Our Founder

At the core of Auxin Labs is Katie Swanson, an entrepreneur who has dedicated a lifetime to building connections. Now, she's seamlessly blending that love for human bonds with a fervor for investing. With a track record of empowering and coaching over 40 successful emerging venture capital teams, she's on a mission to make the startup ecosystem more accessible. Whether you're dreaming of being an angel investor, manager, or LP, she's here to guide and empower you to support the founders you believe in.

With an early career as a chemical hydrologist, she quickly became a leader of innovation in the world of wastewater reclamation. This passion for innovation coupled with being an experienced program manager, led to her building her first business in the Cleantech space. After three years of fighting battles against California's outdated regulations, she found herself in the world of Venture Capital. She was thrown head first into the full breadth of VC, from regulatory intricacies between different countries, to the full functionality of a back office team, to due dilligence and investing. This in-depth understanding of the VC landscape, coupled with her strategic problem-solving and leadership skills, has consistently delivered actionable insights and guided founders and investors towards their goals. Katie has a proven track record as a trusted advisor and strategist, providing guidance to Founders, CEOs, Limited Partners, and General Partners, enabling them to realize and unlock their full potential.