JT

John Thornton

Co-Founder

Austin, Texas

Invests in

Stages:

Locations:

  • Min Investment:

    $3,000,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $8,000,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $5,500,000.00

Work Experience

  • General Partner, Managing Partner

    1990

    * Largest regional VC firm in the US  * Team of ~45,  ~$4 billion in assets under management * Joined the firm directly from business school * Co-led fundraising efforts to grow assets under management by ~20x * Top decile investor:  3.6x on $424 million invested in ~60 companies. * ~50 board seats in public and private technology companies

  • Co-founder, Operating Partner

    2016

    * Boutique investment firm pioneering “The Series A of software private equity” * ~$500m in assets under management, team of ~15 * Lead investors include Dartmouth, Case Western, Phillips Exeter * Author of initial investment and fundraising strategies * Co-led fundraising * Focused on firm strategy and team building

  • Founder

    2008

    * Largest and most important local news organization founded anywhere in the world in the 21st Century * Business plan author, seed investor, fundraiser, inaugural board chair * $150m+ raised since inception * Multiple journalism awards, Peabody winner, Pulitzer finalist

  • Co-Founder

    2019

    *First of its kind venture philanthropy firm focused on local news *~45 grantees (including six built from scratch), team of ~40 *Business plan author, seed investor, fundraiser, inaugural CEO, board chair *~$200m raised from investors including Emerson Collective, Knight Foundation, Arnold Ventures, Macarthur Foundation, JP Morgan, Open AI

2023 - 2024

  • Member, Board Of Trustees

    2023 - 2024

2019 - 2019

  • Seed Funder, Executive Committee Chair

    2019 - 2019

2017 - 2017

  • Seed Investor, Board member

    2017 - 2017

2005 - 2007

  • Advisory Board Member

    2005 - 2007

2005 - 2007

  • Capital Campaign Co-Chair

    2005 - 2007