Madison, Wis. – Rock River Capital Partners has announced the close of the first Rock River Capital Partners Fund I. The fund closed at more than $23 million in capital commitments and consisted of more than 50 investors.
“We are very excited to see the broad support of investors in our fund. Investors from all over Wisconsin, including the Badger Fund of Funds, and as far away as Texas and London invested in our vision of a return-focused fund with the strategy of leading investment rounds and providing mentorship to help accelerate growth and continue to build the Wisconsin ecosystem,” stated Andy Walker, one of two partners of Rock River Capital Partners.
Walker added: “Now that the fundraising is done, we can focus on injecting capital into Wisconsin and bring businesses that need our capital and our expertise to Wisconsin. We are potentially looking to make our first investment yet this year.”
Chris Eckstrom, the other partner in Rock River Capital Partners, added: “We are very enthusiastic about what we see happening in Wisconsin. The companies, the focus on innovation and the Wisconsin work ethic are some of the many reasons we are so focused on Wisconsin companies.”
To date, Andy Walker and Chris Eckstrom have already looked at more than 150 businesses as possible investments in Wisconsin.
Rock River Capital Partners, a Badger Fund of Funds partner, was created by Andy Walker and Chris Eckstrom with the belief that the next decade of great companies and returns will happen in the Midwest. Rock River Capital Partners strive to find great entrepreneurs who believe in the Midwest and who want to partner to build great companies. Both founding partners have significant operational and investing experience.
About Rock River Capital Partners
Rock River Capital Partners invest in early stage companies whose products fit a market need and have disruptive technology with high growth potential. Typically, Rock River Capital Partners look for earlier stage companies where they can partner with entrepreneurs to best provide value to the companies and accelerate growth. Initial investments typically are between $500,000 and $1 million with additional capital reserved for follow-on rounds. Rock River Capital Partners will look to partner with other local and national venture capital firms to provide follow-on capital and expertise.
Contact: Steve Lyons
608-220-7478