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Brad Feld

Brad Feld36 posts

Brad Feld is an American entrepreneur, author, blogger, and venture capitalist. He started a software consulting firm while still at MIT and sold it in 1997 to Ameridata. He then formed Foundry, a venture capital firm, which has made investments in leading software brands such as Zygna.

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19 Nov, 2007

Foundry Group raises $225M for early stage tech

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Foundry Group logoFoundry Group announces it has raised a $225 fund for investing in early-stage technology companies. Investors include Guardian Life Insurance Co., Morgan Stanley, Parish Capital Advisors, Procific and University of Texas Investment Management Co. The partners include Brad Feld, Seth Levine, Ryan McIntyre and Chris Wand. They launched Foundry after thier previous company, Mobius, didn’t perform well, and partners of that fund decided not to raise any more money.

1995

Founds Intensity Ventures

Founding0 Comments

With the proceeds of the sale of his company Feld founds Intensity Ventures, a company that helps launch and operate software companies. Intensity Ventures was a venture affiliate of SOFTBANK.

Moves to Boulder, Colorado

Home purchase/sale0 Comments

I was investing in Boston, NYC, the Bay Area, and Seattle as an angel investor, and I was traveling across the country all the time. My wife is a writer. She grew up in Alaska. She told me she was moving to Boulder and that I could come with her if I wanted to. We were married at the time so I chose to come with her [laughs]. My view was, if I didn’t like Boulder, I’d keep going west, except I never really wanted to live in the Bay Area. But we got here, loved it, and decided to never look back.

Nov 1993

Sells Feld Technologies to AmeriData

Acquisition0 Comments

Feld Technologies, now at 20 people and just under $2m in revenues, is acquired by Sage Technologies (which becomes AmeriData Technologies). Feld becomes  Chief Technology Officer. Feld Technologies becomes AmeriData Consulting. By 1997 AmeriData Consulting is a 400 person, $40 million organization and is sold to GE Capital.

21 Jun, 1993

Feld, Batchelor marry

Amy BatchelorMarriage0 Comments

Brad Feld - Amy BatchelorAfter buying their wedding rings at the Pay ‘n Save, Feld and Batchelor exchange vows at the top of top of Ester Dome in Fairbanks, Alaska. They are officially married in the Boulder County Courthouse on June 21, 1996.

29 Apr, 1987

Feld, Jilk become partners

Dave JilkFounding0 Comments

Feld technologies becomes formalized when Feld and Jilk become partners. One month later they incorporate as an S-corporation. Together they build the company into one of Boston’s leading software consulting firms.

Feld: Brad, even though he could code, was out in the world trying to make rain. That’s oversimplifying what we did, but it was in large part our role in the business. There is no way I could make rain at all, and that is still not my strength. And, although Brad is capable of working on code, he was not motivated by it. He liked going out and finding clients, and having high level conversations.

1985

Starts Feld Technologies

Founding0 Comments

While while a sophomore at MIT he works part-time as a developer for a Dallas company. His work includes writing a management system for a very large dental practice with over 30,000 customers an engagement means he has to commute frequently between Los Angeles and Boston during school.

They paid me a royalty on all the software I developed for them, so I learned the value of being in business for yourself at an early age.

Felds lack of experience is his biggest challenge. After losing money for a few months in a row he fires staff, cuts costs and resets the business to grow more slowly and profitably. He credits his father and other mentors who helped him stay out of trouble.

1983

Attends MIT

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Feld gains Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology .  He chooses MIT in part because his eighth-grade girlfriend wanted to go there.