A Life
Timeline
Fifty years compressed into a few dates. Behind every one of them were thousands of small introductions, late-night emails, and “come by tomorrow, let’s talk.”
Born
Joshua Baer is born. He will grow up to call himself an “Austinpreneur,” a word he invents because no other word fits.
SKYLIST
As a Carnegie Mellon undergraduate, Josh starts his first company — SKYLIST, an email service business — from his dorm room. Four-time entrepreneur before he’s thirty.
Carnegie Mellon, Computer Science
Graduates from Carnegie Mellon with a CS degree, “a less-than-stellar academic record, and a couple hundred grand in revenues from his first company.” Returns later as a guest lecturer to give back.
SKYLIST sold to Datran Media
First exit. Moves to Austin permanently and never looks back.
OtherInbox — TechCrunch50 Finalist
Launches OtherInbox at TechCrunch50, one of fifty finalists chosen from thousands. The national tech press meets Josh Baer.
Capital Factory founded
With Bryan Chambers and a small team, Josh opens Capital Factory in downtown Austin. “Lots of smart people in a small space.” Seed capital, weekly mentoring, and an open door.
OtherInbox acquired by Return Path
Second exit. TechCrunch covers the deal and notes it brings Return Path’s operations to Austin — another company anchored in his hometown.
CNN Business profile
“Capital Factory spurs startups in Austin.” Josh tells the national audience he’s on a mission to keep talent from leaving for Silicon Valley. He uses the word “Austinpreneur” on national television.
President Obama visits Capital Factory
As part of the Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity tour, President Obama makes an unannounced visit to Capital Factory. Josh, then Entrepreneur in Residence at UT, shows the President around.
Longhorn Startup
Begins co-teaching Longhorn Startup at UT Austin. He will continue for roughly fifteen years — one cohort, then another, then another.
Capital Factory matched by Silverton & Floodgate
TechCrunch announces that Silverton Partners and Floodgate will match Capital Factory’s investments in select companies. The institutional validation Austin had been waiting for.
Texas Tribune board
Joins the board of the Texas Tribune, the nonprofit newsroom covering Texas politics and policy. Serves through 2017.
Henry Crown Fellow, Aspen Institute
Selected for the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship — a class of leaders committed to applying their gifts to the common good.
Army Futures Command comes to Austin
The U.S. Army selects Austin for its new four-star Futures Command. Capital Factory becomes a connective hub between the Army and the startup community. Mayor Adler later credits Josh as instrumental.
Eisenhower Fellow
Named an Eisenhower Fellow — a global network of leaders advancing peace, prosperity, and justice.
Key to the City of Austin
Mayor Kirk Watson presents Josh with the Key to the City in January. The honor recognizes a generation of work building Austin’s startup ecosystem from a few couches into a global hub.
Texas Votes
Builds Texas Votes — a nonpartisan, open-source tool that turns five minutes of preferences into a personalized Texas ballot. One of the last things he ships.
Washington Office
Co-founds the Washington Office, a Washington, D.C. firm focused on frontier technology and national security policy.
Apptronik Series A — $350M
Capital Factory co-leads, with B Capital, Apptronik’s $350M Series A. The UT-spinout humanoid robotics company — one of Josh’s long bets — goes mainstream.
Austin Tech Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. He still answers his own email.
STATION Austin
Launches STATION Austin in March, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping Austin’s entrepreneurial soul intact as the city grows. Ninety-nine days of work he was incredibly proud of.
Saronic — $1.75B
Saronic, the defense-tech maritime company Capital Factory backed early, raises at a $1.75B valuation in March. Another seed, fully watered.
In memory
Joshua Baer is survived by his wife Amy and their three children. The community he built keeps planting seeds in his name.