Mark Poag
General Partner at Fitz Gate Ventures
Houston, Texas
Overview
Work Experience
Co-Founder and General Partner
2015 - Current
Fitz Gate Ventures is an early stage, network-driven venture capital firm currently investing out of its third fund. The firm brings a unique strategic advantage to its portfolio companies by leveraging its proprietary “Friends of Fitz” network, comprised of hundreds of venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, and senior executives.
Fitz Gate is an early stage, network-driven venture capital firm.
Lecturer for Princeton University Graduate School Seminar Series on Venture Capital
2018
I teach an annual seminar series about startup companies and venture capital to Princeton University graduate students. The Princeton Graduate School awarded me the Clio Hall Award in 2022 in recognition of the value of this seminar to Princeton graduate students.
Adjunct Professor
2018
I teach a class to undergraduate and MBA students in the spring semester -- Student Venture Fund: Evaluating Startup Investment Opportunities.
Investor
2016
SmartAsset connects customers to financial advisors and financial products to ensure their financial security.
SmartAsset is an online destination for financial advice that powers SmartAdvisor, a marketplace connecting consumers to financial advisors.
Raised $161,431,095.00 from FJ Labs.
Investor
2017
Overtime is a digital sports media company that creates short form content and builds disruptive new sports leagues aimed globally at the next generation of sports fans and athletes.
Overtime is a sports network that produces several sports-focused series and short-form content for the next generation of sports fans.
Raised $215,070,000.00 from Liberty Media, Blackstone Group, Counterpoint Global, Winslow Capital, Bezos Expeditions and Sapphire Sport.
Investor
2017
Optimal Dynamics provides advanced AI driven logistics and supply chain optimization solutions.
Optimal Dynamics is a SaaS company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to disrupt the logistics industry.
Raised $55,795,000.00 from Activate Capital Partners, The Westly Group and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Investor
2020
Celestial AI is the creator of the Photonic Fabric™, which unleashes advancements in AI.
Celestial AI develops an optical interconnect technology platform for data center and AI computing solutions.
Raised $338,874,997.00 from Samsung Catalyst Fund, IAG Capital Partners, Smart Global Holdings, Tyche Partners, M Ventures, AMD Ventures, Temasek Holdings, US Innovative Technology Fund, Porsche Automobil Holding and Koch Disruptive Technologies.
Investor
2020
Verge develops therapeutics for serious genetic diseases using human genomics and machine learning.
Verge Genomics uses machine learning and human genomics to accelerate drug discovery.
Raised $134,120,000.00 from Tenmile.
Investor
2017
Quantum Circuits is building revolutionary quantum computing systems using advanced superconducting technology.
Quantum Circuits is developing and commercializing quantum computing technology that utilizes superconducting quantum circuits.
Raised $78,000,000.00 from F-Prime Capital, Tribeca Venture Partners, Fitz Gate Ventures, Hither Creek Ventures, Canaan Partners, Sequoia Capital, ARCH Venture Partners, IQT, Connecticut Innovations and OUP (Osage University Partners).
Investor and Board Observer
2019
Cartful Solutions transforms marketing and on-site personalization with unique zero-party data.
Cartful Solutions improves eCommerce conversion and shopper satisfaction by delivering a more persuasive product.
Raised $1,325,000.00 from Fitz Gate Ventures and Fitz Gate Ventures.
Education
AB
1989 - 1993
Doctor of Law - JD
1993 - 1997
MBA
1993 - 1997
High School Diploma
1985 - 1989