Top 20 Venture Capital Firms in Chicago [2023]

2021 was a record year for startup funding in Illinois. Indeed, venture capital firms in Chicago invested a whopping $7 billion across 374 deals, more than double the amount they invested in 2020..!

Whether you are raising seed, Series A or higher, in this article we have listed our top picks of the best venture capital firms in Chicago, each with their industry focus and investment size.

So, if you haven’t yet started to reach out, here is a good place to start learning about them.

This article is part of a series where we present you the top Venture Capital firms across the US. For the Mid West, check out our rankings for Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit, Louisville, Charlotte, Minneapolis and Milwaukee.
Looking for Chicago's top startup incubators and accelerators instead? Check out our ranking here.

Top 20 Venture Capital Firms In Chicago

Here’s a summary of our top 20 picks for the best venture capital firms in Chicago (in alphabetical order):

Name	Sector focus	Investment stage	Investment range	Investments
Abundant Venture Partners	Healthtech	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	28
Arch Venture Partners	Disruptive Science and Tech	Seed to Series A+	$50k+	180+
Bridge Investments	Consumer, SaaS	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	43
Chicago Ventures	Sector Agnostic	Seed	Undisclosed	73
Energy Foundry	Energy and Cleantech	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	19
First Analysis Venture Capital	Tech/SaaS, Healthcare, Environmental Technology	Seed, Series A	$3M to $10M	108
Hyde Park Angels	Tech-enabled, Consumer, Healthcare, Enterprise, Others	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	84
Hyde Park Venture Partners	SaaS, Marketplace, Tech-enabled	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	52
Illinois Ventures	Healthcare, Technology	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	25
JK&B Capital	Software, IT, Communications	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	48
Jump Capital	FinTech, B2B SaaS, IT/Data, Media	Series A+	$1M – $10M	92
Light Bank	Consumer, Enterprise, Healthtech	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	74
Math Venture Partners	Software, Data Analytics, Marketplaces and e-Commerce	Seed, Series A	$100k to $2M	55
MK Capital	Software, Cloud	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	54
New Stack Ventures	B2B SaaS, Fintech, Supply Chain, Proptech, Healthcare, and eCommerce	Seed	$500k to $1.5M	40
OCA Ventures	Technology, Financial Services, Education and Healthcare Technology	Seed to Series A+	$1M to $3M	125+
Origin Ventures	Software, Marketplace (Both B2B and B2C)	Seed, Series A	$500k to $6M	44
Pritzker Group Venture Capital	Consumer, Enterprise	Seed, Series A	$500k to $5M	97
Sandbox Industries	Healthcare, Insurance, and Sustainability	Seed to Series A+	Undisclosed	83
TechNexus Venture Collaborative	AI/ML, AR, VR, IoT, Analytics, Tech-enabled	Seed, Series A	Undisclosed	102

1. Abundant Venture Partners

Chicago-based Abundant Venture Partners is a popular venture capital firm that focuses on startups in the Healthcare sector. This venture capital firm offers Seed and Series A funding to the selected companies.

Unfortunately, Abundant Venture Partners does not disclose the exact investment amount on its website. However, this venture capital firm connects its portfolio companies with its trusted partners to fuel growth. Apart from that, the VC firm also offers its deep operational expertise in the healthcare and related technology fields to help its portfolio companies.

So far, this VC firm has invested in 28 companies, some of which are Ardent.io, Avia, Cardinal Path, HealthFinch, Longbridge, and PatientWisdom, among others.

2. Arch Venture Partners

With a physical presence in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Dublin, Arch Venture Partners is a popular venture capital firm that focuses on companies working in the Disruptive Science and Tech sectors.

Arch Venture Partners offers Seed to Series A+ funding, and the minimum check size that this venture capital firm writes is $50k. There is no upper limit to the check size that the firm can write for a selected portfolio company.

So far, Arch Venture Partners has invested in 180+ companies including Illumina, Juno Therapeutics, Sage Therapeutics, Grail, Scholar Rock, Boundless Bio, and Array Biopharma, among others.

3. Bridge Investments

Chicago-based Bridge Investments is yet another popular venture capital firm that offers Seed to Series A+ funding to companies operating in the Consumer and SaaS sectors. In general, this venture capital firm looks for companies that make a meaningful and sustainable impact.

What is interesting is that Bridge Investments does not disclose the exact investment amount on its website. However, apart from capital, this venture capital firm also offers vital resources, guidance, and advice that are crucial for the long-term success and growth of portfolio companies.

So far, this venture capital has invested in 43 companies, some of which are RetailAware, Abstract, Termscout, EarlyBird, LawMatics, and Caraway, among others.

4. Chicago Ventures

Completely sector agnostic, Chicago Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that offers Seed funding to the selected companies. This venture firm has invested in many unrelated companies spanning from toys to fads, from unproven founders to un-scalables and spinouts.

Unfortunately, Chicago never discloses the exact investment amount on its website. The check size depends on the company and its needs. So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 73 companies, some of which are Olive, Savvi AI, FranShares, Prisidio, and Quake Media, among others.

Chicago Ventures helps its portfolio companies to skill up and scale up quickly with hands-on mentoring.

5. Energy Foundry

Energy Foundry is a famous venture capital firm operating in Chicago. This venture capital firm offers Seed and Series A funds to companies operating in the Energy and Cleantech industries. What is interesting is that this venture capital firm works with its portfolio companies as a partner and offers various tools and essential services that can help the portfolio companies to scale.

Unfortunately, Energy Foundry does not disclose the exact investment amount anywhere on its website. So far, the firm has invested in 19 companies, some of which are Azumo, Digital H2O, Bractlet, Glidepath, Invektek, and Recurve, among others.

6. First Analysis Venture Capital

One of the leading venture capital investors in Chicago, First Analysis Venture Capital focuses primarily on three sectors – Environmental Technology, Healthcare, and SaaS/Technology.

This venture capital firm offers Seed and Series A investments, and the average check size is $3M to $10M. Apart from direct funding, this venture capital firm offers help to its portfolio companies in the form of strategy development, recruitment, marketing and sales, and corporate development.

So far, First Analysis Venture Capital has invested in 108 companies, some of which are PCMI, VIDA, Smart Commerce, Visage, 4G Clinical, and Lender Price, among others.

7. Hyde Park Angels

Chicago-based Hyde Park Angels is a popular venture capital firm that offers Seed and Series A investment to companies working in Tech-Enabled, Consumer, Healthcare, Enterprise, and a wide range of other sectors.

Unfortunately, Hyde Park Angels do not disclose the investment amount on its website. Apart from offering funds, this venture capital firm also offers help with human capital to its portfolio companies.

So far, Hyde Park Angels have invested in 84 companies, some of which are, Array, Blueprint, Bonfire, Cohesion, Chowbus, Equilibria, Hologram, Farmer’s Fridge, metaMe Health, Nest Egg, and Kaizen Health among others.

8. Hyde Park Venture Partners

With a physical presence in both Chicago and Indianapolis, Hyde Park Venture Partners is one of the most prominent venture capital firms offering Seed and Series A funding to startups working in the SaaS, Marketplace, and Tech-enabled sectors.

This venture capital firm usually looks for companies that have fast-growth potential and are looking forward to raising first and second-round capital. Unfortunately, the firm does not disclose the exact investment amount on its website.

So far, Hyde Park Venture Partners has invested in 52 companies, some of which are Malomo, K4 Mobility, ShipBob, RoadSync, Terminus, and Podchaser, among others.

9. Illinois Ventures

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois Ventures is a famed venture capital firm that offers investment in Healthcare and Technology companies. This venture capital firm offers Seed to Series A+ funding to the selected companies.

However, it is important to note that this venture firm works with an entrepreneurial community of the University of Illinois and its alumni network. Just like many other venture capital firms, this firm also does not disclose the exact investment amount on its website.

So far, Illinois Venture has invested in 25 companies, some of which are Ouster, Inventables, Reconstruct, Skyryse, KeyWise AI, Natrion, and EarthSense, among others.

10. JK&B Capital

A Chicago-based venture capital firm, JK&B Capital is quite famous for investing in companies operating in the Communications, IT, and Software domains. This venture capital firm does not disclose the exact investment amount anywhere on its website, but it offers Seed to Series A+ funding to the selected companies.

JK&B Capital has a formidable track record of generating exceptional returns for its investors, and currently, it has $1 billion of assets under management. The firm has invested in 48 companies.

Some of the various companies that this venture capital firm has invested in include Splunk, Commerce One, E2Open, InterWoven, Zone Labs, Exodus, OpenWave, and EZ Chip, among others.

11. Jump Capital

Jump Capital is one of the most popular venture capital firms operating in Chicago. It also has a physical presence in New York. This venture capital firm offers Series A+ funding to companies operating in the FinTech, B2B SaaS, IT/Data, and Media sectors.

Usually, Jump Capital writes a check of anywhere between $1M and $10M depending on a company’s need. Apart from the funds, this venture capital firm also offers a platform of crucial resources and support that its portfolio companies can use whenever needed.

Jump Capital has so far invested in 92 companies, some of which are: 4CInsights.com, Alliance, Anova Data, Autopay, Avia, BlockFi, Bitso, Enso, Fast Radius, and Highline, among others.

12. Light Bank

Another reputed venture capital firm operating in Chicago, Light Bank primarily focuses on three sectors – Consumer, Enterprise, and Healthtech. So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 74 companies, and it offers Seed to Series A+ funding to the selected companies.

Light Bank does not only provide funds, but it also works with its portfolio companies as a partner and offers critical insights and mentorship whenever needed.

Of the many companies that Light Bank has invested in, some of them are, Basket, Arta, Aclaimant, BillTrim, Boom, Blueprint, Expel, Fiverr, PerBlue, and HDVI among others.

13. Math Venture Partners

Chicago-based Math Venture Partners is a well-known venture capital firm that offers Seed and Series A funding to the companies it selects. This venture capital firm focuses on companies operating in the following sectors: Software, Data Analytics, Marketplaces, and e-Commerce.

Apart from the money, Math Venture Partners also provides mentorship, resources, and connections that a startup usually needs to grow and thrive.

The average check size that Math Venture Partners writes is anywhere between $100k and $2M. So far, this venture capital firm has invested in 55 companies, some of which are 2ndKitchen, Fixer, CardFlight, EatStreet, NoRedInk, Trainual, Spot Hero, Popwallet, and TeamGenius, among others.

14. MK Capital

With a physical presence in Chicago and Ann Arbor, MK Capital remains one of the most prominent venture capital firms that focus on companies operating in the Cloud and Software segments.

This venture capital firm offers Seed to Series A+ investments. The amount they invest in a specific company will depend on the stage and requirements. However, the sad part is that they do not give any concrete numbers or a range for the check size they write.

So far, MK Capital has invested in 54 companies, some of which are Brightmont Academy, CellTrak, Kollective, HealthiNation, Unitas Global, and GameFly, among others.

15. New Stack Ventures

Chicago-based New Stack Ventures is a popular venture capital firm that offers Seed investments to companies that are in any of the following stages – Pre-revenue, in pilots/PoCs, or early commercialization.

This venture capital firm focuses on companies working in any of the following fields: B2B SaaS, Fintech, Supply Chain, Proptech, Healthcare, and eCommerce. The typical check they write is anywhere between $500k and $1.5M.

So far, New Stack Ventures has invested in 40 companies, some of which are Scope AR, ReGroup Therapy, Clora, Hologram, Curv, Adaviv, Gather Voices, and Phood, among others.

16. OCA Ventures

Operational in two locations – Chicago and Palo Alto, OCA ventures is a popular venture capital firm that invests in startups working in Technology, Financial Services, Education, and Healthcare Technology sectors. They have so far invested in 125+ companies.

This venture capital firm offers Seed to Series A+ investments and they can write a check of anywhere between $1M and $3M. However, they do have follow-on investment capacity, and they will not shy away from investing again if it is beneficial.

Apart from funds, this venture capital firm also shares its knowledge and expertise to help its portfolio companies turn into successful and impact-creating businesses.

17. Origin Ventures

Chicago-based Origin Ventures is a popular venture capital firm that invests in the digital native economy. Their primary focus is on software and marketplace business models.

This venture capital firm is known for offering Seed and Series A funds to companies targeting the B2B and B2C segments. The size of the initial check they write is anywhere between $500k and $6M.

Origin Ventures actively invests in companies located in the United States and Canada. So far, the firm has invested in 44 companies, some of which are Backlot Cars, GrubHub, Fountain, Cameo, Everee, Avant, ViralGains, and Mighty, among others.

18. Pritzker Group Venture Capital

With a physical presence in both Chicago and Los Angeles, the Pritzker Group Venture Capital is a popular venture capital firm that operates an evergreen fund. It is because of this, that they do not need to raise capital, and they invest their human resources in helping the portfolio companies to succeed in every possible way.

This venture capital firm focuses on companies working in the consumer and enterprise segments and offers Seed and Series A funding, and usually writes a check of anywhere between $500k and $5M.

So far, The Pritzker Group Venture Capital has made 97 investments, and some of the companies it invested in include AiCure, Airmap, Augury, Apprentice, Bird, Avia, Kollective, LightStream, and Openpath, among others.

19. Sandbox Industries

Sandbox Industries is a popular venture capital firm operational in Chicago. What is interesting is that they focus only on three segments – Healthcare, Insurance, and Sustainability, and the funding for each segment is taken care of by different wings/funds.

Though this venture capital firm keeps the exact investment amount undisclosed on its website, it does provide Seed to Series A+ funding. So far, Sandbox Industries has invested in 83 companies, some of which are Agrivida, Debut, Sound Agriculture, Nuritas, Rein, Prove, Gradient AI, Abacus Insights, Drips, Everly Health, HeartFlow, and Owl, among others.

20. TechNexus Venture Collaborative

TechNexus Venture Collaborative is a popular venture capital firm that is active in Chicago. This venture capital firm invests in companies that operate in AI/ML, AR, VR, IoT, Analytics, and other Tech-enabled sectors.

This firm offers Seed and Series A investments, but unfortunately, the firm does not disclose the exact investment amount anywhere on its website. Apart from funds, TechNexus also offers critical insights and mentorship to its portfolio companies and helps them to grow and succeed rapidly.

So far, TechNexus has invested in 102 companies, some of which are 3AM Innovations, Artiphon, Amper, Beam Health, Dive Studios, Dot Dot Dot, First Due, and Perch, among others.