Meritus Ventures

Meritus Ventures, L.P. is a venture capital firm established in 2002 and headquartered in London, Kentucky, with an additional office in Knoxville, Tennessee. The firm specializes in making equity investments in private, expansion-stage companies, focusing primarily on rural areas in Central and Southern Appalachia, including states such as Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Meritus Ventures invests between $0.25 million and $2.5 million in each portfolio company, typically over multiple rounds, and prefers equity investments in preferred stocks. The firm is particularly interested in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, and software, though it maintains a broad industry focus. Meritus seeks active involvement in its investments, offering operational assistance and mentoring, often funded through grants from the USDA/SBA. The firm generally holds investments for three to five years, planning to exit through methods such as sales, mergers, management buyouts, or initial public offerings.