Service Provider Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 and based in Colorado. It specializes in co-investments in Seed and Series A rounds led by institutional venture funds, and operates multiple regional funds with a portfolio of 600+ companies and connections to over 400 strategic investors. The firm leverages its extensive networks of limited partners and CEOs to connect portfolio companies with potential investors, customers, and partners, while providing access to expertise and resources without imposing restrictive terms or seeking special rights. It supports portfolio companies with prompt assistance and covers its own legal fees, and operates independently of certain listed firms to focus on portfolio company growth.

Serra Ventures is an active venture capital firm based in Champaign, Illinois, that backs early-stage technology startups across the United States. The firm focuses on information technology, deep tech, instrumentation, software-as-a-service, and agricultural technologies, with a strong emphasis on AgTech and FinTech opportunities. Serra Ventures supports portfolio companies through early development and growth, and maintains visibility in the startup ecosystem through industry events and updates. The firm has invested in more than a hundred startups nationwide, including notable portfolio companies such as Swarm Engineering, Verisim Life, Paystand, and Bonsai Robotics, and is known for its Midwest and West Coast presence and a dedicated Ag Tech focus.

Hyde Park Angels is a Chicago-based venture investment group that concentrates on seed and early-stage opportunities in technology, healthcare, business and financial services, consumer and industrial products, predominantly in the Midwest. The firm combines capital with an extensive operating network and hands-on support to help portfolio companies grow, guided by a People First approach that emphasizes founder empowerment and practical execution. By leveraging its network and expertise across the company lifecycle, Hyde Park Angels aims to accelerate growth, improve strategic execution, and foster long-term value creation for both founders and investors.

Capital Midwest Fund is a Mequon, Wisconsin-based venture capital firm that targets early-stage and revenue-stage investments in the Midwest United States. It backs technology-driven companies across sectors such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, software (SaaS), B2B services, health tech, life sciences, healthcare, industrials, consumer goods, media, and transportation, with emphasis on strong management teams and proven market validation. The firm seeks opportunities within Wisconsin and broader central U.S. markets, supporting startups and growth-oriented ventures aligned with regional growth and practical application of emerging technologies.

Rev1 Ventures is a Midwest-based venture studio and investment platform headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It combines capital with strategic services to help startups scale and to fuel corporate innovation, connecting founders with corporate and research partners to access markets and customers. The organization focuses on early-stage opportunities across enterprise software, data analytics, digital health, fintech, insurtech, SaaS, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and energy, with a history of supporting SaaS/AI, deep tech, and healthtech initiatives. Its approach centers on market validation, traction generation, and venture readiness, delivered through a team of builders, investors, operators, and corporate collaborators. Rev1 emphasizes building a strong Midwest ecosystem through events and resources that foster startup growth and regional job creation. By aligning innovators with strategic capital and a broad ecosystem, Rev1 aims to increase the odds of startup success and drive economic impact in the region.

Grand Ventures is a Michigan-based venture capital firm founded in 2017 and headquartered in Grand Rapids. It invests in seed and early-stage technology companies across the United States and Canada, with a focus on B2B software in fintech, devops, supply chain and logistics, digital health, and developer tools, as well as sectors such as automotive, energy, agriculture, and manufacturing. The firm typically backs startups in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions and pursues investments ranging from hundreds of thousands to a few million dollars. Beyond capital, Grand Ventures leverages an advisory board network and industry connections to help entrepreneurs refine strategy, build teams, and pursue successful exits.

OCA Ventures is a venture capital and growth equity firm based in Chicago, with an office in Palo Alto, that makes early‑stage and growth investments in the United States and Canada. It focuses on software, consumer software, fintech, digital health, and information technology, including enterprise software. The firm supports portfolio companies with strategic guidance, market connections, and introductions to industry leaders to help startups scale from seed through Series C and beyond.

Cleveland Avenue is a Chicago-based venture capital firm established in 2015 that provides capital and strategic support to early- and growth-stage startups. The firm focuses on lifestyle consumer brands and technology sectors, with emphasis on food and beverage, AgTech, and consumer products that disrupt large markets. It offers portfolio companies practical guidance, operational resources, and access to networks to accelerate growth, in addition to funding. Operating with a global outlook, Cleveland Avenue pursues opportunities across domestic and international markets and maintains a diverse portfolio spanning agritech, sustainable materials, healthcare technology, and AI-enabled platforms.

Alumni Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, that expands access to venture investing for accredited individuals by co-investing with leading venture capital firms and enabling participation through various structures such as funds, syndicates, and investment clubs. It collaborates with top firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Y Combinator and supports opportunities across pre-seed to growth stages, across multiple sectors and geographies. The firm emphasizes rigorous due diligence, transparency, and diversification, leveraging a broad network of alumni investors and partners to connect founders with strategic capital and resources. With a global footprint and active involvement in the venture ecosystem, Alumni Ventures aims to broaden participation in venture capital while maintaining disciplined, founder-friendly investing.

Revolution is a Washington, DC-based venture capital firm established in 2005 by Steve Case. It funds technology-enabled companies across the United States, investing at early and growth stages and often taking board involvement. The firm supports ventures across sectors such as software and services, financial services, media and entertainment, health, energy, consumer products, and other tech-enabled opportunities. Revolution manages a family of funds, including Revolution Ventures, Revolution Growth, and Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and operates the Rise of the Rest initiative to spotlight startup hubs outside New York, Silicon Valley, and Boston. Its approach centers on partnering with entrepreneurs to build companies that can scale from regional bases, emphasizing capital efficiency, access to talent, and lower costs of doing business in emerging markets. With headquarters in Washington, DC and additional presence in San Francisco, the firm seeks to fund companies across the United States and across stages, often serving as a lead investor in early rounds and pursuing growth investments in later rounds.

Cultivation Capital is a St. Louis-based venture capital firm founded in 2012 that invests in early-stage companies across the United States. It concentrates on life sciences and health tech, software and information technology, agriculture and food tech, and geospatial technologies, typically supporting seed to Series B rounds. The firm emphasizes a hands-on approach, providing strategic guidance to portfolio companies to navigate growth challenges. With a Midwest focus and an extensive partner network, Cultivation Capital aims to help startups scale from initial traction to sustainable expansion.

FJ Labs is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 by Fabrice Grinda. It specializes in marketplaces and consumer-facing startups and is stage-agnostic, making seed to Series A investments with typical checks ranging from 50,000 to 5,000,000. The firm backs founders pursuing network effects and scalable models across consumer internet, e-commerce, fintech, and related sectors, aiming to support transformative growth. Its portfolio includes companies such as Alibaba Group, Beepi, BrightRoll, Betterment, Adore Me, and Earnest, reflecting a broad approach to marketplaces and consumer ventures. FJ Labs emphasizes passion, execution, and tenacity in founders and actively seeks new opportunities to back impactful businesses.

IrishAngels is an angel investment group based in Chicago that backs early-stage startups, focusing on seed, seed+, and Series A rounds. The group targets software and technology-driven companies across consumer and enterprise sectors, including areas such as AI, ML, fintech, health tech, SaaS, and related verticals. It differentiates itself by leveraging an active network to create value beyond capital, with founder-centric engagement and ongoing support from due diligence through post-investment growth. IrishAngels emphasizes hands-on assistance, helping portfolio companies build and scale with regular founder check-ins and strategic guidance. The firm pursues opportunities across a broad range of technology-enabled sectors and seeks to partner with ambitious founders to accelerate growth.

New Enterprise Associates is a global venture capital firm founded in 1977 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It provides capital and operational support to technology and healthcare companies across stages from seed to IPO, with investments spanning software, consumer technology, medical devices, life sciences, AI, energy technology, and related sectors. The firm collaborates with founders on product development, market expansion, and navigating evolving markets, offering domain expertise alongside funding. With a long-standing track record of portfolio companies achieving IPOs and strategic acquisitions, NEA maintains a global footprint and active involvement in the United States, Asia and other regions, supporting companies throughout their growth lifecycle.

Origin Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 1999 by former operators and engineers with extensive venture investing experience. It concentrates on early-stage software, online marketplaces, and digital content companies, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence infrastructure, AI-native software, and frontier technology. The firm emphasizes hands-on, long-term partnerships and draws on an operator network to guide portfolio companies. Its portfolio spans AI, software, marketplaces, and related sectors, reflecting a focus on companies with potential for rapid growth after achieving product-market fit. Typical investments occur in Series A rounds, often ranging from $1 million to $3 million.

Dundee Venture Capital is a venture capital firm based in Omaha, Nebraska, with additional offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Boulder. It focuses on early-stage investments in commerce enablement, supply chain technologies, fintech, e-commerce infrastructure, and related software, primarily targeting seed and pre-seed rounds and often taking a lead or strong co-lead position. The firm emphasizes building close relationships with founders and is noted for transparency in sharing information about its operations and portfolio. Its investments span across the United States, targeting companies that modernize commerce workflows from online storefronts to warehousing and logistics, including software, services, and platforms that enable commerce acceleration and operational efficiency.

Sandalphon Capital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 that backs early-stage startups across the United States, with a focus on the Midwest and underserved markets such as Chicago. It concentrates on sectors including digital health, healthcare information technology, fintech and insurtech, property technology and real estate tech, RegTech and other tech-enabled services, as well as B2B SaaS and marketplaces, often investing in software and hardware with recurring revenue. The firm typically writes checks in the range of $100,000 to $300,000 for seed, bridge, and Series A rounds, and may consider pre-seed opportunities. It seeks to form partnerships with strong management teams and problem-solving, scalable business models that can achieve high margins and recurring revenue. While its geographic footprint covers the United States, there is a core emphasis on Chicago and the Midwest, with portfolio activity also in healthcare, fintech, and proptech sectors.

7wire Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2011 and based in Chicago that concentrates on early-stage digital health and healthcare IT companies. It adopts an operator-led approach, working closely with founders and leveraging a network of strategic health systems, payers, and life sciences partners to support scalable growth and long-term value creation. The firm funds early-stage and growth opportunities and seeks to transform healthcare by backing consumer-centered, technology-enabled solutions, with a focus on improving access, outcomes, and affordability. It emphasizes strategic partnerships and experience-driven guidance to help portfolio companies navigate regulatory, clinical, and commercialization challenges.

Impact Engine is a Chicago-based venture capital and private equity firm that invests in companies delivering positive outcomes in education, health, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability, with activities across sectors including water, waste, energy, and healthcare. Founded in the early 2010s, it pursues a dual objective of financial return and social impact through venture capital and private equity investments, providing capital and strategic guidance to help growth-stage and early-stage companies scale solutions that address social and environmental challenges.

True Ventures is a Silicon Valley–based venture capital firm founded in 2005 that backs early-stage technology startups, offering seed and Series A financing from its Palo Alto headquarters. With a large team that includes operators and founders-turned-investors, the firm provides a platform to support founders through the company lifecycle. True Ventures has backed more than 350 companies and helped launch and scale businesses, contributing to over 85,000 jobs worldwide. It has managed more than $3.8 billion in capital and has been recognized as Venture Firm of the Year by the National Venture Capital Association in 2018, reflecting its experience and influence within the startup ecosystem.

Right Side Capital Management is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that targets early-stage, capital-efficient technology startups. Using a quantitative, data-driven approach, it makes rapid funding decisions for companies that are pre-product-market fit or early in their development, often with small rounds and modest valuations. The firm emphasizes speed and transparency, typically delivering a yes or no decision within weeks, and it seeks to build ultra-diversified portfolios across many portfolio companies. Beyond capital, it provides substantial post-investment mentorship and operational support, including guidance on sales and marketing and other growth functions, leveraging the founders' decades of tech experience and an expansive network. Investments span the United States and Canada, with activity focused on technology-enabled companies across these markets. Since its founding in 2012, Right Side Capital positions itself as funding startups that are underserved by traditional professional investors, operating like an operating company rather than a conventional VC and aiming to help founders accelerate fundraising and scale their ventures.

Spring Mill Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Carmel, Indiana. It invests in seed and early-stage information technology, healthcare technology, and life sciences companies, focusing on Indiana and the surrounding Midwest region, including Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. The firm provides capital and strategic and tactical support to help high-growth startups grow and prosper.

Arboretum Ventures is a Michigan-based venture capital firm founded in 2002 that specializes in seed- through growth-stage investments in healthcare. It backs U.S. companies across sectors such as services, medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare information technology, therapeutics, tech-enabled care delivery, and life science tools, with typical equity investments in the range of 5 to 15 million. While it has a Midwest and Michigan focus, the firm invests nationally to support innovations aimed at improving patient outcomes and reducing costs.

MK Capital is a venture capital and private equity firm based in Northbrook, Illinois, with additional offices in Ann Arbor and Santa Monica. Founded in 2003, it concentrates on early- and growth-stage technology companies in the United States, primarily in software and technology-enabled sectors such as digital software, software-as-a-service, digital media, data center automation, technology-enabled business services, and education technology. The firm typically provides initial institutional capital and growth capital and combines capital with deep operational expertise, strategic guidance, and active board involvement to help portfolio companies scale. MK Capital emphasizes hands-on collaboration, offering strategic insights and operational support across strategy, operations, and technology. The firm manages more than $500 million in assets and has demonstrated a history of exits through its portfolio companies.

G Squared is a global venture capital firm founded in 2011 and based in Chicago. The firm provides growth-stage primary capital to technology companies and liquidity solutions through direct secondary transactions and company-sponsored employee tenders, aiming to align long-term value creation with liquidity needs for early investors, employees, and other sellers. It pursues opportunities across software, consumer, fintech, and mobility sectors and operates as a registered investment adviser with a multi-office footprint that includes Chicago, San Francisco, Zurich, and Miami. The portfolio features both established platforms and emerging disruptors, with names such as Airbnb, Instacart, Spotify, 23andMe, Coursera, Lyft, and Pinterest illustrating its mix of growth and liquidity strategies.

Jump Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Chicago that invests in fintech, application software, and infrastructure software companies in the United States. It positions itself as founder-focused and low-ego, providing a hands-on strategic partnership that covers opportunities, hiring, and operational decision-making through a team of seasoned operators. The firm emphasizes rigorous financial discipline and a long-term orientation, aiming to support portfolio companies with guidance and active engagement through insights, events, and content to fuel growth. Its sector focus includes financial services, healthcare, information technology, IoT, e-commerce, marketing technology, artificial intelligence, big data, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and gaming.

Heron Capital is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana, focused on healthcare and life sciences, including therapeutic devices, diagnostics, medical devices, and related manufacturing. It invests in United States and Canada-based companies, with a Midwest emphasis and proximity to Indianapolis. The firm targets buyouts, recapitalizations, expansions, and turnaround opportunities in small- to middle-market businesses, often seeking a controlling stake and board seats. Typical investments range from $1 to $10 million of equity in companies with at least $2 million in revenue and earnings of $0.5 million to $4 million, aiming to unlock value through operational improvements and strategic growth. It emphasizes collaboration with management teams and leverages a network of scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to support portfolio companies.

Break Trail Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Columbus, Ohio, with an additional office in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 2018, it focuses on early-stage and growth capital investments across sectors such as consumer products, advanced manufacturing, big data, digital health, e-commerce, and mobile and SaaS. The firm collaborates with entrepreneurs to address significant industry challenges and drive meaningful impact through support and capital.

KB Partners is a venture capital firm based in Highland Park, Illinois, specializing in early-stage investments in the sports and technology sectors. The firm emphasizes an active, partnership-driven approach, working with entrepreneurs and experienced managers to help build scalable, durable businesses. It funds seed, first- and second-round opportunities and can participate in mezzanine and growth investments, with a focus on technology products and services, sports-related technologies and services, and related consumer, hardware and data analytics opportunities in Illinois, the Chicago area and the Midwest. KB Partners provides strategic guidance and operational support to portfolio companies to accelerate growth and navigate early-stage challenges; portfolio companies include Club Champion, Hammerhead, Full Swing and asensei.

Lakewest Venture Partners is a Chicago-based venture capital firm, affiliate of Lakewest, focused on seed and early-stage investments across the United States. Founded in 2013, it has backed more than 50 companies across sectors such as technology, entertainment, communications, and dental innovation, including notable investments in Accel Entertainment, Telnyx, and Spot Hero. The team—David E. Mann, Jonathan W. McCulloch, and David W. Buzz Ruttenberg—provides industry knowledge, operational expertise, and strategic mentorship. The firm emphasizes backing entrepreneurs with strong teams, validated concepts, early revenue, and customer traction, aiming to drive disruptive ideas. It has led seed investments and, in partnership with Dundee Venture Capital, pursues high-growth opportunities, typically in the range of $250,000 to $750,000, while also allocating capital to high-performing venture funds with differentiated strategies.

Method Capital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that focuses on growth-stage technology companies, with an emphasis on Midwest-based startups. It backs B2B technology businesses, often around Series A/B, with typical investments ranging from $1 million to $10 million and an ideal size near $5 million. The firm seeks companies with recurring revenue, scalable platforms, and referenceable customers, covering sectors such as artificial intelligence, marketing technology, retail analytics, procurement, and mobile marketplaces. Method Capital emphasizes active investor stewardship and supports portfolio companies in execution and adaptability.

Nueterra Capital is a Midwest-based venture capital firm headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. It invests in healthcare and technology startups at early and growth stages, drawing on more than 25 years of healthcare operations experience to provide capital, resources, and strategic partnerships that help portfolio companies scale. The firm focuses on digital health, devices and diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and information technology solutions to tackle inefficiencies in healthcare delivery and administration and to advance the integration of healthcare and technology in the United States.

Magarac Venture Partners is a Pittsburgh-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests in Midwest technology companies, typically at Seed and Series A rounds. It backs market-defining startups by providing capital and resources, with a people-first approach and emphasis on supporting founders. The firm focuses on the Midwest technology ecosystem, with activity in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Detroit, and seeks to leverage regional strengths. The team includes veterans from Draper Triangle Ventures, guiding portfolio companies across sectors such as cybersecurity, retail innovation, real estate tech, virtual reality, and athletic technology, among others. Magarac emphasizes diversity and inclusion, with policies guiding representation within portfolios and hiring interviews at senior levels. The firm aims to empower bold founders to shape the future.

Eden Global Partners is a New York-based private investment firm and merchant bank affiliated with a family-office network. It provides long-term capital and strategic advisory to entrepreneurs and growth companies, combining advisory services with principal investments. The firm leverages its transaction experience, own capital, and a broad network of family offices and long-term capital partners to help companies scale, innovate, and create enduring value. It invests across diverse sectors in the United States, including logistics, Internet, and software.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm focused on deep tech investments that address human and planetary health, backing seed-to-growth startups and delivering hands-on programs that accelerate product development, customer acquisition, and fundraising. It operates accelerator-like facilities for deep tech founders, including IndieBio in San Francisco and New York (referred to as SOSV SF & NY) and HAX in Newark, offering labs, offices, engineering support, mentorship, and broad access to an investor network. With a large and active portfolio across dozens of countries, SOSV supports hundreds of pre-seed and follow-on investments annually from its New Jersey base and through its global network, emphasizing long-term founder support beyond initial funding and fostering collaboration among portfolio companies and investors.

VisionTech Partners is an Indianapolis-based angel investor group in the Midwest that backs early-stage and growth technology companies across sectors including life sciences, SaaS, IoT, advanced materials, supply chain, and hardware. The organization provides capital and strategic guidance, conducting rigorous due diligence and leveraging a broad investor network to support a portfolio of companies in Indiana and the surrounding region. Founded in 2009, VisionTech Partners screens hundreds of opportunities and typically invests in the low hundreds of thousands up to about 1 million through convertible debt or equity, aiming to help companies reach milestones toward a Series A within a few years. The network comprises hundreds of investors and a growing portfolio, reflecting an active effort to strengthen the regional startup ecosystem.

New Coast Ventures is a Chicago-based firm that provides web and mobile development, design, consulting, and product development services to Fortune 500s and startups, acting as an innovation partner and extending client teams to accelerate growth and new business creation. The company also makes seed investments in early-stage startups and targets opportunities in consumer internet, enterprise software, marketplaces, and mobile commerce.

NCT Ventures is a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm focused on seed and early-stage technology companies in the Midwest. It backs innovators disrupting major industries and typically invests $250k to $1 million in early rounds, with benchmarks up to $5 million in growth rounds as portfolio companies scale. With more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience, it provides hands-on operational support and partners with founders to move ventures from concept to market. The firm emphasizes an ideas-to-business approach developed with Ohio State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and its investment scope covers information technology, healthcare, adtech, advanced manufacturing, ecommerce, and related sectors. By leveraging the Midwest’s research base and industrial strength, NCT Ventures seeks to build lasting companies and contribute to regional entrepreneurship through collaboration with local ecosystems.

Rock River Capital Partners is a Midwest-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies, particularly software, with strong product-market fit. Founded in 2016 and based in Madison, Wisconsin, it targets opportunities across sectors but seeks technical disruption, often via software. The firm aims to be the lead investor, take a board seat, and provide value beyond capital, prioritizing straightforward terms aligned with founders. It reserves capital for follow-on rounds to support portfolio companies through subsequent funding cycles and collaborates with other Midwest venture firms to help companies advance to the next stage of growth.

Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 that concentrates on early-stage technology companies in the United States, with a focus on seed and Series A rounds. It backs fintech, consumer goods, software, enterprise technology, climate and healthcare, and other AI-driven ventures, typically investing from pre-seed to several million dollars. The firm emphasizes innovative startups across the technology spectrum and has backed a diverse portfolio that includes Tempus, Udemy, Fiverr, Sprout Social, Boom Supersonic, Tastytrade, Extend, Attain, Paytient and Expel.

Portal Innovations is a Chicago-based venture development platform that supports science-driven startups by providing seed capital, fully equipped laboratory facilities, advanced equipment, and access to a network of experts, mentors, and potential partners. It offers a collaborative community, strategic introductions, and resources to help entrepreneurs translate breakthroughs in life sciences, medical technology, biotech, and bioinformatics into commercial companies. The organization focuses on accelerating development and commercialization of impactful discoveries through comprehensive support and access to lab space and professional connections.

Ardesta is a private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1999 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with an additional office in Hinsdale, Illinois. It invests in startup or seed, early stage, mid venture and late venture, as well as bridge and mezzanine financing, and seeks to invest in middle market companies. Its technology focus includes micro- and nanotechnology, communications, energy, environmental safety and security, and medical diagnostics and treatment.

Hopewell Ventures is a Midwest-focused venture capital firm based in Chicago with an additional office in Peoria. It provides equity capital and strategic expertise to high-growth companies across seed to later stages, targeting sectors such as healthcare, information technology, life sciences, medical devices, consumer products, and manufacturing. Affiliated with Woodland Venture Management, it aims to leverage regional opportunities across the Midwest, from Ohio to Nebraska, through a broad network of partners. The firm is described as a licensed small business investment company (SBIC). Some sources indicate Hopewell Ventures went out of business.

TitletownTech is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based venture capital firm established in 2019 through a partnership between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. It focuses on early-stage investments in bold entrepreneurs solving meaningful problems, with a regional emphasis on the Midwest. The firm backs startups across six verticals: sports, media and entertainment; digital health; agriculture, water and the environment; manufacturing and construction; supply chain and logistics; and cross-industry technology. It supports portfolio companies with capital and hands-on guidance through an ecosystem that includes investors, in-residence partners, industry advisors, higher education, and a dedicated team. Initiatives such as an AI Co-Innovation Lab and the Startup Draft illustrate a commitment to accelerating innovation in its core sectors. It aims to generate measurable industry impact and financial returns by leveraging its community and strategic partnerships.

Higher Ground Labs is a Chicago-based venture capital firm and accelerator focused on political technology and civic tech startups. It provides early-stage funding and accelerator programs to help founders build software and platforms used by campaigns, advocacy groups, and public-interest organizations. The firm also runs ecosystem-building activities to connect portfolio companies with political organizations and support founders in navigating the political tech landscape.

Chingona Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that funds early‑stage startups, with a focus on financial technology, health technology, learning technology and the future of work. It supports pre‑seed and seed rounds, typically investing between $250,000 and $2 million, and targets founders described as 'badass' who can build companies in growth markets often overlooked. The firm's approach centers on sectors undergoing meaningful disruption and opportunities across the United States.

KohFounders is a venture capital firm and formation-stage investor focused on supporting early-stage startups led by mission-driven founders outside traditional tech hubs. Based in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, the firm backs companies across sectors including healthcare tech, edtech, climate tech, agtech, fintech, the future of work, prop tech and frontier tech, as well as marketplaces, digital health, AI, messaging platforms, mobile, and IoT. It engages with founders before institutional capital is raised to help them scale, and collaborates with entrepreneurs in emerging ecosystems across the United States. The firm emphasizes deep domain expertise, strong teams, and a clear vision to solve meaningful problems, and has backed over 100 companies with exits valued at more than $500 billion.

Triathlon Medical Ventures is an Ohio-based investment firm focusing on life sciences, biomedicine, medical devices, biotechnology, and diagnostics, primarily in the Midwest. Founded in the early 2000s, it invested across seed to expansion stages and often led deals, seeking companies with proprietary biomedical technology addressing major healthcare needs. The firm maintained a Midwest footprint with a Cincinnati headquarters and additional offices in Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.

iSelect Fund is a venture capital firm based in Saint Louis, Missouri, focused on converging agricultural technology, food systems, and health tech to address global protein demand and nutritional outcomes. It backs early‑ to growth‑stage companies across the United States, with emphasis on the Southeast, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions, and pursues a balanced portfolio in agriculture, soil health, plant sciences, seed genetics, food tech, and healthcare. The firm seeks to improve farmer profitability, food quality and affordability, and environmental sustainability through its investments, often supporting solutions that enhance sustainability and efficiency in farming and food systems. It targets seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, and maintains a long‑term investment horizon, reflecting the illiquid nature of startups in these sectors. iSelect Fund emphasizes collaboration with a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to accelerate innovation across agtech and health technologies.

Draper Triangle Ventures is a Pittsburgh-based early-stage venture capital firm that backs technology startups in the United States, with a focus on software, information technology, robotics, medical devices, mobile applications, big data, IoT, and related sectors. Founded in 1999, it provides seed and early funding, often taking board seats to help scale portfolio companies. The firm operates with offices in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Ann Arbor and participates in the Draper Venture Network, a global collective of independent funds that collaborates on diligence, market intelligence, and co-investments. Draper Triangle has supported startups across the Midwest and beyond, aiming to turn innovative ideas into disruptive businesses.