“Place Matters” — Rise of the Rest’s 2022 Annual Report

Our 2022 annual report is here.

Rise of the Rest has always been about backing companies that prove it’s possible to scale a startup in cities outside of Silicon Valley. This report further illustrates that thesis by breaking down what we look for in what we call “tentpole companies”: local startups that are standout successes in a community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Our team evaluates each potential investment opportunity through lenses familiar to many of our venture peers: market, product, team, and traction. However, we are also looking through the tentpole company lens: “If successful, will this company, its founders, and team members contribute directly to the rise of their startup community today and support its future growth?” Not every startup in our portfolio is a tentpole company today, but we believe all of them have the potential to be the tentpoles of tomorrow.

The report also recaps our 2021 investment highlights and shares our thinking on the trends that will continue to drive our strategy in 2022.

Our report concludes with updates from 21 portfolio companies, from San Diego to Buffalo, and many places in between. While these founders are tackling a variety of different industries, they are all proving what we have long known: place matters.