Blair Garrou | Managing Director
Since the late 90’s, Blair Garrou has focused on funding, operating and incubating startup software companies. Prior to co-founding DFJ Mercury, Blair was the CEO of Intermat (acq. by IHS), a leader in product information management software; a Principal with Genesis Park, a Houston-based private equity firm where he led investments in FuelQuest (acq. by Saracen Energy), Intermat and SAT Corporation (acq. by Invensys); helped launch and was the Director of Operations for the Houston Technology Center, the largest tech incubator in the Southwest, where he led the formation of the Houston Angel Network, one of the largest angel investment organizations in the U.S.; was an investment banker with BMO Nesbitt Burns; and began his career with Deloitte & Touche. Blair received a B.S. in Management from Washington & Lee University.
Blair is a co-founder and Board Member of SURGE Accelerator, a mentor-driven seed accelerator focused on entrepreneurs seeking to solve the world’s energy problems using software. Blair is also an active mentor and/or investor with other seed accelerator programs throughout the middle of the country, including the Brandery (Cincinnati, OH), Excelerate (Chicago, IL), and TechStars (Boulder, CO, San Antonio, TX).
Outside of DFJ Mercury, Blair serves in board and advisory roles for the Houston Technology Center, the Post Oak School, Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship, and UTHealth. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University where he teaches a course on venture capital. Blair is an active member of YPO – Gulf States Chapter, and was named by the Houston Business Journal as one of its inaugural “40 under 40,” a recognition of outstanding business and community leaders under the age of 40.
Current Portfolio Company Focus
Alert Logic, BlackLocus, Fluensee, GameSalad, Graphicly, Infochimps, Koupon Media, Performix, ShareThis
Previous Portfolio Company Focus
Phurnace Software (BMC Software)
