z9 Capital (z9) has launched a USD25 million venture capital fund at eMerge Americas. z9 invests USD250,000-USD4 million in early-stage, founder-led companies that have demonstrated product-market fit and are seeking growth capital.
z9’s investment thesis is rooted in active management and is the first of its kind, in South Florida, to provide startups with both the liquidity and the operational resources needed to not only succeed – but thrive.
Founded in 2014, the boutique venture firm has made waves in South Florida with their unique active management investment approach. Having invested heavily in an operational infrastructure that includes sales, marketing, legal, accounting, technology and business development – z9 has created an ecosystem that frees founders from administrative minutia and enables them to focus on the problems that truly matter.
“Startups die from suicide, not homicide,” says Chris Uhrig, VP of Investment for z9 Capital. “The greatest risk any early venture faces is execution risk; by taking a hands on approach and providing startups with the resources they need – we increase the likelihood of success, accelerate growth, drive innovation and create significant terminal value.”
Since their inception, z9 has been very acquisitive – having already made several investments to date; notable portfolio companies include Videoo (who came in 2nd place at last year’s eMerge Startup Showcase), Aroma360 and Public Reputation.
The firm is led by Benzion ‘Benny’ Aboud, a successful entrepreneur in his own right, that while in college – grew a wireless phone business from a single location to 120 retail stores spanning the east coast; he later sold the business to AT&T. Since then, Aboud has founded and exited various companies, most notably Qology Direct, for which he was named a Diamond Awards Honoree by the South Florida Business Journal for setting the standard in leadership as one of the 10 Broward County CEOs in 2009.
“My passion has always been growing and incubating early stage businesses,” says Aboud. “There’s something magical about plunging head first into the unknown; working feverishly with a core group of individuals to build something that defies conventional wisdom, accelerates change and creates a lasting impact. I’ve had the good fortune of experiencing such success and believe what we’ve built at z9 Capital will allow us to do just that, but on a much larger scale.”
