Despite the venture capital downturn, this local investment firm is moving forward

Winter Park, Florida

A local venture capital firm is making moves to grow its portfolio, despite metro Orlando seeing a 71% year-over-year drop in investments being made.

Winter Park-based Govo Venture Partners is an investment group that specializes in early-stage companies where doing business with governments or navigating government regulations is an important factor for growth. Making two initial portfolio investments in the first quarter and second quarter, Govo leans in where others might shy away — the heavily-regulated industries that are complicated to navigate.

There’s a reason for that, as Orlando Inno learned from Govo’s Managing Partner Rob Panepinto. He said the fund seeks to leverage its partners’ and advisors’ ties to Florida’s innovation hubs that are largely fueled by government.