🗞️ August newsletter is hot off the press. In this issue, we unpack the rise of PE tactics in VC, “Dexit” reincorporations that are challenging Delaware’s dominance, the next phase of the AI arms race, 257 flyover deals worth $2.3 billion, behind the scenes at Redbud, and more. We also refreshed our new beehiiv site - dive in below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gB9ayMpC
Redbud VC
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
Columbia, MO 3,976 followers
Investing monetary and social capital in tech founders strengthened by struggle (idea to Pre-Seed)
About us
Redbud VC is an operator and network-driven generalist fund investing monetary and social capital in people strengthened by struggle, building outlier companies in new markets, or redefining industries. Redbud is a first check / pre-seed stage firm supporting people across North America with resources from Middle America. Redbud was founded by the founders of the multi-billion dollar company EquipmentShare, a top 25 YC company. Redbud VC brings a team of dedicated operators who have the insights & support from building billion-dollar companies like EquipmentShare to remove unnecessary barriers, so founders can focus on the hard stuff that matters.
- Website
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https://www.redbud.vc
External link for Redbud VC
- Industry
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Columbia, MO
- Type
- Privately Held
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
Columbia, MO, US
Employees at Redbud VC
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Nate Johnson
Marketing at Veterans United Home Loans
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Ryan Frederick
AI, Automation, & Technology Advisor
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Damon Broyles, MD, FAAFP
VP, Clinical Innovation | Mercy Technology Services | Medical Director, Multi-Cancer Early Detection | Mercy Precision Medicine
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Amy N. Susán
EquipmentShare Company Ambassador & Director of PR/Communications | Head of IR at Redbud VC | 17 Years of Leadership Experience | Startups, Midsize,…
Updates
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🚨 New & Noteworthy is back! 🚨 If you missed the first drop, this is Redbud VC’s monthly roundup of the biggest wins across our portfolio - product launches, partnerships, press, and all the progress that keeps our founders building. Catch up on what’s been happening behind the scenes this July 👇 Asepha | Eunice Wu, PharmD | Can Uncu The Renatural | Aasiyah Abdulsalam dScribe AI (YC S25) | Jordan Mryyan | Warren Wang | Cole Robertson OneImaging | Elan Adler 🩻 Walt AI | Mike Peregrina #NewAndNoteworthy #RedbudVC
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Main Street Summit is back for a bigger and better year 3 - now with 7 tracks, 120+ speakers, and dozens of sessions hosted at local spots all around downtown Columbia. It’s awesome to see the team keep raising the bar. Definitely one of our favorite events of the year. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gTkCHynR
The energy in Columbia was electric ⚡️ #TBT to our very first Main Street Summit in 2023. Look at these faces - you can literally see the excitement to be in the mix on Main Street! We had no idea if anyone would show up for a "festival-style business event" in Columbia, Missouri... Turns out, small business owners were hungry for exactly this: real conversations with people who've been in their shoes, intimate sessions where you could actually ask follow-up questions, and those game-changing off-the-cuff conversations that you can't plan. From that first leap of faith to expanding to 7 specialized tracks and 120+ speakers in 2025 - but honestly, it's still about these moments right here. The connections. The breakthroughs. The community that gets it. Who else remembers this magic? #MainStreetSummit #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessCommunity #Columbia #Missouri #TBT #Throwback #ThrowbackThursday
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Thanks to the team at ^exponent, a KC-based platform connecting top finance talent with high-growth companies, for featuring Brett Calhoun. They break down why we invest before traction, how Redbud got started, and how Brett’s helping put Missouri on the VC map. Check it out 👇 https://lnkd.in/gj2fCmQA
"People don't associate Missouri with venture capital, so we saw an opportunity to build a national brand while maintaining Midwest values." Meet Brett Calhoun, who transformed his accounting foundation into venture capital expertise, proving that unconventional paths can lead to exceptional results. As co-founder of Redbud VC, he's putting Columbia, Missouri on the map as a serious venture hub while redefining how early-stage investing works in the Midwest. Starting in public accounting and valuation at Stern Brothers, Brett developed the financial mechanics that later helped him support early-stage entrepreneurs. When the opportunity to build from scratch arose, Brett self-taught himself venture investing. Now Redbud VC Fund I is tracking with top decile performance. "We target that middle ground where founders have shown resilience in the first 6-12 months without extensive pedigree or massive traction. Often we're the first fund in because we move fast and make decisions based on conviction in the person and their vision." Check out his full interview at the link in the comments to learn how Brett's "ruthless outbound strategy" reaches 300 people a week on LinkedIn, why being based in Missouri gives them unique positioning against coastal funds, and how his deep dive into tax knowledge directly led to investor interest when fundraising. #venturecapital #startup #midwest #investing #entrepreneurship #redbud
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Trially AI is tackling clinical trial bottlenecks and making a real difference for patients and providers. We were lucky to be their first check - and even prouder to still be in their corner. Read more on Trially’s journey and thoughts from Brett Calhoun below. Kyle McAllister | Trevor W. | Ramon Prieto | Christian Johan Smith 📰 https://lnkd.in/gZ6r-9QE 📖: Startland News x MOSourceLink
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Pharmacies are drowning in paperwork. Eunice Wu, PharmD Wu lived it, so she and co-founder Can Uncu built Asepha, AI agents that clear the admin (faxes, prior auths, med rec & more) so pharmacists can get back to patient care. We’re thrilled to welcome Asepha to the Redbud VC portfolio and participate in their $4M Seed Round led by our friends at Glasswing Ventures & Core Innovation Capital. Read why we believe Asepha is building the future of pharmacy below 💊⤵️ https://lnkd.in/gSH4PKaq
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Introducing New & Noteworthy ✨ Your monthly look at what’s fresh across the Redbud VC portfolio. From product launches and partnerships to major milestones, this series highlights the wins pushing our founders - and their companies - forward. Braid | Randy San Nicolas | Jake Zhu Bolster | Mike Bignold Synvect | Pooja Y. Patel | Nikolay Kandul | Omar Akbari Trially AI | Kyle McAllister | Trevor W. | Ramon Prieto balanceHQ | John Larrick | Ben Latimer, PhD Reactiv | Ross C. | Zack Elias 🇨🇦 | Michael Pezzi
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One broken spreadsheet cell could mean a $50M budget unraveling in front of a school board. That’s the anxiety balanceHQ is eliminating. From spreadsheets to scenario planning, founders John Larrick and Ben Latimer, PhD built a budgeting OS that makes public finance strategic, not stressful. Read why we invested in Balance HQ 👇 https://lnkd.in/gc3dr8cU
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📬 July newsletter just dropped! Meta is dropping $100M signing bonuses to poach Open AI talent. Kalshi aired a $2,000 AI-generated commercial during the NBA Finals. And Robinhood might’ve just disrupted secondaries with their tokenized private stock product. 🗞️ Read the full issue here: https://lnkd.in/g6UAJmxM