Marshall Ventures Makes First Local Investment in Gryphon Environmental

Owensboro, Kentucky (September 29, 2017) – Marshall Ventures is excited to announce a $200,000 investment in Owensboro-based Gryphon Environmental. This is Marshall Ventures first investment in an Owensboro based company.

Gryphon Environmental supplies large-scale drying products used to reduce suspensions in the municipal, industrial, agricultural and food and beverage industries.  Gryphon has made it possible to use mass transfer and heat transfer to remove water from a suspension. The result is efficient and low-cost drying technology that makes it more affordable to dry biomass, biosolids, sludge, rendering byproducts and proteins. Gryphon dryers provide the most advanced drying solutions available and are able to easily scale and rapidly produce due to their repeatable, sectional designs.

Fund Manager John Marshall Moore said, “We feel fortunate to have this opportunity to invest in an Owensboro based company with such great prospects. Tid and his team have developed a product that puts Gryphon in a position to be the market leader. We expect this investment to not only be a great asset for our investors, but also our community.”

“Our team has done a remarkable job positioning the company for rapid growth in both the municipal and industrial markets. It is an exciting time as market adoption and deployment of our technology expands.” said Tid Griffin, President and CEO of Gryphon Environmental.

“The addition of Marshall Ventures adds local intellectual capital and a boost of energy as we accelerate growth. Having support from within the community is indispensible. We look forward to making this a rewarding venture for their participants and the City of Owensboro.”

Marshall Ventures Fund is a $2 million fund based in Owensboro, KY that invests in early stage companies. Marshall Ventures has invested in six Kentucky companies since 2015. For additional information about the fund, visit marshallventures.com or contact Jamie Johnson directly at 270-993-3766 or by email at [email protected].

 

Marshall Ventures Makes Healthcare Investment in Liberate Medical

Owensboro, Kentucky (September 20, 2016) – Marshall Ventures is excited to announce they have made a $100,000 investment in Louisville based medical device company Liberate Medical.

Liberate Medical’s first product, VentFree, has been developed to raise the standard of care for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. It is a non-invasive product that uses electrical muscle stimulation to lessen the breathing muscle weakness that occurs when a patient is on a ventilator for an extended period of time. Liberate expects VentFree to considerably reduce the amount of time a patient spends on mechanical ventilation and also improve the patients’ quality of life and reduce costs for the healthcare provider.

Marshall Ventures has been working alongside Liberate Medical CEO Dr. Angus McLachlan for approximately nine months.

Fund Manager John Marshall Moore said, “Over 700,000 people in the United States alone are having difficulty weaning from ventilator support each year. If things go as expected this product could have a huge impact on their recovery. Angus is an extremely knowledgeable CEO that has built an excellent team of scientists, engineers and doctors. We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him on this project.”

“Our unique approach of using non-invasive electrical muscle stimulation to target respiratory muscle weakness is designed to significantly transform the standard of care for patients receiving mechanical ventilation,” said McLachlan, CEO of Liberate Medical.

“We’re delighted to welcome Marshall Ventures to the Liberate team and to welcome John Moore to Liberate’s Board of Directors.  They’ve been a great help since we met and we look forward to continuing to grow the company together.”

Marshall Ventures worked alongside other Kentucky Venture Funds, including Enterprise Angels and Commonwealth Seed Capital to complete the round of funding.

“The Enterprise Angels Fund is excited to support the development of Liberate Medical,” said Marty McClelland, the Chairman of the Enterprise Angels Fund. “Their novel solution has the potential to reduce time in the hospital and improve patient outcomes.”

Marshall Ventures Fund is a $2 million fund located in Owensboro, KY. For additional information about the fund, visit marshallventures.com or contact Jamie Johnson directly at 270-993-3766 or by email at [email protected].

 

Marshall Ventures Fund Makes Regional Investment into Clean Coal Technology

Owensboro, Kentucky (July 18, 2016) – Marshall Ventures is excited to announce it has invested $290,000 in Nectar Technologies, a company based in Henderson, KY working on a new clean coal technology. This is the first regional investment for Marshall Ventures Fund, a $2 million micro-venture fund made up of sixteen local investors led by Fund Manager John Moore.

“We were excited to be presented with a deal that we could fund regionally. We are doing a lot of work in other markets, including Louisville, Lexington, and the Greater Cincinnati area. Our intentions all along were to fund deals closer to home. We hope to invest more money in our region, whether it be with this fund or future funds,” stated Fund Manager John Moore.

Nectar Technologies product has shown great promise in the lab as well as in the field. The issue is it has never been proven to work on coal in the United States. They hope to begin testing their product with Big Rivers Electric Corporation in the next few weeks.  If it is successful, it could have a significant impact on the coal industry, not just in Kentucky but around the world.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to test this type of clean coal technology locally. This will be the first full scale testing done in the United States,” stated Chip Crafton, VP of Operations at Nectar Technologies.  “If successful, we feel it will help many groups that depend on coal in our economy.  Our partnership with Marshal Ventures was critical in allowing this opportunity to be brought to Kentucky.”

“This deal really exemplifies the value of having a fund that diversifies risk,” said Moore, “Though there is significant risk, if the testing is completed with positive results, we could see a complete change in the outlook of coal burning power plants. This would in turn save jobs inside, as well as outside, our region.”

The deal was presented to Marshall Ventures by Joe Berry. Mr. Berry is the regional representative for the Kentucky Innovation Network. “The Owensboro Office of the Kentucky Innovation Network would like to offer its heartfelt congratulations to Nectar Technologies and Marshall Ventures on their new endeavor. The technology developed by Nectar has the potential to revolutionize the coal industry in Western Kentucky, and we are very excited about the continued growth of this company in our region,” said Berry.

Marshall Ventures Fund is a $2 million fund located in Owensboro, KY. For additional information about the fund, visit marshallventures.com or contact Jamie Johnson directly at 270-993-3766.

 

Marshall Ventures Partners with Transworld Business Advisors to Expand Service Offering

Owensboro, Kentucky (December 15, 2015) – Marshall Ventures, a firm focused on private investments that also manages a $2.0 million venture fund, has partnered with Transworld Business Advisors of Western Kentucky to add business brokering and mergers and acquisitions to its service offering.

Transworld is one of the nation’s largest brokering companies with over a billion dollars in business sales. This relationship gives Marshall Ventures access to many valuable resources, including a broker network of over 300 brokers nationwide and the ability to sell and market many well-known national franchises.

“We believe this market is currently underserved in our region.  We talk to many buyers looking for opportunities. Many potential sellers do not understand their options when deciding to leave a business.  It is imperative business owners have someone they can trust that understands the challenges to help guide them through the process,” said John Moore, CEO of Marshall Ventures and a Partner in Transworld Business Advisors of Western Kentucky.

Though sales and marketing will be nationwide, Transworld Business Advisors of Western Kentucky services all counties in Western Kentucky and has offices in Murray, Paducah and Hopkinsville, KY. Dean Cherry is the principal owner and managing partner.  Marshall Ventures will focus its listing efforts on the six county area of Daviess, Henderson, Ohio, McLean, Webster, and Muhlenberg counties. They will also be involved in marketing over 200 national franchise chains.

“Beyond the normal flow of business transitions, the baby boomers will continue to exit businesses. There are many advantages for entrepreneurs to consider an existing business versus starting with zero revenue, customers, and systems. Many businesses have multiple generations of efforts invested in them and with renewed energy and ideas they can provide great opportunities,” added Moore.

Jamie Johnson of Marshall Ventures has been named Director of Business Development and will play an integral part in the buying and selling process as a broker. She will also continue as the Fund Administrator for the Marshall Venture Funds.  John Moore will focus his efforts in the new partnership with Transworld on businesses with a value of over $1 million.

The offices for Transworld will be located with Marshall Ventures in downtown Owensboro at 101 East 2nd Street, Suite 200. For any questions, please contact Jamie Johnson at [email protected].

 

 

Kentucky Venture Funds Join Forces to Bring Technology Startup to Bluegrass State

Owensboro, Kentucky (November 12, 2015) – Connetic Ventures, based in Covington Kentucky and Marshall Ventures, based in Owensboro Kentucky are excited to announce an investment in Wyzerr, a tech start-up company moving from California to Kentucky.

Wyzerr is reinventing the way businesses collect and analyze data by building smart technology for consumer feedback that look and feel like games. Their edgy designs and ground-breaking technology make it possible to capture responses to 25 questions in under 60 seconds.

“Wyzerr was one of the recent stars of the Brandery with huge potential,” said Brad Zapp of Connetic Ventures.  The Brandery Business Accelerator in Cincinnati, OH is respected as one of the top fifteen business accelerators in the nation with over 1,000 startups applying each year and only ten to twelve companies being accepted. Acceptance to utilize the facilities and resources of the Brandery itself is a badge of honor.

“In the past companies like Wyzerr would have most likely completed the program and moved back to California to build their business,” said Zapp.  “It has been tons of work but we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a high potential company,” added Zapp.

“It was imperative we were able to not only provide the funds they needed for the current pipeline, but also other resources they need for accelerated growth,” said John Moore, Founder of Marshall Ventures.  “Kentucky has been considered a fly over state in the past,” added Moore, “but with the continued development of interest in the private sector along with the support of our State Government this is no longer the case.”

Moore and Zapp were together when Wyzerr founder Natasia Malaihollo first pitched her company back in August at the Connetic offices in Northern Kentucky. Both agreed that the business was simple to understand and provided an intelligent solution to a previously inefficient process.  Working together to provide funding and other resources was a no brainer.

“We believe it is imperative the private capital markets in our regions work together to compete with the more traditional regions like New York and California,” said Moore.

“It is a competitive world and our region’s economic future depends on investing in early stage business. It’s hard to get established businesses to just pick up and move.  This deal would not have been possible without the Kentucky Investment Fund Act, a 40% tax credit for investing capital in Kentucky businesses. It is imperative our State continues to find ways to support this market” added Moore.

Wyzerr has moved all operations to Kentucky since completing their 12 week program at the Brandery.  Current Wyzerr Founders Natasia Malaihollo and Stedmon Harper along with Bjorn Simmons, the VP of Sales and Marketing, have all relocated to Kentucky.  As the business grows they will also be hiring additional team members from the region.

“We’ve met with many investors that like Wyzerr and see its potential, but there’s something magical that happens when you meet investors who truly believe in your vision and are just as passionate about your technology as you are,” said Malaihollo.  “Connetic and Marshall Ventures have gone out of their way to help us grow our company from the very first meeting we had with them. We’re excited to officially have them on our journey to build Wyzerr businesses around the world. We hope our move to Kentucky will push more startup tech companies to look at Kentucky as a potential home. Innovation can happen anywhere.”

Marshall Ventures Fund is a $2 million fund located in Owensboro, KY. For additional information about the fund visit marshall.ventures

Connetic Ventures is a $5 million fund located in Covington, KY. For additional information about the fund, visit connetic.ventures.

For additional information, please contact Fund Administrator Jamie Johnson at 270.993.3766 or by email at [email protected].

 

 

 

Owensboro, KY (August 5, 2015) – Marshall Ventures, an Owensboro based consulting company, has completed a $2 million venture capital raise to be invested in early stage businesses in need of growth capital. The Marshall Venture Fund will focus investments in businesses that have an opportunity for accelerated growth with a preference for companies in Owensboro and Western Kentucky. “My goal is to provide a boost to our local economic development by providing regional companies the capital resources needed to grow,” said John Moore, Founder of Marshall Ventures and Manager of the Fund.

Moore began discussing the idea of a Fund in February and approximately 4 months later the goal of $2 million was fully committed. A total of 16 Owensboro investors from a variety of industries have invested in the Fund. “The response from our local business leaders was awesome. These investors are obviously looking for a return, but they also appreciate the value of helping other businesses succeed and hope their investments will make a positive impact on our community,” said Moore. Moore hopes the entrepreneurs can also utilize some of the experiences and connections of these business owners to grow their business as well.

As an entrepreneur for over 20 years, Moore knows the challenges early stage businesses face locating capital. Access for this type of capital has traditionally been found mostly in major cities. Shows like “Shark Tank” and recent law changes allowing entrepreneurs to post their capital needs on the Internet has had a positive impact on the access to capital. Still, it is in the very early stages of Internet funding and the uncertainty of laws adds to risk.

The state of Kentucky, realizing the importance of this type of capital, has recently began providing tax incentives for early stage Kentucky businesses that meet certain qualifications to spur these type of investments. In recent months similar funds have been started in Louisville, Lexington, and Northern Kentucky. “It is imperative this part of the state keeps pace and provides the resources entrepreneurs need to grow their business,” said Moore. Moore will also work with these other funds across the state to not only find deals for his fund but also expand the capital for local businesses.

As a way to kick off the search for investment opportunities, Marshall Ventures is planning a “Pitch Day” in Owensboro September 2, 2015. “We hope to locate an investment or two at this event.  We have plans to make this a bi-monthly or quarterly event in the future. Ultimately finding good deals will dictate the amount of investment.”

For more details about Marshall Ventures and the event you can visit their website at MarshallVentures.com