Shepherd Ventures
VC Fund
San Diego, United States
Shepherd Ventures is a VC fund in San Diego focused on Software and Health Care. Shepherd Ventures was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in San Diego, part of Southern California's Tech Coast, with easy access to other technology centers throughout the region. The four original Managing Directors of Shepherd Ventures were George Kenney, Peter Fisher, Tom Siegel and Richard Kuntz. The region has vibrant high technologyand life sciences industries, is underserved by the venture capital community, and offers compelling investment opportunities.Shepherd Ventures focus is on information technology and life sciences companies characterized by passionate and experienced management teams, compelling value propositions and extraordinary upside potential. They concentrate on companies located in Southern California and the Southwest, particularly San Diego, where they believe there is a significant shortage of venture capital. Their objective is to generate significant capital appreciation through a balanced portfolio of first and later stage equity investments in carefully selected, wisely shepherded growth companies.First stage companies are those with products that incorporate a disruptive technology, that are (or are about to be) commercially released, and that are capable of creating a valuable new paradigm in their category. In particular, Shepherd Ventures look for companies with completed products, where sales channels have been defined, and when possible, validated by a purchase order or letter of intent from a bona fide customer. Companies should exhibit a sustainable competitive advantage that will drive them to market or sector dominance and a credible path to profitability. Investments in these companies may be part of the first or second round of institutional capital. Seed stage opportunities will generally not be considered.Later stage companies are those that either have received prior rounds of venture capital, or have achieved growth and operational maturity without venture funding. These companies would be established technology companies with existing revenue and proven management teams. They likely will have profitable products, brand identity, market traction, and satisfied customers.The Shepherd Ventures Managing Directors, Venture Partners and Advisors are industry leaders who have extensive experience operating, guiding and investing in first and later stage information technology and life sciences companies.Shepherd Ventures takes pride in its people. They have a dynamic team of experienced professionals who hold diverse, yet extremely relevant backgrounds. The Shepherd team is disciplined, committed, capable, and always eager to assist Shepherd Ventures companies in any area they need to succeed. While Shepherd Ventures structure and lead most of the investments they make, they recognize the value of partnering to help entrepreneurs execute and build world class businesses.
- Total investments:
- 25
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 12%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Shepherd Ventures invests in
Stages Shepherd Ventures invests in
Countries Shepherd Ventures invests in
Round sizes
Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 more contact available
Round size
- Series A
- $2M–$10M
- Series B
- $3M–$18M
Investment Focus
Industry
- Software 4 (16%)
- Health Care 4 (16%)
- Wellness 3 (12%)
- Electronics 3 (12%)
- Manufacturing 3 (12%)
Stage
- Series A 6 (24%)
- Series B 5 (20%)
- Funding Round 5 (20%)
- Series C 3 (12%)
- Series D 2 (8%)
Country
- United States 17 (68%)
- Israel 1 (4%)
Team
| Name | Title | Investments | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fred Lawrence
Venture Partner
|
Venture Partner | Total investments: 0 | Find email | |
George C. Kenney
Managing Director
|
Managing Director | Total investments: 1 | Find email | |
Olga Kitsakos
Operations Partner
|
Operations Partner | Total investments: 0 | Find email | |
Richard P. Kuntz
Managing Director
|
Managing Director | Total investments: 0 | Find email |
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
Cyabra
|
Cyabra enables global enterprises and governments to understand and respond to online manipulation that distorts public perception and decision-making. As manipulated content, coordinated behaviors, and inauthentic actors increasingly shape what people see and believe online, organizations need clarity about what is real, what is coordinated, andwhat actually matters. Cyabra analyzes three foundational elements of information integrity: actors, behaviors, and content. By examining who is operating, how activity is coordinated and amplified, and how narratives are leveraged, Cyabra helps organizations distinguish isolated noise from coordinated influence. Operating at scale, Cyabra enables teams to focus on the small number of actors and behaviors responsible for disproportionate impact. Evidence is translated into clear mitigation steps that fit directly into existing workflows, allowing organizations to act proportionately, avoid unnecessary escalation, and reduce misdirected response. Cyabra supports continuous analysis across evolving situations, allowing organizations to move fluidly between broad patterns and specific cases without losing context. This combination of scale, precision, and usability turns overwhelming information into practical clarity. Today, Cyabra is used by leading global enterprises, communications firms, and public-sector organizations. The solution maintains a neutral, evidence-led posture and is designed for situations where judgment, credibility, and clarity are essential. | $5.6M / Series A / Oct 26, 2021 | |
Carepoynt
|
Carepoynt is the first Rewardsware for Healthcare™ program, platform and network for the massive Health and Wellness market Living a healthy life is easier when we are connected, encouraged and rewarded by our trusted network. And that's exactly what the Carepoynt program, platform and network does and what the Carepoynt Community is allabout. Learn more @ www.carepoynt.com As a Carepoynt consumer/member > It’s your VIP all access pass to More Rewarding Healthcare experiences and CarePoynts™ are the return on your investment in healthy living. As a Carepoynt customer/partner > is a program, a platform and a network for patients, providers, employers, payers and partners. And for your company its so much more than 'just' a Rewardsware for Healthcare™.solution. Contact you and we'll show you what Carepoynt can do for you. We are new, growing fast and here to change how everyone engages with our costly, chaotic and chronically uncoordinated healthcare system by creating better experiences, results and outcomes for all involved.We hope you’ll “joyn” us on our journey to make healthcare more rewarding for all! Connect. Align. Reward. Engage. Succeed! connect@carepoynt.comJoyn us! > app.carepoynt.com/joynAbout us (the more boring but more 'official' version) Carepoynt is the first health-focused rewards program, platform and network that puts consumers at the center of their own healthcare experience. Developed in response to the costly, chaotic and uncoordinated healthcare ecosystem, Carepoynt is a compelling consumer centric program built around our multi-channel, cloud-based Rewardsware for Healthcare™ platform where members can connect, align, engage and be rewarded within a trusted network of healthcare focused providers, payers, employers and strategic partners. These Carepoynt Community partners use the platform to encourage consumers to earn, redeem and share CarePoynts™ for themselves and their CareCliques™ by participating in prescriptive or self-directed CarePlans and interactions with a variety of health and wellness providers, product and services partners. By engaging in the compelling and personalized consumer-oriented experiences that Carepoynt enables for payer and employer wellness programs, patients, providers and partners can achieve improved engagement, better outcomes and mutually rewarding results.Connect with us @ www.carepoynt.com or connect@carepoynt.com or app.carepoynt.com/joyn | Convertible Note / Mar 05, 2018 | |
TakeLessons
|
TakeLessons is the trusted marketplace for finding online and local instructors and taking online classes across a wide array of subjects ranging foreign languages, math and photography to music, dance and acting. Instructors rely on TakeLessons to simplify marketing and manage their business with integrated scheduling, billing, payment, andcommunication tools that work seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices. | $6M / Series A / Aug 03, 2011 | |
Revance Therapeutics
|
Revance Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing and commercializing products and treatments in dermatology and aesthetic medicines. Its products include RT001, a physician-applied topical botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for cosmetic, hyperhidrosis, and dermatologic indications. The company was formerly known as EssentiaBiosystems. | $45M / Series D / Jun 10, 2011 | |
|
Revance Therapeutics
|
Revance Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing and commercializing products and treatments in dermatology and aesthetic medicines. Its products include RT001, a physician-applied topical botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for cosmetic, hyperhidrosis, and dermatologic indications. The company was formerly known as EssentiaBiosystems. | $25.6M / Series D / Dec 28, 2009 | |
WiSpry
|
WiSpry is a fabless RF semiconductor company, develops, manufactures, and markets radio frequency (RF) silicon integrated circuits, components, and modules for manufacturers of wireless communication products. It offers tunable RF components, such as digital RF capacitors and RF capacitor networks, as well as digital RF-MEMS tunable capacitors. Thecompany's products are used in various applications, including RF matching circuits, digital control phase shift networks, antenna array frequency shifting, antenna diversity systems, agile frequency generation, tunable filter systems, and tunable anti-alias filters. It serves mobile phone OEMs, RF module manufacturers, and integrators, cellular base station suppliers, cable and satellite set-top box providers, laptop computer developers, test and instrumentation equipment manufacturers, and electronic system OEMs. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. WiSpry is a former subsidiary of Coventor, Inc. | $10M / Series C / Apr 06, 2009 | |
Sendio
|
Sendio is a company whose products protect the email environments of enterprises and institutions from attacks and abuse, and dramatically increases employee efficiency by reducing the amount of time required to manage an email inbox. Using self-managing communities similar to those found in social networking applications, Sendio users receive allof the email sent by customers, suppliers, partners, friends, associates and other members of their “community” while being completely shielded from both nonsense messages sent by casual abusers and devious messages from malicious criminal concerns. | $3M / Series B / Feb 09, 2009 | |
Lucix Corporation
|
Lucix is the world leader in Space Communications Payload ElectronicsLucix is a trusted supplier of satellite payload RF units to the major Satellite OEMs, including Astrium, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Loral, MDA, and Orbital Sciences. Their designs are qualified for all of these Satellite Platforms, and cover the frequency range from UHF throughL, C, X, Ku, Ka and Q Bands. All hardware is designed, qualified, manufactured, tested and shipped from Lucix facilities in Camarillo, California.- LNAs- Oscillators Assemblies (MLOs, Reference Generators)- Beacons- Downconverters and Upconverters- Receivers (fixed and agile)- Frequency Synthesizers (fixed and agile)- Power Monitors- Phase-Locked Dielectric Oscillators (PLDROs)- Free-Running Dielectric Oscillators (DROs)- Central Power Supply Units (CPSUs)Lucix is additionally distinguished by a staff of highly experienced satellite and payload System Engineers and Program Managers, as well as world class RF and Product Design engineers and analysts. This is a team with unparalleled experience that your program can depend on. | $3M / Feb 02, 2009 | |
Quickoffice
|
Mobile, and ATT. The program is fully localized in 36 languages, and ships worldwide as a built-in solution on a multitude of smartphones. via: | $3M / May 23, 2008 | |
Digital Orchid
|
Digital Orchid, Inc. develops and distributes wireless applications for sports betting services, lotteries, games, brand content, and sports media for the gaming and entertainment industries in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. It provides regulated mobile lottery, sports betting services, and content solutions for wireless operators.The company also deploys regulated lottery gaming, sports wagering, and content transactions for various brands. It operates operator race and sports book services, provides online thorough bread racing and content services, and develops online gaming software systems. The company operates a Todomo WAP portal, which allows users to deploy new content to handsets in a matter of minutes. In addition, it offers Todomo BREW Applications, which allows users to publish content to the handsets in use in North, Central, and South America. Further, the company operates and distributes lottery games and sports pool betting services in Mexico. It distributes its products and services through carrier and direct channels, and partners in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Digital Orchid, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is based in San Diego, California. | $245.3K / Feb 26, 2008 | |
| See all 25 investments → | |||
Co-Investors
Advantage Capital
3 deals together
Mayfield Fund
3 deals together
TCA Venture Group
3 deals together
Vivo Capital
3 deals together
Access Industries
2 deals together
Enterprise Partners
2 deals together
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FAQ
What does Shepherd Ventures invest in?
Shepherd Ventures invests primarily in Software, Health Care and Wellness startups, most often at Series A and Series B stage. Most of the 25 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
What is Shepherd Ventures's check size?
Shepherd Ventures typically joins rounds of $2M–$10M at Series A and $3M–$18M at Series B. These ranges are 10th–90th percentile round sizes calculated from confirmed public funding rounds, so they are a realistic guide to the rounds Shepherd Ventures participates in.
How do I contact Shepherd Ventures?
Public channels for Shepherd Ventures include LinkedIn and the website linked on this profile. For a verified work email and phone number, create a free Shizune account — contact data is searched across 20+ sources and validated before delivery, so your outreach lands in the right inbox.
Who are the partners at Shepherd Ventures?
The team at Shepherd Ventures includes Fred Lawrence (Venture Partner), George C. Kenney (Managing Director) and Olga Kitsakos (Operations Partner). The Team section lists each member with their title, investment count and links.
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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