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Open Prairie Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in promising IT, wireless communication, and life science technology companies. Open Prairie Ventures was founded in 1999 as a venture capital firm focused on early-stage Midwest-based technolgy companies. The first investment fund, Open Prairie Ventures I, L.P. (OPV I), was formerly licensed by the Small Business Administration as a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC). In 2006, JIm Schultz, Michael Peck, and Dennis Beard recapitalized the SBA's Limited Partner interest in OPV I through a buyout of the SBA position. OPV I completed fifteen investments with four successful exits, including the 2007 IPO of TomoTherapy (NASDAQ: TOMO) and has four active portfolio investments remaining. The firm's second fund, Open Prairie Ventures II, a $30 million early and growth-stage fund, provides early-stage venture capital to companies focused on the convergence of ag-tech and life science technologies. The fund deploys less than $15 million of syndicated capital to develop, commercialize, and exit. The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, LP is an $81 million private equity fund licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). With a collaborative partnership comprised of investors from Farm Credit institutions, commercial and community banks, strategics, family offices and high net worth individuals committed to advancing rural America, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is focused on providing debt and equity capital of $2 - $8 million to growth companies throughout the United States within the agribusiness value chain.
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