About
Funding & Support is a VC firm and economic development organization based in Birmingham, Alabama, operating as part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's innovation ecosystem. The organization combines venture capital investment activities with community-focused economic development programming. Its dual mandate encompasses support for underrepresented entrepreneurial communities alongside traditional startup funding. The HICA Community Economic Development Program specifically targets Latino and immigrant families seeking to launch small businesses, access micro-lending facilities, and develop women-led enterprises. This reflects a geographic and demographic focus on Alabama-based founders and underserved populations. The organization is affiliated with Innovate Alabama, described as the state's first statewide public-private partnership dedicated to entrepreneurship, indicating collaborative rather than siloed investment approach. Based on available information, Funding & Support integrates venture capital operations with community economic development rather than operating as a traditional venture fund focused solely on financial returns. The organization's positioning through UAB's innovation infrastructure suggests institutional backing and access to university networks, mentorship resources, and research-backed founder support. However, specific details regarding check sizes, investment stages targeted, portfolio companies, leadership team composition, and historical investment data are not publicly documented in available sources. The organization appears to emphasize founder support services and ecosystem development alongside capital deployment, though the balance between these functions and specific offerings to portfolio companies require direct inquiry.