Lofty Ventures
Venture capitalChicago · Pre-Seed–Series A · 6 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 · 6 people
from the firm's website
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Lofty Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 21 of 61 portfolio companiesEnterprise Software ×6SaaS ×6AI & Machine Learning ×5Consumer ×5FoodTech ×4Marketing Tech ×4Wellness & Fitness ×3Creator Economy ×2
HQs:United States×19Canada×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 14 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×92 founders×33 founders×14+ founders×1
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 61 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 32022 · 22021 · 32017 · 210 dated
teaBOT manufactures and operates a robotic tea-brewing machine offered as an amenity service to offices and showrooms across North America.
ConsumerEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHardwareHR TechRoboticsWellness & FitnessToronto, CA
Rehman Merali(Founder)inChris Deutsch(Re-Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorInovia CapitalQualcomm VenturesRelay VenturesGarage CapitalVenture Ontario
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-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Cleveland AvenueConnetic VenturesID VenturesLightbankM25+5 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-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)TechstarsBBG 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)in
BoardWerner Stapela(Director)
Co-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Geek VenturesIron PrairieKOMPAS VCNew Leaf InvestRackhouse Venture Management Lp+9 more
Company associated with founder Suzanne Muchin; referenced as a Lofty portfolio company.
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, LlcChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Founder CollectiveHilltop Venture PartnersKapor CapitalStrawberry Creek Ventures+3 more
Cubii designs compact under-desk seated ellipticals and related fitness devices for home use, aimed at helping people of varying ages and abilities stay active while seated.
HardwareSports TechWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsGridiron Capital
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)Ramille Shah(Director)Caralynn Collens(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardRima Chakrabarti(Director)in
Co-investorsBetter Ventures Central LlcPathway BioventuresPortal InnovationsSolas BioVenturesKdT 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 CapitalChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Firebrand VenturesInsta VenturesSfventures Group LLC+4 more
Co-investorsIntonation 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-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)New Stack VenturesRevUp Capital
Winnetka, US
Michael Dekoekkoek(Executive Officer)Alexander Seropian(Director)Robert Goldberg(Director)Timothy Harris(Executive Officer, Director)
CybersecurityChicago, US
Brian Fritton(Executive Officer, Director)John Higgerson(Director)
Co-investorsSandalphon CapitalTechstarsHyde Park Angels
Company founded by Cheryl Kemp, backed early by Lofty.
L Street Collaborative is a full-service digital design and creative agency offering branding, marketing collateral, web design, video, and animation services.
Creator EconomyMarketing Tech
Laxis provides an AI assistant integrated across Mac, Windows, and Web that captures and analyzes meeting insights, ensuring no idea is lost and every participant's voice is heard.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkMarketing TechSaaSSales TechSan Francisco, US
Xiangning Liu(Founder)
Co-investorsCeltic House Asia PartnersElevate VenturesGround Game VenturesAllos VenturesFlywheel Fund
Chicago, US
Desiree Vargas Wrigley(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardPaul Lee(Executive Officer, Director)Sam Yagan(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)in
BoardClancey Stahr(Director)inPeter Dolan(Director)
Co-investorsBeringeaEmery CapitalFusionGoAhead VenturesICCP Venture PartnersLakewest Venture Partners+5 more
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)Pritesh Velankar(Director)Hanish Pahwa(Director)
Co-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Great North VenturesTime Zero 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-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Motivate Venture Capital
RetailAware provides sensor-based analytics and sense technology that lets retail brands and their partners measure how shoppers interact with physical in-store product displays, tracking foot traffic, dwell time, and out-of-stock events.
AI & Machine LearningIoTRetail TechOmaha, US
Keith Fix(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMICHAEL GILKES(Director)Michael Andrew Dierks(Director)
Co-investorsFirstMile VenturesFlucas VenturesInvest NebraskaNew Stack 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, LlcChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Connetic VenturesGROOVE CAPITALLongJump VenturesRedstick Ventures+4 more
Digital HealthHealthtechChicago, US
James Lott(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsTechstars
Co-investorsCamber CreekSandalphon Capital
Zenblen is developing an automated smoothie service positioned as a "personal smoothie barista" to make healthy eating more accessible in people's daily routines.
ConsumerFoodTechRoboticsWellness & FitnessChicago, US
Xinyuan Zhang(Executive Officer)inRehman Merali(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardGrigoriy Rublev(Director)
Co-investorsDipalo VenturesService Provider CapitalSlauson & Co.
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioAnthillacq. by HumanlyPopular Paysacq. by Lightricks
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesAnthill · geekwire.com · Apr 14, 2026
Science On Call · trysignalbase.com · Mar 24, 2026
Popular Pays · trysignalbase.com · Mar 23, 2026
Arvist · menlotimes.com · Oct 6, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Lofty Ventures made?
- Lofty Ventures has 59 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO.
- 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.
- Who does Lofty Ventures co-invest with?
- Lofty Ventures most often shares deals with Chicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV), Techstars, Bread And Butter Ventures, Llc, among 60 tracked co-investors.
Images
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