Venture Capital

Overview

Visionary investors and emerging-growth companies seek opportunities in innovation. Our venture capital team helps you create financial value through investment and sustained business development. We advise emerging companies on fund formation, growth financing, and successful exits by sale or public offering. We counsel venture capital, corporate venture capital, and angel investors, as well as family offices, on formation, planning, and executing investment strategies, investment structures, and exit strategy and execution. Viewing each client relationship as a long-term partnership, we seek to help you grow and achieve commercial success and profit.

Corporate Venture

Our team is also deeply experienced in corporate venture services. We advise clients on all aspects of venture investing including fund formation/operations, balance-sheet-only transactions, and all forms of capital deployment, whether in the form of SAFEs, convertible notes, preferred stock investments, or joint ventures. We also advise clients on maintaining and exiting those investments, including follow-on or maintenance investments, conversion of debt or equity, exercise of preemptive rights, and exits/acquisitions.

Insights & Events

Venture Capital

Overview

Corporate Venture

Insights & Events

Latest

Selling a Privately Held Business

Faegre Drinker Serves as Counsel to Lake Street Capital Markets in $53M PIPE Financing for NN, Inc.

The European Innovation Act: How the Law Could Change IP Investment in the EU

Faegre Drinker Advises Randa in Acquisition of UNTUCKit

Federal Court Addresses Trade-Secret Protection When Startups Pitch to Venture Capital Investors

Second Quarter 2026 Government Contracts Policy and Regulatory Review

Ryan Miske Discusses Global M&A and Private Equity Trends With Law360 for Midyear Report

Strategically Focused, Financially Driver – Inside the InMotion Ventures Reset

Navigating the 2026 Annual Report and Proxy Season - Webinar

David Barrett Speaks With Indiana Lawyer About Building an M&A Practice and Keys to Success

Insights

The European Innovation Act: How the Law Could Change IP Investment in the EU

Federal Court Addresses Trade-Secret Protection When Startups Pitch to Venture Capital Investors

Second Quarter 2026 Government Contracts Policy and Regulatory Review

Ryan Miske Discusses Global M&A and Private Equity Trends With Law360 for Midyear Report

David Barrett Speaks With Indiana Lawyer About Building an M&A Practice and Keys to Success

Brittney Yocum Discusses Current, Future M&A Trends With The Indiana Lawyer

Brian Schell Comments on Managing Franchises in Twin Cities Business

Insights from Faegre Drinker Indianapolis M&A Conference Highlighted by Indiana Lawyer, Tariffs Emerge as Key Topic

Brian Schnell Shares Legal Trends for Franchisors to Watch in 2025 With Franchise Times

Brittney Yocum Discusses Career Trajectory, M&A Trends in Indiana Lawyer Profile

Events

Past Events

Selling a Privately Held Business

Strategically Focused, Financially Driver – Inside the InMotion Ventures Reset

Tips to Build a Successful Corporate Venture Building (CVB) Program

Counseling Creatives: Lessons Learned from Recent Deals Around Social Media, Name, Image and Likeness, Real Estate and More

Navigating the 2026 Annual Report and Proxy Season - Webinar

News

Faegre Drinker Serves as Counsel to Lake Street Capital Markets in $53M PIPE Financing for NN, Inc.

Faegre Drinker Advises Randa in Acquisition of UNTUCKit

Faegre Drinker Advises Graebel Companies in Business Combination with Reside Worldwide

Faegre Drinker Advises All Star Financial on Acquisition by Sequoia Financial Group

Minnesota Lawyer Recognizes Richard Bennett and Kelly Fermoyle as 2026 ‘Up & Coming Attorneys’

Faegre Drinker Advises Underwriter of AI Company Ouster's $200 Million Public Offering

Faegre Drinker Advises Mama's Creations on $100 Million Public Offering

Faegre Drinker Welcomes Former Elevance Health Transactions Counsel Greg Gentry to Corporate Group

Trevor Belden and James Strickland Named Indiana Lawyer ‘Leadership in Law’ Honorees

Eli Isaacs Honored With M&A Advisor’s 2026 ‘Emerging Leaders’ Award

Experience

Our Experience

Faegre Drinker Advises Mama's Creations on $100 Million Public Offering

Faegre Drinker Advises Underwriter of AI Company Ouster's $200 Million Public Offering

Faegre Drinker Serves as Counsel for Financial Advisor to Capstone Green Energy Holdings in $112.5 Million Investment

Flywheel Exchange Inc. Guided Through Series F Financing

Ashbrook Technologies Guided Through Series A-1 Financing

Cervano Capital Launches as Independent Sponsor

Meet The Team

Meet The Full Venture Capital Team

Mark D. Pihlstrom

Justin J. Watkins

Michael B. Abbott

David W. Barrett

Trevor J. Belden

Richard H. Bennett

Jim Birge

Janelle Blankenship

J. Jeffrey Brown

W. Morgan Burns

Charles D. Bybee

Megan Bender Center

Michael F. Cockson

Michael K. Coddington

Joshua L. Colburn

Steven J. Conley

Patrick S. Cross

John J. D'Andrea

Brian S. Fennerty

Anne E. Fischesser

James F. Fitzsimmons

Mihajlo Gasic

Gregory E. Gentry

Robert S. Goldstein

Jared A. Hershberg

Andrew G. Humphrey