Sierra Maya Ventures taps into Charlotte, N.C. VC community

Sierra Maya Ventures is partnering with Packard Place, Charlotte, North Carolina’s entrepreneurial hub and startup incubator, to launch and expand the next class of RevTech Labs, which will start in 2014. RevTech Labs is a 12-week program focused on early-stage mobile, software and web companies.

Press Release

The Charlotte Startup scene is about to get a big boost from Sierra Maya Ventures, a nationally recognized early stage Venture Capital Fund led by local Charlotte resident Amish Shah and Boston native Eric Kagan. The two are teaming up with Dan Roselli from Packard Place, Charlotte’s entrepreneurial hub and startup incubator, to launch and expand the next class of RevTech Labs, which will start in early 2014.

Sierra Maya Ventures provides Seed, Angel and Early Stage Capital to help entrepreneurs around the globe. Since its inception in April 2013, Sierra Maya Ventures has made key investments with companies involved in Y Combinator and 500 Startups accelerators alongside Tier 1 Venture Capital funds such as Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures and Atlas Ventures. The firm has sought out disruptive companies which look poised for success in 2014.

“We’ve been investing in early stage companies across the country, and are plugged into the big startup scenes, from New York to the Bay Area,” says Amish Shah, Founding Partner at Sierra Maya Ventures. “We see everything that Charlotte has to offer, and think that it’s an untapped startup ecosystem. We are allocating resources, getting big names from our network involved and working hard to make Charlotte the place for the next Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to launch.”

“Dan has done an amazing job building the foundation for startups at Packard Place over the past few years,” says Eric Kagan, Founding Partner at Sierra Maya Ventures. “There is significant potential for Charlotte and RevTech Labs to compete on the national level. I came to Charlotte to see Packard Place and RevTech Labs myself, and was very impressed.”

Packard Place is the largest startup incubator outside of the Bay Area, New York and Boston, operating as the central hub for the Charlotte metro region’s startup companies and entrepreneurs. Located in one of the oldest buildings in Charlotte, Packard Place was once the showroom for Packard automobiles, now housing the 90,000 square foot startup coworking space. The complex provides office space, support and a strong entrepreneurial community for the region’s early stage companies. Offerings include The Garage, a free space for freelancers and entrepreneurs to set up shop and network.

“We have a great space for startups and a valuable program for entrepreneurs,” says Dan Roselli, CoFounder of Packard Place. “Our partnership with Sierra Maya Ventures will strengthen our position in the community and bring the national attention of mentors, advisors and investors to Charlotte. We’re building a significant value proposition for entrepreneurs, one that will help RevTech Labs compete at the global level.”

RevTech Labs is a 12 week program focused on early-stage mobile, software and web companies. The incubation program provides free work space, mentorship and programming geared toward revolutionary technology startups. The 4,000 square foot space, located within Packard Place, provides shared desks, break space and casual meeting space, and will house opportunities for mentorship from local, regional, and national tech talent. The program aims to guide startups as they focus on building their products and defining their business models. RevTech Labs is preparing to begin its third class, which will culminate with a launch day where startups can connect with local and regional investors and customers.

“A big pain point for these startups is the fundraising side. We sat down with Dan and researched the top incubators from around the world in an effort to provide these companies with what they really need,” says Shah. “We are leveraging our relationships to get top venture capital firms and investors to take a closer look at RevTech Labs’ graduates. We will be providing the tools these startups need to be successful, introducing big names in the investment community as well as equity crowdfunding platforms like AngelList and Wefunder. We have major players in the startup world coming in to help mentor and guide these companies, and will be including a few big surprises in there as well.”

RevTech Labs is currently accepting applications for their spring class, and will be making announcements over the coming weeks with more details about the program. To learn more about the program or to submit an application, visit http://www.revtechlabs.com.