Myriad Venture Partners is an early-stage venture firm defining the future of business solutions. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Myriad Venture Partners founder and managing partner Chris Fisher to learn more about the firm.
Chris Fisher’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Fisher said:
“I’m the Founder and Managing Partner of Myriad Venture Partners, a venture capital firm I launched after I was Founder and Managing Partner of Xerox Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Xerox. I also served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Xerox and as a member of Xerox’s Executive Committee, overseeing global strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and ventures.”
“Before transitioning into venture capital, I practiced law at Jenner & Block and then Ropes & Gray LLP, advising private equity firms and multinational clients on M&A, complex transactions, early stage investments and corporate governance matters. In addition to my legal experience, I was Assistant Vice President at Bank of America where I gained valuable experience in structured finance and global operations and strategy.”
“This diverse background has given me a well-rounded perspective on operational, strategic, legal and financial aspects of business, ultimately guiding my transition into venture capital.”
Evolution Of The Firm’s Thesis
How has your firm’s thesis evolved over time? Fisher noted:
“The application of our thesis is constantly evolving as markets and technologies develop, and we are always on the lookout for the next great founder and company. However, our underlying thesis and approach remains consistent. We seek exceptional founders building transformational B2B companies and aim to back the very best. We support them throughout their journey and connect them with enterprise leaders to accelerate their growth.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for your firm so far? Fisher reflected:
“Our first year has been an incredible journey. The memories from each of our portfolio company announcements, our initial funding announcement, and the introduction of the Myriad Model and Executive Advisory Board are all precious for me and the team. These are all essential building blocks of our thesis, vision, and platform, and it’s inspiring to see them come together.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of your firm’s most significant milestones? Fisher cited:
“In January 2024 Myriad Venture Partners successfully launched our inaugural fund with $100 million in initial commitments, anchored by a key investment from Xerox.”
“This fund established our core investment focus on business solutions in AI, clean technology, and B2B software and the development of our unique investment strategy, the Myriad Model. Our model is designed to prioritize investment returns, but also foster relationships between startups, corporations, and investors, going beyond financial backing.”
“Over the years, we’ve seen the power of this model through partnerships with companies like patent intelligence platform Patlytics and trusted AI solutions for HR and Benefits in Cascade AI, as well as numerous proof-of-concept deals and commercial contracts that have emerged within our ecosystem.”
“Between March and September of last year, the Myriad Model facilitated over 152 highly curated commercial introductions between 134 corporations and 93 startups, resulting in 36 proof-of-concept (POC) arrangements and 10 commercial contracts for companies in our network.”
“In a 9-month period from March 2024 through December 2024, our Myriad Model has created 460 connections between 124 startups and 217 corporations. These introductions resulted in 50 proof-of-concepts and 16 commercial contracts.
Key highlights include:
- Investment Growth: Our portfolio companies have collectively raised $433.8 million in additional capital since our initial investment, with $182.2 million secured in 2024 alone.
- Corporate Adoption: 31 Fortune 500 companies are now using technology developed by our portfolio companies.
- Portfolio Expansion: We’ve invested in groundbreaking startups such as Patlytics, which recently secured a $14 million Series A round, and Li Industries, which raised $36 million in Series B funding and secured a $55 million grant from the Department of Energy to scale battery recycling capacity.”
“The formation of our Executive Advisory Board (EAB) — a critical component of the Myriad Model — has also been a key achievement uniting leaders from technology, operations, legal, and corporate innovation sectors. It has provided early insights into industry trends and will help shape strategic roadmaps and corporate partnerships for our portfolio companies.”
Investment Success Stories
When asking Fisher about investment success stories, he highlighted:
“Would love to, we have plenty to share!”
“Our investment in LinkSquares, an AI-driven contract management software company, has positioned it as a leader in the $2.5-3.5 billion ARR middle-market Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) space. We first partnered with LinkSquares during their Series B, and again with their Series C round.”
“By backing Climatize, a climate investing platform, we’re helping close a critical funding gap in the renewable energy space. The platform allows both individuals and institutional investors to directly support small to medium-sized renewable energy projects that are often overlooked by traditional financing. Climatize has funded 14 clean energy projects nationwide, raising over $6.2 million and significantly contributing to sustainable energy solutions with our support.”
“We’re driving the transformation of how enterprises approach cybersecurity and modernizing security with Anvilogic, a cloud-based software company, by being one of their early investors and promising long-term investment. Anvilogic’s AI-powered platform is revolutionizing threat detection and response, making security operations more efficient and scalable for major enterprises like PayPal and SAP. We initially partnered with Anvilogic with their Series B, and then again with their Series C round.”
“We’re reimagining HR operations by investing early in Cascade AI, a platform automating essential HR tasks like benefits management and employee relations. Cascade AI helps organizations reduce inquiry volume by up to 85%, freeing HR teams to focus on strategic goals that boost productivity and satisfaction. We co-invested alongside Gradient Ventures and Success Venture Partners.”
“By partnering with Patlytics, an AI-powered patent workflow and intelligence platform, we’re accelerating end-to-end IP management, analytics and innovation. Patlytics’ advanced AI tools increase efficiency by 80% for law firms (i.e. Richardson Oliver Law Group, Young Basile and Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP.), AM Law 100 firms (i.e. Quinn Emanuel) and enterprises (i.e. Xerox, Google, Koch Disruptive Technologies and Abnormal Security) by simplifying patent drafting, infringement detection, and portfolio management. We initially co-invested alongside 8VC, Tribe, Gradient Ventures, L2 Ventures, among others, and again for their $14 million Series A round.”
“Our investment in Wexler AI, an AI agent that automates labor-intensive legal research, is helping leading global law firms cut their document review time and costs by up to 50%. Since its launch, the platform has processed over one million queries and achieved approximately 2x month-over-month growth, allowing legal teams to focus more on strategy over complex research. Their success is gaining momentum with major law firms, including Burges Salmon as an early adopter. Additionally, they are set to launch with a top Am Law 100 firm, followed by further global expansion in January with a prestigious top 10 Am Law 100 firm.”
“Not Diamond, an AI model router that intelligently directs queries to the most suitable large language model (LLM), is a game changer in improving output quality while optimizing costs and latency across enterprises. Through our network and expertise in scaling AI solutions, we’re helping Not Diamond broaden its impact across sectors where efficiency and accuracy are paramount.”
“In the battery and clean energy sector, we supported Li Industries, which secured a $55 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy and $42 million in Series B funding to advance its innovative lithium-ion battery recycling technologies. We originally partnered with Li Industries at their Series A round. Our involvement not only enhances their capabilities but also positions the company to meet the growing demand for sustainable and domesticated battery material supply chains across industries, including the electric vehicle market.”
Industry Focus
Can you tell me more about Myriad Venture Partners? What are some of the industries that your firm is focused on? Fisher noted:
“We’re an early-stage venture fund investing in business solutions across AI, clean technology, and B2B software. Building on our past success, we bring decades of experience across strategy, operations, and investing and a robust corporate partnership network. Because of this, we focus our investment areas through a B2B lens, driving solutions that help businesses update their business and infrastructure, sell to/through customers, engage employees, and transform their business if necessary.”
“Especially with the promise of AI, we see vast potential in areas essential to business infrastructure and applications. Whether it’s intelligent automation in HR processes or advanced data analytics in legal workflows, our investments aim to empower businesses to operate more efficiently, freeing them to focus on growth and strategy. By supporting innovators in these fields, we’re not only investing in technology but in the tools that help organizations run more effectively and adapt to a rapidly changing environment.”
“We’re also deeply committed to helping facilitate enterprises’ adoption of economically sensible clean technologies. Our approach targets sectors that are frequently overlooked but hold immense promise in industrial revitalization and sustainable transformation, such as clean manufacturing and resilient supply chains. By focusing on companies building the levers that help enterprises work, build, and deliver products more efficiently and effectively, while simultaneously driving decarbonization, electrification, and adaptation we help propel technologies that might otherwise struggle to reach market scale. This includes supporting solutions like advanced HVAC systems and energy-efficient manufacturing processes that provide more efficient, cleaner and economical solutions.”
Differentiation From Other Firms
What differentiates Myriad from other firms? Fisher emphasized:
“What differentiates our firm is that we all have diverse, extensive industry expertise, as well as investing experience, and we have strong corporate partnership networks to support world-class entrepreneurs shaping the future of business solutions.”
“Dean brings deep experience in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, data platforms, and cybersecurity. Before joining Myriad, he led global investments and technology scouting at Dyson, focusing on emerging, high-reward technologies. His unique combination of tech and operational experience, from both the corporate world and the Israeli Special Forces, helps us guide startups through the complexities of modern enterprise innovation.”
“Tim leads our cleantech and deeptech practice, focusing on advanced manufacturing, robotics, material science, mobility, and the built environment. His experience spans product development, federal acquisitions, and intellectual property, and he has held key investment roles at GC Ventures and GE Ventures. Tim’s extensive experience in sustainability and cutting-edge technologies enables him to support companies solving complex challenges in energy, manufacturing, and environmental impact.”
“Together, our combined backgrounds offer startups capital, strategic guidance, and access to an extensive network of corporate leaders.”
Challenges Faced
What are some of the challenges you faced while working at the firm? Fisher acknowledged:
“Building a new firm is always an amazing adventure and journey. The venture landscape is constantly changing, and is often influenced by the macro economic environment. As a firm, we make sure we work closely together and constantly communicate internally and with our numerous ecosystem collaborators to ensure we position our portfolio companies and our fund to take full advantage of opportunities we have access to.”
Future Goals
What are some of your firm’s future goals? Fisher concluded:
“Our firm’s number one goal is to back the next great category defining founders and companies. In addition to that, we want to continue to build on our platform and our model, and help drive success to our portfolio companies and our investing, corporate and startup ecosystem.”
