Access Venture Partners (AVP) is a seed and early stage venture capital firm that invests between $250,000 and $2 million in its portfolio companies.

The firm, which is a regional affiliate of Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, has a “mid-continental” geographic focus. AVP also maintains offices in Silicon Valley and Austin.

The AVP portfolio includes companies in the telecommunications, software, healthcare and technology infrastructure industries. Public pension funds, family offices, foundations and individual investors are all limited partners of the firm.

Principals

Frank Mendicino II

has nearly 30 years experience investing on behalf of limited partners, the last 16 as General Partner of Woodside Funds I, II and III. Prior to joining in the formation of Woodside Fund he practiced law and served terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives and as Wyoming Attorney General. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the University of Wyoming Foundation and the Western Research Institute. He is also on the Board of Directors of 3 private companies and Digital Microwave Corporation (DMIC – NASDAQ) a public company. Mr. Mendicino is located in Denver, Colorado.

Frank Mendicino III

joined Woodside Fund II in 1990 as an analyst. He has been a Senior Associate at Woodside Fund III for the past 6 years and has been involved in every aspect of the venture capital process. He has a broad knowledge of high technology companies in both private and public markets. Mr. Mendicino has successfully invested in and subsequently sold two software companies to large public companies. Mr. Mendicino is currently on the Board of Directors of two private internet software companies. Mr. Mendicino is located in Denver, Colorado.

Robert W. Rees

has over 26 years of marketing, sales and strategic planning experience with large (Mobil, Tenneco) and small companies. He was a Special Limited Partner of Woodside Fund III for 6 years. Before joining Woodside Fund he founded and operated a successful family owned venture fund in Oklahoma. He has been a director of the Oklahoma Venture Forum and the Oklahoma Business Incubator Association. He is currently on the Board of Directors of 4 private companies. Mr. Rees is located in our Silicon Valley Office.

Jay Campion

has over 26 years experience in the formation and growth management of companies. For the past 6 years he has been a Special Limited Partner of Woodside Fund III. Prior to joining Woodside Fund III he was President of the Texas Research and Technology Foundation and Ventex Group, Inc., its venture capital subsidiary. He is currently on the Board of Directors of 6 private companies and co-founded, helped build and sell CVA for a 50X return. Mr. Campion is located in Austin, Texas.