Our Team

The principals of Evolution have been involved with entrepreneurial companies for the last 20 years in a variety of capacities – start-up founders, business owners, angel investors, venture capitalists, strategy consultants, and investment bankers. We’ve walked in your shoes and are exceptionally experienced and committed to helping entrepreneurs achieve positive outcomes in this environment.

Troy Hartzell

Managing Partner

206.617.9107 office
206.225.2001 fax

Troy Hartzell is Managing Partner and co-founder of Evolution Capital Advisors. For over a decade, Evolution Capital has provided tailored capital formation and M&A advisory services to promising early stage and bootstrapped technology start-ups in the Northwest.

As a start-up founder, venture capitalist, and investment banker, Troy has a passion for technology innovation and new venture creation. Troy has deep domain expertise and relationships within the mobile, digital media, and communications sectors and over 17 years of experience in building, financing, and selling emerging growth technology businesses.

Prior to Evolution Capital, Troy led the wireless and communications practice at Cascadia Capital, a national middle-market investment bank. At Cascadia, Troy was responsible for managing key strategic relationships with venture and private equity funds and corporate acquirers in the IT and communications market. Troy executed, structured, and negotiated corporate finance and M&A transactions.

Prior to Cascadia, Troy was with Watershed Capital, a $200 million venture fund, where he focused on principal investments in wireless, broadband, and Internet-related companies and led the development of the firm’s wireless investment strategy. Previously, Troy was co-founder and CEO of a Seattle-based, venture-backed, digital media start-up that built one of the first online communities and digital advertising platforms for U.S. universities. Troy holds a B.A. in Business Administration with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the University of Washington.

Kirk Van Alstyne

Managing Partner

206.390.9118 office
206.219.9008 fax

Kirk Van Alstyne is Managing Partner and co-founder of Evolution Capital Advisors. For over a decade, Evolution Capital has provided tailored capital formation and M&A advisory services to promising early stage and bootstrapped technology start-ups in the Northwest.

As an investment banker, strategy consultant, entrepreneur, and angel investor, Kirk brings over 20 years of experience working with emerging growth companies. Kirk has deep domain expertise in the broader IT arena, with particular concentration around cloud infrastructure and data oriented solutions, and also has considerable experience in the energy/sustainability sector.

Prior to Evolution Capital, Kirk was a Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, a national investment bank focused on emerging growth and middle market companies. At Cascadia, Kirk was Head of the IT Infrastructure practice and also managed Energy Technology opportunities, and was part of the initial management team that oversaw firm development from its early formation to a national operation. Kirk managed venture capital and corporate strategic relationships, and sourced, executed, structured, and negotiated private placement and M&A transactions.

Prior to Cascadia Capital, Kirk founded and operated Venture Intelligence, a strategy consulting practice aimed at emerging growth firms, advising technology start-ups in the Internet, wireless, software, and energy sectors. Previously, Kirk held positions in sales and engineering for a multi-national manufacturing firm. Kirk holds a B.S. with Highest Honors in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

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