About Centennial Ventures
Centennial Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 1981. It is primarily based out of Denver, United States. As of Jul 2012, Centennial Ventures has invested in 24 companies. It primarily invests in Series B round in United States based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Enterprise Applications to Telecom and Enterprise Infrastructure. Most recently it participated in the $***** PE round of Zayo Overall, Centennial Ventures portfolio has seen 16 acquisitions including key companies like Zayo, Market Force and Masergy. A lot of funds co-invest with Centennial Ventures, with names like Columbia Capital sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Centennial Ventures has team of 2 people including 2 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Series B, Series C & 3 more
Portfolio Acquisitions
Centennial Ventures' List of Top Investments
Centennial Ventures has a portfolio of 24 companies. Their most notable investments are in Ellacoya Networks and Slacker.Their portfolio spans across United States and Spain. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, Telecom, Enterprise Infrastructure and 7 other sectors, across stages such as Series B, Series C and 3 more. Here is the list of top investments by Centennial Ventures:
1. Zayo
Provider of fiber transport and network connectivity and managed services. Operations include the delivery of dark fiber, wavelength capacity, and private network infrastructure. Additional offerings consist of internet access, ethernet, and cloud integration services. Security features include protection against distributed denial of service attacks and managed firewall configurations. Communication tools include voice solutions and unified collaboration platforms. Infrastructure support extends to wireless connectivity and satellite backup options for business continuity.
Key facts about Zayo
- Founded Year: 2007
- Location: Boulder (United States)
- Annual Revenue: $1B+ as on Jun 30, 2019
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $825M
- Employee Count: 4,320 as on Apr 30, 2026
- Investors: Starboard Value, Royal Bank of Canada and 24 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jun 23, 2025, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
2. Market Force
Technology solutions that offer a platform for collecting, integrating and visualizing data. The solutions provide customer experience data and analysis to multi-location businesses. Helps clients identify the actions required at the store level for better customer loyalty and financial performance. They provide a mobile app for internal auditors, mystery shoppers, and customers to complete questionnaires regarding businesses. Provides a dashboard for clients that provides a graphical representation of the data collected. Stakeholders can view the data as per their role and gain actionable insights. Data collection channels they utilize include mystery shopping, customer surveys, compliance audits, social media, and employee engagement surveys. They also provide advisory and market research services. Caters to retailers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, financial institutions and entertainment studios.
Key facts about Market Force
- Founded Year: 1997
- Location: Louisville (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $41.3M
- Employee Count: 610 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Hercules Capital, Comerica and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Aug 01, 2017, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
3. Masergy
Business internet and communication solutions provider, urging browser upgrades for security. It delivers internet and communication solutions for businesses. The company emphasizes the importance of security, prompting users to update their browsers for optimal access to account management features. They offer resources for browser upgrades, ensuring users can maintain secure connections. The business focuses on providing reliable and secure access to its services, prioritizing user safety and data protection. They provide a platform for businesses to manage their internet and communication needs effectively.
Key facts about Masergy
- Founded Year: 2000
- Location: Plano (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $133M
- Employee Count: 497 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Western Technology Investment, Comerica and 8 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, 2011, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
4. Alereon
Leader in ultrawideband (UWB) wireless solutions, eliminating wires in hi-tech products. The company designs and manufactures UWB chipsets, offering modules, reference designs, and custom hardware/software. They provide wireless solutions for high-speed, uncongested wireless needs across various industries. Their offerings include SDKs, evaluation kits, system engineering, and manufacturing support. They focus on custom solutions tailored to individual customer systems, leveraging their experienced engineering staff to solve complex problems. They provide technology for wireless communication, high speed data transfer, and real-time connectivity. Their solutions benefit sectors like consumer electronics, medical devices, and military applications.
Key facts about Alereon
- Founded Year: 2003
- Location: Austin (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $95M
- Employee Count: 22 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Western Technology Investment, SK Telecom and 10 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jun 05, 2012, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. Slacker
LiveOne: Music, podcasts, live events, and more for everyone. It is a digital media company focused on delivering premium music and entertainment content. The platform offers live events, music streaming, original shows, and podcasts across various genres like Alternative, Country, Rock, Pop, EDM/Dance, Hip-Hop/R&B, and Metal. Users can sign up for free or log in to access a personalized library. The platform provides options to upgrade for ad-free listening, offline access, and unlimited skips through subscription plans. It offers mobile apps for convenient access and encourages users to stay updated through newsletters. The platform supports artists through streaming and provides options for uninterrupted listening. It also provides features like casting and social media integration. The website uses cookies and requires acceptance of terms and privacy policies.
Key facts about Slacker
- Founded Year: 2006
- Location: San Diego (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $62.2M
- Employee Count: 59 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Columbia Capital, Rho Capital Partners and 5 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Apr 12, 2017, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
Centennial Ventures' Investments by Stage
Centennial Ventures has made 10 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $23.8M, 6 investments in Series C stage with an average round size of $24.9M, 5 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $29M, 2 investments in PE stage with an average round size of $135M and 1 investment in Series D stage with an average round size of $38M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Series B | 10 |
Series C | 6 |
Series A | 5 |
PE | 2 |
Series D | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Centennial Ventures' Investments by Sector
Centennial Ventures has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Telecom, Enterprise Applications, Enterprise Infrastructure, Business Services and Semiconductors. Notably, it has invested in 17 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 12 Tech companies, 8 Software companies and at least 5 companies focusing on Tech hardware.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Telecom | 7 |
Enterprise Applications | 5 |
Enterprise Infrastructure | 5 |
Business Services | 3 |
Semiconductors | 3 |
Others | 8 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Centennial Ventures' Investments by Geography
Centennial Ventures has made most investments in United States (23), followed by Spain where it has made 1 investment.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
United States | 23 |
Spain | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Centennial Ventures' recent investments
Centennial Ventures has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by Centennial Ventures:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 02, 2012 | United States | PE | 8156 | [+2] | |
Sep 26, 2011 | United States | Series B | 6354 | ||
Jan 25, 2010 | United States | Series D | 6788 | [+4] | |
Oct 19, 2009 | United States | Series C | 1167 | [+3] | |
Mar 06, 2009 | United States | Series B | 1879 |
Acquired companies in Centennial Ventures' Portfolio
16 companies from Centennial Ventures' portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Market Force in Mar 2024 by MCI for $*****.Here are Centennial Ventures' portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar 25, 2024 | Mar 06, 2009 | Series B | 2318 | |
Aug 25, 2021 | Sep 24, 2001 | Series A | 4697 | |
May 08, 2019 | Aug 2007 | PE | 8503 | |
Sep 15, 2017 | Jun 01, 2007 | Series B | 8949 | |
Aug 15, 2016 | Oct 06, 2003 | PE | 8281 |
Team profile of Centennial Ventures
Centennial Ventures has a team of 2 members including 2 Partners located in United States. Centennial Ventures' team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of Centennial Ventures
Over the past 33 years, 139 investors have co-invested in Centennial Ventures's portfolio companies. This includes only funds.
- Invested before Centennial Ventures: TPG, Oak Investment Partners and 22 others have invested in rounds before Centennial Ventures. There are 2 companies where TPG has invested before Centennial Ventures and 2 companies where Oak Investment Partners has invested before Centennial Ventures.
- Top Co-investors of Centennial Ventures: 51 investors entered a company along with Centennial Ventures. These include investors like Columbia Capital (4 companies).
- Invested after Centennial Ventures: A total of 64 investors have invested in Centennial Ventures's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include SunTrust Bank (2 companies), CIT (2 companies) and Comerica (2 companies).
Recent News related to Centennial Ventures
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ExteNet closes on $128.4 million in financing: SBA's DAS assets included in round - RCR Wireless NewsRCRWireless•Jan 25, 2010•ExteNet Systems, SBA Communications, Centennial Ventures, Columbia Capital and 4 others
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ExteNewsExteNet Systems•Jan 25, 2010•ExteNet Systems, SBA Communications, Centennial Ventures, Columbia Capital and 3 others
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Panasas Gets Funding, New Focus - EnterpriseStorageForum.comEnterprise Storage Forum•Aug 19, 2008•Panasas, Northgate Capital, Focus Ventures, Centennial Ventures and 3 others
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Panasas expanding market for parallel storage systems | VentureBeatVentureBeat•Jul 01, 2008•Panasas, Northgate Capital, Focus Ventures, Centennial Ventures and 3 others
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ExteNet Systems, Inc. Closes $27.5 Million in Equity and Debt FinancingPR Newswire•May 21, 2008•ExteNet Systems, Centennial Ventures, Columbia Capital, Sevin Rosen and 3 others
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Market Force Information Receives $32 Million InvestmentMonitor Clipper Partners•Mar 06, 2007•Market Force, Monitor Clipper Partners, Boulder Ventures, Vista Ventures and 2 others
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This week's wireless investments - RethinkRethink Research•Apr 28, 2005•InnerWireless, Centennial Ventures, Massey Burch Capital, Sevin Rosen and 3 others
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Panasas Secures $32 Million - WSJThe Wall Street Journal•Sep 16, 2002•Panasas, Centennial Ventures, Intel Capital, Novak Biddle Venture Partners and 2 others
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Nitronex and Vendaria
Announce Funding Rounds - WSJThe Wall Street Journal•Jul 13, 2001•Nitronex, TPG, Alliance Technology Ventures, VantagePoint Capital Partners and 4 others
