Helping Founders With More Than Capital

HG Ventures’ philosophy is to invest where we can make a meaningful contribution to a company’s success—to be not just a source of capital, but a true partner in growth. As Platform Manager, Sarah Schlifke’s role is to make sure this happens. Here, Sarah shares some of the ways this comes to life in practice.

Most founders know how to raise capital.

Far fewer find investors who help them build something that lasts.

At HG Ventures, we aim to be that second kind. That’s why we prioritize companies where we can offer more than money—and roll up our sleeves to actively contribute to their success.

More Than Capital: What Partnership Looks Like

When we invest, founders gain access to a built-in operating network of 30+ companies, 5,000 employees, labs, trucks, scientists, engineers, and customers—all ready to test, build, scale, and learn alongside them. HG Ventures is backed by The Heritage Group, which means our startups aren’t just joining a portfolio, they’re joining an ecosystem.

This isn’t a platform pitch. It’s real traction. Here’s a sample of what it looks like when we bring our network to the table and help founders go faster. 

• Research and Development: We deployed a Ph.D. chemist with expertise in water contamination to a portfolio company for four months to serve as the interim Chief Scientific Officer.
• Accelerating scale-up: We introduced one portfolio company to a major chemical partner who developed plans for 100X product volume scale-up.
• Market Support: We facilitated an infrastructure startup’s collaboration with one of The Heritage Group operating companies, which led to $25MM in contracts.
• Supply Chain: We worked with trusted THG relationships to source critical parts and de-bottleneck a portfolio company’s supply chain.
• Pilot Projects and OpCo Agreements: Multiple portfolio companies worked with Monument Chemical, a Heritage Group operating company, to pilot manufacturing of their chemistry, where others would not. Another portfolio company worked with The Heritage Group’s Envita Solutions to procure specialized waste that serves as a feedstock for its innovative recycling solution. And we introduced a startup’s software system into the fleet operations of a THG operating company, yielding a multi-year customer engagement.

Each of these outcomes is a measurable advantage driven by the kind of active engagement we prioritize. You can watch and read more partnership stories here.

Why It Works

This level of engagement isn’t the norm in venture—but it works. Since HG Ventures is backed by The Heritage Group, our mandate includes adding value through The Heritage Group, unlike traditional VCs. We aren’t bound by a fixed fund lifecycle or forced to make short-term decisions. Instead, we focus on long-term value creation and strategic alignment. Our ability to move fast, stay engaged, and plug startups into a deeply technical ecosystem sets us apart from traditional VCs.

We don’t wait for founders to ask for help. We actively look for opportunities to bring the right people to the table, whether that’s a technical lead, an operating partner, or a new customer.

What’s Next

We’re proud of the partnerships we’ve built. We’re even more excited about the ones to come. If you’re building something hard that can change the world—especially in water, waste, infrastructure, or materials—we want to hear from you.

We are actively investing in companies where our support can be a true catalyst for scale. Our goal is simple: to help great companies grow faster, go further, and have a lasting impact. We believe that’s only possible when investors bring more than money to the table.