Blair Garrou

Blair Garrou is a Managing Director of DFJ Mercury, a Texas-based, seed and early-stage venture capital fund. DFJ Mercury invests in companies addressing large market opportunities in the information technology, life sciences, and cleantech sectors. DFJ Mercury is a partner in the global intelligence network of Draper Fisher Jurvetson funds.

Prior to co-founding DFJ Mercury, Mr. Garrou was the CEO of Intermat, Inc., a leader in the product information management software sector, where he led the sale of the company to IHS, Inc. (NYSE: IHS). Prior to Intermat, Mr. Garrou was a Principal of Genesis Park LP, a Houston-based venture capital and private equity firm, where he focused on the firm’s software investments, including Intermat, FuelQuest (acquired by Saracen Energy Advisors), and SAT Corporation (acquired by Invensys).  Prior to GenesisPark, Mr. Garrou assisted in the launch of and was the Director of Operations for the HoustonTechnologyCenter, the largest non-profit start-up technology incubator in the state of Texas.  During Mr. Garrou’s tenure with the HoustonTechnologyCenter, he led the formation of the Houston Angel Network, Houston's first angel investment organization.  Mr. Garrou is currently an Adjunct Professor of Management at the Jones Graduate School of Management at RiceUniversity where he teaches a course on venture capital, and he is a frequent lecturer at Texas A&M and the University of Houston.  Previously, Mr. Garrou was an investment banker with BMO Nesbitt Burns, and he provided audit and assurance services with Deloitte & Touche. 

Mr. Garrou currently serves on the Board of Directors of Alert Logic, Fluensee, Performix, Phurnace, and Quantum Learning Technologies; and on the advisory and/or development boards for the University of Texas Health Science Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Friends of Integrated Medicine, Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship, and the HoustonTechnologyCenter’s Information Technology Steering Committee. 

Mr. Garrou received a B.S. in Management with Special Attainments in Commerce from Washington & LeeUniversity.  He is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas.