Roo Capital’s Hands-On Approach to Early-Stage Venture Investing
In a venture market where capital alone is no longer a differentiator, Coconut Grove-based Roo Capital is betting on a more hands-on approach. Launched in 2022 and based in Miami, the early-stage venture firm is applying a private equity-style structure to the seed stage, aiming to offer not just funding but deep operational support.
Founded by Nate DaPore, a two-time founder and tech CEO who has scaled and exited two software companies, Roo Capital invests across vertical SaaS, healthtech, cybersecurity, and AI. Leveraging DaPore’s operational expertise and firsthand understanding of early-stage growth challenges, the fund typically leads or co-leads investment rounds ranging from $250,000 to $9.5 million, supporting a current portfolio of 10 companies.
Roo Capital’s competitive edge comes from two specialized, in-house value-creation teams: Roo Search and Roo Growth, deployed within the first year of investment. Roo Growth, staffed by private equity-trained operators, partners with founders to execute targeted go-to-market strategies and unlock key scaling levers. Roo Search leverages a proprietary database of over 21,000 executives, working closely with founding teams to place roles aligned with the company’s vision and growth stage. Together, these teams have successfully placed more than 30 strategic hires across Roo’s portfolio within just 18 months.
“The days of passive investing are numbered,” DaPore told Refresh Miami. “Our model is built around helping founders navigate critical growth moments and execute effectively when the stakes are highest.” This hands-on model is gaining attention, especially in a market where down rounds and flat valuations are becoming more common.
According to PitchBook, companies backed by highly connected investors at the Series A stage outperform their peers by a wide margin, underscoring the value of networks, operating support, and early-stage structure. “Most VCs are still relying on an outdated playbook, warm intros, infrequent check-ins, and pitch decks,” DaPore said. “That might have worked in a bull market, but today’s founders need investors who deliver more than just capital, bringing proven value-creation strategies and meaningful support.”
Two of Roo’s portfolio companies, GoTu and Flowlie, are based in Miami. GoTu is a tech-enabled platform modernizing staffing for dental offices, while Flowlie is an AI-powered tool for streamlining the venture fundraising process. These companies reflect Roo’s focus on practical tech in overlooked categories.
“Founders don’t need another pitch competition or flashy term sheet,” DaPore said. “They need investors who help them grow their enterprise customer base, recruit exceptional talent, and build sustainable growth. That’s exactly where we focus.”
Roo Capital is positioning itself as a different kind of VC firm, one that emphasizes execution over hype and views the post-investment phase as the real starting line. By providing operational depth and support, Roo is filling a gap between angel capital and larger funds, offering structure and support to startups that are beginning to scale but aren’t yet on the radar of big-name firms.
