Tyson Ventures, LLC reflects decades of involvement in researching/development, perfecting a business plan, founding, investing, financing, operating, growing including strategic exits across multiple industries. Its roots trace back more than five decades to the early development of satellite and cable television, satellite teleconferencing, and interactive and Pay-TV television systems nationwide. Over time, that early operating experience expanded into hospitality media platforms, private cable and healthcare communication systems, renewable energy, aviation, and real estate.

A Record of Participation Across Industries

Background includes involvement in:

  • Cable television, Pay-TV and satellite distribution platforms

  • Interactive media and in-room hospitality systems

  • Healthcare information, patient entertainment and communications services

  • Renewable energy finance and solar distribution

  • Aviation asset platforms

  • Real estate investment, development and construction

  • Private capital advisory and angel investing

This breadth has provided perspective across economic cycles, capital markets, human resourses and evolving regulatory environments.

Venture History

Foundations:

Chris Tyson founded Video Vista while still in his teens including attending the University of Houston. It became the first company in the United States to be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for direct satellite reception of cable television programs at hotels including developing the first contracts for programming with HBO, The Movie Channel, Showtime and others. Video Vista was the first company to secure a national contract with Ramada Hotels with satellite installations coast-to-coast (managed the engineering, construction and maintenance of over 100 installations).

This background attracted the founders of Global Communications Systems (founders of Spectradyne, the largest hotel Pay-TV company in the US) to join them. Global Communications became the nation’s largest apartment home private cable television system. Global Communications grew to provide broadband satellite television service to over 30,000 apartment homes in Houston, Texas. Chris introduced the company to low cost satellite headend technology and pioneered satellite teleconferencing for clients including IBM (their first), DataPoint, the American Bar Association and Ford Motor Company.

Chris relocated to Austin, Texas to be near his family. During this period, with limited personal capital, he founded and scaled a private cable-TV platform; Austin Satellite Television, Inc. After years of competing with large nationwide cable companies (endless capital) including governmental and legal bureaucracy, his company was granted the first FCC license in the United States for microwave distribution for private cable television systems, allowing the company to “beam” its programming citywide. The company entered into joint ventures with several of Central Texas largest real estate developers to construct and operate conventional cable television systems in large urban communities. The company became Austin’s second largest cable operator including serving over 13,000 high-end apartment homes and new developments around Austin. The company was eventually acquired by Austin Cablevision (a subsidiary of Time, Inc).

He expanded into hospitality media systems, building one of the nation’s 3rd largest hotel in-room television and interactive platforms. Founder of Hospitality Network, he grew the company to become the third-largest operator of hotel Pay-TV/interactive in-room television systems in the U.S. (recognized by Inc. 500 as one of the fastest-growing private companies) serving over 100,000 hotel rooms including the world’s largest hotels - many located in Las Vegas including MGM Grand (world’s largest at 5000 rooms), Caesars, Ballys, Las Vegas Hilton, The Venetain, Wynn, Mandalay Bay, Luxor and others. The company was eventually acquired by Cox Communications.

His experience broadened into healthcare media systems, supporting early interactive in-room patient education and entertainment across major hospital networks. Chris founded Cable Healthcare (evolving to Health Answers), which became the largest operator of interactive and patient education systems in hospitals (Chris was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award). Major medical centers served included the Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, Baylor, and Baptist Memorial – some of the largest and most recognized hospitals. The company’s business model evolved due to a dramatic shift in the health care industry resulting in a migration to a leading full-service sales training agency specializing in blended learning solutions for today’s pharmaceutical and biotech sales professionals and managers.

His involvement in satellite distribution and telecommunications included leadership and investment within a public satellite programming company serving private cable and wireless systems nationwide - World Satellite Network, Inc. Chris served as Chairman, President and CEO. He along with partners acquired the company and later taken private with a newly composed management team. WSNet (branded) became the largest distributor of satellite television programming to the private cable and wireless television industries serving over one million subscribers.

Chris explored opportunities in solar power as solar cell performance was improving at a rapid pace and cost significantly declining – a winning combination both environmentally and economically. Chris served as advisor and member of the board to DC Power Systems (later Soligent), the largest solar distributor in the United States and large commercial solar system integrator. ITOCHU (a Global 500 company with over $32 billion in revenues) purchased control of the company. Soligent was the outcome of a merger between two solar powerhouses, DC Power Systems and Solar Depot. Working with its national network of over 7,000 qualified solar installers, Soligent designs and supplies solar power systems for business, residential and government applications. In addition, Chris co-founded Energy Finance Company (EFC) to provide the capital for quality credit commercial, municipal and government customers desiring large solar power systems using Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). EFC’s Funding Solar Energy Fund, LP (the “FUSE Fund”), was early to adopt PPA vehicles that owned and operated the solar projects and provided up to 100% of the capital required. The FUSE Fund used a unique business model that offered a simple, low-cost way, to purchase solar electricity. 

More recent activities have included private aviation, a “green” products distributor (serving Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s and others), Closed Title Austin/San Antonio (Closed Title has closed over 25,000 transactions across 27 states with 23 offices. website »), real estate, long-term land holdings (over 900 acres) and other ventures.

Today, Tyson Ventures serves as a vehicle for multi-generational continuity. Each partner maintains independent professional pursuits while contributing perspective and oversight within the family enterprise.