Divergent Ventures

Divergent Ventures is a Seattle-based venture capital firm established with a clear focus on early-stage companies operating within the burgeoning cloud computing and big data sectors. Founded in 2007, the firm positioned itself to capitalize on the transformative potential of these technologies, primarily targeting Seed and Series A rounds. With a total of $100 million in assets under management across two funds, Divergent Ventures aimed to identify and nurture foundational technologies that would underpin the next generation of enterprise software and infrastructure.

The firm's investment strategy emphasized identifying innovative startups with strong technical teams and disruptive solutions in areas like enterprise software, data analytics, and cloud infrastructure. Divergent Ventures was known for its hands-on approach, often taking lead investor positions in its portfolio companies. Over its active investment period, the firm made approximately 28 investments, demonstrating a selective yet impactful investment pace. Their portfolio includes several notable companies that have achieved significant milestones, including IPOs and strategic acquisitions.

Among Divergent Ventures' most successful investments are companies like Cloudera, a prominent big data software vendor later acquired by IBM, and Apptio, an IT financial management software provider that went public before being acquired by Vista Equity Partners. Another key exit was Chef, a leader in IT automation, which was acquired by Progress Software. These successes highlight the firm's ability to identify and support companies that achieved substantial market value. It is important to note that Divergent Ventures' last fund, Divergent Ventures II, LP, closed in 2012 with $60 million, suggesting that the firm's primary investment period for new ventures concluded around that time, and it has since been focused on managing its existing portfolio and realizing returns.