Great technology companies can emerge anywhere.
Mission
Building compelling technology companies in middle America.
Cloud-Based Software
Middle-America
Early Growth
We prefer to invest our initial capital once the company has achieved at least $1 million in annualized recurring revenue. This means better clarity on customer traction and the operating characteristics of the business. Having said that, most of our investments have come from pre-existing relationships, so we do like to get to know entrepreneurs early.
Companies
We invest where we can make a contribution.







Healthcare revenue cycle management software.
Acquired by Bain Capital in 2017.
- Private Investment
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Software testing and QA tools.
Acquired by Insight Venture Partners in 2017.
- Private Investment
- Learn More


Integrated enterprise marketing software.
Acquired by Teradata in 2011.
- Private Investment
- Learn More

Each of the above investments was made by John H. Willmoth, either as a private investor or as Managing Partner of Poplar Ventures, L.P.
Ethos
Roots
Small beginnings. Humble, hungry, and competitive. The belief that you can do something better, but that nothing is preordained and you have to work your tail off to achieve it. It’s those early experiences that guide you and become part of your culture. We value founders and entrepreneurs who are well grounded.
Authenticity
Execution
Tenacity
Adaptability
Never stop learning. Don’t assume that what works today will work tomorrow. And figure out what works best for your individual company. Not every industry is the same. Not every customer profile is the same. Some products are more complicated to build, sell, or deliver. Entrepreneurs bring different skill sets. We believe that every company should be treated on its own merits.
Team

John H. Willmoth
Founder and Managing Partner
John has over thirty years of corporate development and investment experience, including a long tenure as a senior executive at Nextel, over a dozen venture investments, and service on multiple corporate Boards. His investment experience spans seed, early, and growth stages for private, institutional, and corporate ventures.

Investment and Portfolio Support
Poplar Ventures’ investment team offers a blend of investment and operational expertise. In addition to the core team, we have the support of a handful of Investment Advisory Partners who have direct experience with scaling growth stage technology based companies. These Investment Advisory Partners are available to Poplar and its portfolio companies for industry, operational, technology, and financial guidance.


Christian Miller
Christian Miller
Senior Associate at Poplar Ventures with over five years in private equity and venture capital. Grounded growth-stage investor with experience driving successful corporate growth and profitability strategies.
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Vik Chadha
Vik Chadha
Founder and CEO of Scalable Ventures, a firm investing in and creating innovative software products. Co-founder of GlowTouch Technologies and Backupify.

Michael Davis
Michael Davis
Co-founder and CEO of Appriss. Two time winner of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and 2019 inductee to the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Chris Joseph
Chris Joseph
CEO of Enablon and three time successful entrepreneur. Experience leading global software platforms and has served on multiple private equity backed Boards.

Jim Lacy
Jim Lacy
President & COO of Collective Medical. Experienced CFO, General Counsel, M&A, and Product focused executive working within high growth enterprise companies.

Greg Langdon
Greg Langdon
Experienced technology executive with a background in corporate and product strategy. Advisor and mentor to over 100 companies as part of three accelerator programs.

Chris Schremser
Chris Schremser
CTO of Waystar and predecessor Zirmed for two decades. Experience as the lead architect of a technology platform operating in a complex regulatory environment.

Doug Smith
Doug Smith
Senior Microsoft executive leading customer transformation to cloud services. Experience with AI, data center modernization, IoT, cloud application development and DevOps.
News
Watch as John and Christian provide a firsthand look into identifying new investment opportunities and what founders should prepare for in Episode #1 of The Startup Fundraising Journey with Middle Tech Podcast.
Poplar is here for you!! Don’t forget to signup for our Open Forum next Friday, January 29th. Let’s put our heads together and figure out how to make 2021 the best year yet for your startup! 🚀🚀🚀 ...
Great to see all three of Poplar's Louisville based portfolio companies make the list! Excited for the big things @skuvault @Podchaser and @SwitcherStudio have in store for 2021.. A lot of startup momentum in #Louisville!! @StartupLou @AmplifyLou ...
We still have time slots available for our special kickoff of the Poplar Open Forum on December 30th from 9am - 12pm ET. There will be a lot of opportunity for startups in 2021 - let's chat about how you can hit the ground running. Link below! ...
@AmplifyLou Appreciate the support!...
RT @middletechpod: Podcasts are taking off 📈 We've compiled a list of tips, tricks, and best practices when it comes to crushing it the ne…...
RT @middletechpod: .@poplarventures has quickly become one of top VC firms in the region and they are also working hard to become one of th…...
RT @kyinnovation: We want to hear from you about how we can best serve entrepreneurs and startups! Please take a few minutes to take this s…...
RT @AmplifyLou: Let's catch up! Join us tomorrow for lunch via @StoryLouisville's Facebook LIVE! #amplifylou #ampl…...
Our goal is to help foster a transparent line of communication between startups and capital networks. Best part, you chose the topic! If you are a startup and want a VC sounding board schedule time with @johnwillmoth and @CMiller502 below! (2/2) ...
Poplar is excited to announce its latest startup ecosystem initiative – Poplar Ventures Open Forum. On the last Friday of every month Poplar will block off 9am – 12pm ET for virtual meetings with any regional startup. The Open Forum will do a special kickoff 12/30/20. (1/2)...