/Investor DB

Motivate Venture Capital

Venture capitalActively deployingoperating company · company profile

Chicago · Pre-Seed–Seed · 6 people tracked

Also known as MOTIVATE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC · Motivate VC

Find your way into Motivate Venture Capital

Sign up to see every warm intro you have to Motivate Venture Capital

  • Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the Motivate Venture Capital team. We find them for you
  • 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
  • Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone

Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.

✨ Fox Verdict
Sign up to see your fit

Investment thesis

Motivate focuses on the earliest stages of a company's lifecycle, targeting pre-seed and seed opportunities. It writes $250k-$1m checks at pre-seed and $1.5-3m at seed. The firm backs founders with strong domain knowledge who are addressing real, durable problems in large and growing markets with high growth potential. Beyond capital, Motivate provides experience and connections, works alongside high-caliber founders to co-create and launch new ventures, and actively invests in and supports emerging pre-seed and seed stage VC funds.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 29, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Seed
Check
$250K – $3M
HQ
Chicago, Illinois, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2019
Last 12 months
1 investment
AUM
$124M
VC funds
12
Tracked investments
79
Unicorns
3
IPOs
1
Acquisitions
3

Team · 6 people

from the firm's website & public directories

What they invest in

from 59 of 79 portfolio companies

SaaS ×32Fintech ×30AI & Machine Learning ×21Enterprise Software ×21Data & Infrastructure ×11InsurTech ×7Advanced Manufacturing ×5Crypto & Web3 ×5

HQs:United States×32Canada×3India×1Netherlands×1Saudi Arabia×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 13 portfolio companies
54%
solo founders
7 of 13 mapped founding teams
25%
repeat founders
of 12 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×72 founders×54+ founders×1

Where their founders studiedfrom 12 founders with education data

Simon Fraser University ×2Stanford University ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 11 founders with field-of-study data

Computer Science ×4Finance & Accounting ×3

Where their founders worked beforefrom 12 founders with career history

MultiCharts ×2

Investments · 79 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2025 · 42024 · 12023 · 12022 · 62021 · 42020 · 42019 · 121 dated

chimebank-ar21chime.comNASDAQ: CHYM

Chime is a US financial technology company offering fee-free checking and savings accounts, debit and credit-builder cards, early access to direct-deposited pay and no-fee overdraft cover.

San Francisco, US

Ryan King(Founder)inChris Britt(Founder)inKatherine Karas(Executive Officer)Matthew Newcomb(Executive Officer)in

BoardJim Feuille(Director)inShawn Carolan(Director)in

Co-investorsAccess Technology VenturesAdventure FundAliya Capital PartnersAmino CapitalAspect VenturesAurum+39 more

InvestiFiinvestifi.coin✓ verified

InvestiFi (formerly CryptoFi) provides an API-driven platform that embeds investing capabilities — including crypto trading, securities, and robo-advisory services — inside the online and mobile banking experiences of credit unions and community retail banks.

Crypto & Web3FintechSaaS

Deanna Collier(Head of Wealth Management)inBrian Damman(General Counsel)in

Abstractabstract.usin𝕏

Abstract builds an AI-powered policy intelligence platform that tracks and interprets legislation and regulatory changes in real time.

AI & Machine LearningGovTechLegalTechSaaSNew York, US

Pat Utz(Founder)in

Co-investorsAspira CapitalBonfire VenturesCommunitas Capital PartnersHawk Hill VenturesMana VenturesPath Ventures+4 more

APTIONaption.com

Aption operates a platform enabling founders, executives, and employees to pool their illiquid startup equity holdings and exchange them for diversified positions in other private companies.

AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesFintech

Co-investorsCarthona Capital

Architectarchitect.xyz

Chicago fintech building institutional trading technology, US brokerage services and AX, a perpetual futures exchange on traditional assets.

Chicago, US

Brett Harrison(Founder)in

BoardJohn Smollen(Director)Venu Palparthi(Director)Steven Venino(Director)Karista Vaeth(Director)

Co-investorsCircle VenturesCoinbase VenturesParaFi CapitalParafi General FundSolari CapitalGalaxy Ventures+7 more

Attainattainoutcomes.comin𝕏

Attain is a consumer-data platform built on direct, permissioned relationships that turns live purchase activity into audience targeting, measurement, and market insights.

AdTechData & InfrastructureMarketing TechChicago, US

Co-investorsCore Venture CapitalLightbankMercato PartnersStarting Line

Auctoaucto.comin𝕏

Aucto operates an online marketplace for buying and selling used industrial equipment such as presses, forklifts, and metal fabrication machinery, offering auctions, buy-now, make-an-offer, and best-offer formats.

Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesCircular Economy

Jamil Rahman(Founder)in

Co-investorsNFXTop Corner CapitalBIP Ventures

Banyangetbanyan.cominAcquired

Banyan organizes item-level receipt data from transactions and makes it accessible for commerce and consumer applications.

Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechRetail TechSaaS

Co-investorsDorm RoomElizabeth Street VenturesFin CapitalKube VCSimplex VenturesEnergize Capital+3 more

Clyrclyr.ioin

Clyr offers expense management software for finance teams, tracking corporate card transactions and capturing receipts via SMS at the point of purchase.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Co-investorsHetz VenturesWedbush Ventures

CoreChain Technologiescorechain.techin𝕏Apr 2022Acquired

Corechain provides a B2B payments platform that streamlines paperless payments and supply chain financing to help suppliers unlock working capital from unpaid invoices.

B2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSNew Haven, US

Chris Aguas(Founder)inRandy Shuken(Director)Thomas G Romary(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardSteve Reale(Director)inJoseph Giordano(Director)in

Co-investorsBloccelerate VCChain ReactionNext Coast VenturesUlu VenturesConnecticut InnovationsNew Form Capital

Dyania Healthdyaniahealth.comin

Dyania Health develops AI and natural language processing technology for clinical research and healthcare applications, serving healthcare systems and clinical trial management.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechNew York, US

Eirini Sloser(CEO)Eirini Schlosser(CEO & Founder)in

Co-investorsGenesis VenturesHealthX VenturesInnospark VenturesOutsidersTau VenturesTech Square Ventures+3 more

ekoeko.investmentsin𝕏Pre-Seed · Nov 2022 · $700K

Eko provides an investments-as-a-service platform that integrates with digital banking providers to allow users to invest directly from their checking or savings accounts.

FintechNieuw Amsterdam, NL

Mart Vos(Founder)in

Co-investorsSimplex VenturesTechstarsAlloy LabsIrishAngels

Elara Spatialhosta.aiin𝕏

Hosta A.I. provides an AI-powered property assessment platform that uses spatial and material analytics to automate building assessments from photographs.

AI & Machine LearningInsurTechPropTechCambridge, US

BoardDennis Shelden(Former CTO and Co-Founder Gehry Technologies)

Co-investorsBold Capital PartnersBrick Mortar VenturesSpider CapitalTechstarsWayfinder VenturesCounterpart Ventures+2 more

Enkluenklu.comJun 2019

Enklu develops Verse, a location-based attraction platform for venue, resort, and entertainment center operators to create social entertainment experiences.

GamingAlameda, US

Raymond Kallmeyer(Founder)in

Co-investorsArtis VenturesBrincEspt Ventures LlcIrishAngels

FeedbackNowfeedbacknow.comin

FeedbackNow provides customer sentiment and feedback analytics technology that transforms real-time customer feedback into actionable insights for enterprise businesses.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechMarketing TechRetail TechSaaS

Co-investorsUncorrelated Ventures

Fin3fin3.techin

Fin3 appears to be a fintech company, though the page does not explicitly state what products or services the company offers.

Fintech

Albert Szmigielski(CEO, CTO & Co-founder)inAdam Yarnold(Founder & Head of Strategy)in

Co-investorsNycaNyca Partners

Finofofinofo.comin𝕏

Finofo provides a global receivables and accounts payable platform enabling businesses to collect payments faster through local bank accounts and payment networks across 40+ countries, while automating invoice processing and ERP integration for procurement workflows.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSCanada, CA

Prateek Sodhi(Founder)inCharles Maranda(Founder)

Co-investorsSaas Ventures, L.L.C.Watertower Ventures Management, Llc

Fulcrumfulcrumpro.comin𝕏Seed · Sep 2020 · $3M

Fulcrum is cloud-based manufacturing software that provides real-time job tracking, production scheduling, and job costing for manufacturing shops.

Advanced ManufacturingCloud ComputingSaaS

JeffSunny Han(Founder)in

Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersBread And Butter Ventures, LlcMatchstick VenturesSchematic VenturesSocial StartsIrishAngels+1 more

Getmahalogetmahalo.comin

Mahalo provides a centralized platform for managing warranty claims and post-purchase customer experiences for manufacturers and product companies.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaS

Rob

Co-investorsDiagram

Hallowhallow.com𝕏

Hallow is a mobile app that offers guided contemplative and meditative prayer techniques rooted in Catholic tradition.

ConsumerMental HealthWellness & Fitness

Alex Jones(Founder)Alessandro DiSanto(Founder)inErich Kerekes(Founder)

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesContraryDrive CapitalFJ LabsGeneral CatalystHomebrew+11 more

HELIXintelhelixintel.comin𝕏Seed · May 2021 · $2M

HelixIntel offers HelixCMMS, a computerized maintenance management platform for maintenance and facilities teams to run work orders, preventive maintenance, and asset tracking, and HelixPrevent, a risk-prevention suite for insurance carriers, pools, and programs.

InsurTechPropTechSaaSBuffalo, US

Jonathan DeWald(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Mainier(Executive Officer, Director)inMatt Rutter(Executive Officer)inBrian Sullivan(Executive Officer)inEmily Mainier(Executive Officer)in

BoardPradeep Tagare(Director)in

Co-investorsGreen Egg VenturesLAB VenturesLaunch NYStellifiMunich Re VenturesNational Grid Partners

Home Chefhomechef.comin𝕏Acquired

Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service that sends customers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to cook home-cooked dinners, with meal kits starting at $7.99 per serving.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFoodTech

Co-investors1/1 CapitalConnexa CapitalJam FundReal Tech CapitalGuild CapitalL Catterton

HubiFihubifi.cominAug 2024 · $2.5M

HubiFi provides revenue recognition and accounting automation software that reconciles subscription and usage-based revenue streams from payment processors like Stripe and posts audit-ready entries directly to ERPs.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSColumbus, US

Jason Berwanger(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inWilliam Kaper(Executive Officer)in

BoardFrancis Donohue(Director)

Co-investorsAnthemis VentureBlueprint EquityRev1 Ventures

iinkiink.comin𝕏

iink operates a digital platform for processing multi-party insurance claim checks, letting users remotely capture checks, collect electronic endorsements, coordinate with mortgage companies, and disburse claim proceeds via ACH or RTP.

FintechInsurTechPropTechSaaSTampa, US

Ken Lollar(Co-founder)inRyan Holliday(Co-founder, President & Chief Revenue Officer)inTom McGrath(Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer)Ryan Wetzel(Co-founder & Head of Operations)in

BoardKING GOH(Director)inTIMOTHY STREIT(Director)in

Co-investorsChartline Capital PartnersGrand VenturesGreen Egg VenturesMotley Fool VenturesSimplex VenturesHeadline+1 more

iink Paymentsiinktech.comMar 2022 · $1M

Co-investorsIU VenturesService Provider CapitalSpringTime VenturesHeadline

Incainca.digitalin𝕏

Inca Digital builds data analytics and intelligence solutions, serving law enforcement, defense, and security organizations to identify and investigate illicit activity in criminal markets.

Crypto & Web3CybersecurityData & InfrastructureDefense TechFintech

Adam Zarazinski(CEO)

Inca DigitalinDec 2021

Washington, US

Adam Zarazinski(Executive Officer, Director)inEvgeny Dmitriev(Director)

Co-investorsGTS Venture CapitalMenai Financial GroupWedbush Capital

Jawntpassjawntpass.comin𝕏

Jawnt offers a commuter benefits platform and mobile debit card that enables employees to pay for transportation across the US, and administers universal basic mobility programs with transit agencies to improve transportation access.

FintechFuture of WorkHR TechMobility & TransportationSaaSPhiladelphia, US

JeffWill

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesCameron Ventures

Kangarootimekangarootime.comin𝕏Feb 2025

Kangarootime provides an all-in-one childcare management platform (CCMS) that handles enrollment, lead management, billing, custody tracking, staff scheduling, and family communication for childcare centers and schools.

EdTechFuture of WorkSaaSBuffalo, US

Scott Wayman(Executive Officer, Director)inBob Willer(Executive Officer, Director)in

BoardStefan Szanto(Director)Heather Wood(Director)inAndrew Kaplan(Director)

Co-investorsMucker CapitalRevolutionCultivation Capital

Kloverjoinklover.com𝕏Seed · Mar 2020

Klover provides early access to earnings, budgeting tools, and rewards to help users manage debt and improve credit without interest charges, credit checks, or hidden fees.

FintechHighland Park, US

Brian S Mandelbaum(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsCore Venture CapitalLightbankStarting LineUpper90Core Innovation Capital

Lazaruslazarusai.comin𝕏

Lazarus AI researches, develops, and deploys artificial intelligence technology into operational environments.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechCambridge, US

Co-investorsJoyance PartnersOne Way VenturesTechstarsPlug and Play VenturesQBE Ventures

Liquid Trustliquidtrust.ioin

LiquidTrust provides embedded payment infrastructure for SaaS platforms, logistics networks, and fintech products to facilitate conditional, trust-based payments between participants without requiring the platform to become a payments processor.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Co-investorsAnthemis Venture

Meshmeshpay.comin𝕏

Mesh operates a global crypto payments network that connects exchanges, wallets, and financial platforms into a single infrastructure layer, allowing users, businesses, and AI agents to send and receive payments from any wallet on any blockchain.

Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSilicon Valley, US

Bam Azizi(CEO & Co-Founder)inAdam Israel(CCO & Co-Founder)inArjun Mukherjee(Chief Technology Officer)inJeff Hendren(Chief Revenue Officer)inDacheng Zhao(SVP, Product)inDanny Villarreal(SVP, Customer Success)in

Co-investorsAltaIR CapitalAlumni VenturesB3 CapitalCoinbase VenturesEpakon CapitalEvolution Ventures+19 more

Mkiiimkiii.aiin

MKIII builds machine learning underwriting models and real-time monitoring systems that are validated and backed by A-rated insurance companies, helping lenders approve more borrowers while managing risk.

AI & Machine LearningFintechInsurTech

Moovemoove.aiinMar 2023

Moove.ai applies machine learning to real-time connected vehicle data to assess transportation risk and build mitigation tools focused on road safety and efficiency.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMobility & TransportationLafayette, US

Rafay KhaninJack Greco(Director)inSalman Dhanani(Director)Abdur Rafay Khan(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardLauren Deluca(Director)in

Co-investorsCortado VenturesDolby Family VenturesService Provider CapitalUber

NetNownetnow.ioin

NetNow provides a credit application and management platform that automates B2B credit operations, including onboarding, trade and bank reference collection, and tax compliance, giving credit teams real-time data for faster credit decisions.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSToronto, CA

Nauman HafeezinEli Costea(Founder)inSoroush Arghavanin

Co-investorsAntlerCentre Street PartnersRhino VenturesRipple Ventures

New Era ADRneweraadr.comin𝕏Pre-Seed · Feb 2022 · $2M

New Era ADR provides an online platform for arbitration and mediation, allowing legal teams to file and manage dispute resolution cases across all 50 U.S. states.

LegalTechSaaSChicago, US

Collin Williams(Founder & CEO)Rich Lee(Founder & Executive Chairman)inMichelle Tyler(Founder & VP, Operations)inShane Mulrooney(Founder & General Counsel)inKevin Drost(Chief Financial Officer)inHeidi Fleck(Head of Product & Design)in

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesNextView VenturesChicago VenturesJump Capital

Nmbrnmbr.coin

Nmbr provides payroll infrastructure for Canadian businesses to launch or maintain their own payroll operations, leveraging simplified financial product technology designed by former HR and payroll software leaders.

Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFintechHR TechSaaS

Simon Bourgeois(Founder)inDrew Millington(Founder)Kevin Langlois(Founder)

Co-investorsGolden VenturesLuge CapitalPanache VenturesRBCx

Obviantobviant.cominMay 2025

Obviant is a defense acquisition data platform that combines thousands of structured and unstructured sources to provide budget, program, and organizational intelligence.

Data & InfrastructureDefense TechGovTechArlington, US

Brendan Karp(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsAloft VCShield Capital

Paperchainpaperchain.ioin𝕏Pre-Seed · Jul 2021 · $1M

Paperchain is a media-finance startup offering online creators instant payments against their streaming revenue.

Crypto & Web3FintechStaten Island, US

Co-investorsChain ReactionChaos VenturesTechstars

Partnerwiththrivepartnerwiththrive.comin

Thrive delivers credit solutions and financial services to partners and their customers across the credit spectrum.

Fintech

Pathpathcrypto.com𝕏

Path is a registered investment advisor offering asset management technology, automated tools, and investment guidance for cryptocurrency investing.

Crypto & Web3Fintech

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesCTC VenturesStarting LineHyde Park Angels

Payallpayall.comin𝕏

Payall provides payment orchestration and automation solutions, including a universal payment account platform for processing transactions across multiple payment channels.

Enterprise SoftwareFintech

Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzPresidio VenturesPS27 VenturesRRE VenturesThomson Reuters VenturesBat VC+1 more

Polymerpolymerhq.io

Polymer provides runtime visibility and control over sensitive data as it moves across enterprise systems and SaaS platforms.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Yasir Ali(Founder)in

Co-investorsGreen Egg VenturesInspiration VenturesMaccabee VenturesMudita VentureStory VenturesStudio VC+4 more

Privacy Lockmyprivacylock.ioin

A privacy compliance platform that centralizes data mapping, consent management, and regulatory filing tools across multiple jurisdictions for businesses of all sizes.

CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

David Ritter(Chief Executive Officer (CEO))inDr. Ed Kazmierczak(Chief Technology Officer (CTO))Dr. Steve Melnikoff(Chief Innovation Officer (CIO))

Co-investorscoreteq ventures

qBraidqbraid.comin𝕏

QBraid provides a unified platform for building and deploying quantum computing programs with integrated AI tools for developers.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsQuantum ComputingChicago, US

Kanav Setia(CEO)in

Co-investorsBantam GroupSoma CapitalTranspose Platform Management

Quiltquiltt.ioin𝕏Pre-Seed · Nov 2020 · $680K

Quiltt provides fintech infrastructure that connects builders to financial data aggregators and enrichment providers through a single integration.

Data & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsFintech

Mark(Co-Founder & CCO)Ruben Izmailyan(Co-Founder, CEO)inZane Pickett(CTO)inMark Bechhofer(Co-Founder, CCO)

Co-investorsAbstraction CapitalAlumni VenturesEarly Light VenturesGranatus VenturesK Street CapitalNVP Capital+5 more

Relosharereloshare.comin

ReloShare operates a real-time shelter availability platform that helps social services agencies book hotel rooms for individuals and families in need of temporary housing.

GovTechImpact & Social GoodPropTechSaaSSocial

Matt Singley(Founder)in

Co-investorsChicago Early Growth Ventures (CEGV)Lofty VenturesService Provider CapitalValor Equity Partners

Sarna Holdingssarna.ioinPre-Seed · Mar 2021 · $950K

Sarna provides technology to clearing firms and broker-dealers for managing risk and scaling trading operations in financial markets.

Cloud ComputingFintechSaaS

Dominik Sarna(Chief Executive Officer)inDax Rodriguez(Co-Founder & Advisor)

Co-investorsSimplex VenturesWedbush Ventures

Smartysmarty.ai

Smarty embeds an MIT-trained CTO ("Chief of AI") and senior engineering team into a client's business to identify, build, and maintain custom AI systems and automations.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaS

Denzil Eden(Founder)

Co-investorsAmplify.LAPear VCSterling RoadirrvrntVC

SureBrightsurebright.comin

SureBright provides product protection insurance solutions that merchants embed directly into their customer checkout experience.

AI & Machine LearningE-commerceEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechRetail TechSaaSNew Delhi, IN

Manish Chauhan(CEO)inSanket Munjal(Founder)inManish C(Founder)Kunth Jain(Hiring Manager)Anbarasu S(Hiring Manager)Ankita Dewan(Hiring Manager (Marketing))

Co-investorsBuilders + BackersInsurTechMaiora Rebel VenturesMPG FundNeer Venture PartnersPanache Ventures+6 more

Sweatersweaterventures.comin

Sweater is a fintech platform that enables non-accredited retail investors to access private market investment opportunities and venture capital funds alongside traditional investors.

FintechSaaS

Jesse Randall(CEO and Co-Founder)

Co-investorsD3VCLitquidity VenturesSimplex Ventures

Sweatersweater.sainSeed · Feb 2022 · $12M

Sweater offers on-demand mobile car care and washing services, serving both individual customers and companies managing vehicle fleets.

CleantechConsumerMarketplacesMobility & TransportationSaaS

Mohammed Alnahdi(Founder)in

Co-investors500 GlobalBison Ventures

Telgeatelgea.cominApr 2025 · $3M

Telgea is a mobile network operator that enables global enterprises to manage local mobile plans across multiple countries through a unified platform with centralized billing and integrated HR system connectivity.

Cloud ComputingEnterprise Software

Co-investorsAmigos Venture CapitalAntlernode.vc

The Swarmtheswarm.comin𝕏

The Swarm tracks over 100 million companies globally and provides AI-powered data on company profiles, fundraising history, investor networks, and valuation trends.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSales Tech

David Connors(Co-Founder & CEO)

Co-investors500 Emerging EuropeAltaIR CapitalHubSpot VenturesTRAC (Third Round Analytics Capital)

Thewealthboomthewealthboom.com𝕏

The Wealth Boom prepares and facilitates the sale of industrial businesses, including manufacturers, distributors, logistics operators, and contractors.

Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply Chain

TradingViewtradingview.comin𝕏

TradingView is a charting platform and social network used by over 100 million traders and investors worldwide to analyze and trade across global financial markets.

Data & InfrastructureFintechNew York City, US

Denis Globa(Executive Officer, Director)inKonstantin Ivanov(Director)Stan Bokov(Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer)inConstantin Ivanov(Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer)inSteven M Farsht(Director)

BoardSEBASTIEN ARTHUR M DUCHATEAU(Director)

Co-investorsAccess Technology VenturesAkkadian VenturesDRW Venture CapitalHongShan Capital GroupInsight PartnersIrishAngels+9 more

Upwellupwell.comin

Upwell builds an AI-powered accounts receivable platform for freight carriers and 3PLs to automate billing, reduce payment delays, and improve cash flow.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSNebraska, US

Charley Dehoney(CEO & Co-Founder)inAaron(CTO & Co-Founder)Kris(VP of Solutions)

Co-investorsAutomotive Ventures MobilityInvest NebraskaNVP CapitalRevolutionStage 2 CapitalVertical Venture Partners+5 more

Valiotvaliot.ioin𝕏

Valiot builds software focused on manufacturing operations, offering measurable KPIs and adaptable onboarding for industrial decision-makers.

Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningIoTSaaSAustin, US

Oscar Federico Crespo(Executive Officer, Director)Adrian M. Rangel Araujo(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsFEMSA Ventures

Vero Skillsveroskills.cominOct 2025 · $5M

VeroSkills provides an AI-agent platform for staffing and recruiting teams that automates sourcing, resume screening, candidate ranking, dynamic voice interviews, license verification, and reference checks.

AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesAmbassadors Impact NetworkCircadian VenturesEagle VentureInnovation DepotMu Ventures+3 more

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

Ambient FinanceBoomCadenCoreChainEnsemble AIEnsemblecoreGig And TakeHosta AiJawntMahaloMarkIIIORNGQuantivizeStargazrThrive Financial

Exits · 4

1 IPOs · 3 acquisitions · showing 1

chimebank-ar21NASDAQ: CHYM

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Motivate Venture Capital made?
Motivate Venture Capital has 79 tracked investments, 4 of which have exited, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Motivate Venture Capital invest at?
Motivate Venture Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What is Motivate Venture Capital's typical check size?
Motivate Venture Capital typically writes checks of $250K – $3M.
What sectors does Motivate Venture Capital focus on?
Motivate Venture Capital focuses on Consumer, Crypto & Web3, Data & Infrastructure, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Hardware, Healthtech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Motivate Venture Capital located?
Motivate Venture Capital is headquartered in Chicago, US.
Does Motivate Venture Capital lead rounds?
Motivate Venture Capital typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does Motivate Venture Capital co-invest with?
Motivate Venture Capital most often shares deals with Access Technology Ventures, Anthemis Venture, IrishAngels, among 85 tracked co-investors.

Images

Motivate Venture Capital photo

Co-investors · 40

Techstars

Techstars is a global startup accelerator and early-stage investor that funds and mentors ambitious founders, providing $220K in capital, a three-month program, and access to a worldwide network of mentors, investors, and corporate partners.

$220K
IrishAngels

IrishAngels is an angel investing network affiliated with the University of Notre Dame, founded in 2012, that invests in early-stage founders and backs them with a 200+ member network of operators, executives, and entrepreneurs.

$250K – $350K
Schematic Ventures

Schematic Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on technology that makes and moves the world, investing in industrial hardware, supply chain, and related sectors.

Both backed · 3
FulcrumWilyaGig And Take
$1M – $2M
Wedbush Ventures

Wedbush Ventures is an early-stage investment firm that backs founders solving problems through technological innovation, positioning itself as hands-on partners focused on helping companies grow.

$1M – $3M
NextView Ventures

NextView Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that works closely with founders, providing hands-on support to help build companies from inception to scale.

Both backed · 2
$250K – $4M
Anthemis Venture

Anthemis is an investment firm focused on the digital economy, backing companies that reshape financial services and the broader economy for wider benefit.

Both backed · 2
$500K – $7M
Bessemer Venture Partners

Bessemer Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs across enterprise, consumer, and healthcare sectors from early stages through growth.

Both backed · 1
$50K – $100M
Forerunner Ventures

Forerunner Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs companies redefining consumer behavior, health, commerce, fintech, and AI-native products.

Both backed · 1
$1M – $20M
Social Starts

Social Starts is a group of early-stage venture funds that applies a data-driven, analytics-based methodology to identify and back promising companies in high-potential segments. Its current fund, Social Starts Health and Happiness, targets startups focused on helping people live longer and better.

Both backed · 1
Contrary

A talent and research-driven investment firm that identifies and invests in entrepreneurs and their companies across funding stages from seed through scaling.

Both backed · 1
$2M
National Grid Partners

National Grid Partners is the venture capital unit of National Grid plc, a major investor-owned energy utility company. The firm invests in innovative energy-related technologies and business models.

Both backed · 1
Amino Capital

AMINO Capital is a global venture capital firm based in Palo Alto that invests around the theme of data moat and network effects, focusing on big data, machine learning, and exceptional products.

Both backed · 1
$100K – $10M
▶28 more co-investors

Bread And Butter Ventures, LlcAmplify.LAInnospark VenturesCorazon CapitalRSCMBain Capital VenturesGreat Oaks Venture CapitalBattery VenturesStellar CapitalTodd and Rahul’s Angel FundFoundryAtlas VentureSocial LeverageQueensBridge Venture PartnersHustle FundBrand Foundry VenturesCapital FactoryPropeller VCEnsemble VCG20 VenturesPJCAmerican Family VenturesJetBlue VenturesBehind Genius VenturesMAGIC FundPhoenix FundRogue Venture PartnersStormbreaker

Firms observed investing alongside Motivate Venture Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Motivate Venture Capital's recorded portfolio.

Similar investors

Featured in lists