# Howard Smith

> Howard Smith is a Series A investor at First Analysis backing Software and Analytics. See 8 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: Angel Investor
- Fund: [First Analysis](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/first-analysis)
- Location: Portola Valley, United States
- Total investments: 8
- Last investment: Aug 2023
- Lead investor: 88%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-smith-2398

Howard Smith is a managing director coordinating investment and research in broadband enabled businesses. He specializes in business models based on information technology. At First Analysis, he’s built several information technology research franchises, including computer telephony, call center products, computer security, and Internetinfrastructure. His work has been cited for excellence by the Wall Street Journal and other publications. He’s provided strategic advice to numerous technology companies in capital raising and buy- and sell-side M&A transactions, and as a board member. Prior to joining First Analysis in 1994, he was a senior tax consultant with Arthur Andersen & Co. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a certified public accountant.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Software | 4 | 50% |
| Analytics | 3 | 38% |
| Information Technology | 3 | 38% |
| Big Data | 2 | 25% |
| Cyber Security | 2 | 25% |

28 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Series A | 3 | 38% |
| Series B | 2 | 25% |
| Series C | 2 | 25% |
| Series D | 1 | 13% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stamus Networks | Stamus Networks believes in a world where defenders are heroes, and a future where those they protect remain safe. As defenders face an onslaught of threats from well-funded adversaries, we relentlessly pursue solutions that make the defender’s job easier and more impactful. A global provider of high-performance network-based threat detection andhunting systems helps enterprise security teams accelerate their response to critical threats with solutions that uncover urgent and acute risks from network activity. Their Scirius Security Platform is an advanced network detection and response (NDR) solution that exposes threats to critical assets and empowers rapid response. |  | Series A | Aug 08, 2023 |  |
| EdgeIQ | EdgeIQ develops a DeviceOps platform for managing devices, data, software, cloud integrations, and business workflows. It automates device and data management at scale. It defines device profiles, bulk onboarding, onboarding, lifecycle/state management, wellness monitoring, alerting and notifications, remote diagnostics, commands,configuration, and software update management. | $8.5M | Series A | Jul 22, 2022 |  |
| Tracer | Appdetex solves business problems related to digital risks. With deep roots in intellectual property law and applying technical innovation to securing brands, Appdetex is dedicated to the success of brand protection and security professionals and serves the world’s most trusted financial institutions, media platforms, and top-of-the-charts gamingand software companies.Founded in 2012 by brand protection veterans, the Appdetex team applies decades of experience in digital risk mitigation to your brand challenges. Disrupting highly organized, automated, and widespread systems of abuse requires technology and expertise to ensure your brand can continue to deliver an authentic experience to your customers.It was founded in 2012 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. | $12.2M | Series C | Jan 28, 2021 |  |
| Tracer | Appdetex solves business problems related to digital risks. With deep roots in intellectual property law and applying technical innovation to securing brands, Appdetex is dedicated to the success of brand protection and security professionals and serves the world’s most trusted financial institutions, media platforms, and top-of-the-charts gamingand software companies.Founded in 2012 by brand protection veterans, the Appdetex team applies decades of experience in digital risk mitigation to your brand challenges. Disrupting highly organized, automated, and widespread systems of abuse requires technology and expertise to ensure your brand can continue to deliver an authentic experience to your customers.It was founded in 2012 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. | $10M | Series B | Mar 20, 2019 |  |
| Bindplane | Blue Medora’s pioneering IT monitoring integration as a service addresses today’s IT challenges by easily connecting system health and performance data–no matter its source–with the world’s leading monitoring and analytics platforms. Blue Medora helps customers unlock dimensional data across their IT stack, otherwise hidden by traditionalapproaches to metrics collection. |  | Series B | Oct 23, 2017 |  |
| NimbeLink | NimbeLink is a provider of cellular modems, cellular gateway systems, and developer services, specifically to small- and medium-sized companies in the machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity market. Its Skywire modems and related software and services enable OEM customers to easily develop end-device certified IoT solutions for faster time tomarket. Founded in 2013, Minnesota-based NimbeLink has brought together award-winning engineers and designers of embedded systems to develop products for and provide services to, companies developing technology for the Internet. | $2.5M | Series A | Mar 15, 2016 |  |
| VisiQuate | VisiQuate is a daily SaaS-based service for healthcare and enterprise clients that makes the volume, variety, and velocity of Big Data simple and actionable. | $6M | Series C | Jul 21, 2014 |  |
| DataSphere | DataSphere provides Web technology and an ad sales team focused on generating neighborhood level user engagement and monetization for existing media companies. | $8M | Series D | Mar 13, 2012 |  |

8 of 8 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [EPIC Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/epic-ventures) — VC Fund, 3 deals together
- [Origin Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/origin-ventures) — VC Fund, 2 deals together
- [Baird Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/baird-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Elevate Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/elevate-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Ignition Partners](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/ignition-partners) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Koa Labs](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/koa-labs) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## About First Analysis

VC Fund · Chicago, United States

First Analysis is a leading venture capital investor. They have one of the longest records (30 years) in venture capital, having invested more than $750 million across multiple highly diversified funds. First Analysis invests mainly in the United States with a focus on our sectors of expertise: technology/software, healthcare, services, andclean-tech/chemicals. They help established companies become profitable leaders in large markets, funding growth plans and working closely with management in areas including strategy, recruitment, sales and marketing, and corporate development. Their flexible approach targets investing $3-10 million as lead investor or as a syndicate partner who brings valuable perspective to the table.

5 contacts available at First Analysis.

| Name | Title | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Andrew Walsh | Managing Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/andrew-walsh-2 |
| Craig Nankervis | Senior Vice President | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/craig-nankervis |
| David Gearhart | Investment Team | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/david-gearhart |
| Howard Smith | Managing Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/mustafa-mubashir-rizvi |
| Matthew Nicklin | Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/matthew-nicklin |

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## FAQ

### What does Howard Smith invest in?

Howard Smith invests primarily in Software, Analytics and Information Technology startups, most often at Series A and Series B stage. Most of the 8 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did Howard Smith last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for Howard Smith closed in Aug 2023. Shizune tracks 8 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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