Front Porch Venture Partners
No summary available yet.
Front Porch is essentially a fund-of-funds masquerading as a traditional VC - they're betting on other people's deal sourcing more than their own. They position themselves as 'helpful connectors' rather than lead investors, which is honest but means they're not going to be your primary champion when things get tough. The three Duke MBA friends have solid traditional finance backgrounds but limited operating experience as founders themselves. Bordes takes being a fiduciary 'very seriously' and obsesses over maximizing net returns, which sounds great until you realize it might mean they're more focused on their LP relationships than grinding it out with portfolio companies. Their diversification thesis is smart for their LPs but creates a classic principal-agent problem - with 340+ companies in their portfolio, how much attention can any single founder really expect?
- —Best for: Southeast founders seeking regional connections and non-lead capital
- —Watch out for: Limited hands-on support due to massive portfolio diversification
- —Known for: Hybrid fund-of-funds model focused on Southeast ecosystem building
Front Porch Venture Partners offers a diversified investment across top-tier Venture Capital funds and early stage companies in the Southeast, using a pooled investment vehicle to invest across the Southeast's best Venture Capital firms and make direct investments in promising startups. They focus on closing the funding gap in Southeast startup ecosystems while leveraging the specific skills and networks of top regional VCs to give investors exposure to 200+ startups through one investment.
The firm invests in emerging startup ecosystems in technology, healthcare, and financial services. To date across their two funds, they have invested in 340 companies, 30 directly and 310 indirectly through fund investments. Their hybrid model splits between LP investments in other Southeast VC funds and direct investments in early-stage companies.
Bordes has nearly 20 years of experience across venture capital, private equity and public markets, previously overseeing a large North Carolina family office's investment strategy and serving as VP/Head of Research at venture-backed fintech YipitData in New York. He worked at notable firms including Hurley Capital, Blum Capital Partners, Stone Tower Capital (now Apollo), AEA Investors, and started his career at Merrill Lynch M&A.
Previously worked at Google and is currently head of revenue operations at Digital Turbine. Graduate of Duke's Fuqua School of Business who worked across the country at various investing organizations, startups, and larger corporations before co-founding Front Porch.
Currently co-CEO at Polyzen, bringing experience in the medical device and MedTech space, and leads healthcare-focused investments while supporting portfolio companies with mentorship and growth strategy. Holds an MBA in Health Sector Management and Strategy from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Have a specific question about Front Porch Venture Partners?
Ask Bernie →