What we Do
EDCO Ventures partners with economically and socially-beneficial enterprises in its target regions that are high-growth and high-margin. EDCO Ventures works with existing private and public institutions in finding and bringing together management teams, risk capital, intellectual property and business concepts.
EDCO actively seeks out 3 key ingredients to fulfill its mission
- Strong Ideas
- Strong Leaders
- Community Partners
EDCO Ventures is a community development organization that provides venture development assistance to promising start-ups. EDCO has two models of engaging with innovative, early-stage companies that have met appropriate business opportunity and social impact criteria. One is called the Venture model, and the other is our BizLaunch program. In both cases, EDCO staff provides mentorship and guidance, and the companies receive access to experienced industry executives. However, a select group of companies receive a seed-level capital investment from EDCO, and a higher level of EDCO staff engagement, classifying them as EDCO ventures.
Venture Development
EDCO Ventures works with selected entrepreneurs to qualify, incubate, and capitalize a new enterprise. EDCO’s key contributions include:
- Business Planning
- Business Development
- Raising Capital
- Management Team and Board Recruitment
- Mentoring and Networking
- Pre-Seed Investment (Ventures only)
Participants in both the Venture and BizLaunch programs benefit from the: 1) Idea Council, where entrepreneurs get coaching and the opportunity to “try out” their investor presentation to a highly evaluative, yet risk-free audience. 2) Entrepreneurs Forums, where companies get help in creating and articulating high growth strategic and operational plans, learning how to access investment funds, and moving their businesses toward key milestones.
Target Industries
- Green and Clean Technologies
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Software and Web 2.0
Portfolio Criteria
Business Opportunity:
Each portfolio company is meticulously researched for high value-added potential using the following criteria:
- High Growth: Capable of generating $50 Million in sales per year or capturing 10% of their market
- Market: Product, Business Model and/or technology has recognizable competitive advantages. Technologies should be unique and have high demand and margin potential.
- Intellectual Property: Patented, patent-pending or patentable technology or technologies.
Social Impact:
Creating innovative companies and jobs with living wages in developing regions and low-income communities.
- Job Generation: Capable of employing at least 500 individuals in 10 years
- Located in Economically Distressed Region or Ownership by Under-represented group
- Region: primarily located in economically distressed regions with incomes at 70% or less of national average and/or poverty rates 150% of national (currently Texas Border and Central TX)
- Ownership – under-represented groups make up the majority of individuals with low-incomes and living in poverty. Helping these groups will contribute to improving their communities.
- Extra Credit for being a Social Venture: enterprises with a “double-bottom-line” that combine a revenue-generating business with a social-value generating component (e.g. clean energy, biotech, etc)