Founders investing
in founders.
PHX Founders Fund is a pre-seed fund backing Phoenix software and AI companies
When we invest, our partner funds see the deal too. When founders are ready to raise a Seed or Series A, they're already familiar with you and your company.
You don't start from scratch with cold outreach. You start with people who have been watching you build.
We back gritty Phoenix founders building something big.
Software and AI companies in the Phoenix metro, led by founders with the grit, the vision and the coachability to go the distance.
Software and AI
Software and AI companies with real customers and real revenue.
Phoenix metro
Built here, based here and hiring here.
Gritty founders
Founders who've already shown they can grind through the hard early days.
Billion dollar vision
A real shot at a billion dollar company, and the ambition to go after it.
Coachable
Ready and willing to learn from experienced founders who've built and exited companies.
Our edge is the accelerator. We help founders build.
PHX Founders Fund is a core partner of PHX FWD and its Fast FWD accelerator. Fast FWD is a 12 month program that helps Phoenix software founders grow, coached by founders who've built and exited companies.
Visit PHX FWD ↗Hands on from day one.
We're in the room with founders through the accelerator. Coaching, GTM help, back office help and more. The work starts before the check and keeps going after it.
Catalyst
$50K into every Fast FWD company on standard terms. Our first institutional check, in the door on day one.
Conviction
Hit the growth targets and we believe you can get to $1M+ ARR within a year, and we write a $250K conviction check.
Concentration
Then we run a concentration check and double down on the winners with larger follow-on rounds.
Fast FWD first. Not Fast FWD only.
We invest in Fast FWD companies, and we also invest in early stage companies outside the accelerator that fit our thesis and can benefit from coaching. Deals come to us from partner accelerators, VC partners and founder referrals too.
One partnership. Three ways we help founders win.
Coaching and the Fast FWD accelerator. Builds the pipeline and drives revenue growth.
Angel capital, syndicate reach and hands-on operators who mentor founders.
Institutional pre-seed capital on top of it all, with follow-on through Series A.
Seed and Series A ready.
When we back a Fast FWD company, part of the check goes to cleaning up the legal, the books and the financial model. We connect founders with the right lawyer, accountant and fractional CFO so they're ready for their next round.
"Fast FWD has completely changed the path and trajectory of SaveNaturally as a business. Building a business is hard, and you need the right people who are motivated to help businesses win in your corner. That is what Clate and the PHX FWD team do for businesses!"
Operators and investors who've built it before.
We're building toward six Venture Partners, every one of them an LP in the fund.
Aaron Favreau
Runs PHX Founders Fund and PHX Angels. Previously Director of Venture Investing at AZ Venture Capital, where he led pre-seed through Series A deals and LP investments in other funds.
Clate Mask
Co-founder of Keap, which he grew from zero to $120M in ARR. Now CEO of PHX FWD, coaching the founders who become our pipeline.
Marc Chesley
Helped Paradox to a billion dollar exit and built Fuse Ventures. Leads the Capital program at PHX FWD.
Apply to Fast FWD
Not quite ready for a check? Fast FWD is a 12 month accelerator that helps founders grow from $100K to $300K ARR, and it's where most of our investments start.
Apply to Fast FWD ↗Tell us what you're building.
Send a few lines and we'll get back to you. Decks, questions and intros are all welcome.
Phoenix, Arizona
