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Learn which startups Panoramic Ventures invests in, what size check sizes they write, and who their partners are (e.g. Paul Judge).
Key people at Panoramic Ventures.
Panoramic Ventures operates as a venture capital firm dedicated to funding technology companies across underserved regions, including the Southeast and Midwest. The firm employs a "wider-view" investment strategy, focusing on identifying and supporting high-potential businesses and diverse founders often overlooked by traditional venture capital sources. Through its funds, Panoramic Ventures provides crucial capital to foster growth and innovation within these emerging tech ecosystems.
The firm was co-founded by Dr. Paul Judge and Mark Buffington, launching in early 2021 as a partnership between Judge, a successful entrepreneur and investor, and BIP Capital, where Buffington serves as co-founder. Their collaboration was driven by the insight that significant entrepreneurial talent and innovative companies exist outside established tech hubs, yet these ventures frequently lack access to sufficient funding. This partnership aimed to bridge that capital gap and cultivate regional technology leadership.
Panoramic Ventures primarily serves founders and growing technology companies in its target geographies. Its long-term vision is to democratize access to venture capital, enabling a broader spectrum of entrepreneurs to build impactful tech companies. The firm endeavors to extend the reach of the innovation economy, fostering a more inclusive landscape for startup creation and expansion.
Panoramic Ventures is a venture capital firm on a mission to democratize access to capital by backing high-potential technology startups in overlooked regions of the United States, particularly the Southeast and Midwest. Its core philosophy is a “wider-view” approach: investing not just in traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley, but in emerging ecosystems where strong founders and innovation exist but are often underfunded. The firm places a deliberate emphasis on diverse founders—including women and underrepresented minorities—and university-born startups, aiming to open doors for entrepreneurs who might otherwise be left behind.
Panoramic focuses on early- to growth-stage technology companies across sectors like SaaS, AdTech, MarTech, CloudTech, fintech, AI, healthtech, and cybersecurity. With a stage-agnostic stance and the ability to write checks from $100,000 up to $20 million (and historically up to $80 million), it supports startups from seed through Series B and beyond. By channeling significant capital into underserved geographies and demographics, Panoramic is helping reshape the U.S. startup ecosystem, proving that leading tech companies can emerge from Atlanta, Nashville, Minneapolis, and beyond—not just from the coasts.
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Panoramic Ventures emerged in early 2021 as the rebranded venture arm of BIP Capital, a long-standing Atlanta-based investment firm with a history of backing over 200 startups and generating billions in exit proceeds. The new identity was formed through a partnership with Paul Judge, a successful entrepreneur and investor known for co-founding companies like Pindrop Security and Luma Home, as well as his role at TechSquare Labs and the SoftBank Opportunity Fund. Judge’s deep ties to Southern tech ecosystems and his focus on inclusive innovation helped shape Panoramic’s distinct identity.
The firm’s name reflects its strategic lens: a panoramic, or “wider-view,” approach to venture capital that looks beyond the usual coastal hotspots. In 2023, Panoramic became a dedicated fund within BIP Ventures, the core North American venture platform of BIP Capital, consolidating more than $640 million in prior funds under its management. This evolution allowed Panoramic to scale its impact while maintaining its regional focus and commitment to diversity, university spinouts, and founder-friendly support.
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Wider-View Geographic StrategyPanoramic deliberately targets the Southeast and Midwest—regions historically underrepresented in venture capital. By focusing on cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and Minneapolis, it taps into lower-cost, high-talent markets and helps build durable tech ecosystems outside traditional hubs.
Commitment to Diversity & InclusionThe firm actively seeks out diverse founders and underrepresented entrepreneurs, backed by a team with a long track record of investing in minority- and women-led startups. This isn’t just a side initiative; it’s central to Panoramic’s thesis that overlooked founders often represent overlooked opportunity.
University & Spinout FocusPanoramic has a strong pipeline from colleges and universities, investing in startups founded by professors, graduate students, and undergraduates. This gives it early access to deep-tech and IP-rich companies emerging from academic research.
Flexible, Stage-Agnostic CapitalWith the ability to write small pre-seed checks and large growth-stage investments, Panoramic can be a long-term partner to founders, participating across multiple rounds and stages of scaling.
Experienced Operator-Led TeamThe team combines decades of experience as both founders and investors, having collectively backed more than 200 startups and achieved billions in exits. This operator DNA enables them to offer strategic guidance, network access, and hands-on support to portfolio companies.
Strong Regional Network & Ecosystem TiesBased in Atlanta—a hub with 30 Fortune 1000 companies and nearly 300,000 students across its universities—Panoramic leverages deep corporate, academic, and entrepreneurial relationships to help founders land customers, hire talent, and scale.
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Panoramic Ventures is riding a powerful trend: the decentralization of tech innovation across the U.S. As remote work, cloud infrastructure, and digital transformation have reduced the need for startups to be physically near Silicon Valley, new tech hubs are flourishing in the South and Midwest. Panoramic is positioned at the forefront of this shift, acting as a catalyst for regional ecosystems that have long been capital-starved despite strong talent and innovation.
The timing also favors its diversity mandate. As LPs and the tech industry increasingly demand more inclusive portfolios, Panoramic’s focus on underrepresented founders gives it a competitive edge in sourcing unique deals and building differentiated portfolios. Its emphasis on university spinouts aligns with growing interest in deep tech, AI, and healthtech—sectors where academic research is a key driver of breakthroughs.
Beyond returns, Panoramic’s influence extends to ecosystem development: by proving that top-tier tech companies can be built and scaled in the Southeast and Midwest, it encourages more talent to stay local, more corporates to engage with startups, and more capital to follow. In doing so, it’s not just funding companies—it’s helping rebalance the geography of American innovation.
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Panoramic Ventures is well-positioned to become a defining venture franchise of the next decade—one that proves that the next generation of breakout tech companies doesn’t have to come from Palo Alto or Boston. As the firm continues to deploy its $300 million flagship fund and manage BIP’s broader venture portfolio, expect to see more category-leading companies emerge from its regional playbook, especially in SaaS, fintech, healthtech, and AI-driven verticals.
Looking ahead, Panoramic’s influence will likely grow in three key ways: first, by doubling down on university partnerships to capture early-stage IP and deep tech; second, by expanding its platform of operating support—talent, go-to-market, and corporate development—for portfolio companies; and third, by serving as a model for other funds seeking to build inclusive, geographically diverse portfolios.
In a world where the next big thing could come from a dorm room in Atlanta, a lab in Nashville, or a startup garage in Minneapolis, Panoramic Ventures is making sure those founders get seen, funded, and supported. That’s not just smart investing—it’s the future of venture capital.
Key people at Panoramic Ventures.
