# Firebrand

Firebrand is a Venture Capital based in Redmond, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Redmond, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Kansas City, United States
- **Founded:** 2016
- **Assets under management:** $20M - $75M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** www.firebrandvc.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/firebrand
- **Wikidata:** Q5451759

## About

Firebrand Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests primarily in seed stage companies in underserved and emerging startup ecosystems. The firm partners with entrepreneurs to help them build transformative companies and emphasizes investing in trusted relationships with exceptional founders. It now invests out of the Firebrand II fund and maintains a founder-focused, long-term partnership approach.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- Mobility & Transportation
- EdTech
- Cybersecurity
- Digital Health
- FinTech
- PropTech

## Offices

- Boulder, CO
- Austin, TX

## People

- John Fein — Founder & Managing Partner
- Chris Marks — Partner
- Claire Hansen — Partner

## Questions

### How does Firebrand source proprietary deal flow?

Firebrand sources primarily through local operator networks built by its partners in Kansas City, Boulder, and Austin. John Fein's prior role as Managing Director for Techstars Kansas City produced extensive founder relationships across the Midwest. The firm supplements this with a physical presence in three cities, enabling them to meet founders early and build conviction before formal fundraises begin. Co-investment relationships from Fund I and the Blue Note Ventures merger add further inbound channels.

### Who runs investment decisions at Firebrand?

Investment decisions are run by Managing Partner John Fein alongside Partners Chris Marks and Claire Hansen. The three partners operate across the firm's Kansas City, Boulder, and Austin offices. Fein and Marks merged their respective firms — Firebrand and Blue Note Ventures — in 2019 and have run a unified investment committee since. Hansen was promoted to Partner in September 2023.

### What investment stages does Firebrand typically target?

Firebrand targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies, with occasional follow-on participation in growth rounds. The firm explicitly states it invests early to support entrepreneurs through startup life's ups and downs. Its Fund I portfolio of 27 companies reflects a concentrated early-stage strategy across enterprise SaaS, mobility, edtech, and logistics verticals.

### Which geographic markets does Firebrand cover?

Firebrand's investment mandate covers the Midwest, Texas, and the Rocky Mountain region. The firm maintains physical offices in Kansas City, Boulder, and Austin to support this geography. Portfolio companies have been sourced from cities including Austin, Boulder, Denver, Chicago, Des Moines, and Kansas City.

### How is Firebrand related to Techstars?

Firebrand was founded by John Fein after serving as Managing Director for Techstars Kansas City, where he invested in 30 startups across three cohorts. Firebrand operates independently from Techstars. The connection is historical: Fein observed that even strong Techstars graduates struggled to raise seed rounds outside the coasts, inspiring him to launch Firebrand.

## Related profiles

- [Firebolt Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/firebolt-ventures)
- [Firebug](https://altss.com/profile/firebug)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:06:42.396Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/firebrand

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