BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 29,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FortySix Venture Capital LLC
(46VC), a venture capital management firm with offices in
Bentonville, AR and Tulsa, OK, is proud to announce the launch of
Dickson & Main Fund I. The fund is managed by a team of
experienced investors at 46VC and will target early-stage tech
founders with a strategic connection to the University of Arkansas and wider Arkansas entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Office
of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI) at the University of Arkansas (UofA) will serve as UofA's
liaison to Dickson & Main, playing a supportive role to build
awareness of the importance of early-stage investment and to ensure
that students have educational opportunities to participate in the
due diligence process and other aspects of fund management through
OEI's Venture Intern Program.
Dickson & Main will back founders affiliated with the
university and entrepreneurial ecosystem with funding and help them
harness the power of the university community. "For an early-stage
founder, access to capital can be a major challenge in an ecosystem
outside of the country's coastal tech hubs," said
Phil Shellhammer, Executive Director of Office of
Entrepreneurship and Innovation. "By recruiting investors who care
about Arkansas and investing in
startups that are part of our ecosystem, Dickson & Main will
fill an important gap, while providing a platform for our students
to learn about this dynamic career path in finance."
As the fund manager, 46VC has developed a low-friction way for
investors to support the university community as well as the
vibrant regional tech economy that will be open to all accredited
investors. "This is a way for private investors to get unique
exposure to technology associated with a fantastic Carnegie R1 research university and incredibly
powerful ecosystem," said Connor Sitton, of 46VC. "The
opportunity to plug directly into technologies in verticals such as
Retail Value Chain, Logistics, Ag-tech, Health tech and several
others is unrivaled. All the top founders in these verticals will
want Dickson & Main on their cap tables, which will further
augment the power of the network." The fund utilizes an innovative
structure that shares a substantial portion of the manager's
carried interest returns with OEI in the form of a donation,
creating an evergreen resource for the university's
entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives. The structure allows
investors to have the ability to achieve investment returns in a
very sought-after asset class while also creating a sustainable
future for OEI to ensure its mission continues to thrive.
For more information on the Dickson & Main Fund I and how to
get involved, please contact Connor
Sitton at csitton@46.capital or 918-629-4554.
About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and
Innovation
The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and
curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students
across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship
Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village and Greenhouse at
the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and
programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams,
venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of
the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic
Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who
will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs
who start something new.
About 46VC
46VC is a venture capital fund manager with offices in
Bentonville, Arkansas and
Tulsa, Oklahoma. 46VC has a
strategy to leverage large networks and invest in startups and
technologies in the heartland region where it has unique access to
deal flow and domain expertise. For media inquiries, please contact
Kate Lynn at 817-851-8036 or
klynn@46.capital.
For more information on 46VC please visit the firm's website
at www.46.capital
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SOURCE FortySix Venture Capital LLC