Strike Ventures

Strike Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Louisville, Kentucky, affiliated with the Venture First network. It invests in high-potential software and software-enabled businesses that can scale nationally and globally, aiming to supercharge companies by adding modern technology solutions. Its investments span sectors from high tech and enterprise and business-productivity software to educational software, information services, healthcare and consumer markets. The firm primarily writes Seed checks into US-based startups while also participating in Series A and B rounds, and it looks for technology-enabled businesses with strong, coachable teams and demonstrable traction, typically requiring at least $1M in revenue. Fund I has a target size of about $25M, and Strike together with its affiliates has invested over $125M in venture-stage companies. Through its Venture First affiliation, Strike sees a pipeline of more than 200 companies per year and deals from across the country, including California, Massachusetts and New York, co-investing alongside trusted funds and willing to lead rounds. The team of around five is led by CEO and Founder John Shumate, alongside General Counsel Rob Penta and investor Bill Lomicka. Notable portfolio companies include GoodMaps, where Strike led a $3.5M Seed round with Keyhorse Capital, as well as Untitled and BabySparks. By pairing a regional base with a national deal pipeline and a willingness to lead, Strike Ventures backs scalable, revenue-generating software founders.