Providing capital and founder support to grow the Midwest’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Exit Quotient Ventures builds on decades of entrepreneurial experience to back high-performing Midwest based startups.

We are a $5M Pre-Seed & Seed Stage founder focused venture fund.

Where We Invest

We invest in capital efficient businesses that leverage technology or industry leading processes to grow and scale.

We classify ourselves as an industry agnostic fund focused on the Midwest entrepreneurial ecosystem. We look to partner with driven, dedicated and emotionally intelligent founders we believe are capable of taking their startups to the next level.

With the right team and proven product market fit we believe the ability to scale rapidly through exponential growth can often outperform a company just being in a differentiated market.

What We Offer

It’s more than capital. We leverage our team’s deep experience as innovators, advisors and mentors to position our portfolio companies for accelerated growth.

How we accomplish this:

  • Founder support, we’re only a phone call away, day or night

  • Tapping into our expansive networks to identify additional investors, new customers or potential strategic partners

  • Providing insight on what it takes to build strong, successful companies from the inside out with operational focus and capital efficient structures

  • Leveraging our team’s M&A and capital raising experience to position our portfolio companies well in the boardroom during the most important negotiated processes

We attract and help entrepreneurs in the Midwest fulfill their dual purposes of growth and impact at scale.

Investment Criteria

Founder Led

Entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that think outside-the-box.

Midwest Focused

Startups based in or with ties to the Midwest geographic region.

ARR Growth & Traction

Demonstrated traction and consistent growth in ARR.

Investment Process

Our investment process consists of four main stages, each looking to further qualify opportunities we feel strongly about pursuing and further disqualify those that may not fit the parameters outlined in our investment mandate. At each stage we view it as an absolute privilege to meet with the founders we come across and we seek to continually provide insight and value wherever we can regardless if a check is ever written.

  • Opportunity Sourcing

    We start our investment process with our proprietary channels of deal flow, providing a diverse group of top of funnel prospective investment opportunities.

    From the very beginning we look to establish intentional relationships with the founders we’re connecting with and better understand them, their backgrounds and passion for the companies they are leading.

  • Initial Screening

    Every year we have the opportunity to meet with hundreds of founders and companies and learn more about their entrepreneurial pursuits.

    Before our team directs all of our attention and resources to a prospective investment it’s abundantly important to compare it to our investment mandate and fund goals and ensure there is a mutual fit for our fund and the startup we are reviewing.

  • In-Depth Diligence

    After a company has made it through the initial phases of our process we look to have our entire team spend time analyzing the opportunity as well as spending time with the founder(s).

    We’ll typically go through 1-2 rounds of pitching and Q&A as we concurrently review the data room documents and look to mitigate risks and concerns as well as pressure test bullish assumptions or projections.

  • Finalize Investment

    After we have done our in-depth due diligence on a prospective investment our investment committee will host a final internal meeting and vote on the opportunity.

    Assuming the startup meets our voting thresholds we will move forward expeditiously on getting legal documents signed and funds wired. We pride ourselves on being a fund that gives feedback early and often and remains transparent throughout the entire process.

Investment Size

We invest in Pre-Seed and Seed Stage startups with the capacity to follow- on and further our investment size in traction gaining companies.

PRE-SEED

Check Size: $50K – $100K

We will invest in a convertible or SAFE note and look to help syndicate other venture funds to join as well as potential angel investors to co-invest.

SEED STAGE

Check Size: $100K – $150K

We will typically follow other proven venture funds that lead the round with a larger check size and we look to come alongside them in the financing round.

FOLLOW-ON

Check Size: $200K – $250K

Portfolio companies that have demonstrated outperformance and significant traction will be reviewed to receive additional investment.

“When we look back in 2040 at 2017, the Midwest will have driven as much technological advancement as the Silicon Valley.”

— Forbes

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