The Aurora Funds is a venture capital firm that provides capital, connections and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs with early-stage life sciences and information technology companies. Founded in 1994, Aurora manages over $200 million in five venture funds. The firm’s six investment professionals have over 100 years of combined venture capital investing and operational experience. The Aurora team has managed investments in over 60 companies, resulting in five IPOs and eight M&A transactions to date.
Aurora typically is a lead or co-lead investor in seed and early-stage financing opportunities located primarily in the Southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. The firm’s initial investment size ranges from $50,000 in a seed investment to as much as $2.5 million in a first round financing. Aurora has the capacity to invest a total of between $4 million and $8 million across multiple rounds of financing as the company matures.
The firm has a balanced investment focus across both life sciences and information technology industries.
Life sciences areas of interest include:
Information technology areas of interest include:
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Internet infrastructure
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software
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semiconductors and related processing technology
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emerging technologies, such as, photonics and nanotechnology.
In addition, our dual investment focus enables the firm to successfully target industries that bridge these two areas, such as:
Aurora is strategically located in the heart of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area of North Carolina, and surrounded by leading technology corporations and world-class research universities. Aurora has been actively involved in the spinout and investment in companies with founders from many organizations, including, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Cisco, Ericsson, HAHT Commerce, IBM, Novartis, Research Triangle Institute, Closure, and GlaxoSmithKline.
Our Investment Approach
Aurora invests in entrepreneurs and management teams that have a combination of strong business experience and a vision to build successful new companies. The firm invests in products and technologies that address large, growing markets. Aurora targets companies that have:
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Management teams with domain expertise.
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Strong core intellectual property and/or platform technology, which clearly adds value to customers.
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A significant unmet need and the potential to establish a sustainable market leading position.
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A compelling business model, including a clearly defined distribution plan for its products.
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Existing and/or emerging strategic partnerships.
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Compelling exit potential.
Providing Active Capital
We have an experienced investment team with diverse industry and functional backgrounds. Each member of the team has “hands-on” operational experience enabling them to work closely with their portfolio companies. Key impact areas include:
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Helping to recruit and assemble management teams
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Leveraging industry contacts to help secure customers and strategic partners
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Introductions to service providers such as commercial bankers, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants
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Introductions to other venture capital firms for co-investment purposes
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Leveraging industry knowledge to provide guidance on business strategy
These efforts, combined with the investment team’s experience and breadth of business knowledge, provide tremendous advantages to Aurora’s portfolio companies.
