has spurred the shift along as entrepreneurial employees leave the mothership to start their own companies, and increasingly find the funding they need right at their doorstep.
Austin's venture capital scene was once dominated by Austin Ventures, the "800-pound gorilla in the room," as Ball described it. Ball said that, because Austin Ventures was the only major investor in town, it put a lot of pressure on partners to find every good deal coming out of the city before founders went to fundraise in Silicon Valley. It was a lose-lose situation, and Austin's startup scene suffered.
Today, Austin Ventures is mostly focused on private equity investing, leaving the venture capital opportunities wide open. In fact, many former Austin Ventures partners have formed or joined their own venture firms in recent years, creating what is now a legitimately competitive VC landscape. But this time, investors and entrepreneurs win.