Blue Note Ventures

Blue Note Ventures (BNV) is an early-stage venture capital fund headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, founded in 2015 by Chris Marks. The firm invests in technology companies applying disruptive approaches to address unmet needs or create significant efficiency gains in large markets. BNV prefers to be the first institutional capital into a company, with initial checks of $100,000 to $500,000 and a sweet spot around $300,000, continuing to invest through the growth round. In August 2020, BNV merged with Firebrand Venture Capital, led by former Techstars Kansas City Managing Director John Fein, with the combined Firebrand Ventures II LP fund closing at approximately $36 to $40 million. BNV has made 17 investments across software, security, SaaS, AI, and B2B sectors. The portfolio has produced 1 unicorn, 10 acquisitions, and multiple notable outcomes. Automox, a cybersecurity platform, reached unicorn status. Other investments include 8base, ThreatX, PathSpot, ZenBusiness (acquired), IronCore Labs, Shotzr, The Minte, and MonkeyLearn. The most recent acquisition was Section by Webscale in October 2023. Blue Note Ventures emphasizes authentic leadership and partners with entrepreneurs committed to building meaningful, lasting technology businesses rather than optimizing for short-term outcomes. Marks brings 15-plus years of early-stage technology investing from the Boulder ecosystem, providing founders with a partner grounded in the specific opportunities and challenges of building technology companies outside of the major coastal hubs. The Firebrand merger extended BNV's team and geographic reach while maintaining its disciplined, first-check investment philosophy.