Overview

Gender

male

Investor Type

Investment Partner

Since the late 90's, Blair Garrou has focused on funding, operating and incubating startup software companies. Blair's current investments include Alert Logic, Donde, Filament Labs, GameSalad, Graphicly, Koupon Media, Molecule Software, ShareThis, and Vistar Media. Blair's previous investments have included Alert Logic (Welsh Carson), BlackLocus (Home Depot), Infochimps (CSC), Phurnace Software (BMC Software), FuelQuest (Saracen Energy), Intermat (IHS) and SAT Corporation (Invensys).

Blair is a Managing Director of Mercury Fund, a seed and early-stage venture capital firm that makes investments in compelling and novel software and science-based startup opportunities, focusing on technology innovation originating in the U.S. Midcontinent. Since inception in 2005, Mercury has become one of the most active seed-stage venture firms in the Midcontinent, becoming a “go-to” fund for entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of idea generation, company formation, and market execution.

Blair is also a co-founder of SURGE Accelerator (Houston, TX), a mentor-driven seed accelerator focused on entrepreneurs seeking to solve the world’s energy problems using software. Blair is also a mentor with seed accelerators The Brandery (Cincinnati, OH) and TechStars (Austin, Chicago, San Antonio).

Prior to co-founding Mercury, Blair was the CEO of Intermat (NYSE: IHS), a leader in product information management software; a Principal with Genesis Park, a Houston-based private equity firm; helped launch and was the Director of Operations for the Houston Technology Center, the largest tech incubator in the Southwest, where he led the formation of the Houston Angel Network. Blair received a B.S. in Management from Washington & Lee University.