Exclusive: University of Houston teams up with new venture capital fund

Joe Martin for the Houston Business Journal, Dec 11, 2015

The University of Houston has entered into a limited partnership agreement with a new venture capital fund, Quoz Capital, to invest in new technology and startups coming out of the university.

Quoz is managed by the founders of Houston Health Ventures, an early-stage investment group that focuses on health care. That fund will continue to exist, and Quoz will be more industry-agnostic, said Huan Le, managing director and co-founder.

“We’re going to play to the strengths of the economy,” Le said. “In Houston and the University of Houston, it’s material sciences, life sciences and (business-to-business) software.”

Quoz currently has $4 million at its disposal and wants to grow the fund to about $20 million total. The University of Houston is a limited partner in the deal, only investing in UH technologies. It will match up to 20 percent of what Quoz invests. It’s contributing $1 million to the venture, said David Franklin, co-founder and managing director.

The deals will be early-stage, with investments ranging from $200,000 to $1.5 million. While the fund will have a strong emphasis on Houston, it will be looking nationally for companies, as well. Quoz plans on making its first deal in early 2016, Franklin said.

David Franklin, a co-founder of HHV and Quoz Capital