Chicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV) — Full Portfolio

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

Daniel Estrada(Founder & CEO)

Co-investorsCleveland AvenueConnetic VenturesID VenturesLightbankLofty VenturesM25+5 more

A.M.

EdTechFintech

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

Construction TechEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechPropTechSaaSDowners Grove, US

Alex Duta(Founder)inShamoil Soni(Founder)in

Co-investorsCapital Midwest FundY CombinatorSoma Capital

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)Kyle Swinsky(President, Co-Founder)Daniel Flores(Executive Officer)Kevin Iverson(Executive Officer)John Danaher(Executive Officer)Mamta Patel(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsDreamit VenturesHealthX VenturesLaerdal Million Lives FundM25Oui CapitalPACE 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)Muriel Clauson(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsLofty VenturesTechstarsBBG VenturesOrigin VenturesRethink 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

Nilay Parikh(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardWerner Stapela(Director)

Co-investorsGeek VenturesIron PrairieKOMPAS VCNew Leaf InvestRackhouse Venture Management LpTechstars+5 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

Co-investorsElevate VenturesIllinois VenturesSandalphon CapitalTribes Ventures

Beyond Barriers Therapeutics develops BBT-101, an intranasal therapy for mild and moderate concussions intended for rapid deployment at the point of injury.

BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices

Co-investorsIllinois VenturesPartners Resolute

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)inAshley Hartman(Director)inVanessa Rollings Giannis(Director)Andrew Bluestein(Director)inOrhan Ertughrul(Director)

Co-investorsBluestein VenturesECP GrowthIrishAngelsOverton Venture 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-investorsTechstarsTribes VenturesHyde Park Angels

Generative music AI company, launched LoopMagic with !llmind.

Berkeley, US

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

Co-investorsSound Media VenturesFirst Check VenturesInertia Ventures

BoundaryCare provides a configurable safety and monitoring solution for vulnerable individuals and their caregivers, using an Apple Watch-style wearable paired with a web dashboard.

Digital HealthHealthtechIoT

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-investorsBread And Butter Ventures, LlcFounder CollectiveHilltop Venture PartnersKapor CapitalLofty VenturesStrawberry Creek Ventures+3 more

Carbly is a mobile and desktop platform for licensed automotive dealers to source vehicles from auction run lists and marketplaces, appraise them using book values and market data, price against local retail comps, and monitor inventory turn and aging.

Data & InfrastructureRetail TechSaaS

Crypto & Web3Portland, US

Co-investorsBeresford VenturesForward Venture CapitalTechstars

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-investorsCityPark InvestmentsConnetic VenturesGROOVE CAPITALPurple Sage VenturesSandalphon Capital

Chek is a digital payment platform for nonprofits to distribute and manage funds to beneficiaries via cards, digital wallets, and ACH, with spend controls, transaction tracking, and compliance reporting.

FintechImpact & Social GoodSaaS

Co-investorsForward Venture Capital

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

Joey Panella(Co-founder & CEO)inJohn Vandervest(Co-founder & CTO)inMike Burns(Co-founder & CMO)in

Co-investorsTechstars

Maximum is an AI tool that sits on top of freight brokers' email and phone systems to parse shipper and carrier conversations in real-time, surfacing quote and capacity opportunities across the team.

AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainSales Tech

Co-investorsService Provider Capital

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

ConsumerFoodTechMarketplacesNorthbrook, US

Co-investorsTechstars

EarlyBird is a mobile app that lets parents open tax-advantaged UGMA custodial investment accounts for their children and invite family and friends to contribute, using expert-crafted portfolios starting at $5/month.

ConsumerFintechSaaS

Co-investorsJourneyOne VenturesRareBreed VenturesResilienceVCAlumni VenturesChingona VenturesFiat Ventures+1 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-investorsDundee Venture CapitalTechstars

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

Cristina Imperial Carl(Founder/CEO)Vanessa Jopillo(Co-founder/COO)

Co-investorsAllied Venture PartnersRevUp CapitalSuffolk TechnologiesTechstarsNorwest Venture Partners

Enthea is a third-party administrator (TPA) that provides employer-sponsored mental health benefits covering psychedelic-assisted therapies, such as ketamine-assisted therapy, to address root causes of conditions like trauma, depression, and addiction.

Digital HealthInsurTechMental Health

Co-investorsJLS

Co-investorsLongJump Ventures

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

Gabriel Wyner(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsAllied Venture PartnersBrighter CapitalFirebrand VenturesInsta VenturesLofty VenturesSfventures Group LLC+4 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-investorsLongJump Ventures

Frontier builds a communication and information platform for frontline workers, delivering unified comms and instant information to improve safety and efficiency.

Defense TechEnterprise SoftwareFuture of Work

Co-investorsLMNT Ventures

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

Michael Hoffman(Executive Officer, Director)F. Bruce Cohen(Director)

Co-investorsLofty VenturesNew Stack VenturesRevUp 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

Luke Powers(Executive Officer, Director)Benjamin Preston(Director)

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

Co-investorsBrick Mortar VenturesNVP CapitalPath VenturesWatchfire VenturesNewark Venture Partners

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 ConsumerFoodTech

Erica Bethe Levin(Founder)

AI software that improves manufacturing throughput and yield by predicting process and machine failures without extra hardware.

New Berlin, US

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

BoardGrant Kaley(Director)Cory Nettles(Director)in

Co-investorsGateway Capital Partners

Goodmylk makes plant-based alternative milk and related products using only whole-food ingredients, avoiding binders, thickeners, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Brooke Rewa(Founder)

Co-investorsConnetic VenturesGreen Circle Foodtech VenturesHalogen Ventures Management Company LlcRareBreed VenturesThe Artemis FundSustainable Food Ventures

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

B2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Pluie designs commercial diaper changing tables, including a self-sanitizing model with a patented UV-C light system that kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses, plus a non-UV version for restrooms with electrical constraints.

ConsumerHardware

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

Adam Anderson(Executive Officer, Director)Zachary Eikenberry(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsIrishAngelsStout Street CapitalTampaBay.VenturesLOI Venture

Co-investorsLongJump Ventures

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

Co-investorsCorazon CapitalChingona Ventures

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

Andre Kazimierski(Founder and CEO)inGarry Cooper(Director)Carr Lanphier(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsAllos VenturesTechstarsFJ Labs

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-investorsTechstars

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

ConsumerE-commerceMarketplaces

Co-investorsGreat North VenturesHamilton VenturesInventus Capital Partners

Joe & Bella is an adaptive apparel brand that designs clothing with features like hidden magnetic closures, side zippers, and stretch fabrics to make dressing easier.

Direct to ConsumerE-commerceWellness & Fitness

Co-investorsIrishAngelsIU VenturesSandalphon CapitalScaleGood Fund LP (powered by TELUS)Third Act Ventures

Juxta provides real-time location tracking and navigation technology that works indoors and outdoors without GPS, beacons, cameras, or added infrastructure.

Deep TechIoTLogistics & Supply Chain

Kadeya operates a closed-loop beverage dispensing system that bottles drinks on demand in workplace settings and collects bottles for cleaning and reuse, eliminating single-use plastic waste.

Circular EconomyCleantechClimate TechConsumerFoodTechImpact & Social GoodChicago, US

Manuela ZoninseininAli Rose van OverbekeinAndrew Dunn(Director)

BoardZachary Smith(Director)

Co-investorsClocktower VenturesDipalo VenturesEvergreen Climate InnovationsGROOVE CAPITALOxonian VenturesPS27 Ventures+4 more

Kēpos makes a daily gut-health supplement built on human milk bioactives (kpHMO™), lab-made prebiotic fibers designed to be molecularly identical to those in human milk to rebuild the gut microbiome.

Direct to ConsumerHealthtechWellness & Fitness

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

Enterprise SoftwareHardwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSDes Moines, US

Kyle Sheker(COO & Co-founder)Brian Dewey(CEO & Co-founder)

BoardKelly Schricker(Director)Kevin Bradley(Director)

Co-investorsISA Ventures

Levee is a context engine for hotels that builds a live model of an operation by combining an explicit ontology (properties, rooms, roles, procedures, brand standards) with multimodal signals from rooms, teams, and systems.

AI & Machine LearningSaaSTravel & Hospitality

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

Co-investorsAtland VenturesData Tech

LowRate Co is an AI-powered mortgage platform where borrowers apply once and have their profile compared across 30+ wholesale lenders to find the lowest HELOC and mortgage rates.

AI & Machine LearningFintechPropTech

MessageWrap provides checkout-lane advertising and messaging products that turn the point-of-sale area in retail stores into a promotional touchpoint, used to promote loyalty programs, e-commerce, lottery sales, retail media, and payment/credit card sign-ups.

AdTechMarketing TechRetail Tech

Chicago, US

Jonathan Giuffrida(Executive Officer)William Snyder(Executive Officer, Director)Angela Grover(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardKathleen Kaulins(Director)Kevin Terrasi(Director)in

Co-investorsSandalphon CapitalPlymouth Growth

Munetrix provides data analytics software for K-12 schools and districts, offering academic, financial, and early-warning modules to track student progress, build budgets, and identify at-risk students.

EdTechGovTechSaaS

Co-investorsMichigan RiseCultivation Capital

MVMNT is a freight brokerage platform that automates workflows and operational processes for freight brokers.

Logistics & Supply ChainSaaSChicago, US

Michael Colin(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardRick Zullo(Director)

Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzEqual Ventures

Bolingbrook, US

Joanne Rodriguez(Executive Officer, Director)Colin Litow(Executive Officer, Director)Garry Cooper, Jr.(Director)

BoardAlyssa Bryan(Director)Garry Cooper Jr.(Director)

Co-investorsClosed Loop PartnersAnthropocene Ventures

Nyssa designs "wear therapy" products for women, including postpartum recovery underwear and period care solutions that hold ice or heat therapy for healing and pain relief.

Direct to ConsumerFemTechWellness & FitnessChicago, US

Mia Clarke(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Aubrey Howard(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Eden Laurin(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ellen Kellogg(Director)

OLIMP operates an on-demand warehousing marketplace connecting shippers, freight brokers, carriers, and retailers with a network of over 5,000 vetted warehouses across North America.

B2B MarketplacesLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Co-investorsBoro CapitalEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)

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

Retail TechSaaSSales Tech

OTTO is a real estate platform that enables home buyers and sellers to list, search, and make offers on properties online without traditional intermediaries.

B2B MarketplacesMarketplacesPropTechMilford, US

Co-investorsTechstars

Pacas makes apparel and home goods from alpaca fiber, including crew socks, compression socks, slippers, sweaters, scarves, and blankets.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceWestmont, US

Justin Arquilla(Executive Officer, Director)Christian Arquilla(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardMark Thomann(Director)

Co-investorsCorazon CapitalSandalphon CapitalSpiral Sun Ventures

PainWorth offers an AI-powered app that helps people with bodily injury and personal injury claims estimate the value of their case and negotiate settlements.

AI & Machine LearningInsurTechLegalTech

Mike Z(Co-founder)

Co-investorsEdmonton UnlimitedMistral Venture PartnersPanache Ventures

SysGit develops tools and processes to support Agile Hardware Development for the defense industrial base, enabling cross-functional collaboration between hardware and software teams.

Defense TechDeveloper ToolsHardwareSpace TechLos Angeles, US

Steve Massey(CEO, Co-Founder)inZeke Brechtel(CTO, Co-Founder)inCharles (Zeke) Brechtel(Founder)

Co-investorsAurelia FoundryIron PrairieTechstarsWonder VenturesSQUADRA VENTURES

QualSights operates a consumer insights technology platform that captures how people use physical products in everyday settings, using always-on smart sensors, a participant app for video, photo and survey feedback, and AI-moderated voice conversations.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerSaaSChicago, US

Nihal Advani(Founder)

Co-investorsEastward Capital Partners4490 VenturesBluestein Ventures

Quicklly is an online marketplace for authentic Indian and South Asian groceries, restaurant meals, meal kits, ethnic wear, cultural events, and astrology/puja services, delivered across the US and Canada.

E-commerceFoodTechMarketplacesChicago, US

Keval Raj(Founder)

Co-investorsGreat North VenturesTime Zero Capital

San Francisco, US

CHRISTOPHER HUSSAIN(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

Co-investorsSandalphon Capital

Rebundle makes plant-based braiding hair using patented technology that repurposes discarded banana stems into non-toxic, itch-free synthetic hair.

Circular EconomyConsumerNew Materials

Co-investorsEvergreen Climate InnovationsPortfoliaRareBreed Ventures

RedDrop Dx makes a capillary blood collection device for virtually pain-free, one-click sampling that produces higher blood volume and reliable samples.

HardwareHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsInnosphere VenturesStout Street Capital

ReloShare provides software that enables social service agencies to book emergency hotel accommodations for vulnerable populations in need, including those experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, and health crises.

Impact & Social GoodSaaS

Co-investorsLofty VenturesMotivate Venture Capital

Resonado is a hardware design and engineering lab focused on improving the acoustic performance of audio products.

Deep TechHardware

Co-investorsCatapult VenturesDorm Room468 CapitalConnetic Ventures

Science On Call provides IT support and managed services for restaurants, leveraging AI-powered automations to help resolve technology challenges and reduce operational costs.

Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechSaaSOak Park, US

Andy Freivogel(Co-Founder & CEO)Luisa Castellanos(Co-Founder & COO)Ken Tsang(Co-Founder & CTO)

Co-investorsBread And Butter Ventures, LlcConnetic VenturesGROOVE CAPITALLofty VenturesLongJump VenturesRedstick Ventures+4 more

Chicago, US

Alex Segura(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardNick Moran(Director)inLaura Spiekerman(Director)

Co-investorsDynamism CapitalHawke VenturesHypothesisIU VenturesNew Stack VenturesSerra Ventures

SI Container Builds constructs sustainable steel-frame and repurposed shipping-container buildings for commercial, community, and residential use.

Circular EconomyConstruction TechPropTech

Co-investorsHyde Park Angels

Small Wonder makes waterless powder-based shampoo and hair care products that activate in a patented refillable bottle, marketed to consumers seeking salon-grade results with lower environmental impact.

Circular EconomyConsumerDirect to Consumer

Co-investorsOcampo Capital

SmartCert is a platform that uses purpose-built AI to extract structured data from quality certificates (such as material test reports), automate compliance checks, and provide lot-level traceability that connects to ERP and quality management systems.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningSaaS

Co-investorsTitletownTech

Revolutionizing space technology to make life multi-planetary

Hawthorne, US

Elon Musk(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investors1/1 Capital137 Ventures4DX VenturesA*Abstract VenturesAccess Technology Ventures+109 more

Stagetime is a platform for the performing arts where arts professionals build profiles with headshots, video, credits, and training, and where companies post applications and review candidate pools.

HR TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaS

Co-investorsIU VenturesHyde Park Angels

Stride Soles sells custom orthotic insoles designed by podiatrists from a smartphone 3D foot scan and gait analysis, delivered within 10–15 days for $249.

Digital HealthDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

SafeHill offers SecureIQ, an AI-powered Continuous Threat Exposure Management platform that combines automated scanning with human ethical hackers to discover, validate, and prioritize real attack paths for security teams.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecuritySaaSLehi, US

Reid Hiatt(Executive Officer, Director)Austin Hale(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardChris Barcus(Director)Gregg Scoresby(Director)Ben Capell(Director)Bret Larsen(Director)

Co-investorsService Provider CapitalFounders FundRamp

Taelor is a men's clothing rental subscription service that pairs personal stylists with AI to curate and ship personalized wardrobes from over 10,000 items across 100+ brands.

AI & Machine LearningCircular EconomyConsumerHayward, US

Ya-Tzu Cheng(Executive Officer, Director)Phoebe Tan(Founder)inBee-Ying Tan(Executive Officer, Director)Anya Cheng(Founder)

Co-investorsBling Capital

The Cumin Club makes regional Indian meals produced in its own facility in India, without preservatives, offering ready-to-eat Indian food to consumers.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech

Co-investorsListen VenturesSerra Ventures

Trajektory is a sponsorship measurement platform that aggregates and analyzes data across digital and non-digital assets, including social, TV broadcast, static, and in-stadium placements, using AI-based logo detection and a consistent valuation methodology.

AI & Machine LearningSaaSSports Tech

Co-investorsAllied Venture PartnersForefront VentureTechOperators Venture Capital

E-commerceFintechPropTechChicago, US

Co-investorsBackstage CapitalC2 VenturesCleveland AvenueIrishAngelsOssian CapitalTechstars+2 more

VKTRY Gear makes carbon fiber performance insoles and related athletic products, including recovery footwear, grip socks, and booster straps, for athletes and everyday users.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerSports Tech

Co-investorsHouston Angel Network

HR TechChicago, US

Co-investorsSandalphon CapitalTechstars

When provides post-employment health coverage support, guiding departing employees, retirees, and dependents to COBRA alternatives such as ACA plans through an AI-powered plan navigator and concierge service.

AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkHealthtechHR TechInsurTechChicago, US

Andrew Hamilton(Founder)Andy Hamilton(Founder & CEO)Dan Wertheimer(Founder & CSO)Brook West(Chief Revenue Officer)Patrick Koeller(CTO)

Co-investors7wire VenturesB Capital GroupB4 CapitalCorewell Health VenturesManchesterStory Group, LLC

WICKED sells clear whey isolate protein powders in multiple fruit-flavored varieties sold directly to consumers online.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness

Workbox operates flexible coworking and private office spaces, paired with a member community, programming, and a professional partner network aimed at business development.

Future of WorkPropTech