Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has joined a Winter Park venture capital firm.
Govo Venture Partners on June 24 announced the move to name the two-time college national football champion with the Florida Gators as a partner.
The venture capital firm focuses on early-stage companies. Tebow was drawn to the firm's mission as a reflection of his values and passion, said Managing Partner Rob Panepinto in a news release.
"Our portfolio companies are often solving problems that make the world a better, safer place in areas such as environmental technologies, fraud and theft prevention, and the modernization of healthcare," Panepinto said. "Through his creativity, relationships and energy, we are confident that Tim will help accelerate the growth of our portfolio companies. We also believe that some of our current, and likely future portfolio companies can be helpful in supporting the vulnerable people that the Tim Tebow Foundation is fighting for."
Tebow has invested in businesses in the past, including a $5.5 million backing of a pediatric dental surgery center in Jacksonville. He is also a partner with the Eagle Venture Fund.
Founded by fund general partners Panepinto, Jonathan Kilman, Brian D’Ambrosio and 1858 Capital Partners, Govo Venture Partners launched its first venture fund — Govo Fund I — in January 2023. The $50 million Govo fund has made seven investments in startups since then.
- April 15: Govo led a $2 million seed round for MARS (Monitor Access Respond Secure) Suite Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama. MARS Suite is the developer of a platform that combines cybersecurity IT and network scanning, alerting, detection and response technologies.
- March 18: A $3 million seed round for Miami-based Mavi.io Inc., creator of the OnMyWay product, which enables users to place delivery orders through their car. Additional investors were Refashiond Ventures, some early Amazon executives, Double SS Group and a fund associated with the Schottenstein family.
- Feb. 21: A $3 million seed round for Palm Gardens-based Medzown Inc. The company quickly connects patients with cancer and other complex diseases and their care team's information and strategies to evaluate treatment options including clinical trials.
- Dec. 11, 2023: Govo announced it led a $2 million seed round for the Jacksonville company VoxEQ. VoxEQ’s AI tools help prevent fraud in specific cases, such as when technology is used to replicate a real person’s voice for nefarious purposes.
- Sept. 5, 2023: The firm co-led a $5 million seed round for Miami-based Kind Designs. The startup 3D prints living seawalls that mimic coral reefs and mangroves and are superior to their concrete counterparts because they encourage biodiversity and reduce shoreline erosion.
- June 21, 2023: Govo announced it was leading the seed round for Jacksonville-based Urban SDK Inc. with a $500,000 investment. The firm’s management platform for government agencies uses data to improve policy, budgeting and operational decisions. Today, the company serves clients across 17 states in public works, transportation organizations, civil engineering and law enforcement, by providing an advanced data analytics solution that converts data to actionable insights.
- March 13, 2023: The firm announced a funding round for an undisclosed amount for Missouri-based Rezilient Health, which provides patients with same-day access to physicians who appear on a screen, accompanied by the in-person presence of a nurse or other healthcare professional who helps facilitate physical aspects of an examination.
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