Meet The Investor: Scott Lopano, Partner at Tech Square Ventures

Tech Square Ventures has a new partner. 

Scott Lopano, who joined the firm since 2017, was promoted this week and will work alongside Blake Patton (founder and Managing Partner) and Bill Nussey (Partner) to help lead one of the most active early-stage funds in the Southeast.

Lopano rose in the ranks of Tech Square Ventures, joining as an associate and first investment team member in 2017. Over the years he helped develop the firm’s investment strategy and was integral in launching Engage, Atlanta’s enterprise innovation platform and fund that connects large corporations with B2B startups. 

 

A PIVOT INTO VC 

Lopano wasn’t always in the world of venture. He started his career in New York as an investment banker after a successful run as a student-athlete at The Wharton School of Business and 2 NFL tryouts. But he was always curious about the classmates and friends who took the VC path. As he thought about what his next career move might be after four years in banking, he told Hypepotamus that he found himself drawn to the idea of working with earlier stage companies. 

That career pivot coincided with a move to his wife’s hometown of Atlanta. But then came a reality check: Atlanta simply doesn’t have all that many open VC positions. That was especially true seven years ago. So when Lopano went searching for an Atlanta-based job on the popular John Gannon blog….only one popped up. 

But in the job search process, you only need one. That one posting happened to be from Patton and the Tech Square Ventures team. 

We asked Lopano about why Tech Square Ventures was the right move for him all those years ago. He said it came down to three things: Blake Patton. Engage. And the opportunity to invest and build in the Southeast. 

Lopano recognized the unique infrastructure Patton was building and what it could mean for the growing Southeast region. Patton started Tech Square Ventures back in 2014, when the city had few early-stage firms looking specifically for local opportunities. 

Ten years later, the firm has made well over 100 investments and is currently deploying capital out of its $75 million Fund II. It backs some of Atlanta’s most recognizable startups, including Saleo, Rainforest, Slip Robotics, Stord, Cloverly, and Cypress.io. 

Through Engage, the team has reshaped what corporate innovation can mean on a broad scale. Not only are 14 of Atlanta’s largest corporations, Invest Georgia, and Georgia Tech partners in Engage’s portfolio, they have become active customers for those startups. 

For Lopano, working with Tech Square Ventures is all about helping startups get access to the two most elusive things: Capital and customers. He’s been part of nearly every deal since joining the fund. But it wasn’t just his investment skills that helped him become a major player in the Atlanta VC ecosystem so far. 

“Beyond his investment success, Scott truly embodies our core values of Service and Stewardship and leads with humility. We are proud of his passionate advocacy for the Atlanta and Southeast tech community and his commitment to building strategic relationships with entrepreneurs,” Patton told Hypepotamus.