Hyde Park Venture Partners Research
Investment Thesis
Hyde Park Venture Partners (HPVP) is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2011 (some sources cite 2012) by Guy Turner. The firm's core thesis is that the "mid-continent" region of the United States — the Midwest, plus Toronto and Atlanta — produces exceptional technical founders who are systematically underserved by coastal capital. HPVP positions itself as the first or second institutional capital a company raises, typically leading or co-leading pre-seed through Series A rounds. The firm emphasizes being a hands-on, values-aligned partner rather than a passive check-writer, drawing on deep relationships across the Midwest startup ecosystem it helped build (its founder was also involved in launching Hyde Park Angels, a separate Chicago angel network).
Stage Focus
HPVP invests primarily at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A. It aims to be the first or second institutional capital provider for companies with $0-1M in revenue, and reserves capital from an Opportunity Fund for high-conviction follow-ons into breakout portfolio companies at later stages.
Check Size
Typical initial investment is $1M-$7M, with the firm often leading or co-leading rounds. It also participates in larger growth rounds for existing portfolio companies (e.g., a Series B follow-on for Slip Robotics).
Lead Tendency
HPVP frequently leads or co-leads early rounds (e.g., Zengines' $9M Series Seed) but also participates in syndicates led by others, especially at growth stage (e.g., Slip Robotics' $28M Series B led by DCVC, Benji's $6.25M seed led by Preface Ventures and Atinc).
Recent Activity
HPVP closed its fourth fund, HPVP Fund IV, at $98M in May 2024, bringing total assets under management to roughly $320M across four core funds plus a 2021 Opportunity Fund. Fund IV's first two investments were Diffit (AI-generated, leveled lesson plans for teachers) and CivCheck (AI-guided building permit plan review). CivCheck was acquired by Clariti Software in October 2025, marking an early exit for Fund IV. Most recently, HPVP participated in Benji's $6.25M seed round (announced May 2026) for a universal loyalty-partnership API.
Portfolio Highlights
Notable portfolio companies include G2 (B2B software review marketplace), FourKites (supply chain visibility platform), and ShipBob (e-commerce fulfillment/3PL) — three of the firm's best-known outcomes from its earlier funds. More recent portfolio additions include Zengines (AI-powered data migration for financial services), Slip Robotics (robotics-as-a-service truck loading/unloading), Diffit (AI lesson-plan generation for K-12 teachers), CivCheck (AI plan review for building permits, acquired by Clariti in 2025), Dentologie (dental care service innovator), and Benji (loyalty-partnership infrastructure API).
Team
- Guy Turner, Co-Founder & Managing Partner — Founded HPVP in 2011; also helped launch Hyde Park Angels. Frequent podcast guest (Proof.vc, 20VC, Chicago Capital) discussing Midwest venture capital, startup life cycles, and founder-investor relationships.
- Greg Barnes, Partner — Leads on data/enterprise software deals; quoted publicly on the firm's investment in Zengines.
- Ira Weiss, Partner — Longtime HPVP partner.
- Alisa Vass, Chief Administrative Officer & Partner — Oversees firm operations.
Decision Process
HPVP operates as a small partnership (roughly 16 people including 3-4 partners) rather than a large investment committee, consistent with a lean, high-touch early-stage fund.
Founder Preferences
HPVP looks for ambitious technical founders solving large problems, often outside the crowded coastal markets, with a preference for capital-efficient B2B software, marketplace, logistics, fintech, and applied-AI businesses. The firm frequently emphasizes long-term relationship-building with founders over transactional deal-making.
Geographic Focus
Primarily the U.S. Midwest (Chicago, Michigan, and surrounding mid-continent markets), with an explicit expanded footprint into Toronto and Atlanta.
Fund Status
Actively deploying from Fund IV ($98M, closed May 2024) and its Opportunity Fund reserve for follow-ons, alongside continued support for the active portfolio built across Funds I-III.