By Milt Capps
Published Wednesday, July 2, 2025 5:30 pm
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NASHVILLE-based GoEx Venture Capital filed July 1 an update with the SEC on its target-$5MM Fund I, which is focused heavily on consumer-facing property technology companies that are typically raising pre-Seed capital and which warrant a $10MM post-money valuation.
The year-old venture capital firm is led by Evan Duby, a 50-year-old native New Yorker who moved from Brooklyn to Metro Nashville with his wife and teenage daughter three years ago this month. GoEx and Fund I registered in Delaware 13 months ago.
Duby said GoEx investments will typically range from $100K-$250K and he suspects 90% of his "pretty robust" deal flow will continue to originate with professionals in his existing and still-growing network.
He added that while it's likely he'll continue to receive a sometimes "overwhelming" number of over-the-transom pitches about deals that are far outside his consumer proptech target zone, he hopes his priorities will register with the right ears.
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Duby today confirmed that GoEx -- a contraction of "Go Execute!" -- has thus far invested in New York-based Galleon, which maintains directories of off-market for-sale-by-owner homes that help potential buyers find their best-available deals.
GoEx has also invested in Hey! Walt Inc., a Utah-based startup that offers a "relationship intelligence platform" designed to help sales agents or relationship managers determine "propensity to transact(TM)" within their network and reach buyers or sellers at key junctures in their consideration of a transaction. Walt says the result can transform "natural rapport into real results."
Regarding his consumer proptech focus, Duby said he's long been consumer-oriented, a personal priority strengthened by the current home-affordability crisis, the need to reduce real estate transaction costs, the need for increase transparency for consumers, and the important for ensuring that sales agents have the tools they need to forge the best consumer transactions.
Reflecting on that, he added that consumer proptech may be having a "blue sky moment," which, for example, others have defined in the innovation or entrepreneurial contexts as describing 'innovative thinking and creative strategy that is unconstrained by existing ideas, boundaries, or components' -- yet ultimately pragmatically grounded in business and investment fundamentals.
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While acknowledging that such cities as New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and others have extraordinary density and depth in their tech and entrepreneurial sectors, he's convinced that a major differentiating factor is that Nashville really has "its arms open" in welcoming newcomers with expertise and demonstrated interest in engagement.
While mulling VNC's question about pros and cons of relocation, Duby said with a gotta-be-honest laugh that maybe he is "a tax migrant," in that he certainly loves Tennessee's lack of a personal income tax and related matters.
Asked about downsides to relocating, Duby racked-up more candor-points: He confessed he senses a need for better access to really good bagels.
On a more serious note, he said that relocating here after many years in New York City, where use of public transportation and-or walking is a way of life -- "driving everywhere" to get places in Music City still takes some getting used-to -- but he's optimistic that things will get steadily better.
Meanwhle, ensconced as they are in Green Hills, he and his family are happy and he's found time to be a Soccer Dad to his very competitive daughter, and a fan of the durable business his wife -- Debra Duby -- has developed as a celebrity personal trainer, nutrition coach and corporate speaker.
In addition to having just reported raising north of $750K from five investors toward his current $5MM Fund I goal, Duby is advancing other brand- and network-building projects.
For example, in Dec. 18 he and two other VCs are hosting a virtual "Consumer Proptech" conference, under the FUTURESTATE brand. Details here.
Duby retains some NYC legacy relationships as a licensed associate real estate broker from his days with Compass, which displays a very long list of prime real estate transactions with which he was associated.
His prior career has also included two music roles: managing partner of Five & Dime Records (Nashville); and, partner in Primary Wave Music (NYC, talent management).
Asked about GoEx competitors, Duby said he sees few comparables, given that most investors in real estate proptech tend to focus on tools for commercial-industrial segments.
However, he added that the National Association of Realtors(R) backs Second Century Ventures, a very active global real estate technology fund. NAR also backs the REACH global technology real estate technology scale-up program.
Asked about GoEx's own advisors, Duby said he relies on attorneys with Gora Law LLC (Trumbull, Conn.) and on CPAs with Cherry Bekaert, which has Nashville presence and earlier this month announced acquiring Duby's long-time advisor, Denver-based Spicer Jeffries. Duby also relies on fintech-oriented Decile Group Inc. for fund administration and books.
KNITTING COMMUNITY
VNC notes that word has been circulating for some time about several fresh examples of new clusters of engagement in the Nashville venture ecosystem.
For example, Duby's LinkedIn Profile shows him as a co-founder of Torch Collective LLC. Torch describes itself on LinkedIn as "a highly vetted membership community for innovators in Nashville. Our mission is to make authentic, high-value connection easy, engaging and routine for founders, dealmakers and disruptors."
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| Joe Maxwell |
Torch shares the address of the Glasshaus complex on Craighead Street, a property owned and operated by fintech VC Joe Maxwell and his family.
Glasshaus features glass art creation and sales, a coffee shop, and a glassworks studio, complemented by meeting space.
Torch Collective was registered in Tennessee on April 1 by Co-Founder Ryan Caradonna.
The Collective has 30 co-founders. Others we spotted on LinkedIn include, in addition to Maxwell and Duby, high-impact Boston transplant CynthiaCohen (who regularly convenes her own venture salons), John Brock Hartline, Caroline Shunk, Alex Rustioni, and others.
Reached late this afternoon for brief comment, Maxwell told VNC that Torch Collective gatherings will begin Sept. 1.
Maxwell said Torch will be "a private 'deal club' where vetted Founders and Funders can organically connect."
Maxwell emphasized Torch Collective does not want to be "confused at all with the greater work others are doing," adding that the Torch is more of a "social club" centered around fun events, food, drink, coffee, etc. -- all conducive to "collaboration and conversations."
Maxwell, of course, is also renowned as managing partner of one of the busiest U.S. fintech venture firms -- Nashville-based FINTOP Capital.
Maxwell is also a founding board member of the Greater Nashville Private Capital Association, of which Duby has also become a member.
Maxwell's FINTOP is to convene the JAM/Fintop Summit in Nashville, Sept. 3. VNC
.last edited 1809 2 July 2025