Our Origin Story
Primordial Ventures was born out of a belief: that the next generation of transformative software startups can — and will — come from North Carolina.
Founded in 2023 by seasoned entrepreneurs Joe Colopy and Jenn Summe, Primordial is deeply rooted in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Southeast. With prior success stories like Bronto Software and experience across founding, scaling, and investing in startups, the Primordial team understands what early-stage founders truly need: capital, community, and coaching.
Being a founder is hard (and lonely!) As operators turned investors, we back bold builders with empathy, conviction, and the discipline to create enduring companies.
We’ve been in your shoes. Now we’re in your corner.
Why We Exist
We founded Primordial Ventures to close the funding gap for early-stage software companies in North Carolina. Our state is teeming with brilliant founders and viable ideas, but capital — especially pre-seed capital — moves slowly or not at all. We exist to change that.
We are on a mission to make North Carolina the premier location for early-stage software startups to thrive. That means investing capital at the right time, offering founder-first support, and rallying a powerful community around our portfolio companies.
What We Believe
Founders Come First: We look for founders who are adaptable, resilient, capital-efficient, and obsessed with their customers. When we find them, we bet early and back them relentlessly.
Community Compounds Capital: Through our startup mentor program, investor meet-and-greets, and founder lunches, we foster a community that multiplies value for every startup in our portfolio.
Engage Early, Follow the Winners: We invest in ~50 companies over five years, then reserve up to 70% of our fund for follow-on investments in the top-performing teams.
North Carolina Is the Opportunity: We see more software deals in NC than any other fund, thanks to our close ties with GrepBeat, NC IDEA, university innovation arms, and regional angels and other VC firms. We’re not just betting on startups — we’re betting on North Carolina.