Investor profile
Maroon Venture Partners Fund
Micro-fund
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Analyse your fitInvestment thesis
Maroon Venture Partners Fund invests in early-stage companies with a strong connection to the University of Massachusetts Amherst — typically founded or led by UMass Amherst faculty, students, or alumni. The fund's stated goal is to "identify, invest in and champion the best of these UMass Amherst-linked ventures," providing initial outside equity funding of $100,000–$300,000 to help companies reach significant commercial milestones. The fund is not limited to particular industries but finds that "most investment opportunities have a strong element of technology and innovation," spanning life sciences, healthcare, software, consumer products, and advanced materials. Managed by a volunteer investment committee whose carried-interest equivalent is donated back to UMass Amherst, the fund sees itself as "a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the UMass Amherst community."
Notable quotes
“We believe the UMass Amherst entrepreneurial ecosystem has great untapped potential. We see faculty members in labs with a passion for better solutions and students with fresh insights on old problems.”
“Myrias Optics has the potential to become a category-defining technology platform for the next generation of optical devices. Its ability to manufacture high-performance, high-value components through an exceptionally efficient and cost-effective process — rooted in discoveries from Dr. Watkins' lab at UMass — is truly remarkable.”
“The typical venture fund pays 20% of any investment appreciation to its fund managers as incentive compensation. Since our Fund does not compensate its managers, we are able to donate that amount to UMass Amherst while still providing our investors with a traditional distribution structure.”
Team
Charlie Johnson
Investment Committee Member and Managing Director
John L. Brooks III
Investment Committee Member
Mike Masterson
Investment Committee Member
Ameeta Soni
Investment Committee Member
Steve Willis
Investment Committee Member
Nancy Confrey
Investment Committee Member
Recent investments
| Company | Round | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrias Optics | Seed | $2m | 2026-01 |
| florrent | Series A | $10m | 2025-07 |
| Latde Diagnostics | Seed | — | — |
| Theromics | Seed | — | 2022-01 |
| Aclarity | Seed | — | 2022-03 |
| QSM Diagnostics | Seed | — | — |
| 88 Acres | Seed | — | 2024-05 |
| HomeBinder | Seed | — | — |
| OmPractice | Seed | — | — |
| Optical Waters | Seed | — | — |
Frequent co-investors
| VC firm | Deals together |
|---|---|
| MassVentures | 2 |
| Tenon Venture Partners | 2 |
| Hoss Investment Inc. | 2 |
| Beacon Angels | 1 |
| Burnt Island Ventures | 1 |
| TiE Boston Angels | 1 |
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