# UpStart Ventures

UpStart Ventures is a Venture Capital based in Salt Lake City, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Salt Lake City, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- **Founded:** 2012
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.upstartvc.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/upstartvp

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

UpStart Ventures invests primarily in seed and early-stage healthcare companies based on breakthrough technologies from major research universities, centered around Utah and neighboring states. The firm invests in medical devices, drug delivery systems, and diagnostics, as well as longer-range investments in biopharma products and platforms. Central to its strategy is creating value through formation and initial management of leading-edge life science companies rather than traditional venture investing in pre-existing companies.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML
- Digital Health
- FinTech

## People

- Ryan R. Williams — Founder and Managing Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at UpStart Ventures?

Ryan R. Williams, Founder and Managing Partner, chairs the investment committee and makes final call on all partnership-level allocations. The firm operates a consensus-oriented committee that includes additional partners with operating backgrounds from Utah tech companies including Qualtrics and Domo — their subject-matter assessments carry material weight in diligence on SaaS and applied AI deals.

### Does UpStart Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

UpStart is exclusively a direct investor. The firm does not commit to funds-of-funds or act as an LP in other venture vehicles. Its model is built on leading or co-leading seed and pre-seed rounds, with reserves held for follow-on investments through Series A.

### How does UpStart Ventures source proprietary deal flow?

The firm leans on a deeply local, technical-founder referral network in the Intermountain West. Alumni from Utah anchor companies, relationships with Brigham Young University labs, and ties to the SLC Tech community generate the majority of the pipeline. UpStart has also cultivated a reputation as a first-call lead for founders seeking an investor with operating experience rather than purely financial capital.

### What investment stages does UpStart Ventures typically target?

The firm targets pre-seed and seed rounds almost exclusively, writing initial checks from $500,000 to $3 million. It reserves capital to follow on through Series A, and its model intentionally avoids growth-stage or late-stage investing to maintain a cost-basis advantage in a lower-cost geography.

## Related profiles

- [Upstart Investments](https://altss.com/profile/upstart-investments)
- [Upstream Capital](https://altss.com/profile/upstream-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:08:22.057Z

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