# Square One Ventures

Square One Ventures is a Venture Capital based in Palm Springs, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Palm Springs, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 1903 Torchlight Lane, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States
- **Founded:** 2000
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.smaby.com

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND Following a successful ten-year entrepreneurial career, Gary spent seven years on Wall Street; building an international reputation as a high- technology analyst and managing director, first at Piper Jaffray and then Needham & Co. In 1989, he left the Street to form Smaby

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- Industrial Tech

## People

- Gary Smaby — Founder and Managing Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Square One Ventures?

Gary Smaby served as the sole managing partner of the Quatris I Fund from its 2000 founding until the partnership wound down in 2013. All investment decisions for the fund ran through Smaby, who combined his prior Wall Street high-technology analyst background with his F500 advisory practice. The firm does not list any other investment professionals on its public materials.

### Is Square One Ventures still actively deploying capital?

No. The partnership elected not to raise a follow-on fund after the Quatris I Fund concluded its investment period, and Smaby served as managing partner until 2013. The firm's website now functions as a personal portal for Gary Smaby rather than an active investment vehicle, and no recent capital deployment activity is verifiable from public sources.

### How is Square One Ventures related to Smaby Group?

Smaby Group Inc. is the strategic advisory firm Gary Smaby founded in 1989 after leaving Wall Street, serving F500 clients including IBM, Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Oracle. Square One Ventures operated as the venture arm of Smaby Group, with the Quatris I Fund functioning as its primary investment vehicle. Smaby Group continues to operate from Palm Springs, California.

### What investment stages did Square One Ventures target?

The Quatris I Fund targeted seed-stage ventures, early-stage startups, and spin-offs, per Smaby's description of the firm strategy. The vehicle focused on companies at technology's leading edge, particularly those emerging from deep computing and enterprise infrastructure research environments. The partnership did not publicly articulate specific check-size ranges or follow-on reserve policies.

### What was the relationship with St. Paul Venture Capital?

Quatris Fund was formed as a seed-stage venture capital fund in partnership with St. Paul Venture Capital, the former venture arm of St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, which later became part of Travelers Group. Smaby served as the managing partner responsible for the Quatris I Fund's operations and investment decisions. The partnership dissolved without raising a follow-on fund after the initial vehicle ran its course.

### What is Gary Smaby's investment background?

Smaby spent seven years on Wall Street as a high-technology analyst and managing director at Piper Jaffray and Needham & Co. and ten years as an entrepreneur before forming Smaby Group in 1989. His advisory work covered senior executives at IBM, Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Oracle. He served on the External Advisory Board for IBM's Deep Computing Institute and held visiting scholar appointments at multiple UC system research labs.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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