Network-powered Innovation comes to Venture Capital: Dickson & Main Fund I Launched to Support the University of Arkansas System and Early-Stage Tech Founders--Innovative Structure will help sustain University innovation efforts for years to come

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Apr 29, 2024, 14:00 ET

BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FortySix Venture Capital LLC (46VC), a venture capital management firm with offices in Bentonville, AR and Tulsa, OK, is proud to announce the launch of Dickson & Main Fund I. The fund is managed by a team of experienced investors at 46VC and will target early-stage tech founders with a strategic connection to the University of Arkansas and wider Arkansas entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI) at the University of Arkansas (UofA) will serve as UofA's liaison to Dickson & Main, playing a supportive role to build awareness of the importance of early-stage investment and to ensure that students have educational opportunities to participate in the due diligence process and other aspects of fund management through OEI's Venture Intern Program.

Dickson & Main will back founders affiliated with the university and entrepreneurial ecosystem with funding and help them harness the power of the university community. "For an early-stage founder, access to capital can be a major challenge in an ecosystem outside of the country's coastal tech hubs," said Phil Shellhammer, Executive Director of Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. "By recruiting investors who care about Arkansas and investing in startups that are part of our ecosystem, Dickson & Main will fill an important gap, while providing a platform for our students to learn about this dynamic career path in finance."

As the fund manager, 46VC has developed a low-friction way for investors to support the university community as well as the vibrant regional tech economy that will be open to all accredited investors. "This is a way for private investors to get unique exposure to technology associated with a fantastic Carnegie R1 research university and incredibly powerful ecosystem," said Connor Sitton, of 46VC. "The opportunity to plug directly into technologies in verticals such as Retail Value Chain, Logistics, Ag-tech, Health tech and several others is unrivaled. All the top founders in these verticals will want Dickson & Main on their cap tables, which will further augment the power of the network." The fund utilizes an innovative structure that shares a substantial portion of the manager's carried interest returns with OEI in the form of a donation, creating an evergreen resource for the university's entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives. The structure allows investors to have the ability to achieve investment returns in a very sought-after asset class while also creating a sustainable future for OEI to ensure its mission continues to thrive.

For more information on the Dickson & Main Fund I and how to get involved, please contact Connor Sitton at [email protected] or 918-629-4554.

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.

About 46VC

46VC is a venture capital fund manager with offices in Bentonville, Arkansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. 46VC has a strategy to leverage large networks and invest in startups and technologies in the heartland region where it has unique access to deal flow and domain expertise. For media inquiries, please contact Kate Lynn at 817-851-8036 or [email protected].

For more information on 46VC please visit the firm's website at www.46.capital

SOURCE FortySix Venture Capital LLC