Foley Ventures

Foley Ventures is the venture capital initiative of Foley & Lardner LLP, an international law firm founded in 1842 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Launched in 2011, Foley Ventures invests exclusively in companies that are clients of Foley & Lardner, creating a uniquely aligned model where legal expertise and investment capital arrive together. The firm is currently on its fifth fund, Foley Ventures V, launched in April 2024, and is managed by partners Natasha Allen, Steven Barth, Christopher Converse, Susan Pravda, and Paul Wrycha. The fund writes $200,000 checks alongside institutional venture rounds in portfolio companies, or $200,000 independently into startups and emerging companies, with $100,000 for angel co-investments. Across 68 tracked investments and more than 100 total client investments, Foley Ventures has backed companies in software, life sciences, big data, energy, consumer products, and new media. The portfolio has produced two IPOs — Juhl Energy on NASDAQ and Biocon on BSE at a $723 million market cap — and 20 acquisitions. Notable holdings include Wasabi Technologies, valued at $1.8 billion with over $600 million in total funding, and Neural Analytics, focused on brain health diagnostics. The Foley Ventures model is distinctive in the VC landscape: portfolio companies receive not only capital but also access to Foley & Lardner's deep bench of corporate, IP, and regulatory lawyers. This integration of legal services and venture investing gives founders a substantive operational advantage, particularly in highly regulated sectors such as life sciences and energy where the firm has built its deepest expertise.