In Alternative Views, Private Equity Wire® goes behind closed doors with those in the know to get the latest on private markets. In this episode we discuss the investment opportunity in middle America with Blair Garrou, co-founder and managing partner of Mercury Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm targeting tech companies outside of Silicon Valley.
Garrou discusses the appeal of middle America as technologies mature (0:50); the availability of service providers in the region to support growth (3:01); the fundraising environment in middle America (5:41); why he thinks vertical AI companies are not vulnerable to a valuation bubble (9:11); the war for talent with Big Tech (12:08); the exit opportunities in middle America (14:48); and why there may be limited opportunities in the future for PE value creation in tech (16:29).
