# Atento Capital

> Atento Capital is a Tulsa-based venture firm backed entirely by the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Since 2018 it has deployed more than $500 million into 66 companies and 35 funds, writing pre-seed and seed checks with a stated emphasis on healthcare, climate tech, and transformational technology. Its unusual twist: a dual mandate to earn top-tier returns while pulling jobs and founders - including deep-tech teams recruited from across Latin America - into Oklahoma.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
- **Founders:** Michael Basch (Founder, CEO & General Partner)
- **Team size:** ~30-56 people (roughly 30 on the investment/operations team; some sources list ~56 employees)
- **Products:** Core Venture Fund, Latam to Tulsa, Fund-of-Funds & Venture Studio Investing, Ecosystem Building
- **Notable:** Deployed more than $500 million in venture capital since 2018., Backed 66 companies and 35 venture funds and venture studios., Launched a $100 million fund for early-stage tech in 2023.

## Products & services

- **Core Venture Fund** — $100 million fund investing in early-stage tech startups - roughly $20M reserved for pre-seed and $80M for early-stage and fund-of-fund investments, with check sizes from $250K to $3M.
- **Latam to Tulsa** — Flagship program recruiting South American deep-tech and life-sciences founders to establish US headquarters in Tulsa. Offers a relocation package (~$100K covering visas, office space, and housing) with no equity taken. Across two cohorts it supported 22 startups and 40 founders and drew 45 VCs to demo days.
- **Fund-of-Funds & Venture Studio Investing** — Capital committed to 35 external venture funds and venture studios to expand the pipeline of early-stage companies reaching Tulsa.
- **Ecosystem Building** — Support for and creation of Tulsa entrepreneurial initiatives including Tulsa Remote, Build in Tulsa, Atlas School, Campus Tulsa, 412 Angels, and Tulsa Innovation Labs.

## Achievements

- Deployed more than $500 million in venture capital since 2018.
- Backed 66 companies and 35 venture funds and venture studios.
- Launched a $100 million fund for early-stage tech in 2023.
- Built Latam to Tulsa, supporting 22 startups and 40 founders across two cohorts.
- Helped seed marquee Tulsa initiatives including Tulsa Remote, Build in Tulsa, and Atlas School.
- Directs nearly half of its capital to women and founders of color.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Founder Michael Basch transitioned to Director, Fund Strategy and Regional Innovation at Renaissance Philanthropy, after roughly eight years leading Atento Capital.
- **2025-05** — Fortune profiled Atento's Latam to Tulsa program, which recruits Latin American deep-tech startups to relocate to Tulsa with a ~$100K, no-equity package; second cohort includes Monte Caldera and Migma.
- **2023-04** — Atento Capital announced a $100 million fund - $20M for pre-seed and $80M for early-stage and fund-of-fund investments.

## Links

- Website: https://atentocapital.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atento-capital

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/atento-capital
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-16