I sat down with our Founder and CEO, and Cannon Ventures founder, Lawson Gow, to pick his brain about the inspiration and ideation behind this big bucks buddy system for startups. He echoed what he’s been saying all along about our role as a growth and success facilitator in the city of Houston. Speaking from The Waiting Room inside The Cannon’s campus, Gow told me, “The Cannon’s mission is to build up Houston’s entrepreneurial resources. We’ve seen startup hubs emerge all over the country. Houston has fallen behind in terms of developing the infrastructure our entrepreneurs need to succeed; especially when it comes to early stage funding sources. Cannon Ventures is rallying people together into a network of investors that congregate regularly to seed-fund Houston-based startups.

That’s the idea we have championed from our inception. From opening early as a haven for businesses bludgeoned by Hurricane Harvey, to the cold Karbach beer in every fridge, we have always been about gathering hard working people and providing them a platform in Houston through which they can shine the brightest. Discussing the collaborative, DIY nature of both The Cannon and it’s new investment network, Gow stressed, “We are democratizing angel investing — allowing anyone willing to invest 5k over the course of the year to join. It gets more money on the table, more individuals off the bench and on the field, activating them as angel investors. Through this inclusivity, we can develop a whole generation of investors who are comfortable making early-stage bets on high-growth startups.”

Cannon Ventures is young, like The Cannon itself. Its passionate leaders and immediate success are what make it one of Houston’s most exciting new additions. If you’re an investor or work with a startup and would like to learn more about this Houston-centric, future-focused group, visit the Cannon Ventures website. Better yet, stop by The Cannon real soon.