Top 10 VC Funds in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is considered the largest venture capital hub in the Midwest. The state has attracted over $2.3 billion in investments since 2003 and is home to many successful startups. Investors and prominent VC firms are willing to invest in booming businesses. To assist founders, we have compiled a list of the top 10 VC funds in Wisconsin. Here's the list:
1. Venture Investors LLC
Venture Investors is a Midwest-based firm. It actively pursues groundbreaking healthcare innovations. Benefiting from close ties to prestigious research universities and vibrant communities, they specialize in identifying and investing in exceptional ideas shaping the future of health and wellness. With a track record spanning decades, Venture Investors currently manages assets exceeding $200 million, propelling the evolution of healthcare solutions.
Website: ventureinvestors.com
Founding Year: 2002
Investment Range: $250K - $2M
Stage: Early
Sector: Healthcare, Medical Devices, Tools/Diagnostics, Biopharma, Digital Health
Investment Geography: Midwest
Notable Investments: Intralase, LensX, Elephas, Dvant Pharma, InVenra
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
2. 4490 Ventures
4490 Ventures invests in cutting-edge tech companies embracing the web3 era. They support bold entrepreneurs who challenge norms, combining IoT, data analytics, and software for a competitive edge. With a focus on early-stage opportunities, they shape strategies and teams, prioritizing impact over traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
Website: 4490ventures.com
Founding Year: 2014
Investment Range: $5M - $8M
Stage: Early
Sector: Web3-enabled Enterprise Software, Health Technology, Internet of Things (IoT), and SaaS
Investment Geography: Midatlantic, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States
Notable Investments: Level Ex, Networked Insights, SwervePay
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
3. Lubar & Co.
Lubar & Co., is a Milwaukee-based private investment firm. It is a family-owned business supporting the growth of various enterprises. With a proactive Professional Ownership approach, they invest not only capital but also collaborative effort to help companies flourish. Specializing in a buy-and-build strategy, Lubar & Co. seeks management teams prepared for growth, leveraging decades of experience and financial expertise. They focus on enriching lives, ensuring legacies thrive, and achieving sustainable success for their portfolio companies.
Website: lubar.com
Founding Year: 1960
Investment Range: $20M - $100M
Stage: Lubar & Co. is a private equity firm that does not invest with an exit strategy. They start with and are committed to a long-term growth strategy
Sector: Manufacturing, Industrial Products and Services, Healthcare, Banking, Food, Energy
Investment Geography: Upper Midwest
Notable Investments: Savoy Exploration, Vizit, Panorama Mortgage Group, American Pasteurization Company, and FreshCo
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
4. Baird Capital
Baird Capital is a global investment firm. It specializes in venture capital, growth equity, and private equity across strategic sectors worldwide. As dedicated value creators, they spot outstanding opportunities and collaborate with experienced industry leaders to develop top-tier companies. With profound sector expertise, strong ties to entrepreneurial management, and a 60-strong team across the United States, U.K., and Asia, Baird Capital consistently delivers value to its portfolio companies.
Website: bairdcapital.com
Founding Year: 1989
Investment Range: $10M - $50M
Stage: Early, Expansion
Sector: B2B (Technology, Service)
Investment Geography: United States, Europe, and Asia
Notable Investments: Signal, Greenlight Biosciences, Arrive
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
5. American Family Ventures
American Family Ventures has been a big player in insurtech since 2010. They work closely with startups and insurance companies, helping startups grow from the beginning and investing between $250,000 and $10 million. They focus on new ideas in insurance and the technologies that make them work. With their special way of doing things, they're a key partner for anyone trying to figure out the changing world of insurance.
Website: amfamventures.com
Founding Year: 2010
Investment Range: $200K - $10M
Stage: Seed, Early
Sector: Business Products, Business Services, Consumer Products, Consumer Services, Financial Services, Information Technology
Investment Geography: United States
Notable Investments: Bold Penguin, One Inc, YourMechanic
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
6. HealthX Ventures
HealthX Ventures is a forward-thinking venture capital firm in digital healthcare. They invest in innovative companies working to make healthcare safer, more efficient, and affordable. Based near Epic Systems’ Madison, WI headquarters, HealthX, led by experienced entrepreneurs and investors, provides valuable support to its portfolio. With a focus on operational assistance, industry knowledge, and networking, the firm helps its invested companies thrive.
Website: healthxventures.com
Founding Year: 2015
Investment Range: $1M - $3M
Stage: Early, Seed
Sector: Digital Healthcare
Investment Geography: Based in Madison, Wisconsin
Notable Investments: AMOpportunities, RxLightning, CHILD Health Imprints, Arcascope, RehabPath, EnsoData, CancerIQ, Ideawake, Wellbe
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
7. gener8tor
gener8tor is a venture capital firm and accelerator, known nationally for its diverse programs. They bring together startup founders, investors, companies, universities, artists, and people looking for jobs. gener8tor's main goal is simple: give everyone a fair chance, no matter where they come from. They want to be the top choice for communities that invest in their most talented people. They hope to see real and positive changes through programs that include everyone. gener8tor really cares about the well-being of the communities they help.
Website: gener8tor.com
Founding Year: 2012
Investment Range: Undisclosed
Stage: Early
Sector: Software, IT, Web, SaaS, E-commerce, Hardware
Investment Geography: United States
Notable Investments: ReviewTrackers, Cultured Decadence, ThirdPartyTrust
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
8. Winnow Fund
Winnow Fund is a prominent venture capital firm. It specializes in funding early-stage innovations in Wisconsin. Industry-agnostic, it targets proof of concept and pre-seed stage startups throughout the state, with a keen interest in opportunities emerging from Wisconsin's educational institutions.
Website: winnowfund.com
Founding Year: 2021
Investment Range: $250K - $500K
Stage: Seed
Sector: Various
Investment Geography: Wisconsin
Notable Investments: KaPloint, Inc.
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
9. American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact
The goal of the American Family Insurance Institute is to lessen inequality in the U.S. They support forward-thinking entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in areas such as job opportunities and community strength. They are keen on diversity and join conversations in their field. Their emphasis on making a lasting impact in society is evident in their dedication to social change and venture capital.
Website: amfaminstitute.com
Founding Year: 2018
Investment Range: $1.5M - $10M
Stage: Seed, Series A
Sector: It invests in scalable social enterprises in the following areas: economic opportunity for all, healthy youth development, equity in education, and resilient communities
Investment Geography: United States
Notable Investments: Kai XR, AnswersNow, Beam, MathTalk, CNote, Paladin, Babbly, StormSensor
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
10. TitletownTech
TitletownTech is a collaboration between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. It is a venture capital firm. Specializing in early-stage, high-growth ventures, they provide strategic investments.
Website: titletowntech.com
Founding Year: 2019
Investment Range: $200K - $2M
Stage: Early-stage, from pre-revenue to Series A
Sector: Sports, Media & Entertainment, Digital Health, Agriculture, Water, & Environment; Manufacturing & Construction; Supply Chain & Logistics
Investment Geography: U.S. and Canada
Notable Investments: Midwest Games, Croux, Springbok Analytics, Metify.io, IVO Systems, PorterLogic
Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Is Shark Tank a VC firm?
A: No, SharkTank is similar to Angel Investing, where rich individuals invest small amounts of money from their own savings into new businesses.
Venture Capital is different. It"s when a group of professional investors, called Venture Capitalists, gather money from big investors and wealthy individuals (known as Limited Partners). Then, they invest larger sums into more established startups.
Q: What is the largest VC fund in the US?
A: The largest VC firm in the United States is Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with assets under management totaling $35 billion. They"re in California and started in 2009. They put money into different kinds of companies, like tech and healthcare. Some famous companies they"ve invested in are Facebook and Airbnb.
Q: Do VC firms pay well?
A: Venture capital usually pays better than corporate development but not as much as private equity and hedge funds. At big VC firms, associates without an MBA can make $150K to $200K, while those with an MBA might rake in $200K to $250K. You might also ask, "Do startups pay well?" Here"s your answer.
Q: How many VC firms fail?
A: According to experts at The National Venture Capital Association, they believe that around 25% to 30% of startups supported by VC funding end up failing.
Best of luck with your amazing ventures.
Please note that this list is filtered by various metrics, and all the data are collected through various third-party websites, mostly the VC website. Since data such as ticket size or industry may change, you are requested to visit the official website given in the blog for the latest and updated information.
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