Santa Barbara Venture Partners: Interview With Founder & Managing Partner Dan Engel

▤ Summary

Santa Barbara Venture Partners is a VC firm that focuses on software companies and leverages a 100+ LP network of marketing and sales executives to help portfolio companies accelerate customer acquisition and revenue. The firm targets software companies with $2–20M+ revenue showing strong retention and rapid growth, typically investing at Series A–C or buying secondary shares. SBVP reports strong performance: eight exits in about five years including Jackpocket's $750M sale, Fund 2 marked top-quartile performance metrics, and SPVs have returned significant capital to LPs. The firm manages about $75M AUM and emphasizes continuous liquidity for investors alongside long-term top-decile returns.

▦ Linked Companies