# Brian Raney

> Brian Raney is the Lexington-based co-founder and CEO of Awesome Inc, a founder of APAX Software, and a general partner at Awesome Fund. A University of Kentucky graduate in computer science and economics, he has helped develop founder events, technology education, mentorship programs and early-stage investment initiatives in Kentucky.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Awesome Inc
- **Organizations:** Awesome Inc, APAX Software, Awesome Fund, Cherub Fund, University of Kentucky, Young Entrepreneurs of Lexington, BookExchange.com, BuildingLayer
- **Education:** B.S. in Computer Science, University of Kentucky, M.S. in Economics, University of Kentucky
- **Known for:** Lexington Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2010., First University of Kentucky iNET Entrepreneur in Residence, appointed in 2012., Co-founded Awesome Inc and helped build its Kentucky startup support programs.

## Career timeline

- **2004** — Founded BookExchange.com while at the University of Kentucky.
- **2005** — Earned a B.S. in Computer Science at the University of Kentucky.
- **2006** — Earned an M.S. in Economics at the University of Kentucky.
- **2007** — Started APAX Software with Luke Murray; his earlier software company Sfenity merged with APAX.
- **2008** — Co-founded Young Entrepreneurs of Lexington.
- **2009** — Co-founded Awesome Inc in Lexington.
- **2010** — Named Lexington Young Entrepreneur of the Year; Awesome Inc launched 5 Across and the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
- **2011** — Co-founded indoor mapping company BuildingLayer.
- **2012** — Became the first iNET Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Kentucky.
- **2013** — Awesome Inc launched coding education, Cherub Fund and its Fellowship accelerator.
- **2017** — Published Unbridled Spirit with Luke Murray, collecting Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame stories.
- **2025** — Awesome Fund reported oversubscribing its $5 million fund; Raney is listed as a general partner.

## Achievements

- Lexington Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2010.
- First University of Kentucky iNET Entrepreneur in Residence, appointed in 2012.
- Co-founded Awesome Inc and helped build its Kentucky startup support programs.
- Co-authored Unbridled Spirit with Luke Murray in 2017.
- Launched the Cherub Fund to invest in early-stage companies.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Discussed early ventures, mentorship and the development of Awesome Inc and APAX on Coffee, Chaos, & Cashflow.
- **2025-02** — Awesome Fund reported exceeding its $5 million fundraising goal and investing nearly $1 million in nine startups since August 2023.
- **2026-04** — An Awesome Inc team interview on Middle Tech described the organization’s expanded founder support pipeline, including Awesome Fund.

## Links

- Website: https://awesomeinc.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianraney
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brianraney

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/brian-raney
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09