’s Startup Exit Awards. During a panel discussion yesterday, our managing director Brian Hopcraft shared that the recent protests around racism and inequity have led Lewis & Clark Ventures to rethink the impact we can have through our investments. One area where we see opportunity to drive change is through our seats on our portfolio firms’ boards. In the boardroom, we have a strong voice and... that voice can be used to advocate for change, Hopcraft said on the panel. That’s something we’re very much aware of and feel we can do even better with. When our companies are hiring their rank-and-file employees, when they are looking to round out their management or are going to, say, look for an independent board member, we can be a voice of change making sure they are looking at a diverse pool of candidates and doing the right things in that." See more

This afternoon, the St. Louis Business Journal’s third annual Startup Exit Awards celebrate our region’s later-stage successes in the startup ecosystem. We are honored to have been named Investor of the Year! During this virtual event, Lewis & Clark Ventures’ Managing Director Brian Hopcraft will participate in a panel with other innovators and investors. The conversation will include Summersalt Founder & CEO Lori Coulter, Center for Emerging Technologies Program Manager Rikki Henry, and Cultivation Capital Managing Director Cliff Holekamp. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists, and our thanks to the Business Journal for celebrating startup success!

In appointing veteran tech innovator Kevin Lynch as its new CEO, digital health firm Datica accelerates the growth of its health IT solutions and positions itself to unlock the opportunity that exists in this rapidly growing space.

There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing feelings of anxiety and isolation for many people. We’re proud to back companies like Summersalt, whose Joycast hotline recognizes the mental health needs of its customers. Learn more about the new service in Fast Company.