REWRITING THE CORPORATE VENTURE CAPITAL PLAYBOOK
Most venture capital funds follow a predictable path: investing in early-stage companies that align closely with their existing business interests. But Cox took a different approach. Socium Ventures, backed by Cox Enterprises, offers something special — early-stage funding for a broad set of startups, the possibility of permanent capital and operational expertise, and support from leaders across our entire family of businesses.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Launched in 2022, Socium Ventures brings to life our FutureFocus 2034 vision by seeking investments in innovative companies that will further diversify our core businesses. “Some of the companies in the venture portfolio we may actually want to own one day,” said Andrew Davis, senior vice president of strategy at Cox Enterprises. “And if that partnership between us and them works out and we feel like it’s the right way to go, that’s a really cool option that no other venture firm has to offer — that’s another barometer of our success.”
Now, with a second round of funding, we’re more than ready to help companies reach their full potential, in revenue and impact.
DOUBLING DOWN
Cox Enterprises recently committed another $300 million to Socium Ventures, bringing total managed capital to $600 million. Unlike the open-ended structure of Socium Ventures’ debut fund, this second fund is focused on taking larger ownership stakes in high-growth companies, underscoring our continued support of transformative companies in industries like enterprise software, fintech, healthcare and sustainability.
To help lead the fund, Socium Ventures welcomed David Yang as its first dedicated senior hire. He will work closely with our portfolio companies to foster innovation and build businesses that will generate durable growth over the longer term.
“In addition to Series A and B funding, we can also be opportunistic , investing later in the life cycle of a company,” said David. “ We can speak for multiple rounds. Then the broader Cox investment platform can potentially, with its deep pockets of capital, be a partner there as well.”
A LONGER VIEW
While many venture funds operate within defined exit timelines, Socium Ventures takes a more flexible approach and is playing the longer game — funding bold innovators, providing resources to think big, and helping them build businesses that solve pressing problems.
It’s not just about funding the future — it’s about shaping it.
A LOOK AT FUND II
Meet some of our newest investment portfolio companies:
SuperAnnotate helps big companies build better AI. It’s like a digital command center where companies can label, sort and qualitycheck massive amounts of information. The platform just raised $36 million to expand its services; major Fortune 50 companies already use it to build smarter AI tools.
$300M
in new funding
Knowde is like Amazon, but for chemicals. Instead of traveling to trade shows or calling countless sales representatives, companies can easily search, compare and buy chemical ingredients from over 8,000 suppliers in a single digital marketplace.
15-20
target companies
Carbyne helps 911 call centers work smarter and faster. With this platform, emergency operators can instantly locate callers, watch live video from the scene and coordinate with first responders — in real time.
$3M-$25M
per company
Crisp helps stores and brands work better together. By collecting and analyzing data from more than 40 different retailers, the platform displays exactly what’s selling, what’s not and what needs restocking.
30%
reserved for
follow-on investment
MEET THE TEAM
David Yang
Partner
Nei-Kuan Chia
Managing Director
Timothy Howe
Partner
Andrew Davis
Managing Partner