Joshua Baer

Entrepreneur

American Nashua, New Hampshire, USA

Quick Info

ProfessionEntrepreneur
NationalityAmerican
Date of Birth07/12/1975
Age50 years (died on 17, Jun, 2026)
BirthplaceNashua, New Hampshire, USA
Date of Death17/06/2026

Latest News about Joshua Baer

18/06/2026

Texas technology leaders and community members mourned the loss of Joshua Baer, widely credited as the 'godfather of Austin's startup scene' for his role in establishing Capital Factory in 2009 and nurturing hundreds of tech companies. Tributes highlighted his impact as an ecosystem builder, educator at the University of Texas, and recipient of multiple Austin Chamber of Commerce honors.

17/06/2026

Joshua Baer, the founder and CEO of Capital Factory and a leading figure in Austin's technology sector, died at the age of 50 following a small-plane accident near Laredo, Texas. The aircraft, carrying six people, experienced reported mechanical issues while attempting to return to the airport; Baer was the only fatality. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

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Bio/Wiki

Joshua Baer was an American entrepreneur and investor, widely recognized as the founder and CEO of Capital Factory, a leading startup accelerator and venture capital firm in Austin, Texas. He was a pivotal figure in transforming Austin into one of America's top technology hubs and was known for his self-described identity as an 'Austinpreneur'. Baer passed away at the age of 50 following a small-plane accident near Laredo, Texas.

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight65 Kg (143 lbs)
Eye ColourBlue

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolNashua High School South
College/UniversityCarnegie Mellon University (1994-1999)
DegreeComputer Science & Information Decision Systems

Personal Life

Food HabitNon-vegetarian
Hobbies
  • Doing outdoor activities such as downhill longboarding
  • Listening live music

Relationships & More

Marital Status (at the time of death)Married

Family

Wife/SpouseAmy Vail Baer
Children
  • Son - Noah
  • Daughter(s) - Mikaela
  • Daughter(s) - Sasha
Parents
FatherBob Baer
MotherLinda Baer
SiblingsSister - Cindy Baer

Career

Awards, Honours, Achievements
  • 2012: Austin Under 40 Winner – Technology & Science
  • 2013: Henry Crown Fellow, The Aspen Institute
  • 2013: Community Leader of the Year, Entrepreneur's Foundation
  • 2016: Braddock Scholar, The Aspen Institute
  • 2019: Central Texas Diversity Champion, Austin Black Business Journal
  • 2019: Torch of Liberty, Anti-Defamation League of Austin
  • 2020: Volunteer of the Year – Economic Development, Austin Chamber of Commerce
  • 2023: Key to the City of Austin, Mayor Steve Adler
  • 2023: Ecosystem Builder of the Year, Austin Chamber

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Joshua Baer attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from 1994 to 1999 where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Information Decision Systems.
2. In 1996, he started his first business from his college dorm named SKYLIST.
3. The email marketing business developed gradually and became a known brand in the email marketing industry before he was done with college.
4. Following his school days, Baer transferred to Austin where he worked at Trilogy Inc. as a software developer.
5. He started UnsubCentral in 2004, OtherInbox in 2008 and Netmonitor around the same time.
6. Capital Factory was established in Austin, Texas by Baer in 2009.
7. He played a key role in the launches of several successful tech start-ups, such as WP Engine, Bazaarvoice, Rackspace Cloud and PostUp.
8. He was Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin, teaching classes on startups and entrepreneurship from 2011.
9. He started and facilitated Austin Startup Week, an annual conference focused on the startup scene in Austin, in 2011.
10. He held board positions at a number of companies and nonprofit organizations.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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