First Rate Ventures is a Corporate Venture Capital Program that is focused on WealthTech, InvestTech, and RegTech based in Dallas/Fort Worth.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON START-UPS IN SEED STAGE WITH A PROVEN EARLY TRACTION.
For more than 30 years, companies have relied on First Rate to deliver trusted and innovative technology to manage, build, and grow their trust, banking, and advisory businesses. First Rate Ventures builds on this commitment by investing in and supporting a broader ecosystem focused on similar challenges with the expertise, longevity, and trusted brand of First Rate behind it.
Early Stage Venture Investments
We focus on Seed and Series A rounds for startups with $100K or more of ARR.
Acquisition
We acquire a majority interest in mature WealthTech platforms where the founder is looking for liquidity and a succession plan that maintains their legacy.
Entrepreneur in Residence
We provide coaching and resources to pre-product and pre-launch FinTech Entrepreneurs.
MEET THE FIRST RATE VENTURES TEAM
“First Rate Ventures is ultimately about investing in innovative firms that share our mission to help promote stewardship and growth. We will aim to deploy capital in a redeemed fashion, focusing on not only the entrepreneur but also the community they do business in and investors. With First Rate as our Strategic backer, we are confident that our portfolio companies will deliver more value to their customers more effectively.”
– Marshall Smith, Managing Director, First Rate Ventures
VENTURES ADVISORS
First Rate Ventures is working with industry experts to help source
and evaluate potential investments.
and evaluate potential investments.
VENTURES TEAM
FIRST RATE VENTURES IN THE NEWS
FIRST RATE PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS
Early Stage Investments:
Regalytics
Founded in 2019, RegAlytics covers over 5000 regulators to deliver the most comprehensive, coherent, and customizable regulatory data in the world. The RegAlytics platform uses proprietary technology to gather and structure regulatory data, which our regulatory experts further enrich. RegAlytics can be managed by individuals or directly ingested by GRC solutions in an easy-to-use, customizable interface.
Early Stage Investments:
OWL ESG
OWL ESG is a data and analytics provider that offers environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and socially responsible investing (SRI) metrics on global equities, corporate bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. Founded in 2012, the firm’s clients are some of the largest global banks, asset managers, asset owners, and indexing companies in the world. They turn to OWL for a diverse range of ESG products and customized solutions, helping them meet their sustainability mandates as they continue to expand and evolve.
Early Stage Investments:
ICR Partners
The ICR Partnership allows First Rate customers to access quality research and consultation. The ICR Partners team understands our customers’ businesses and has years of experience providing high-touch service. RMx provides banks and trust companies a single hub to see their managers’ model portfolios and research.
Acquisition:
Vantage Software
Vantage Software offers private equity, venture capital, and real estate advisors one single source of truth in managing a fund’s life-cycle and reporting on private investments including deal flow management, partnership accounting, and investor reporting.
Hear from First Rate Ventures Strategic Investment and
Acquisition Partners, Founders and Owners
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We are pleased to join with First Rate to lead its expansion into the alternative investments space with our innovative and robust software solutions. First Rate’s expertise in data aggregation and analytics will complement and enhance the solution offerings for our customers.
Head of Operations, Vantage Software
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When we decided to take on outside capital to align RegAlytics for the future, First Rate Ventures provided not just capital but a strategic partnership that helped them to stand apart from the other venture firms. Not only has First Rate Ventures built a powerful reputation in the FinTech Venture space, but they also deliver award-winning solutions to the industry’s most prestigious firms. The combination of their strategic approach to partnerships and a culture that aligns fully with RegAlytics was irresistible.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, RegAlytics
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When the idea to create ICR Partners came to me, First Rate was the first firm that came to mind as a strategic investor. First Rate’s exceptionally strong reputation within the bank and trust channel and their ability to integrate ICR Partners research, model delivery, and advisory services within their platform serving over $2.4T in client assets within a tier 1 bank-approved data security environment was more strategic than the capital.
Founder, ICR Partners
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When we decided to take on outside capital to align OWL ESG for the future, First Rate Ventures provided not just capital but a strategic partnership that helped them to stand apart from the other venture firms,” said OWL ESG Chief Executive Officer and Founder Ben Webster. “First Rate already provides award-winning solutions to the largest Banks and Wealth Management firms. Our ability to collaborate strategically with First Rate Ventures and distribute OWL ESG data to their customers made partnership with First Rate an easy decision.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, OWL ESG
