AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin-based Escalate Capital Partners has announced a first close of Escalate Capital IV, LP (“the fund” or “Escalate IV”) with $282 million of capital from returning and new limited partners. Limited partners in Escalate IV include JP Morgan Asset Management, The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company, Bespoke Private Strategies, Cadence Bank, and Regions Bank, among others. The fund has a hard cap of $290 million.
“We are appreciative of the confidence our limited partners have shown in our team and investment strategy,” said Ross Cockrell, Managing Director.
Escalate IV’s core investment strategy continues to be lending to venture and growth capital-backed companies within the technology, services, and healthcare industries across the U.S. Additionally, Escalate IV will expand upon a complementary equity investment strategy seeking to make $1M - $2M equity investments in existing fund portfolio companies to finance their growth.
“The complementary equity investment strategy expands our toolbox and augments the firm’s 15-year history of providing flexible capital solutions,” said Chris Julich, Managing Director.
Escalate Capital Partners also announced the hirings of Travis Wood as a Director and Brendan Scher as an Associate, as well as the promotion of Chris Hall to Principal.
Mr. Wood joins Escalate after a 20-year career at Silicon Valley Bank where he served in various managerial, sales and portfolio management roles. Most recently, he managed the credit solutions team overseeing the technology portfolio across the southwest. At Escalate, he will be focused on sourcing and managing investments. Mr. Wood is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Scher joins Escalate with nearly a decade of expertise in credit, capital markets, and M&A. He received his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a BS from The College of New Jersey. He is a CFA charterholder.
Since inception in 2005, Escalate Capital Partners has invested in over 100 growing companies. Current and former Escalate fund investments include: Accolade, HomeAway, LDR Spine, Lifesize, Phreesia, RetailMeNot, RigNet, Sailpoint, Virtustream, and Wombat Security.
