Inflexion Partners

Inflexion Partners invests in early-stage deep-technology companies that originate from major Southeastern research universities and corporate R&D hubs. The firm believes that regions with dense federal lab and university research activity — particularly in Florida and Georgia — are persistently under-capitalized by traditional coastal venture firms. This thesis has led to a portfolio concentrated in enterprise software, AI/ML, advanced manufacturing, and mobility.

Blake Patton and Paul Schmitt are the firm's managing partners and lead its investment decisions. Both have operated together since the firm's 2002 founding. Patton brings a background in technology banking and operational roles within startup environments, which informs the partnership's hands-on posture with portfolio companies.

The firm sources primarily within the Southeastern United States, leveraging proximity to research universities including the University of Florida, Georgia Tech, and the University of Central Florida, as well as corporate anchors such as Lockheed Martin and the Kennedy Space Center. Deal flow comes through faculty relationships, technology transfer offices, and the regional startup ecosystem the partners have cultivated over two decades.

Inflexion concentrates on seed and Series A rounds, typically entering as one of the first institutional investors in a company. Check sizes are not publicly disclosed, but the firm's model involves direct equity investments, not fund-of-funds commitments, aligning with its early-stage, high-engagement strategy.

The firm's portfolio history includes companies such as American Maglev Technology, an early-stage developer of magnetic levitation transportation systems, and Luminar Technologies, the lidar and perception systems company that went public in 2020 after an early life as a Florida-based startup. These reflect the firm's focus on deep-tech innovation within its regional thesis.