Valor Equity Partners

Valor Equity Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Chicago, established in 1995. The firm specializes in making investments across various stages of company development, including seed-stage, early-stage, growth-stage, and late-stage investments. Valor primarily focuses on sectors such as industrial products, manufacturing, infrastructure services, healthcare, food technology, retail technology, fintech, and clean energy. The firm seeks to partner with high-growth companies and entrepreneurs who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and industry transformation. Investment sizes typically range from $10 million to $75 million for new platforms, while add-on investments do not have a minimum size requirement. Valor Equity Partners primarily invests in North America and India, aiming to support companies with revenues between $30 million and $200 million. The firm prefers to take a leading role in investments, pursuing both control and non-control equity opportunities.

Will Baine

Principal of Investment Team

Sean Costello

Vice President

Alli Folk

VP

Manuel Pantelias Garces

Vice President

Antonio Gracias

Founder, CEO and CIO

Bruce Johns

Senior Director

Sealy Laidlaw

Vice President

Chris Murphy

Managing Director

David Obrand

Partner

Harrison Pappas

Vice President

Vivek K. Pattipati

Partner

Taylor Patton

Senior Associate

Juan Sabater

Partner, Co-President and Member of Investment Committee

Bradley Sheftel

Partner

Jonathan K. Shulkin

Partner & Co-President

Michael Soenen

Partner

Miki Sofer

Vice President

Slater H. Stich

Vice President

Mark Vardaro

Senior Director

Timothy Watkins

Operating Partner

Past deals in Illinois

chowly

Venture Round in 2021
Chowly Inc., founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in software solutions that integrate third-party online ordering platforms with restaurant point of sale (POS) systems. The company connects various online ordering services, including Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and Caviar, to streamline restaurant operations. By providing these integrations, Chowly aims to enhance efficiency, reduce staffing costs, and minimize errors, ultimately increasing revenue for restaurants. The company is committed to delivering affordable technology-based solutions tailored for the restaurant industry.

Cameo

Series C in 2021
Cameo is a marketplace that allows fans to book personalized video shoutouts from a wide array of talent, including celebrities and influencers. The platform aims to provide authentic and personalized fan experiences, offering users the opportunity to connect with their favorite personalities through custom video messages. With partnerships spanning various verticals, Cameo has established itself as a prominent player in the entertainment industry. The company is based in Chicago and is part of the city's vibrant technology and startup community.

Emalex Biosciences

Series C in 2021
Emalex Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of new and novel treatments for patients with central nervous system disorders who have limited or no treatment options.

Ocient

Series B in 2021
Ocient Inc., founded in 2018 and based in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in analytical software solutions designed for managing large-scale databases. The company focuses on developing a near-real-time database and data analytics platform capable of handling petabyte- to exabyte-scale data sets. Established by a team with a notable history in the software industry, Ocient benefits from a highly skilled engineering team composed of computer scientists from prestigious universities and organizations. The company aims to provide innovative solutions that enhance data analysis capabilities for its clients.

Tock

Series C in 2020
Tock, Inc. operates a comprehensive platform designed for managing reservations, guest interactions, and table logistics for restaurants, wineries, and pop-up venues worldwide. Established in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Tock provides a multifaceted system that allows users to manage reservations, delivery, and event planning while capturing essential guest information to develop targeted marketing strategies. The platform includes features such as automated waitlists, text confirmations, and customizable booking options like wine pairings and cookbooks. Additionally, Tock integrates with various reservation systems and marketing tools, enabling seamless connections with social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. This service is tailored for hospitality businesses of all sizes, facilitating efficient management of bookings and operational reporting.

ErisX

Series B in 2018
ErisX specializes in digital asset space that offers both spot and futures contracts on one platform. It integrates digital asset products and technology into reliable, compliant, and robust capital markets workflows. ErisX solution provides trading, deposits, and withdrawals on a stable, proven capital markets technology infrastructure. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Tock

Series B in 2018
Tock, Inc. operates a comprehensive platform designed for managing reservations, guest interactions, and table logistics for restaurants, wineries, and pop-up venues worldwide. Established in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Tock provides a multifaceted system that allows users to manage reservations, delivery, and event planning while capturing essential guest information to develop targeted marketing strategies. The platform includes features such as automated waitlists, text confirmations, and customizable booking options like wine pairings and cookbooks. Additionally, Tock integrates with various reservation systems and marketing tools, enabling seamless connections with social media platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. This service is tailored for hospitality businesses of all sizes, facilitating efficient management of bookings and operational reporting.

ErisX

Series A in 2018
ErisX specializes in digital asset space that offers both spot and futures contracts on one platform. It integrates digital asset products and technology into reliable, compliant, and robust capital markets workflows. ErisX solution provides trading, deposits, and withdrawals on a stable, proven capital markets technology infrastructure. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

chowly

Series A in 2018
Chowly Inc., founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, specializes in software solutions that integrate third-party online ordering platforms with restaurant point of sale (POS) systems. The company connects various online ordering services, including Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and Caviar, to streamline restaurant operations. By providing these integrations, Chowly aims to enhance efficiency, reduce staffing costs, and minimize errors, ultimately increasing revenue for restaurants. The company is committed to delivering affordable technology-based solutions tailored for the restaurant industry.

Rōti

Venture Round in 2018
Rōti, operating as Roti Modern Mediterranean, is a fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2005 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The company specializes in providing customizable Mediterranean cuisine for lunch and dinner, featuring a diverse menu that includes rice bowls, salads, pitas, sandwiches, sides, sauces, and desserts. Rōti focuses on using fresh, healthy ingredients to deliver delicious Mediterranean flavors at affordable prices. In addition to its restaurant offerings, the company also provides catering services. Rōti has established locations in several states, including Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and Washington, D.C., catering to a growing demand for convenient and nutritious dining options.

Fooda

Series C in 2017
Fooda, Inc. is a Chicago-based company that specializes in providing food delivery services to offices. Founded in 2010, Fooda connects local, regional, and national restaurants with workplace environments, offering unique meal programs that employees look forward to each day. The company facilitates on-site dining by having top-rated restaurants serve meals in office lobbies or breakrooms, while also providing catering services for corporate meetings and events. By leveraging its platform, Fooda not only supports local restaurants but also enhances the dining experience for employees, allowing them to enjoy authentic meals at work.

Addepar

Series D in 2017
Addepar is a wealth management platform for investment advisors specializing in data aggregation, analytics, and portfolio reporting. It is the financial operating system used to bring common sense and ethical, data-driven investing in the financial world. Addepar handles all types of assets in any currency, so investors and advisors have a clearer financial picture at every level, all in one place. With customizable reporting, financial managers can visualize and communicate relevant information to anyone who needs it. Addepar was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California with offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.

Fooda

Series B in 2016
Fooda, Inc. is a Chicago-based company that specializes in providing food delivery services to offices. Founded in 2010, Fooda connects local, regional, and national restaurants with workplace environments, offering unique meal programs that employees look forward to each day. The company facilitates on-site dining by having top-rated restaurants serve meals in office lobbies or breakrooms, while also providing catering services for corporate meetings and events. By leveraging its platform, Fooda not only supports local restaurants but also enhances the dining experience for employees, allowing them to enjoy authentic meals at work.

Tovala

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Tovala, operating as Maestro Food Co., is a Chicago-based company that specializes in a unique cooking appliance known as the Smart Oven, which uses steam-based M-pots technology for meal preparation. Founded in 2015, Tovala combines its innovative countertop oven with a meal kit subscription service that provides pre-prepared meals crafted by gourmet chefs. Users can easily cook these meals by scanning barcodes, streamlining the process of preparing healthy, home-cooked dinners. In addition to the oven and meal delivery service, Tovala also offers an application that provides various recipes, enhancing the cooking experience for its users.

Addepar

Series C in 2014
Addepar is a wealth management platform for investment advisors specializing in data aggregation, analytics, and portfolio reporting. It is the financial operating system used to bring common sense and ethical, data-driven investing in the financial world. Addepar handles all types of assets in any currency, so investors and advisors have a clearer financial picture at every level, all in one place. With customizable reporting, financial managers can visualize and communicate relevant information to anyone who needs it. Addepar was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California with offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.

Fooda

Series A in 2013
Fooda, Inc. is a Chicago-based company that specializes in providing food delivery services to offices. Founded in 2010, Fooda connects local, regional, and national restaurants with workplace environments, offering unique meal programs that employees look forward to each day. The company facilitates on-site dining by having top-rated restaurants serve meals in office lobbies or breakrooms, while also providing catering services for corporate meetings and events. By leveraging its platform, Fooda not only supports local restaurants but also enhances the dining experience for employees, allowing them to enjoy authentic meals at work.