The startup picture in Dallas

Venture activity is meaningful but trails the leading comparison cities: 1548 Dallas companies have ever raised outside money, against Houston's 2034 and Atlanta's 1889.

Startups in Dallas - Funding, Founders & Investors

Everything startup in one place: who's building, how the landscape clusters, the people and investors behind it, and whether the capital is real.

American Airlines

Operator of passenger airlines

est. 1926 · 132,100 staff · raised outside money

Doug Parker — CEO

CBRE

Global Real Estate Services Platform

est. 1906 · 130,000 staff · raised outside money

Robert E Sulentic — CEO

Brink

Provider of cash management and payment services

est. 1859 · 72,200 staff · raised outside money

Doug Pertz — CEO

Southwest Airlines

Low-cost point-to-point airline model

est. 1966 · 66,656 staff · raised outside money

Gary Kelly — CEO & Executive Chairman

Bob Jordan — President, CEO & Vice Chairman

AECOM

Bringing together top talent and expertise to solve pressing challenges

est. 1990 · 52,000 staff · raised outside money

Troy Rudd — Chief Executive Officer · Master Of Science (Taxation) GGU

Affiliated Computer Services

Advanced Outsourcing & Human Capital Management Solutions

est. 1996 · 50,000 staff · raised outside money

Lynn Blodgett — CEO

7-ELEVEN

Convenience Retail with Tech-Enabled Services

est. 1927 · 43,950 staff · raised outside money

Joseph DePinto — CEO

Joe C Thompson — Founder

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Personal care company

est. 1872 · 42,000 staff · raised outside money

Thomas J Falk — Co-CEO

Michael Hsu — Co-CEO

EXCHANGE

Leading Military Discount Exchange Platform

est. 1895 · 35,000 staff · raised outside money

Tom Shull — CEO

Dave & Buster’s

Chain of bars serving food & inhouse beer

est. 1982 · 22,748 staff · raised outside money

James Corley — Co-Founder

Kristy Macdonald — Sr Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer

AccentCare

Reimagining home care through compassionate professionals

est. 1999 · 22,658 staff · raised outside money

Stephan Rodgers — CEO

7-Eleven

Online Convenience Store Expansion

est. 1927 · 22,449 staff · raised outside money

Jeffrey Harbach — Owner · Bachelors BYU

Joseph DePinto — CEO

Epic Health Services

Home Health Care for Medically Fragile Children

est. 2001 · 17,000 staff · raised outside money

Chris Roussos — CEO

Dean Foods

Dean Foods Dairy Production and Distribution

est. 1925 · 14,500 staff · raised outside money

Gregg Tanner — CEO

Tong Hua — Founder

DR Horton

D.R. Horton: Traditional Homebuilder with Moderate Scalability

est. 1978 · 13,450 staff · raised outside money

David Auld — CEO

Omni Hotels & Resorts

Omni Hotels & Resorts: Traditional Hospitality with Tech-Enabled Services

est. 1996 · 11,004 staff · raised outside money

James Caldwell — CEO

Energy Transfer Partners

Energy Transfer Partners: Traditional Oil & Gas Asset Platform

est. 1996 · 10,879 staff · raised outside money

Kelcy Warren — Founder & CEO

Copart

Online vehicle auction platform

est. 1982 · 10,200 staff · raised outside money

Cameron Jones — Executive Assistant to CEO

Jeff Liaw — Chief Executive Officer

Topgolf

Topgolf: Tech-Enhanced Sports Entertainment Experience

est. 2000 · 9,373 staff · raised outside money

Barry Cumbie — Co-Founder · Doctor of Philosophy Auburn University

Steve Jolliffe — Co-Founder

Energy Future Holdings

Energy Future Holdings: Traditional Utility with Limited Innovation

est. 1912 · 8,920 staff · raised outside money

John Young — CEO

Ashford

Ashford Inc: Alternative Asset Management in Hospitality

est. 2014 · 7,700 staff · raised outside money

Jack Bennett — CEO

GM Financial

Global Auto Finance Solutions

est. 1992 · 6,848 staff · raised outside money

Dan Berce — CEO

Arcis Golf

Innovative management of golf & country clubs

est. 2015 · 6,000 staff · raised outside money

Blake Walker — Founder & CEO · BA Southern Methodist University

Associa

Provider of property management services

est. 1979 · 5,942 staff · raised outside money

John Carona — Founder & CEO

cluster · 2808 companies

Business Services

271 founded since 2018 · 78 funded

Sub-themes

marketing services · 618it services · 430legal services · 328hr services · 321management consulting services · 196event management services · 156

e.g. CBRE, AECOM, Affiliated Computer Services

cluster · 1569 companies

Real Estate And Construction

134 founded since 2018 · 67 funded

Sub-themes

real estate & infrastructure developers · 335real estate brokers · 293architects · 189building materials · 158construction contractors · 111property management services · 103

e.g. CBRE, AECOM, DR Horton

cluster · 1358 companies

Enterprise Applications

347 founded since 2018 · 203 funded

Sub-themes

saas · 276enterprise software · 274hrtech · 260marketingtech · 251sales force automation · 93legal tech · 64

e.g. ProfitStars, Flood Modeller, Dex Media

cluster · 1344 companies

Consumer

238 founded since 2018 · 155 funded

Sub-themes

b2c e-commerce · 328professional consumer services · 161fashion tech · 159sports tech · 99local services · 96logistics tech · 76

e.g. Toptracer, Copart, Topgolf

cluster · 1265 companies

Financial Services

103 founded since 2018 · 103 funded

Sub-themes

asset management · 267finance & accounting services · 219insurance carriers · 165services for investment industry · 152consumer and sme loans · 112service providers to banks · 90

e.g. Brink, Ashford, Comerica

cluster · 1167 companies

Healthcare

83 founded since 2018 · 100 funded

Sub-themes

clinic chains · 297services for healthcare providers · 197rehabilitation and long-term care · 143home healthcare · 83fitness and wellness centers · 55clinics · 52

e.g. AccentCare, Epic Health Services, Parkland Memorial Hospital

cluster · 836 companies

Retail

159 founded since 2018 · 95 funded

Sub-themes

b2c e-commerce · 166fashion tech · 161internet first brands · 101beauty tech · 77b2c fashion e-commerce · 63b2b e-commerce · 56

e.g. 7-ELEVEN, EXCHANGE, 7-Eleven

cluster · 723 companies

Investment Industry

151 founded since 2018 · 47 funded

Sub-themes

private equity funds · 202real estate funds · 195investment banks · 86venture capital funds · 76accelerators & incubators · 48single family offices · 47

e.g. American Heart Association, HFF, american realty investors

cluster · 595 companies

Fintech

194 founded since 2018 · 121 funded

Sub-themes

investment tech · 156alternative lending · 98payments · 92finance & accounting tech · 68banking tech · 55insurance it · 37

e.g. ProfitStars, RoadLoans, MoneyGram International

cluster · 593 companies

Consumer Goods

62 founded since 2018 · 50 funded

Sub-themes

food & beverage products · 102home furnishing products · 101beauty & personal care products · 67internet first brands · 51fashion accessories · 49apparel brands · 47

e.g. Kimberly-Clark Corp., Dean Foods, norwex

Founder & Background	Role	Company
Troy Rudd Ex-KPMG. The University of British Columbia BSc	Chief Executive Officer	AECOM
Kristy Macdonald Dave And Busters, ex-Main Event, ex-Dr Pepper Snapple, University of North Texas, 2008	Sr Executive Assistant to Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer	Dave & Buster’s
Stephan Rodgers Ex-OptumHealth,UnitedHealth Care.University of California, Berkeley B.A 1987	CEO	AccentCare
Jeffrey Harbach CEO-Kauffman Fellows,MD-Harbach Ventures,Human Vending Ventures,ex-Co-founder-Texas Venture Labsl.HEC Paris MBA 2011	Owner	7-Eleven
Chris Roussos Allervie Health, ex-Valley Forge Military Academy And College, ex-Sequel Youth And Family Services, university of pennsylvania, 20	CEO	Epic Health Services
Jeff Liaw Copart, ex-Fleetpride, ex-Tpg Capital, Harvard Business School, 2005	Chief Executive Officer	Copart
Barry Cumbie Auburn University BS 1999, MS 2004, PhD 2008	Co-Founder	Topgolf
Steve Jolliffe Founder World Golf Systems, ex-Founder BEM	Co-Founder	Topgolf
David Jolliffe Owner World Golf Systems, ex-BEM, BP Oil	Co-Founder	Topgolf
Jack Bennett ex-Remington Holdings,Fix The Debt	CEO	Ashford
Blake Walker Southern Methodist University BA	Founder & CEO	Arcis Golf
Bryan Adams Executive Director - HGGC \| Co-Founder & CEO Integrity Marketing Group \| Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business BBA 199	Co-Founder	Integrity
Tom Schueth Premier Companies. University of Nebraska-Lincoln BBA	Co-Founder	Integrity
Mike Wingate Owner Premier Marketing. University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Co-Founder	Integrity
Tom McCormick Ex-CB&I. Florida State University BS	CEO & President	Primoris Services
Ray Blanchette Ex-CEO Ruby Tuesday, Au Bon Pain, Ignite Restaurant Group.Southern Methodist University - Cox School of Business MBA 2004	CEO	TGI Fridays
J Schickel Ex-United Vision Logistics, Jack Cooper Transport & Logistics, EVE Partners, P&S Transportation, BAMfi, AIT Worldwide Logistics. U	CEO	Omni Logistics
Ken Haines Wrench, ex-Coolray Heating And Cooling, ex-Blue Dot Services, kaplan university, 1970	CEO	Wrench Group
Patrick Esquerre Kids Vision Coallition, ex-Brainstream, ex-Dialoguer, ecole supérieure de commerce de Paris, 1965	Founder	la Madeleine
John Cahil ex- President Pasta Adventures, VP Apple Gold, Director Spaghetti Warehouse	CEO, President & COO	la Madeleine

backgrounds shown where available

164 investors are on record backing Dallas companies. The most committed:

Most active — backed 2+ companies

U.S. Department of Transportation

J P Morgan

KKR

Oxeon Partners

Patricof Co

Summit Partners

Silver Lake

Institutional

Three Arch Partners · VC fundHighland Capital Partners · VC fundMission Ventures · VC fundSalix Ventures · VC fundPiper · VC fundSpark · VC fundSafeguard Scientifics · VC fundAustin Ventures · VC fundCanaan · VC fundCRV · VC fundNorth Bridge Venture Partners · VC fundTao Venture Partners · VC fundMoonshots Capital · VC fundEscalate Capital Partners · VC fund+ 14 more

Private & corporate backers

U.S. Department of TransportationJ P MorganKKROxeon PartnersPatricof CoSummit PartnersSilver Lake1st VentureLiberty Bay CapitalAllianceBernstein+ 126 more

hover a name to see who they backed

Funded startups — peer cities

Houston

2,034

Atlanta

1,889

Dallas

1,548

729Phoenix

407San Antonio

Companies that have raised

Company	Industry	Rounds	Latest Round	Founded
EXCO Resources	oil & energy	9	2019-07	1997
MoneyGram	other financial services	8	2023-08	1940
Marine One	banking	1	2023-09	1995
Empire Petroleum	oil & energy	15	2018-07	1998
Ryan	financial services	4	2022-05	1991
Neiman Marcus Group	retail	1	2022-04	1907
NexBank	banking	8	2022-09	1922
Navigator Energy Services	oil & energy	1	2015-08	2013
PlainsCapital Bank	banking	2	2012-04	1988
Allflex	consumer goods	2	2015-06	1972
The Beneficient Company Group	financial services	1	2026-04	2003
Studio Movie Grill	entertainment	1	2019-04	1993
MapleMark Bank	banking	2	2021-03	1909
Granite Properties	commercial real estate	1	2014-01	1991
FireHost	computer networking	6	2014-04	2008
Envy	entertainment software	2	2021-03	2007
BSN SPORTS	sporting goods	1	2010-08	1972
Warren Resources	entertainment	2	2015-11	1990
Aldinger	business supplies and equipment	1	2023-07	1972
Falcon Holdings Management	restaurants	1	2021-01	1999
PlasmaTech Biopharmaceuticals	biotechnology	3	2015-05	1974
Vazata	information technology and services	4	2014-03	2000
Blue Roads Solutions	oil & energy	1	2015-09	2013
GAINSCO	insurance	1	2005-02	1978
One World Holding	financial services	1	2022-06

round amounts sparse for tier-3 cities — counts shown, dollar totals withheld

Company	Industry	Founded	Employees
MoltClaw	computer software	2026	—
Ap Moving Services	transportation/trucking/railroad	2026	—
Aqib Tech	information technology and services	2026	—
Cembra	financial services	2026	—
WP Zone	internet	2026	—
KBR Consulting	management consulting	2026	—
Shifatsanto.com	computer software	2026	—
Sinium Solutions	information technology and services	2026	—
Top App Creators	computer software	2026	—
Tuppl Technologies	information technology and services	2026	—
Ikerbit	e-learning	2026	—
Talent Dome	staffing and recruiting	2026	—
Football Brainiacs	sports	2026	—
HBOX Digital	information technology and services	2026	—
Headline Reporter	health, wellness and fitness	2026	—
Heavy Hearts Homecare	hospital & health care	2026	—
Iris Support	online media	2026	—
I Street Solutions	information technology and services	2026	10
J R Ranch Foods	food production	2026	—
OhYaas	financial services	2026	—

The startup picture in Dallas

American Airlines

CBRE

Brink

Southwest Airlines

AECOM

Affiliated Computer Services

7-ELEVEN

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

EXCHANGE

Dave & Buster’s

AccentCare

7-Eleven

Epic Health Services

Dean Foods

DR Horton

Omni Hotels & Resorts

Energy Transfer Partners

Copart

Topgolf

Energy Future Holdings

Ashford

GM Financial

Arcis Golf

Associa

Business Services

Real Estate And Construction

Enterprise Applications

Consumer

Financial Services

Healthcare

Retail

Investment Industry

Fintech

Consumer Goods

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