First Leaf Capital
Family officeChampaign-Urbana · Seed · 3 people tracked
Investment thesis
First Leaf Capital backs hardworking entrepreneurs building products that solve substantive problems, favoring companies with hard-to-imitate advantages, lean market validation, and realistic goals. The firm offers flexible investment structures including convertible notes, venture equity, venture debt, partnership interests, revenue-based financing, bridge notes, term loans, and business lines of credit. It provides quick decisions, simple and fair terms, credible network introductions, strategic input, and encouragement to its portfolio companies.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from the firm's websiteWhat they invest in
from 16 of 38 portfolio companiesHealthtech ×7Hardware ×4Medical Devices ×4SaaS ×4Advanced Manufacturing ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Consumer ×2Cybersecurity ×2
HQs:United States×16
Investments · 38 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathController modding organization producing rapidfire products for gamers
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
BioSpace is a platform providing news, job listings, and recruitment marketing solutions for the life sciences industry.
BiotechHealthtechHR TechMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentMedical DevicesSaaSDes Moines, US
Josh Goodwin(CEO)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Manufacturer and seller of sound-absorbing wall panels and acoustical products with customization options
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Online rentals of projectors, video cameras, and A/V gear shipped nationwide to events and productions
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
ATS Acoustics manufactures and sells acoustic products including panels, bass traps, baffles, diffusers, and room kits, including custom options, sold factory-direct online.
Advanced ManufacturingE-commerceHardware
Mark Aardsma(Owner)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
ATS Rentals was a camera and lens rental service offering photography and video equipment from brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Leica.
ConsumerHardwareMarketplacesMemphis, US
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Complete live streaming solution for organizations including colleges, high schools, churches, and businesses
Cleveland, US
Sam Gerace(Director)Gordon Daily(Executive Officer, Director)Tera Mitter(Executive Officer)Peter Spaulding(Executive Officer)Edward Cochran(Director)Mike Griffith(Executive Officer)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
CareAdvisors builds Social Care Automation technology that connects patients to social service benefits and automates enrollment into government programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and cash assistance.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechChicago, US
Chris Grace(Co-founder & CEO)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Automated systems to increase Medicaid enrollment and access to healthcare
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Custom video creation for businesses and organizations in Illinois and across the U.S.
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Center Street Productions is a video production company that creates promotional and event videos, live-streaming, and live event coverage for small businesses, municipalities, non-profits, churches, and corporations across various industries.
Media & EntertainmentWatseka, US
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Flight instruction services, aerial photography, and commercial pilot services
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Handheld x-ray-guided orthopedic drill to simplify surgical procedures with lower radiation exposure
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Eclipse Orthopaedics is developing the Radioscopic Targeting Attachment (RTA), a freehand targeting and drilling device to help surgeons perform distal locking during intramedullary nail fixation of leg and hip fractures with less operative time and reduced radiation exposure.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesWarsaw, US
Barry W. Rich(Executive Officer, Director)David B. Rich(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Single-injection non-surgical sterilization for pets and food production animals
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Three-branch community bank headquartered in Paxton, Illinois
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
FenixPyre provides file-layer data protection for unstructured files to ensure data remains encrypted and unusable even when accessed with stolen credentials.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareNew Albany, US
Tom Kwon(Executive Officer)C. Emre Koksal(Executive Officer, Director)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
At-home saliva test to determine low iron levels in athletes, pregnant women, and others
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
GEOH provides software for home care agencies to manage Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), billing, scheduling, and caregiver management.
HealthtechSaaS<UNKNOWN>, US
Thomas Bumgardner(President and Chief Executive Officer)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Hopscotch is a bakery that makes custom cakes and desserts from scratch by hand, using real, locally sourced ingredients.
ConsumerFoodTechChampaign, US
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Champaign, US
Peter Abbamonte(Executive Officer, Director)Jeffrey MacDonald(Executive Officer, Promoter)Cynthia Ottemann(Executive Officer)Jonathan Manton(Director)Patricia Abbamonte(Director)
BoardKeith Molzer(Director)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Mesh++ manufactures wireless mesh networking hardware with low-loss routing protocols for fast, automatic connections across difficult-to-serve areas.
HardwareIoTChicago, US
Danny Gardner(Founder)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Neurava develops AI-powered wearable devices designed to monitor seizures and cardiorespiratory dysfunction in people with epilepsy, aiming to mitigate the risk of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death in Epilepsy).
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical DevicesBaltimore, US
Vivek Ganesh, PhD(Co-founder)Jay Shah, PhD(Co-founder)Trevor Meyer, PhD(Co-founder)inMona Chadha(Director)inVivek Ganesh(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Daniel Moore(Director)in
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Enterprise software for agricultural commodity supply-chain participants to track sourcing, transportation, certification, and transactions
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Petrichor provides supply chain management software that digitizes global trade in raw materials, offering shipment visibility, tracing from origin to delivery, freight coordination across ocean, rail, air, barge, and road, and analytics for procurement and logistics teams.
AgTechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PhotoniCare develops OtoSight, an FDA-cleared optical coherence tomography device for non-invasive assessment and monitoring of middle ear infections in healthcare facilities.
Deep TechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesDurham, US
Ryan Shelton(CEO)Cary Vance(Executive Officer, Director)Gary Durack(Member of the Board of Directors)Stephen Boppart(CMO)
BoardPatrick Zeller(Director)Dale Grogan(Director)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Modern sleep noise machine using a real fan blade to produce smooth acoustic sound
Advanced ManufacturingUrbana, US
Eli Lazar(LLC Manager)Matthew Snyder(LLC Manager)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Commercializing improved resorbable surgical mesh as a safer and less expensive alternative for soft tissue support
HealthtechChicago, US
Jason O'Hearn(Chief Commercial Officer)Ryan Egeland(Director)John Y.S. Kim, M.D.(Director)Alexei Mlodinow(Executive Officer, Director)John Slump(Chief Financial Officer)Todd Cruikshank(Executive Officer)
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Network security and compliance solution that detects, scans, and profiles devices and resources
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Virtual Auditor (VA) is a fully managed security and compliance program combining an on-premises/private-cloud appliance with expert services to deliver continuous risk assessment, agentless auditing, control monitoring, and audit-ready evidence.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
PartnerMark Aardsma· solo GP
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does First Leaf Capital invest at?
- First Leaf Capital invests at the Seed stage.
- What sectors does First Leaf Capital focus on?
- First Leaf Capital focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is First Leaf Capital located?
- First Leaf Capital is headquartered in Champaign-Urbana, US.
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