Service Provider Capital is a venture capital firm established in 2014 and located in Golden, Colorado. The firm focuses on co-investing in seed and series A rounds, primarily in collaboration with institutional venture funds. It targets a diverse range of sectors, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, cannabis, cybersecurity, e-commerce, education technology, fintech, hardware, information technology, robotics, and health. By concentrating on these industries, Service Provider Capital aims to support innovative companies at critical stages of their development.

Serra Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Champaign, Illinois, founded in 1998, that invests in technology companies across the United States and in select international locations. It focuses on early-stage and growth-stage opportunities in information technology, deep technology, instrumentation, software as a service, devices, B2B, and agricultural technologies, with an emphasis on companies in the Midwest and West Coast regions.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency established in 1950 and based in Alexandria, Virginia. It is dedicated to supporting research and education in science and engineering across a wide range of disciplines. The NSF provides significant non-dilutive funding, up to $1.5 million, to startups and small businesses through its America's Seed Fund initiative, which is part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program mandated by Congress. With an operating budget of approximately $7.8 billion, the NSF is committed to advancing fundamental research and education, thus fostering innovation and technological development in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Energy is a government agency established in 1977, located in Washington, D.C. Its primary mission is to ensure the security and prosperity of the nation by tackling energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges. The Department focuses on promoting transformative scientific and technological solutions to address these issues, thereby supporting the country's energy needs and environmental sustainability.

Techstars is a global platform that invests in and supports early-stage technology companies. Founded in 2006, it operates a mentorship-driven accelerator program, providing seed funding, intensive mentorship, and access to a network of investors and entrepreneurs. Techstars has programs in various locations worldwide, including Boston, Boulder, New York, Seattle, London, Chicago, and Austin. It invests $118,000 in each company, with $18,000 in seed funding and an optional $100,000 convertible debt note. Techstars also has industry-specific accelerator programs, such as Techstars Retail and Techstars Music, focusing on retail and music technology, respectively. Its portfolio includes over 1,000 companies with a combined market cap of $8.1 billion.

Pritzker Group Venture Capital, established in 1996, is a venture capital firm that supports entrepreneurs in building and growing technology companies. Based in Chicago, Illinois, with additional offices in Los Angeles, California, the firm invests in information technology companies across various stages, from seed to late-stage, with a focus on Series A and B rounds. Pritzker Group Venture Capital typically invests between $2 million and $8 million initially, with a total commitment of up to $20 million per company. The firm concentrates on sectors such as commerce, enterprise applications, consumer technology, healthcare IT, and emerging technologies. With a portfolio of over 150 companies, Pritzker Group Venture Capital has facilitated numerous successful exits, including Fleetmatics, SinglePlatform, and Playdom. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Pritzker Group and is known for its flexible capital structure and strategic guidance provided by its experienced team of investment professionals and entrepreneurs.

Hyde Park Venture Partners, established in 2011, is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focusing on early-stage technology companies in the Midwest. It invests in seed and Series A rounds, typically allocating $0.1 to $2.5 million per company. The firm targets software, SaaS, and tech-enabled businesses, with a particular interest in those led by University of Chicago alumni. Hyde Park Venture Partners takes an active role in mentoring and guiding portfolio companies, often co-investing with Hyde Park Angels.

Alumni Ventures Group is a venture capital firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire, with offices across North America. It provides access to venture investing for individual accredited investors, particularly alumni networks, by offering diversified portfolios of venture opportunities and allowing members to invest alongside fellow alumni in ventures led by peers. The firm backs early-stage and later-stage opportunities across technology, consumer, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors, with a sector- and geography-agnostic approach. It typically invests between $10,000 and $3 million per deal and emphasizes the involvement of alumni connections and an institutional lead investor in opportunities. Alumni Ventures also offers focused funds to broaden participation, enabling accredited investors to access venture portfolios diversified by type, sector, stage, and geography. The model aims to democratize access to venture capital while maintaining rigorous selection standards through alumni networks.

Founded in 2015, FJ Labs is a New York-based venture capital firm focusing on stage-agnostic investments in marketplaces and consumer-facing startups. Their investment range varies from $50,000 to $5,000,000, typically at seed or series A stages.

OCA Ventures, established in 1999 and headquartered in Chicago, is a private equity firm specializing in early-stage investments. The company focuses on equity investments in high-growth potential technology and scalable services businesses, with a particular emphasis on digital health, fintech, consumer software, and enterprise software sectors within the United States.

Cleveland Avenue is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, founded in 2015. The firm makes investments across seed, early, later, and growth stages, with a focus on food and beverage companies, lifestyle consumer brands, AgTech, and technology businesses. It provides capital and strategic support to startups seeking to scale product offerings, expand into new markets, and build operational capabilities. As an investment adviser, Cleveland Avenue combines financial backing with hands-on guidance to help portfolio companies achieve long-term growth.

Advantage Capital Partners is a United States–based venture capital firm established in 1992 that provides equity and debt investments to small and growth-stage companies, with a focus on underserved communities and state and local economic development. The firm targets sectors including information technology, manufacturing, business services, healthcare, life sciences, energy, agribusiness, and related industries, and also supports real estate development and affordable housing initiatives. It typically makes initial investments between 0.5 million and 10 million and can participate in larger rounds based on milestones; it often co-invests with other investors. Capital offerings include senior debt, mezzanine debt, subordinated loans, and government-guaranteed lending, with instruments such as preferred equity or convertible debt. Advantage Capital operates nationwide in the United States, maintaining offices in multiple cities and focusing on communities underserved by traditional risk capital to drive economic development and job growth.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., established in 1869, is a global leader in investment banking, securities, and investment management. It operates in four primary segments: Investment Banking, Institutional Client Services, Investing & Lending, and Investment Management. The company provides a wide range of services, including financial advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, underwriting services for various securities, client execution services for fixed income, currencies, commodities, and equities, securities services, and wealth advisory services. It serves a diverse client base comprising corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals. Additionally, Goldman Sachs invests in a broad array of asset classes, including debt securities, equity securities, real estate, and private equity, demonstrating its commitment to driving growth and innovation across industries.

M25 is a Chicago-based venture capital firm established in 2015 by Victor Gutwein and Mike Asem, focused on funding pre-seed and seed-stage technology startups in the Midwest. The firm supports portfolio companies across multiple industries, with a regional footprint spanning 24 Midwest cities in 11 states. Since its inception, M25 has backed more than 90 early-stage tech startups, aiming to accelerate growth and strengthen the Midwest startup ecosystem.

Capital Midwest Fund is a venture capital firm based in Mequon, Wisconsin. It specializes in early-stage investments across various sectors including life sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing, B2B, and healthcare, with a focus on companies located in the Midwest region of the United States.

Jump Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2012 and based in Chicago and New York. It pursues seed and Series A investments through a thesis-led, sector-focused, operating-centric approach, backing data-driven technology companies across FinTech, B2B software-as-a-service, IT and data infrastructure, media, and related areas in the United States. The firm seeks partners with experienced management teams and provides an operating platform and resources to support growth. Initial investment checks typically range from 2 million to 10 million. Jump Capital emphasizes practical, hands-on involvement and aims to align with entrepreneurs seeking a trusted partner with real-world operating experience.

Chicago Ventures, established in 2011, is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focusing on seed-stage and early-stage investments. It partners with exceptional entrepreneurs building companies in undercapitalized, high-potential ecosystems, primarily in the Chicago area and the broader Midwest region. The firm invests in tech-enabled startups, with a particular interest in software, digital health, e-commerce, fintech, and healthtech sectors. Chicago Ventures typically allocates USD 250,000 to USD 2 million per investment, supporting around 25-27 companies per fund.

Bain Capital, established in 1984, is a global multi-asset alternative investment firm with over $100 billion in assets under management. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm operates through several business units: Private Equity, Public Equity, Credit, and Venture Capital. Bain Capital Private Equity invests in various sectors, including consumer, healthcare, industrials, and technology, across North America, Europe, and Asia. Bain Capital Ventures, the venture capital arm, focuses on seed to growth-stage investments in enterprise software, infrastructure software, and industries being transformed by data. Bain Capital Life Sciences, a dedicated life sciences investment platform, invests in biopharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and enabling life science technology companies globally. Bain Capital Double Impact, the firm's impact investing arm, builds great companies that deliver both competitive financial returns and meaningful, measurable social and environmental good.

TechNexus Venture Collaborative is a Chicago-based venture collaboration platform and investment entity that connects corporations with startups to co-create new business models, products, revenue streams, and scalable market access. Founded in 2007, it combines capital investment, incubation, and collaborative engagement to accelerate opportunities and support the growth of innovative ventures across sectors including audio and consumer electronics, B2B software, health and wellness, manufacturing, mobility, media production, and retail. It has facilitated partnerships between dozens of corporations and more than 600 startups, making it one of the most active venture investors in the United States.

Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 that backs early-stage technology companies in the United States. Focusing on seed and Series A rounds, it targets vertically focused opportunities across AI, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, crypto, fintech and climate sectors, and typically writes initial checks in the low hundreds of thousands to several million dollars. The firm pursues a broad early-growth strategy with an emphasis on the Midwest and other U.S. markets, and has invested in more than 150 companies, including Tempus, Udemy, Fiverr, Sprout Social, Boom Supersonic, Tastytrade, Extend, Attain, Paytient and Expel. Lightbank is described as a venture capital firm and registered investment adviser, reflecting its formal investment approach and governance. It aims to support founders with innovative products and scalable business models during the critical early stages of development.

Founded in 2005, Y Combinator is a California-based startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital firm. It provides funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies across various industries, with a focus on technology, healthcare, and finance. The organization helps founders refine their business models and products through an intensive three-month program in Silicon Valley, culminating in Demo Day presentations to investors.

7wire Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2011 that concentrates on early-stage investments in digital health, healthcare IT, mobility-enabled services, and other technology-enabled solutions in the United States. The firm provides funding and operating guidance to portfolio companies to help transform innovative ideas into scalable, world-class businesses. Its approach leverages mobility, connected devices, cloud computing, and analytics to advance sectors such as healthcare and education and to challenge conventional solutions.

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm established in 2000, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional offices in North America and Europe. The company specializes in early-stage and growth equity investments, focusing on technology-driven businesses. It invests across various sectors, including consumer internet, enterprise software, fintech, health assurance, and crypto. General Catalyst provides not only capital but also mentorship and resources to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies. To date, it has managed eight venture capital funds, totaling approximately $3.75 billion in capital commitments.

Founded in 2011, G Squared is a venture capital firm based in Chicago. It invests in companies that challenge industry norms and demonstrate strong growth potential. The firm partners with world-class entrepreneurs across various sectors such as B2B/B2C, fintech, software, mobility tech, and SaaS.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leads initiatives in food, agriculture, natural resources, and rural development. It aims to expand markets for agricultural products globally, foster alternative markets domestically, improve rural infrastructure, enhance food safety, promote nutrition education, and manage public lands collaboratively.

Baird Capital is a global investment firm specializing in private equity, venture capital, and growth equity investments. Founded in 1989, the company focuses on strategically-targeted sectors such as healthcare, technology-enabled services, industrial technology, and financial tech & services. With offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia, Baird Capital partners with senior industry executives to build world-class companies.

MATH Venture Partners is a Chicago-based venture capital firm established in 2014 that backs early- to mid-stage technology companies in the United States and Canada. The firm targets software, marketplaces, e-commerce, hardware-enabled software, and tech-enabled services, with a focus on ventures that emphasize customer acquisition. It pursues deep, hands-on partnerships with coachable founders, drawing on the experience of serial entrepreneurs who serve as managing directors. As part of its approach, the firm seeks opportunities in Midwest and other under-capitalized regions across the United States and Canada, supporting companies through initial and growth stages with a practical, operator-led perspective.

EVC Ventures is a private equity and venture capital firm established in 2014, with its headquarters in Miami, Florida, and additional offices in Chicago, Illinois, and Gurgaon, India. The firm focuses on early-stage and mid-stage investments, primarily in sectors such as EdTech, Artificial Intelligence, SaaS, mobile applications, security, augmented and virtual reality, drone technology, robotics, e-commerce, and gaming. EVC Ventures typically invests between $0.1 million and $5 million in its portfolio companies, and it operates two accelerator programs that provide funding ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 in exchange for equity. The firm prefers to back companies built on its I-MADE program, supporting entrepreneurs with both capital and strategic guidance to foster growth and innovation in the tech landscape.

Listen Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 that focuses on seed and early-stage investments in consumer-focused technology and consumer brands in the United States. The firm partners with early-stage startups to help build and scale brands in the consumer sector, emphasizing consumer goods and technology-driven businesses.

New Enterprise Associates is a venture capital firm founded in 1977 and based in Menlo Park, California, with offices in the United States, India and China. It makes investments across technology and healthcare startups at multiple stages, from seed to growth, including software, cloud, data, internet services, fintech, AI, e-commerce, and enterprise technology, as well as healthcare information technology, life sciences, medical devices, and biopharma. It also considers energy technology and infrastructure opportunities, such as solar, batteries and smart grids. The firm pursues a global approach, with activity in the United States, Asia and other regions, and supports companies through rounds of financing ranging from small to sizable investments as they scale. NEA focuses on building portfolios in software, IT services, consumer technology, and healthcare technology, backing ambitious entrepreneurs across sectors and geographies.

Founded in 1999, Origin Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in high-growth software, marketplace, and consumer businesses. With multiple funds in the top 5% on realized performance, they have facilitated successful exits such as Grubhub. The firm typically invests $500K to $8M in Series A rounds for companies demonstrating product-market fit.

SOSV, established in 1995 and headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, is a global venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments. It focuses on deep tech innovations in the health and environmental sectors, supporting founders with breakthrough technologies through its HAX and IndieBio startup development programs. SOSV provides resources, facilities, and lab equipment to accelerate product development and scale, with a track record of helping its portfolio companies secure subsequent funding rounds led by top-tier investors.

Founded in 1946, Fidelity is a leading privately-owned investment manager offering a wide range of services including IRAs, retirement planning, wealth management, and securities execution. It serves individual investors, businesses, financial advisors, and institutions worldwide, managing equity, fixed-income, and balanced mutual funds through global public markets.

Founded in 1983, Silicon Valley Bank specializes in providing diversified financial services to emerging growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity, and premium wine markets. With a global presence through offices in the U.S. and international operations, SVB offers industry knowledge, financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment, and international banking services.

Second Century Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that focuses on real estate technology and related sectors. Founded in 2009, it backs early and mid-stage companies in real estate tech, software as a service, big data applications, digital media, fintech, and business services. The firm aims to promote innovation in the real estate industry and supports portfolio companies with strategic resources. It is backed by the National Association of Realtors, a nationwide trade association with extensive industry reach, enabling access to a large network and expertise to help portfolio companies scale. The firm emphasizes collaboration across regions including North America, Europe, and Asia, and seeks opportunities that leverage technology to transform real estate processes and services.

8VC, established in 1969 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies across various sectors, with a focus on enabling industry transformation. The firm, which is a Registered Investment Adviser, partners with founders to develop transformational technologies, targeting sectors such as healthcare, logistics, biology, IT infrastructure, and government & defense. 8VC aims to create long-term economic and societal value through its investments, promoting innovation and global prosperity.

Illinois Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2000 and based in Chicago, Illinois. It specializes in seed and early-stage investments in technology-driven companies, particularly those originating from research at the University of Illinois and surrounding research institutions. The firm focuses on sectors such as information technologies, physical sciences, and life sciences, with specific interests in areas like energy, advanced materials, biotechnology, medical devices, and homeland security. By collaborating with inventors and entrepreneurs, Illinois Ventures aims to transform innovative concepts and intellectual property into high-growth businesses. The firm has gained recognition for its contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and has been listed among the top venture capital firms nationally by Entrepreneur magazine.

50 South Capital is an alternatives asset management firm that provides investment advisory and asset management services to investors seeking exposure to hedge funds, private equity, and real assets. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation and focuses on private equity and hedge investment activities, with a particular emphasis on technology and life science companies in the United States. Established in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company pursues growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Franklin Templeton is a global investment management organization, established in 1947, with a extensive international presence spanning 33 countries and serving clients in over 170. The company, known for its conservatively managed mutual funds, specializes in bond funds under the Franklin brand, international funds under Templeton, and value funds under Mutual Series. With a history of seven decades, Franklin Templeton offers clients a valuable perspective shaped by its experience, investment expertise, and global reach.

Revolution Growth, established in 2005, is a venture capital firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an additional office in San Francisco. The company focuses on growth-stage investments, typically committing between $25 million to $50 million per company. Revolution Growth targets a broad range of sectors, including technology, media, financial services, healthcare, and consumer products. The firm seeks to partner with entrepreneurs disrupting traditional industries and supports them with its specialized expertise.

Impact Engine, established in 2012, is a Chicago-based venture capital and private equity firm. It invests in companies that aim to generate positive outcomes in areas such as education, health, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

Valor Equity Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm founded in 1995 that focuses on growth investments in the United States. It partners with growth- and expansion-stage companies across sectors including consumer, infrastructure, industrial services, manufacturing, software and information technology, providing operational expertise to address growth and scale challenges. The firm engages in both control and non-control investments and targets technology-enabled companies, including software and SaaS businesses, with a regional focus on North America. It works with management teams to accelerate expansion and transform industries through disciplined capital allocation and strategic support.

Founded in 1993, H.I.G. Capital is a global private investment firm specializing in providing debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies worldwide. The firm focuses on buyouts, growth equity, and recapitalizations across various sectors such as business services, consumer goods, healthcare, industrials, and technology.

First Analysis is a Chicago-based private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1981 that concentrates on early-stage investments in the United States. Its sectors include technology and software, healthcare, services, and clean-tech/chemicals. The firm supports growth by working closely with management on strategy, recruitment, sales and marketing, and corporate development, and it generally makes lead investments or participates as a syndicate partner with typical checks of 3 to 10 million. It emphasizes in-depth industry research and aims to help portfolio companies become profitable leaders in large markets. The firm operates as a registered investment adviser.

DNS Capital, LLC is a private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in making long-term investments in middle market companies across various sectors, including industrials, business services, consumer products, agriculture, retail, and real estate. Founded in 2012, the firm primarily focuses on the United States but also considers select international opportunities. DNS Capital typically invests between $25 million and $100 million in companies with EBITDA ranging from $10 million to $50 million. As a family office investment firm, it aims to build strong relationships with business owners and management teams, fostering collaboration to create lasting value.

Google is a multinational technology company renowned for its search engine, offering services such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and YouTube. It specializes in advertising solutions through Google Ads and mobile operating systems with Android, while actively innovating in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Sandalphon Capital LLC is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 2016. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, primarily targeting Seed, Bridge, and Series A funding rounds. Sandalphon focuses on sectors such as Real Estate Tech, FinTech, InsurTech, RegTech, Healthcare IT, tech-enabled healthcare services, B2B and B2C SaaS, marketplaces, the Internet of Things, and hardware with recurring revenue. While it prefers to invest across the United States, its core emphasis is on the Chicago area, the Midwest, and underserved regional markets. The firm typically invests between $100,000 and $300,000, seeking strong management teams and scalable, technology-driven business models that can generate high-margin, recurring revenue.

Evergreen Climate Innovations, originally known as Clean Energy Trust, is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Illinois, that focuses on providing catalytic capital and support to entrepreneurs and startups developing impactful climate technologies. Founded in 2010, Evergreen's mission is to foster innovation in the Greater Midwest by aligning philanthropic and corporate contributions through its 501vc® Investment Fund. This approach aims to deliver significant environmental, economic, and social impact. Over the past decade, Evergreen has successfully invested in numerous startups, achieving an impressive leverage of $41 raised for every $1 invested. The organization is dedicated to cultivating a robust ecosystem of investors, donors, and collaborators to advance climate solutions in the region.

Lakewest Venture Partners is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2013 that invests in seed and early-stage technology companies across the United States, and operates as an affiliate of Lakewest, Inc., a real estate and private equity company, led by Buzz Ruttenberg, David Mann, and Jonathan McCulloch.

Nameless Ventures is a Chicago-based early-stage technology investor focused on seed to Series A rounds. Founded in 2017, it draws on the experience of its founders and investors to support startups in the information technology sector, providing hands-on guidance, operational support, and resources to help founders grow and navigate early growth.