Zero Stage Capital

Zero Stage Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 1981 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm specializes in investing in emerging growth companies within the technology sectors of information technology, communications, life sciences, and energy technology, primarily focusing on businesses located along the east coast of the United States. With additional offices in Manchester, New Hampshire, New Haven, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, Zero Stage Capital employs a balanced investment strategy, allocating approximately 50 percent of its funds to early-stage ventures and the other 50 percent to later-stage companies. The firm is recognized as a pioneer in start-up investing and has consistently performed in the top ten percent among peer funds since 1994, aiming to achieve superior returns for its investors while maintaining an attractive liquidity profile.

Paul Kelley

Co-Founder, Managing Director and Chairman

Past deals in New Hampshire

Powerspan

Venture Round in 2003
Founded in 1994 as Zero Emissions Technology and later renamed Powerspan Corp, Powerspan initially provided technology to control particulate emissions from coal-fired, electric power plants. As compliance deadlines of the Clean Air Act Acid Rain Program approached, Powerspan recognized the growing importance of a multi-pollutant solution for controlling emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in addition to particulate emissions. Standard technology generally addresses each pollutant individually, necessitating the installation of separate, costly devices, requiring large spaces not always available on space-constrained sites that are typical of existing power plants. Powerspan sought to develop an integrated approach to achieve multi-pollutant reductions at a lower cost than commercially available systems, enabling power plant owners to meet existing and future environmental requirements in a cost-effective manner.

Imaging Automation

Venture Round in 2002
Imaging Automation offers a range of document authentication, biometrics, and data collection solutions. The company offers products used to authenticate identification documents such as passports, visas, national identification cards, and drivers’ licenses. Its products are used in security applications in the government, and travel and transportation industries. Imaging Automation, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Powerspan

Venture Round in 2000
Founded in 1994 as Zero Emissions Technology and later renamed Powerspan Corp, Powerspan initially provided technology to control particulate emissions from coal-fired, electric power plants. As compliance deadlines of the Clean Air Act Acid Rain Program approached, Powerspan recognized the growing importance of a multi-pollutant solution for controlling emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in addition to particulate emissions. Standard technology generally addresses each pollutant individually, necessitating the installation of separate, costly devices, requiring large spaces not always available on space-constrained sites that are typical of existing power plants. Powerspan sought to develop an integrated approach to achieve multi-pollutant reductions at a lower cost than commercially available systems, enabling power plant owners to meet existing and future environmental requirements in a cost-effective manner.

Silknet

Series B in 1997
Silknet offered enterprise level customer relationship management software (CRM) designed from the ground up for the internet.

Silknet

Series A in 1996
Silknet offered enterprise level customer relationship management software (CRM) designed from the ground up for the internet.