Lofty Ventures
Venture capitalChicago · Pre-Seed–Series A · 7 people tracked
Investment thesis
Lofty Ventures invests early and with conviction in founders building companies within Chicago's startup ecosystem. The firm emphasizes personal connection with founders, seeing and supporting the people behind each business, and often backs companies before other angel investors are willing to commit. Lofty positions itself as a supportive 'family' to its portfolio, offering enthusiasm and community-building beyond capital. Returns from successful exits are described as being reinvested back into the Chicago ecosystem, reflecting a commitment to strengthening the local startup community.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 7 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 12 of 60 portfolio companiesSaaS ×6Enterprise Software ×5Marketing Tech ×3FoodTech ×2Future of Work ×2Healthtech ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Biotech ×1
HQs:United States×14Canada×1
Investments · 60 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
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)
Company associated with founder Suzanne Muchin; referenced as a Lofty portfolio company.
Company founded by Arnav Dalmia; an early Lofty investment that reached an exit.
Dimension Bio is a biotechnology company that designs and manufactures regenerative therapeutics using its BioNidum™ platform to restore tissue function lost to disease, trauma, or aging.
BiotechHealthtechNew MaterialsChicago, US
Caralynn Nowinski Collens, M.D.(Co-founder & CEO)Ramille Shah, Ph.D.(Co-founder & CSO)Rima Chakrabarti(Director)Ramille Shah(Director)Caralynn Collens(Executive Officer, Director)
Gather Voices is a video content platform that lets organizations collect, edit, caption, and publish user-generated video from members, event attendees, and communities.
Marketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSChicago, US
F. Bruce Cohen(Director)Michael Hoffman(Executive Officer, Director)
Winnetka, US
Michael Dekoekkoek(Executive Officer)Alexander Seropian(Director)Robert Goldberg(Director)Timothy Harris(Executive Officer, Director)
CybersecurityChicago, US
John Higgerson(Director)Brian Fritton(Executive Officer, Director)
Company founded by Cheryl Kemp, backed early by Lofty.
FoodTechChicago, US
Chicago, US
Paul Lee(Executive Officer, Director)Sam Yagan(Director)Desiree Vargas Wrigley(Executive Officer, Director)
Popular Pays is an influencer marketing and creator management platform that connects brands with creators for campaign development and execution.
Creator EconomyEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSChicago, US
Corbett Drummey(Founder/CEO)inSteven Wanderski(Founder/Full Stack Web Developer)inClancey Stahr(Director)Peter Dolan(Director)
Chicago, US
Pritesh Velankar(Director)Keval Raj(Chief Executive Officer of Issuer)Hanish Pahwa(Director)
RetailAware provides sensor-based analytics and insights for retail brands to measure in-store product display performance, including foot traffic, dwell time, and stock levels.
Data & InfrastructureRetail TechOmaha, US
Keith Fix(Executive Officer, Director)MICHAEL GILKES(Director)Michael Andrew Dierks(Director)
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)
Chicago, US
Xinyuan Zhang(Executive Officer)Grigoriy Rublev(Director)Rehman Merali(Executive Officer, Director)
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Lofty Ventures invest at?
- Lofty Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Lofty Ventures's typical check size?
- Lofty Ventures typically writes checks of $10K – $100K.
- What sectors does Lofty Ventures focus on?
- Lofty Ventures focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Lofty Ventures located?
- Lofty Ventures is headquartered in Chicago, US.
- Does Lofty Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Lofty Ventures leads investment rounds.
Images
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