Service Provider Capital is a Colorado-based venture capital firm founded in 2014 that funds seed-stage technology companies across domains such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, cybersecurity, fintech, e-commerce, education technology, hardware, robotics, information technology, health tech, and cannabis. The firm also co-invests in Series A rounds led by institutional venture funds, providing capital and guidance to startups in the United States, including the Midwest and Southeast regions.
Serra Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Champaign, Illinois. Founded in 2008, it invests in technology companies at early and growth stages across the United States, with select international activity, focusing on information technology, deep technology, instrumentation, devices, B2B software as a service, and agricultural technologies.
M25 is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on the Midwest. Founded in 2015, it backs pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies headquartered in the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and has invested in more than 90 startups across numerous cities and states. Led by Victor Gutwein and Mike Asem, M25 employs an analytical, collaborative approach to portfolio-building across software, information technology and other tech-enabled sectors. The firm aims to support the regional startup ecosystem by providing early-stage capital and guidance to founders as they scale their businesses.
Capital Midwest Fund is a venture capital firm based in Mequon, Wisconsin, that backs early-stage companies in the Midwest across sectors such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, B2B and business services, software and SaaS, information technology and IoT, and energy. The firm concentrates on Midwest investments, with Wisconsin as a primary focus, and targets initial investments typically in the low to mid single-digit millions per company. It also pursues ESG and diversity-inclusion related investments as part of its strategy.
Chicago Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on seed- and early-stage technology companies in the Midwest. Founded in 2011, it backs startups across software, supply chain and logistics, fintech, healthcare, consumer media, data management, proptech, mobility, and enterprise tools, with initial investments typically USD 0.25 million to USD 1 million. The firm partners with entrepreneurs to build enduring companies in undercapitalized ecosystems and is registered as an investment adviser (RIA).
Hyde Park Venture Partners is an Illinois headquartered venture capital firm established in 2011 that concentrates on early stage technology companies in the Midwest. With offices in Chicago and Indianapolis, the firm backs seed and Series A rounds in software, SaaS, marketplaces and tech enabled services. Hyde Park Venture Partners emphasizes hands on support, mentoring portfolio companies in product development, business strategy and fundraising, often collaborating with Hyde Park Angels on investments. The firm operates as a registered investment adviser and aims to help high growth startups scale from inception through early growth within the Midwest ecosystem.
CincyTech is a Cincinnati-based private equity and venture capital firm that focuses on seed-stage investments in health care, life sciences, technology, and business services, primarily in Southwest Ohio and the Midwest. The firm provides capital and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs, helps research institutions commercialize technology through startups, and connects regional companies with investors. It supports early-stage ventures across information technology, software, and TMT sectors, and collaborates with regional partners such as universities and hospitals to catalyze the commercialization of innovations. As an active seed investor in the Midwest, CincyTech leverages partnerships with foundations, corporations, municipalities and institutions to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem.
7wire Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2011 and based in Chicago. It focuses on early-stage investments in digital health, healthcare IT, mobile and technology-enabled services in the United States. The firm seeks to back companies that disrupt traditional approaches and provides funding along with operating guidance to help turn innovative ideas into scalable businesses. By combining capital with hands-on support and industry insight, 7wire Ventures aims to accelerate the development of digital health solutions and related technologies, guiding portfolio companies from early stages toward growth opportunities and lasting impact.
Hyde Park Angels is a Chicago-based angel investor group that focuses on seed and early-stage investments across technology, healthcare, financial services, and consumer and industrial sectors, with a regional emphasis on the Midwest. Founded in 2007, the firm combines capital with a broad professional network and operating expertise to support portfolio companies through early growth, providing both financial backing and strategic guidance.
Rev1 Ventures is a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm and investor startup studio that combines capital and strategic services to help startups scale and corporates innovate. It aligns founders with corporate and research partners to access customers and markets, supported by a capital continuum from corporate and community partners and state programs such as Ohio Third Frontier. The firm manages over $100 million in capital and pursues seed- and early-stage opportunities across software, healthtech, life sciences, digital health, and related sectors, with a focus on Ohio and regional companies.
Drive Capital is a venture capital firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 2012 to back innovative technology, healthcare, and consumer companies across the Midwest. The firm seeks to partner with entrepreneurs pursuing large market opportunities and aims to help build sizable, durable businesses. Its investment focus spans information technology, software, financial services, mobile, healthcare, life sciences, cybersecurity, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology-driven sectors across the Heartland region.
Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 that concentrates on early-stage technology startups. It makes investments in pre-seed, seed and Series A rounds across sectors including artificial intelligence, software, fintech, consumer, enterprise, healthcare, and climate technology, backing a diverse portfolio of companies and helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses.
Allos Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Carmel, Indiana, that provides early-stage funding to business-to-business software and technology-enabled service companies in the Midwest. Founded in 2010, the firm partners with entrepreneurs to help portfolio companies accelerate growth and create value. It focuses on U.S. opportunities in software and information technology sectors and typically makes minority stake investments in Midwest-based startups.
Mercato Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, established in 2007. It focuses on growth equity and expansion capital for high-growth technology, software, consumer-facing brands, and healthcare IT companies primarily in the United States. The firm typically makes minority investments and seeks to be an active participant, often with board representation, to help scale marketing, sales, and product initiatives. Initial investment checks commonly range from around 7 to 20 million dollars, with target revenues generally in the 10 to 50 million range. Mercato manages funds dedicated to growth and expansion, and it maintains sector emphasis on technology, artificial intelligence, branded consumer, and healthcare IT, with a history of investing across the Western United States including Utah, California, and adjacent markets.
Alumni Ventures Group is a venture capital firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire, established in 2013. It targets individual accredited investors who previously had limited access to venture capital by enabling alumni from top entrepreneurial schools to invest together in ventures led by fellow alumni. The firm backs companies with an alumni connection and an institutional lead investor with sector expertise. It offers focused funds that provide accredited investors access to a diversified venture portfolio by type, sector, stage, and geography. The organization engages in seed, early-stage, and late-stage pre-IPO investments across technology, consumer, financial services, health care, life sciences, and other sectors.
New Stack Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2015. It targets pre-seed and seed investments, typically committing between $300,000 and $2 million to startups. The firm backs companies across sectors such as B2B software as a service (SaaS), fintech, healthcare, ecommerce, legacy industrials, manufacturing, construction, and logistics.
Sandalphon Capital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 that concentrates on early-stage investments across the United States, with a focus on Chicago and the Midwest. It backs tech-enabled businesses in real estate technology and proptech, fintech, insurtech, regtech, healthcare IT and tech-enabled healthcare services, as well as B2B SaaS, IoT and hardware with recurring revenue. The firm seeks strong management teams and scalable, high-margin revenue models, and pursues opportunities in underserved regional markets, including opportunistic deals in New York and other markets.
MK Capital is a United States-based venture capital and private equity firm founded in 2003. It concentrates on early and growth-stage technology companies, focusing on software and other technology-enabled sectors and primarily targets opportunities in the U.S. market. The firm provides strategic capital, deep operating expertise, and hands-on collaboration, including active board participation to help portfolio companies scale. MK Capital operates from multiple offices in the Chicago area and on the West Coast, including Northbrook, Deerfield, Ann Arbor, and Santa Monica, reflecting a broad regional footprint. By partnering with management teams on strategy, operations, and technology, the firm aims to accelerate growth for disruptive B2B software and related technology businesses.
Elevate Ventures is a not-for-profit organization based in Indiana that nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-potential businesses into high-performing Indiana-based companies. It conducts rigorous business analysis and provides robust advisory services, connecting companies with resources needed for long-term success. Beyond capital, Elevate Ventures partners with entrepreneurs, investors, and local and state organizations to address barriers such as management, business development, talent identification and retention, and technology development challenges. The organization emphasizes unbiased, in-depth perspectives and objective recommendations through a seasoned staff and external partners, supporting growth, job creation, and economic development in Indiana. It seeks ventures identifying marketplace needs and capable of transitioning from research to product development to market, aiming to sustain business success over time.
Venture Investors is a Wisconsin-based venture capital firm that concentrates on seed and early-stage investments in healthcare, life sciences, diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, digital health, and related technology sectors. Headquartered in Madison with offices in Ann Arbor and Milwaukee, it seeks opportunities linked to university technology transfer and licenses from research institutions, particularly in the Midwest. The firm typically makes seed investments ranging from approximately 0.25 million to 2.5 million and can lead or co-invest, often investing in preferred stock and/or debt with warrant coverage. It targets companies with meaningful market potential and a constructive path to exit within five to seven years, through an initial public offering or strategic sale. While rooted in the Midwest research ecosystem, Venture Investors also evaluates nationwide opportunities aligned with its healthcare and technology portfolio.
Michigan Rise is a venture capital firm headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation and is administered by the Michigan State University Research Foundation. The firm focuses on investing in Michigan technology startups, with emphasis on advanced automotive and mobility, advanced manufacturing and materials, agricultural processing technology, alternative energy, homeland security and defense technology, information technology, life sciences, therapeutics, and medical devices. Through its programs, Michigan Rise provides capital, coaching, and assistance with grant funding to help entrepreneurs commercialize technologies and promote economic development in Michigan.
Firebrand Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 2016 with offices in Austin, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado. It invests in software and technology startups across the United States and Canada, prioritizing ventures in underserved markets. The firm supports early-stage companies with capital and guidance, aiming to enable growth while reserving capital for select follow-on investments.
Tappan Hill Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, pursuing seed, early-stage and rare later-stage investments with a focus on software, network connectivity, and the Internet of Things.
Cleveland Avenue is a venture capital firm based in Chicago, established in 2015, that makes investments across seed-stage through growth-stage rounds in food and beverage companies, lifestyle consumer brands, AgTech, and technology.
Cultivation Capital is a St. Louis, Missouri-based venture capital firm that backs seed- to Series B–stage companies in the United States. Its focus includes life sciences, healthcare, agriculture technology, and related software, information technology, and geospatial sectors, with investments spanning early rounds to support product development and market entry.
Red Cedar Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 and headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. It makes early‑stage investments in high‑tech startups commercializing intellectual property created at Michigan State University, supporting the commercialization of MSU research through its connection to the MSU Research Foundation as a wholly‑owned subsidiary. The firm focuses on Michigan-based technology ventures, helping entrepreneurs bring university-origin innovations to market.
Method Capital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 that focuses on growth-stage investments in B2B technology companies, primarily in the Midwest, with investment sizes typically ranging from $1 million to $10 million and an ideal amount around $5 million.
Rock River Capital Partners is a Madison, Wisconsin-based venture capital firm that concentrates on early-stage and growth investments in the Midwest. The firm targets companies across sectors that demonstrate initial product-market fit and potential for growth, with a preference for technical disruptors, particularly software-focused opportunities. It aims to be the lead investor, often taking a board seat to actively support portfolio companies, and plans for follow-on funding to back later rounds. The team seeks founder-aligned terms and collaborates with large Midwest venture financiers to help portfolio companies scale. While industry-agnostic, the firm emphasizes software and technology-enabled markets and seeks companies positioned for measurable growth.
Evergreen Climate Innovations is a Midwest-focused nonprofit organization that provides catalytic capital and strategic support to climate technology startups. Formerly Clean Energy Trust, it funds and mentors early-stage ventures to accelerate the development and deployment of climate solutions across the Greater Midwest. The organization aligns philanthropic and corporate contributions through its 501vc investment fund and builds an ecosystem of investors, donors, and collaborators to broaden access to innovation and deliver environmental, economic, and social impact.
TechNexus Venture Collaborative is a Chicago-based venture platform that brings together corporations and entrepreneurs to create new business models, products, and scalable market access. The initiative combines capital investment, incubation, and collaboration to accelerate opportunities, connecting leading companies with hundreds of startups since its founding in 2007 and earning a reputation as one of the most active venture investors in the United States. The organization targets investments across sectors including audio and consumer electronics, B2B software, health and wellness, manufacturing, marine and outdoor recreation, media production, mobility, and retail.
Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center is the venture capital investment arm of Western Michigan University, established in 2003 and based in Kalamazoo. It funds early-stage life sciences and medical device ventures in Michigan focusing on commercialization, with emphasis on startups that have a substantial Michigan presence and links to Southwest Michigan. The center leverages Kalamazoo's scientific talent and pharmaceutical commercialization heritage to support entrepreneurs, scientists, university technology transfer offices and corporate clients as they advance products in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. It provides startup and gap funding to promising ventures entering commercialization, typically investing between 25,000 and 250,000 per deal.
Right Side Capital Management is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 that invests in early-stage technology startups. It specializes in pre-seed and seed rounds for capital-efficient companies, with a focus on the United States and Canada and occasional activity in Western Europe, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. The firm typically makes 75 to 100 investments per year, with round sizes from 50,000 to 500,000 and pre-money valuations ranging from 1,000,000 to 3,500,000. Portfolio companies are typically located outside the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, and the firm aims to provide a clear yes or no on opportunities within about two weeks.
Arboretum Ventures is a Michigan-based venture capital firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Ann Arbor. It invests in healthcare companies across the United States, ranging from seed to growth stages, with a focus on services, medical devices, diagnostics, healthcare information technology, therapeutics, technology-enabled healthcare services, and life science tools. The firm typically targets equity investments of five to fifteen million dollars and concentrates its activity in the Midwest, particularly Michigan.
SOSV is a global venture capital firm based in Princeton, New Jersey, founded in 1995, that focuses on seed to growth investments in deep technology across health, environmental tech, hardware, robotics, and cross border software, with a particular emphasis on Asia. The company runs accelerator style startup development programs, including HAX and IndieBio, which provide facilities, engineering resources, and lab equipment to help founders accelerate product development, acquire customers, and attract later stage funding. SOSV pursues a limited number of high potential startups, offering extensive hands on support to speed commercialization and scale, and aims to back innovations that improve human and planetary health.
Founder Equity is a venture capital investment firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It focuses on early-stage technology and digital-sector opportunities, including web and mobile communities and digital platforms, and seeks to support companies with high growth potential and liquidity prospects.
NCT Ventures is a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm focusing on Midwest technology startups, providing seed and early-stage funding and selective growth capital. Typical investments range from $250,000 to $1 million in early rounds and up to $5 million in growth rounds. The firm has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and offers hands-on operational support to help portfolio companies succeed.
DRW is a diversified trading firm that combines technology, research, and risk management to capture trading and investment opportunities. It operates with its own capital and bears its own risk. Headquartered in Chicago, it maintains offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, reflecting its global reach. The firm trades across fixed income, equities, foreign exchange, commodities, and energy, and has expanded into non-traditional strategies such as real estate, venture capital, and crypto-assets. DRW emphasizes autonomy, rapid decision-making, integrity, and ongoing innovation, supported by rigorous risk management and analytics to navigate regulatory and market challenges.
Royal Street Ventures is a venture capital and private equity firm based in Park City, Utah, with an additional office in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm focuses on early-stage technology companies and seeks opportunities in undercapitalized markets across the Mountain West, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and California. It also targets sectors such as health and wellness, transportation and logistics, fintech, education, consumer products, and specialized manufacturing. Royal Street Ventures typically invests in seed and early-stage rounds and may participate in growth capital, often engaging with portfolio companies through board roles to provide strategic guidance and governance.
Tamarind Hill is a venture capital firm headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, founded in 2017, with additional offices in Ann Arbor and Columbus. It backs early-stage B2B software and information technology companies, including healthcare IT and enterprise software, emphasizing SaaS business models, across the Southeast, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions.
Math Venture Partners is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2014 that invests in early to middle-stage technology companies in the United States and Canada. It targets sectors such as e-commerce, hardware-enabled software, marketplaces, software as a service, tech-enabled services, software and information technology, healthcare technology systems, ad tech, and IT services. The firm emphasizes a hands-on, partnership approach with entrepreneurs, seeking coachable teams with a strong customer acquisition focus, and has helped portfolio companies scale to successful exits.
KB Partners is a venture capital firm based in Illinois, with roots in Highland Park and the greater Chicago area. The firm focuses on early-stage investments in sports and technology, taking an active role in helping entrepreneurs and experienced managers build market-leading companies. It fields seed, first- and second-round opportunities and, in some cases, growth and mezzanine investments, often targeting equity investments in the range of roughly $1 million to $5 million. While the firm principally pursues opportunities in Illinois, the Chicago area, and the Midwest, its portfolio spans technology products and services, communications, software and hardware, internet and data analytics, medical products, consumer goods, and related sectors, including sports tech. KB Partners emphasizes a hands-on partnership approach to develop enduring enterprises.
FJ Labs is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 by Fabrice Grinda. It is stage-agnostic and focuses on marketplaces and consumer-facing startups, making seed and Series A investments. Typical checks range from 50,000 to 5,000,000 dollars. The firm supports early-stage companies across sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, ad tech, mobile, and software-as-a-service, seeking opportunities with high growth potential in the United States and internationally. Its portfolio includes a mix of consumer brands and marketplace platforms, reflecting an emphasis on business models that connect buyers and sellers or enable direct consumer experiences. FJ Labs aims to back entrepreneurs building scalable, disruptively positioned products and services, often partnering with founders early in their development to help accelerate growth.
OCA Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 1999 that makes early-stage equity investments in technology-driven companies in the United States and Canada. The firm concentrates on software and information technology-enabled businesses, including consumer software, enterprise software, fintech, and digital health, with a preference for companies demonstrating dramatic growth potential and scalable models. By backing startups at seed to early-growth stages, OCA Ventures aims to support firms developing innovative software solutions and technology-enabled services across industries, including healthcare technology systems and financial services. The team seeks partnerships with entrepreneurs building scalable platforms and differentiated products, leveraging its regional presence and sector focus to add operational and strategic value.
4490 Ventures is a Madison, Wisconsin-based technology-focused venture capital firm founded in 2014 that concentrates on early-stage investments in technology companies. The firm targets Series A and B rounds and focuses on companies located in the Midwest, with an emphasis on web3-enabled enterprise software, health technology, Internet of Things, and software-as-a-service sectors. Typical investment sizes range from $5 million to $8 million per company, supporting growth-oriented startups as they scale. The firm operates across the Midwest and maintains a broader geographic reach including the Midatlantic and West Coast regions.
Synetro Group is a Chicago-based private investment firm established in 2000 that makes seed and Series A investments, pursues venture buyouts, and engages in private equity by acquiring and turning around software, business services, and manufacturing companies. It targets sectors including B2B and B2C internet, SaaS, software, distribution, and manufacturing, and invests across early-stage to mature opportunities, including minority, majority, and control stakes. The firm primarily deploys capital from its balance sheet, with a geographic focus on Chicago and the broader Midwest markets.
VCapital is a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on early and growth-stage technology companies in the Midwest. It invests across information technology, software-as-a-service, mobile, big data, cleantech, digital health, life sciences, and education technology, while pursuing growth capital and consolidation opportunities in social media, cloud computing, Internet commerce, and other technology-enabled sectors. The firm emphasizes rigorous due diligence and provides operational support and guidance to entrepreneurs to improve outcomes, drawing on a 30-year track record. It prioritizes Midwest investments and aims to help founders accelerate development and market expansion while delivering value to investors.
Starting Line is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 that backs early-stage consumer startups across the United States, including marketplaces, services, products, and software infrastructure, with a preference for opportunities anchored in Chicago and a focus on democratizing access to technology, products, and experiences for the 99% of Americans.
TitletownTech is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, formed in 2019 through a partnership between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. It supports bold entrepreneurs solving meaningful problems by leveraging a collaborative ecosystem that includes investors, in-residence partners, industry advisors, higher education, and a dedicated team to provide tailored guidance. The firm invests 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, with a focus on the United States and the Midwest. Its approach blends capital with hands-on support to help founders scale, and it operates within a network that connects startup teams with resources across its regional ecosystem.
Ohio Innovation Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Ohio that backs technology companies across the United States. It focuses on medical technology, biopharma, augmented and virtual reality, advanced manufacturing, SaaS, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, and mobility, along with software and business products and services. The firm seeks to partner with bold founders to build disruptive companies and typically makes initial investments ranging from $250,000 to $500,000, with the potential for up to $1.25 million based on milestones.
Distributed Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm founded in 2018 that backs bold founders at the frontier of risk. It makes seed and Series A investments in FinTech, InsurTech, Digital Health and Benefits, and Employer Solutions, leveraging deep subject matter expertise to inform investment theses and provide operational support that accelerates B2B go-to-market momentum for portfolio companies. The team comprises former founders, investors, and operators who help startups navigate early growth and real-world market challenges from day one.