Active Texas investors patronizing companies in Austin, Dallas, Houston in 2026

Texas raised $9.3B across 580+ deals in 2025. Austin grabbed 55% of that capital, Dallas 25%, Houston 15%, with the rest scattered. Energy tech, enterprise software, and healthcare took most of the funding. The ecosystem is maturing but still sends most Series B+ companies to SF or NYC for capital.

Quick list

Why Texas works for growing companies

Texas has 80+ active VC funds spread across Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Average seed round is $2.5M, Series A around $10M. That's 20% lower than SF but your dollar goes further here, especially for founders building impact-driven or nonprofit work.

Austin dominates with 200+ funded companies annually. Enterprise software and developer tools get the most attention. Dallas focuses on healthcare IT and B2B services. Houston money flows to energy tech, industrial automation, and logistics. Each city has its own ecosystem and you can't treat them the same.

The downside is later-stage capital. Most Texas companies need coastal VCs for Series B+. Only a handful of Texas funds write $25M+ checks consistently. You'll build your company here but likely close your growth rounds in California or New York. The upside is burn rates run 40% lower than SF and you can hire senior engineers for $150K instead of $250K. It's important to avoid common GDPR sharing mistakes when sending financials to out-of-state firms.

Picking the right Texas investor

Geographic focus: Austin investors rarely look at Houston deals and vice versa. Dallas funds cover the whole state more actively. If you're in San Antonio or a smaller market, target Dallas funds or the larger Austin VCs that invest statewide. Houston energy investors won't understand your SaaS metrics. And remember - if you’re handling sensitive metrics, understanding how to prevent PDF forwarding reduces unwanted sharing.

Industry expertise: Texas investors are sector-specific more than coastal funds. Live Oak and Silverton know enterprise software deeply. Catalyst and Mercury only do energy and hardware. Perot Jain focuses on healthcare. Don't pitch your fintech startup to a Houston energy fund - they'll pass immediately. When sending sector summaries, keep in mind best practices for sending large PDFs.

Check sizes: Seed rounds in Texas run $1M-$4M depending on the city. Austin seed checks are largest, Houston smallest unless you're energy tech. Series A is $8M-$15M. That's enough to build a solid business but won't support SF-style growth targets. Next Coast and ATX write $500K-$2M seed checks. Live Oak and Silverton lead $3M-$5M seeds and can follow through Series B.

Local connections: Texas investors can intro you to Oracle, Dell, AT&T, or major healthcare systems depending on your sector. That access matters more than capital sometimes. Use Ellty with trackable links when you share your deck so you see which investors actually review your customer list and partnerships.

Follow-on capacity: Most Texas seed funds can't lead your Series A. Live Oak, Silverton, and S3 are exceptions with $200M+ funds. Ask about their reserve strategy upfront. You don't want to raise a strong seed in Austin then scramble for Series A with no local options.

How to find and approach Texas investors

Research Texas deals: Austin Business Journal and Dallas Business Journal cover every meaningful round. Built In Austin tracks the tech scene daily. Crunchbase filters by city work well for Texas. See who's actively deploying in your specific city.

Leverage local programs: Capital Factory in Austin hosts most investor events and demo days. Dallas Entrepreneur Center and Houston's Ion are the equivalents for those cities. These aren't optional - Texas investors attend these programs religiously and source most deals there.

Build relationships first: Texas investors want 2-4 meetings before term sheets. That's faster than Chicago but slower than SF. Warm intros matter more here than cold emails. Portfolio founders will intro you if you ask directly.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create unique links for each Texas investor. You'll see who actually opens it within 24 hours versus who ghosts you. Austin investors typically review decks same-day if interested. Dallas and Houston take 2-3 days.

Attend the right events: South by Southwest in March for Austin, Tech Titans events in Dallas, Houston Tech Rodeo. These are where deals actually start. Skip the small networking events unless you're pre-product and just building relationships.

Connect with portfolio companies: Texas investors list their portfolios prominently and founders are accessible. Reach out on LinkedIn directly. They'll tell you which partners actually respond and how fast funds move.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before partner meetings. Texas investors move fast once they commit - usually 3-5 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. Have your financials, contracts, and cap table ready to share with view tracking.

Understand city-specific pace: Austin deals close in 4-6 weeks typically. Dallas takes 6-8 weeks. Houston is slower at 8-10 weeks unless you're energy tech. Summer in Texas is brutal and deals slow down July-August when everyone escapes the heat.

Texas-specific advantages and challenges

Texas investors strongly prefer B2B over consumer. Consumer apps need proven profitability before anyone bites. Energy tech, enterprise software, and healthcare IT get funded most easily. Manufacturing and industrial automation play well in Houston and Dallas.

No state income tax means your equity goes further. Engineers save $15K-$20K annually versus California. That matters for recruiting. Corporate tax rates are reasonable and Texas offers QSBS benefits. The cost advantage is massive - office space runs $30-$40/sq ft in Austin versus $80+ in SF.

Texas VCs expect leaner operations than coastal funds. Burn $300K/month at seed and you'll get questions. Most successful Texas companies stay profitable longer or keep burn under $200K until Series A. The market rewards capital efficiency.

One challenge is talent density. Austin has 50K+ tech workers but that's 10% of SF's pool. Dallas and Houston are smaller. Senior enterprise sales reps are hard to find outside Austin. Plan for remote hiring or SF/NYC sales offices eventually.

22 top investors in Texas

1. Live Oak Venture Partners

Austin's most established early-stage fund, $600M+ under management.

• Recent Deals: data.world $31M Series B (Austin, 2021), OJO Labs $100M Series C (Austin, 2021), Arrive Logistics $225M Series D (Austin, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Krishna Srinivasan
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, developer tools, B2B marketplace, fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: liveoakventurepartners.com

2. Silverton Partners

Austin-based Series A specialist, strong enterprise software track record.

• Recent Deals: WP Engine exit (Austin), Dosh $40M Series B (Austin, 2019), Main Street Hub acquisition (Austin, 2021)
• LinkedIn: Morgan Flager
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, developer platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: silvertonpartners.com

3. S3 Ventures

Growth stage investor, backed multiple Austin security and infrastructure exits.

• Recent Deals: SailPoint IPO (Austin), Spiceworks (Austin, multiple rounds), AlienVault acquisition (Austin)
• LinkedIn: Charlie Plauche
• Sector Focus: Cybersecurity, infrastructure software, B2B SaaS, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: s3vc.com

4. ATX Venture Partners

Austin seed fund, 50+ investments across Texas.

• Recent Deals: Arrive Logistics $225M (Austin, seed investor), TheZebra (Austin, seed round), Kendra Scott (Austin, early investor)
• LinkedIn: Brent Jackson
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplace, consumer brands, logistics tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: atxvp.com

5. Tritium Partners

Dallas-based growth equity, focuses on B2B software across Texas.

• Recent Deals: AlertMedia $17.5M Series B (Austin, 2019), Diligent Robotics $30M Series B (Austin, 2022), StackPath (Dallas, growth round)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Bistrong
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, cybersecurity, healthcare IT
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: tritiumpartners.com

6. Perot Jain

Dallas healthcare specialist, deep connections to Texas medical systems.

• Recent Deals: MDLand $40M Series C (Dallas, 2021), Healthgrades acquisition (Denver but Dallas involvement), multiple Texas healthcare IT companies
• LinkedIn: Ravi Jain
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, medical devices, health services, digital health
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: perotjain.com

7. Catalyst Partners

Houston energy tech specialist, only fund focused exclusively on cleantech.

• Recent Deals: Solugen $357M Series C (Houston, 2021), Crusoe Energy $350M Series C (Denver but Houston ties, 2022), multiple Houston energy exits
• LinkedIn: Gabriel Alonso
• Sector Focus: Energy tech, cleantech, industrial technology, sustainability
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Houston, TX
• Website: catalyst.com

8. Mercury Fund

Houston deep tech and hardware investor, rare focus area for Texas.

• Recent Deals: Axiom Space $130M Series B (Houston, 2021), Ionu $16M Series A (Houston, 2022), Cemvita Factory $30M Series B (Houston, 2022)
• LinkedIn: Adrian Fortino
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, hardware, space technology, advanced materials, energy
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Houston, TX
• Website: mercuryfund.com

9. Next Coast Ventures

Most active Texas seed investor, 30+ deals annually.

• Recent Deals: ScaleFactor (Austin, seed round), Arrive Logistics (Austin, seed round), Bumble (Austin, early investor)
• LinkedIn: Thomas Ball
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplace, fintech, consumer technology
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: nextcoastventures.com

10. Satori Capital

San Antonio-based healthcare services investor, covers all of Texas.

• Recent Deals: Hanger Inc. (Austin, growth investment), ClearChoiceMD (Dallas, 2021), multiple Texas healthcare service exits
• LinkedIn: Scott McWilliams
• Sector Focus: Healthcare services, behavioral health, specialty care, dental
• Stage Focus: Growth, Buyout
• Office Location: San Antonio, TX
• Website: satoricapital.com

11. Argentum Capital Partners

Dallas enterprise software specialist, covers Texas and Southeast.

• Recent Deals: Verge $25M Series B (Dallas, 2021), Lantern (Dallas, multiple rounds), several undisclosed Texas B2B companies
• LinkedIn: Robert Henry
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, vertical SaaS, sales technology
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: argentumcapital.com

12. Grotech Ventures

Multi-city presence across Austin and Dallas, B2B SaaS focus.

• Recent Deals: Hireology (Chicago but Texas involvement), RetailMeNot (Austin, early investor), multiple Texas B2B companies
• LinkedIn: Richard Fedele
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, digital media, adtech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin, TX and Dallas, TX
• Website: grotech.com

13. Longhorn Ventures

University of Texas commercialization fund, Austin-based.

• Recent Deals: 50+ UT Austin spinouts since 2016, including several undisclosed biotech and materials companies
• LinkedIn: Brad Werner
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, life sciences, materials, university research commercialization
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: longhornventures.com

14. Signal Peak Ventures

Dallas growth stage investor, B2B software specialist.

• Recent Deals: ServiceChannel $85M Series D (2018), PatientPop $75M Series C (LA but Dallas involvement), multiple Texas growth companies
• LinkedIn: Jason Spievak
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, vertical SaaS, marketplace, services automation
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: signalpeakventures.com

15. Engage Ventures

Dallas early-stage fund, strong corporate connections.

• Recent Deals: Yello (Chicago but Dallas involvement), Dialexa (Dallas, 2019), several Texas B2B SaaS companies
• LinkedIn: Dan Lewis
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, HR tech, sales technology
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: engageventures.com

16. Hatch Pitch

Houston pre-seed specialist, energy and industrial focus.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Houston energy tech companies (undisclosed), industrial automation startups, cleantech seed rounds
• LinkedIn: Blair Garrou
• Sector Focus: Energy tech, industrial technology, cleantech, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Houston, TX
• Website: hatchpitch.com

17. Piva Capital

Austin consumer and marketplace investor, Latin America connections.

• Recent Deals: Carro $360M Series D (Austin involvement, 2021), Kavak (Mexico but Austin connections), multiple Latin American companies
• LinkedIn: Kenny Lienhardt
• Sector Focus: Consumer marketplace, fintech, Latin America, e-commerce
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: pivacapital.com

18. Proof Ventures

Dallas Series A specialist, healthcare and software.

• Recent Deals: Clarify Health $150M Series D (Dallas involvement, 2021), Health Note (Dallas, 2019), multiple Texas healthcare IT companies
• LinkedIn: Jon Harrison
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, B2B SaaS, enterprise software, digital health
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Dallas, TX
• Website: proof.vc

19. Blue Bear Capital

Austin seed fund, former operators turned investors.

• Recent Deals: Several Austin B2B SaaS companies (portfolio not fully disclosed), early-stage enterprise software
• LinkedIn: Andrew Billings
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, enterprise software, sales technology, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: bluebearcap.com

20. Noro-Moseley Partners

Southeast fund with active Dallas office, healthcare focus.

• Recent Deals: Sharecare (Atlanta but Texas involvement), Medica (Dallas area, 2020), multiple Texas healthcare companies
• LinkedIn: Charles Moseley
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, digital health, B2B SaaS, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Dallas, TX (headquarters in Atlanta)
• Website: noro-moseley.com

21. Ecliptic Capital

Austin energy and sustainability specialist.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Texas cleantech companies, energy storage startups, industrial efficiency companies (portfolio partially undisclosed)
• LinkedIn: Max Jamieson
• Sector Focus: Energy tech, sustainability, cleantech, climate tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: eclipticcapital.com

22. Austin Ventures

Legacy Texas fund, now part of Archive Global but still active in Austin.

• Recent Deals: HomeAway IPO (Austin), Indeed acquisition (Austin), Bazaarvoice IPO (Austin) - historical deals, limited new activity
• LinkedIn: Phil Siegel
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer technology, marketplace, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Austin, TX
• Website: austinventures.com

Start tracking your Texas investor outreach

These 22 investors closed deals across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Texas funds, set up tracking first.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Texas investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on each section. Austin investors often focus heavily on your go-to-market slides and team background. Dallas and Houston investors spend more time on financials and unit economics.

When Texas investors ask for additional materials, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your cap table, financial model, customer contracts, and partnership agreements in one secure place. You can see when each investor accesses documents and which files they actually review.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Texas to raise from Texas investors?

Not necessarily. Live Oak, S3, and Silverton invest outside Texas regularly. But Next Coast, ATX Venture Partners, and most Dallas funds strongly prefer local companies. Houston energy funds almost exclusively back Texas companies. If you're remote or out-of-state, target the larger Austin funds first.

How does Texas compare to San Francisco for fundraising?

Smaller check sizes (20-30% less on average), more focus on capital efficiency and profitability, significantly lower burn rates. Better for B2B and energy tech. Worse for consumer apps and anything requiring massive growth capital. Most Texas companies eventually need coastal VCs for Series B+.

What's the average seed round size in Texas?

$2.5M across 2025 Texas deals. Austin runs higher at $3M average, Dallas around $2.2M, Houston $2M unless you're energy tech. Range is $500K (Next Coast, ATX) to $5M (Live Oak, Silverton). Series A averages $10M statewide.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Raise locally for seed and Series A if you're in Austin, Dallas, or Houston. Texas investors are accessible and understand local markets. Go coastal for Series B+ or if you're in hot sectors like AI where Texas funds don't lead. Many successful Texas companies do seed locally, then bring in coastal leads for Series A with local follow-on.

Which Texas city is best for my startup?

Austin for enterprise software, developer tools, and general tech. Dallas for healthcare IT, B2B services, and corporate-focused companies. Houston for energy tech, industrial automation, and hardware. San Antonio for healthcare services and military tech. Don't try to raise in the wrong city - investors specialize by geography here.

Do Texas investors expect in-person meetings?

Austin funds are flexible with Zoom for early conversations but want in-person for partner meetings. Dallas investors strongly prefer face-to-face for all meetings. Houston is similar to Dallas. Budget for travel if you're not local. Texas investors value personal relationships more than coastal VCs.