Chicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)

4Degrees is a network intelligence platform that helps organizations identify and strengthen professional relationships to source, drive, and close more deals.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSChicago, US

AAAblorde Ashigbi(CEO, co-founder)in

Co-investorsCOCollide CapitalCOConnetic VenturesLOLofty VenturesMEMetaplanetTETechstarsHAHarlem Capital Partners+1 more

86 Repairs provides a platform to help restaurants manage repairs and maintenance, removing the burden of equipment R&M so operators can focus on their core business.

Enterprise SoftwareSaaS

DEDaniel Estrada(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsCLCleveland AvenueCOConnetic VenturesIDID VenturesLILightbankLOLofty VenturesM2M25+8 more

A.M.

EdTechFintechChicago, US

Co-investorsLILightbank

Ad Fontes Media rates news sources for bias and reliability, publishing the Media Bias Chart and offering content analysis and ratings technology for advertisers, publishers, and other media buyers.

AdTechAI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentWestminster, US

VOVanessa Otero(Founder & CEO)inDHDon Hussen(Chief Technology Officer)LPLou Paskalis(Chief Strategy Officer)inRDRafe D'Amico(Chief Revenue Officer)Troy Root(Director)Crista Bailey(Director)

Co-investorsGAGaingelsNENew Community Transformation DenverSTStout Street CapitalNENew Community Transformation

Adrenaline Interactive provides in-game advertising technology that places real brands into mobile games through proprietary reskinning software, serving both game publishers seeking new revenue and advertisers wanting to reach players.

AdTechGaming

Carson Mathews(CEO)

Co-investorsANAntlerANAntler AustraliaELeLab VenturesMIMichigan Rise

Albi provides software for the insurance damage restoration industry, serving contractors and restoration companies.

Construction TechEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechPropTechSaaSDowners Grove, US

ADAlex Duta(Founder)inSSShamoil Soni(Founder)in

Co-investorsCACapital Midwest FundPAPalm Drive CapitalSOSoma CapitalTATakeoff CapitalY Y CombinatorFRFrontier Growth+1 more

AMOpportunities operates a clinical training platform that connects medical, MBBS, and nursing students with clinical placements at U.S. and international healthcare sites, offering visa and immigration support.

B2B MarketplacesEdTechHealthtechMarketplacesSaaSTravel & HospitalityChicago, US

Benjamin Bradley(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)KSKyle Swinsky(President, Co-Founder)inDFDaniel Flores(Executive Officer)inKIKevin Iverson(Executive Officer)inJDJohn Danaher(Executive Officer)inMPMamta Patel(Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsDRDreamit VenturesHEHealthX VenturesLALaerdal Million Lives FundM2M25OUOui CapitalPAPACE Healthcare Capital+1 more

Anthill AI provides an automation platform for workforce management that recruits, onboards, manages, and retains frontline workers across 75 languages.

AI & Machine LearningHR TechChicago, US

Young-Jae Kim(Executive Officer, Director)inMCMuriel Clauson(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsLOLofty VenturesTETechstarsBBBBG VenturesOROrigin VenturesRERethink Capital Partners

Arvist provides an AI platform for warehouse operations that integrates with existing systems to automate claims management, detect errors, and improve supply chain efficiency.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainWilmington, US

NPNilay Parikh(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardWerner Stapela(Director)

Co-investorsGEGeek VenturesIRIron PrairieKOKOMPAS VCNENew Leaf InvestRARackhouse Venture Management LpRERebellion Ventures+10 more

Ascenti Tech builds WearTAK, a wrist-worn Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) end-user device that passively monitors operator vitals, drops MIL-STD-2525D map points, sends alerts, and provides microphone-based gunshot and UAS detection over existing TAK infrastructure.

Defense TechHardwareIoT

PCPaul Couston(Founder)in

Co-investorsALAlumni VenturesELElevate VenturesILIllinois VenturesSASandalphon CapitalTRTribes VenturesDIDipalo Ventures+1 more

August is a voice-first AI assistant for field sales teams that captures in-person sales conversations via phone, desktop, or smartwatch, then updates the CRM, delivers coaching, and surfaces insights.

AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech

Co-investorsTATAWANI Ventures

Beyond Barriers Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing BBT-101, an intranasal therapeutic to reduce secondary effects from mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries.

BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthMedical DevicesMiami, US

Co-investorsILIllinois VenturesPAPartners ResoluteSOSouthern Cross Group

BiomeSense builds an AI-enabled platform combining hardware (GutLab) and bioinformatics (MetaBiome) to continuously generate and analyze gut microbiome data.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthHardwareHealthtechChicago, US

Kevin Honaker(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardDylan Nichols(Director)inAHAshley Hartman(Director)inVanessa Rollings Giannis(Director)ABAndrew Bluestein(Director)inOrhan Ertughrul(Director)

Co-investorsBLBluestein VenturesECECP GrowthIRIrishAngelsOVOverton Venture CapitalSESeaside VenturesSEService Provider Capital

Bloomfilter provides end-to-end visibility and traceability over work execution by humans and AI agents, unifying data across development tools and platforms into a shared intelligence layer.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareCleveland, US

Co-investorsALAlumni VenturesCACastor VenturesSEService Provider CapitalSTStage 2 CapitalTETechstarsTRTribes Ventures+3 more

Bonsai offers a marketing data platform and an AI-powered growth marketing service that helps profit-driven brands measure what drives business results and optimize their marketing spend.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS

Matt Butler(Founder)

Generative music AI company, launched LoopMagic with !llmind.

Berkeley, US

Alex Jae Mitchell(Executive Officer, Director)Matthew Cohen Santorelli(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsFIFirst Check VenturesINIntonation VenturesSCScrum VenturesSOSound Media VenturesINInertia Ventures

BoundaryCare provides a digital platform for monitoring and supporting the health, safety, and well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Digital HealthHealthtechIoTMedical DevicesMinnesota, US

Paul Carpenter(CEO/Founder)in

Bridge Money is a mobile app that rewards users with cash back and coins for everyday purchases, surveys, games, and in-app deals, which can be redeemed for gift cards or direct bank transfers.

ConsumerFintechBoston, US

Lalit Janak(Founder)

Co-investorsBRBread And Butter Ventures, LlcFOFounder CollectiveHIHilltop Venture PartnersKAKapor CapitalLOLofty VenturesSTStrawberry Creek Ventures+3 more

Build offers business management software for appointment-based small businesses, with a focus on bridging Chinese-owned businesses and American consumers.

Retail TechSaaSSales Tech

Carbly offers a collaborative platform for vehicle dealerships to manage inventory, share vehicle information, and coordinate workflow across team members.

Data & InfrastructureE-commerceRetail TechSaaS

ChainStarters builds intelligent software and provides implementation services that help organizations adopt AI and digital finance technologies, including work automation, knowledge organization, and on-chain financial products such as tokenization and stablecoins.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwarePortland, US

Co-investorsBEBeresford VenturesFOForward Venture CapitalICIcebook Investments Corp.TETechstarsKIKickstart

Character sells "do-it-with-me" home improvement kits for projects such as faucet and showerhead installation, bundling supplies with how-to videos and text-based access to a support team.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Co-investorsCICityPark InvestmentsCOConnetic VenturesGRGROOVE CAPITALJOJosephine CollectivePUPurple Sage VenturesSASandalphon Capital+3 more

Chek is a fund distribution platform that lets mission-driven organizations issue virtual cards with spending controls, send Same-Day ACH transfers, and run application-based intake to move money to recipients.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechImpact & Social GoodSaaS

Co-investorsFOForward Venture Capital

Chippin makes dog food and treats using directly sourced, nutrient-rich novel protein ingredients formulated to reduce environmental impact.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Haley Russell(CEO & Founder)

Co-investors3737 AngelsDODorm RoomHAHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcRORobin Hood VenturesTRTrail Run CapitalFAFabric VC

Decimal Code provides revenue cycle AI solutions for healthcare organizations, leveraging machine learning to optimize medical coding, prior authorization, and billing processes.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechMedical DevicesAnn Arbor, US

JPJoey Panella(Co-founder & CEO)inJVJohn Vandervest(Co-founder & CTO)inMBMike Burns(Co-founder & CMO)in

Co-investorsTETechstars

DwellSocial delivers meals from well-known Chicago restaurants to customers in the Chicago suburbs, offering scheduled home delivery or local pickup.

ConsumerFoodTechMarketplacesNorthbrook, US

Co-investorsFJFJ LabsSEService Provider CapitalTETechstars

EarlyBird offers UGMA custodial investment accounts that let parents and family members invest on behalf of a child, with funds usable for education, a home down payment, starting a business, or other purposes.

ConsumerFintechSaaS

Co-investorsALAlumni VenturesBRBridge Venture FundJOJourneyOne VenturesKAKairos AngelsRARareBreed VenturesREResilienceVC+5 more

Echo Labs builds an AI-powered platform that generates ADA-compliant closed captions and audio descriptions for educational institutions.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEdTechGovTechSan Francisco, US

Pierre-Jean Cobut(Director)Elad Ferber(Director)Eric Chen(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsDUDundee Venture CapitalTETechstarsTRTransform VenturesBABasis Set Ventures

Ediphi offers AI-powered immersive training for hospitality professionals, combining virtual reality scenarios with personalized learning pathways and global internship opportunities.

AI & Machine LearningEdTechFuture of WorkHR TechAustin, US

CICristina Imperial Carl(Founder/CEO)inVJVanessa Jopillo(Co-founder/COO)in

Co-investorsALAllied Venture PartnersSUSuffolk TechnologiesTETechstars

Enthea provides access to mental health treatment, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, positioned as a safe and affordable benefit for employers and healthcare consumers.

Digital HealthHealthtechHR TechInsurTechMental HealthBoston, US

SRSherry Rais(CEO)in

Co-investorsJLJLS

Fillow makes a reusable menstrual period disc paired with an easy-to-use applicator and pull-string, holding up to 75mL of flow.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFemTechHighland Park, US

Camryn Ross(Executive Officer, Director)Soyee Kim(Executive Officer, Director)Heekyoung Woo(Executive Officer, Director)Seoyeon Choi(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsLOLongJump Ventures

Flow Medical develops technology for catheter-directed thrombolysis treatment of pulmonary embolism, aiming to improve precision in lytic medication dosing to reduce readmission rates.

Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesChicago, US

JPJonathan Paul(Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer)inOAOsman Ahmed(Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer)in

Co-investorsEVEverywhere VenturesHAHARPER COURT VENTURESHAHarvard Business Angels of ChicagoJOJosephine CollectiveTHThe Innovation Space

Fluent Forever is a language-learning app based on a best-selling book, using images, sound, and spaced-repetition flashcards to build speaking and pronunciation skills rather than relying on translations.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerEdTechChicago, US

GWGabriel Wyner(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investors3737 AngelsALAllied Venture PartnersBRBrighter CapitalFIFirebrand VenturesINInsta VenturesLOLofty Ventures+5 more

FreshX is a digital platform for booking temperature-controlled (reefer) less-than-truckload freight across the US, offering instant rates, carrier comparison, and nationwide coverage.

B2B MarketplacesLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Co-investorsLOLongJump Ventures

Frontier develops a platform for frontline teams and crews to maintain secure communication and operational coordination.

Defense TechEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkLogistics & Supply ChainChicago, US

Co-investorsLMLMNT VenturesGEGenius VenturesHAHaystackZIZigg Capital

Gather Voices is a platform serving thousands of users, though the page does not describe its specific product or function in detail.

Marketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSChicago, US

MHMichael Hoffman(Executive Officer, Director)inF. Bruce Cohen(Director)

Co-investorsG2G2T3V FundLOLofty VenturesNENew Stack VenturesRERevUp Capital

Gearflow is an AI-powered procurement platform for fleet teams, letting them report equipment needs, route request workflows, and source parts, service, equipment, and freight from vendors.

AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesConstruction TechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSChicago, US

LPLuke Powers(Executive Officer, Director)inBenjamin Preston(Director)

BoardGreg Owens(Director)AYAustin Yount(Director)inPatrick Dillingham(Director)

Co-investorsALAlumni VenturesBRBrick Mortar VenturesHAHarvard Business Angels of ChicagoNVNVP CapitalPAPath VenturesWAWatchfire Ventures+2 more

Globowl makes internationally-inspired, chef-crafted baby and toddler meals sold in recyclable glass jars, designed to introduce diverse flavors, varied textures, and small amounts of allergenic ingredients to infants.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechMiddletown, US

EBErica Bethe Levin(Founder)in

Co-investorsJOJosephine CollectiveTETechstars

Golgix offers analytics and decision-support software that runs on existing plant data to help manufacturing engineers and leaders make faster operational decisions.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSNew Berlin, US

Charles Scott(Executive Officer)Nitin Ranjan(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardGrant Kaley(Director)CNCory Nettles(Director)in

Co-investorsGAGateway Capital Partners

Goodmylk makes plant-based milk products, including almond milk, formulated without preservatives or gums.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

BRBrooke Rewa(Founder)

Co-investorsCOConnetic VenturesGRGreen Circle Foodtech VenturesHAHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcRARareBreed VenturesTHThe Artemis FundSUSustainable Food Ventures

Grapefruit Health provides healthcare organizations with a workforce of trained clinical students—recruited from pre-med, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and similar programs—who are integrated into care team workflows to close care gaps and address staffing shortages.

Digital HealthFuture of WorkHealthtechSaaSChicago, US

EAEric Alvarez(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsANAntlerEVEverywhere VenturesGOGoAhead VenturesLOLongJump VenturesMAMairs & Power VCHUHustle Fund+1 more

Halo operates an online platform that connects corporate R&D teams with researchers, startups, and suppliers interested in partnering.

B2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Co-investorsASAsymmetric Capital PartnersFJFJ LabsJHJHH vcMAMairs & Power VCVIVillage Global

Heartbeat is an all-in-one platform for community builders to run memberships, courses, events, and payments on their own branded website, with channels, live rooms, DMs, and a member directory.

Creator EconomyEdTechSaaSSocialAndover, US

James McQuade(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsJOJoyance PartnersSEService Provider CapitalSOSocial Starts.4.406 VenturesCRCressey & CompanyOPOptum Ventures

Hook Security provides an automated security awareness platform that runs phishing simulations and assigns security training to employees, with multi-tenant management, directory integrations (Azure AD, Google, Okta), and client-ready reporting.

CybersecuritySaaSGreenville, US

AAAdam Anderson(Executive Officer, Director)inZachary Eikenberry(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsFLFlorida Opportunity FundIRIrishAngelsSTStout Street CapitalTATampaBay.VenturesDEDeepWork CapitalLOLOI Venture

Houndsy makes a countertop kibble dispenser designed to store dog food and serve consistent portions, marketed to pet owners as both a feeding tool and home décor item.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerHardware

Co-investorsLOLongJump Ventures

Hypernym is an AI research lab and products company focused on precision intelligence, offering inference-time optimizations, semantic compression, and hallucination suppression for large language models.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software

iAsk AI is a free AI-powered search engine that answers user questions with instant, source-backed responses without storing user data.

AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS

BFBrad F.(Founder)in

Co-investorsALAlumni VenturesCOCorazon CapitalCHChingona VenturesPRPritzker Group Venture Capital

Improovy is a digital platform that connects homeowners with vetted professional painters for residential and commercial painting services, including interior and exterior painting, drywall repair, and related home improvement work.

B2B MarketplacesConstruction TechConsumerMarketplacesPropTechChicago, US

AKAndre Kazimierski(Founder and CEO)inGCGarry Cooper(Director)inCLCarr Lanphier(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsALAllos VenturesFJFJ LabsMAMatchstick VenturesTETechstarsM2M25PAPareto Holdings

Indora provides endpoint governance and audit evidence for AI tool usage.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSAlbuquerque, US

Ezequel Chavez(Executive Officer, Director)Joshua Kirk(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsTETechstars

Inhabitr offers furniture with delivery options and rental/plan selection for homes.

ConsumerE-commerceMarketplaces

Co-investorsGRGreat North VenturesHAHamilton VenturesINInventus Capital Partners

Joe and Bella designs and sells magnetic button-down shirts for men with adaptive features like one-handed fastening and stretch cuffs.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceHealthtechWellness & Fitness

JZJimmy Zollo(CEO & Co-Founder)in

Co-investorsIRIrishAngelsIUIU VenturesJOJosephine CollectiveSASandalphon CapitalSCScaleGood Fund LP (powered by TELUS)THThird Act Ventures

Juxta develops a UPS (positioning system) that enables real-time location tracking and coordination for organizations across industries including defense, logistics, and manufacturing.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareIoTSector AgnosticSan Francisco, US

JFJohn Ferrara(Founder)in

Co-investorsAUAUTHENTIC VENTURESCRCRV (Charles River Ventures)DUDuke Capital PartnersJOJosephine CollectivePIPioneerY Y Combinator+8 more

Juxta develops a positioning system using IMU sensors, simulation, and machine learning to track people and assets indoors, outdoors, underground, and off-grid.

Cloud ComputingDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareIoTLogistics & Supply Chain

John Ferrara

Co-investorsJOJosephine Collective

Kadeya operates a closed-loop beverage system that autonomously bottles filtered water and flavored, sparkling, or branded drinks on demand at vending stations, then collects the reusable glass and stainless steel bottles for cleaning and reuse.

Circular EconomyCleantechClimate TechFoodTechHardwareWellness & FitnessChicago, US

MZManuela ZoninseininARAli Rose van OverbekeinAndrew Dunn(Director)

BoardZachary Smith(Director)

Co-investorsCLClocktower VenturesDIDipalo VenturesEVEvergreen Climate InnovationsGRGROOVE CAPITALHUHumans Of The InternetJOJosephine Collective+6 more

kēpos produces a microbiome health supplement formulated to support digestive health, developed in partnership with the University of Chicago.

BiotechConsumerDirect to ConsumerHealthtechWellness & FitnessChicago, US

OliverCatalina

Kidsy is an online retailer that sells discounted baby and children's products, including toys, strollers, furniture, and learning essentials, sourced from open-box, overstock, and returned inventory.

Circular EconomyConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesRetail TechChicago, US

STShraysi Tandon(Founder & CEO)

Co-investorsHUHustle FundJOJosephine CollectiveREResponsibly VenturesRORogue Womens FundTRTribes VenturesIMImpellent Ventures+2 more

Koloni builds smart locker systems that help organizations manage assets, deliveries, and storage.

Enterprise SoftwareHardwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSDes Moines, US

KSKyle Sheker(COO & Co-founder)inBDBrian Dewey(CEO & Co-founder)in

BoardKelly Schricker(Director)Kevin Bradley(Director)

Co-investorsISISA Ventures

Levee offers a computational data model and operational system for property management organizations, representing properties, roles, procedures, and relationships in a structured, queryable format with hierarchical governance and audit capabilities.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaSTravel & Hospitality

GVGuillermo Villegas(Founder)in

Loper is a college and career planning app that helps students discover US colleges, majors, and careers matched to their interests by sorting through college search criteria and delivering personalized recommendations.

ConsumerEdTechSaaS

Sam Bernstein(Founder)in

Co-investorsATAtland VenturesDAData Tech