Harbert Venture Partners
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $1M – $8M
- Stage
- Series A, Series B+
- Sectors
- SaaS, Digital Health, Fintech
- Founded
- 2005
- HQ
- Birmingham, AL
About Harbert Venture Partners
Harbert Venture Partners is a Birmingham-based venture capital firm founded in 2006 as part of the broader Harbert Management Corporation. The firm specializes in early and growth-stage investments in technology companies, with a particular focus on the Southeast region. HVP's investment thesis centers on B2B software, healthcare technology, and fintech solutions, typically writing checks between $2-10M in Series A and later rounds. The firm has built a strong reputation in the Southeast venture ecosystem, leveraging its local market expertise and network to identify high-potential companies. Notable exits include Shipt, which was acquired by Target for $550M in 2017, demonstrating the firm's ability to identify and scale successful technology companies in traditionally underserved markets. The team brings deep operational experience and maintains a hands-on approach with portfolio companies.
Investment Thesis
“Partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs building scalable technology companies in underserved markets.”
Leadership Team
William W. Brooke co-founded Harbert Management Corporation with Raymond Harbert in 1993 and serves as executive vice president and managing partner, with responsibility for the firm's venture capital funds. He is one of the three people credited with establishing the current growth vehicle, alongside co-founder and managing partner Wayne Hunter and Tom Roberts.
Hunter runs the growth strategy day to day from Richmond, Virginia, where the investment team is largely based, while the parent asset manager and its back office remain in Birmingham, Alabama. The wider investment team includes Brian C. Carney, Jerry D. Phillips II and Melissa M. Babb. The group's advantage is structural rather than personal: sitting inside Harbert Management Corporation gives the venture team an institutional balance sheet, compliance and fund administration infrastructure that a standalone Southeast venture firm of comparable size would not carry.
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
Fund History
Harbert Venture Partners is the venture franchise of Harbert Management Corporation, the Birmingham alternative asset manager co-founded in 1993 by Raymond Harbert and William W. Brooke. The venture platform raised a sequence of regional funds targeting the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, including Harbert Venture Partners II, a 2008-vintage early-stage vehicle, and Harbert Venture Partners III, whose general partner entity was registered in 2011 at the firm's 2100 Third Avenue North offices in Birmingham.
The platform subsequently rebranded as Harbert Growth Partners and moved upmarket into growth equity. Harbert Growth Partners IV announced a final close at $120 million in August 2017, the largest fund in the series to date, and made six initial investments including Shipt, the Birmingham grocery delivery company Target acquired for $550 million later that year. A fifth fund, Harbert Growth Partners V, followed. The strategy remains concentrated on B2B software, healthcare technology and financial technology companies outside the coastal venture hubs, with the team operating from Birmingham and Richmond, Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Harbert Venture Partners invest at?
Harbert Venture Partners primarily invests at the Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are scaling their go-to-market after proving product-market fit.
Where is Harbert Venture Partners located?
Harbert Venture Partners is headquartered in Birmingham, AL. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Harbert Venture Partners focus on?
Harbert Venture Partners focuses on investments in SaaS, Digital Health, Fintech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Harbert Venture Partners's typical check size?
Harbert Venture Partners's typical investment check size ranges from $1M to $8M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
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