Riptide Ventures
Angel networkBaltimore · Pre-Seed–Seed · 4 people tracked
Find your way into Riptide Ventures
Each arrow is one introduction. Sign up to fill in the first one.
Ask Scott Garber to introduce you to Mike Leffer
You →Scott · together at Baltimore Angels →Mike
Ask Jamie Chen to introduce you to Katie Hildreth
You →Jamie · together at Riptide Ventures →Katie
Ask Sam Okafor to introduce you to Leo Liu
You →Sam · together at Riptide Ventures →Leo
- Lalita Hamilton29 people can intro you
Sign up to find every way you can get introduced to Riptide Ventures
- Your email: who you already know at Riptide Ventures, and who your contacts know
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: people you know who worked, studied or invested with the Riptide Ventures team
- Your LinkedIn: the connections who can make the intro for you
We rank every route by how warm it is, so you raise on warm intros instead of cold emails.
Investment thesis
Riptide Ventures operates as a network-powered angel syndicate, relying on its member base to source deals, conduct diligence, and support portfolio companies. The firm invests in early-stage startups within regulated industries, backing founders it sees as being pulled toward success by strong, insatiable customer demand rather than pushing to create it. Its focus is on entrepreneurs solving real problems in markets with clear demand.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 24 of 25 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×8Healthtech ×7Medical Devices ×7Consumer ×5Digital Health ×5Biotech ×4Fintech ×4SaaS ×4
HQs:United States×16United Kingdom×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 12 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×82 founders×13 founders×24+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 14 founders with education data
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×2The Johns Hopkins University ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 15 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×6Business & Management ×2Economics ×2Finance & Accounting ×2Humanities ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 13 founders with career history
Johns Hopkins University ×2Sontiq (A TransUnion Company) ×2
Investments · 25 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22024 · 12023 · 32022 · 17 dated
Ally Behavior Centers provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and autism intervention services for children through year-round, full-day clinic-based programs.
Digital HealthHealthtechMental HealthWashington, US
Michael Rudy(Founder)in
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Armaments Research Company (ARC) builds AI-enabled sensors for individual weapons that provide warfighters with situational awareness, predictive logistics, and predictive maintenance in combat environments.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechIoTWashington, US
Mike Canty(Founder)in
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Bark Social operates a dog park and social venue combining an off-leash dog park with grooming, daycare, boarding, and a bar and restaurant for dog owners.
ConsumerSocialWellness & Fitness
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light Ventures
Canvas Envision provides a visual execution platform that converts CAD data, documents, and videos into interactive work instructions for manufacturing workers at the point of work.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Garth(CEO)Alban(Chief Revenue Officer)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesFrontier Venture CapitalMendoza Ventures
Capsulomics offers Esopredict, a DNA methylation-based risk-stratification test that predicts progression from Barrett's esophagus to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma for gastroenterologists and pathologists.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDigital HealthMedical DevicesHalethorpe, US
Daniel Lunz(Executive Officer, Director)inWilliam Stevens(Executive Officer)inStephen Meltzer(Director)
BoardJohn Neiderhuber(Director)
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesMaryland TEDCOTEDCOGaingels
Caretaker Medical develops wireless medical devices for non-invasive continuous hemodynamic monitoring using patented Pulse Decomposition Analysis technology.
Digital HealthHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesCharlottesville, US
Martin Baruch(Executive Officer, Director)inJeff Pompeo(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inTodd Hochrein(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardMark Rausch(Director)inPaul Jansen(Director)Rolf Hueppi(Director)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesIrishAngelsMing capital
Credit Mountain provides a white-labeled platform that converts a credit union's loan declines and adverse action notices into a "path back to approval," giving declined members plain-English explanations, a credit-improvement roadmap, and branded credit monitoring, then alerting the credit union when members are ready to reapply.
FintechSaaS
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investors412 Venture FundAUTHENTIC VENTURESCurql Collective, LLCEarly Light VenturesJHH vcNext Level Ventures+4 more
Diamond Hook is a creative agency that designs digital experiences and campaigns for clients, staffed by creatives, technologists, and strategists.
AdTechMarketing Tech
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Frenos builds security solutions for operational technology (OT) environments, drawing on deep industry experience in OT product development and offensive security.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareIoTCharlotte, US
Harry Thomas(Executive Officer)inBrian Proctor(Executive Officer, Director)Eric Profittlich(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMichael Janke(Director)in
Co-investorsDataTribeExposition VenturesMomenta Ventures
Hunt A Killer sells standalone murder-mystery games mailed as physical boxes containing realistic evidence such as documents, photographs, and locked tins for players to solve solo or in groups of up to six.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerGaming
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesDecathlon Capital Partners
Bright provides an immersive learning platform using AI and software simulations for corporate training and workforce development.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechFuture of WorkSaaS
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsCake VenturesJHH vc
NeuroIntact develops VCool, a portable system for precise core body temperature modulation in hospitalized patients.
HardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesBaltimore, US
Bryan Nicholson(Founder & CEO)in
BoardBill Niland(Chairman)inRobert Kline(Board Member)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsCentral Texas Angel Network
All Ears operates ear care studios where nurses use the FDA-cleared OtoSet device to remove earwax through irrigation and micro-suction and provide baseline hearing checks.
ConsumerHealthtechMedical Devices
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsArieal Southeast Angel PartnersMEDA AngelsScaleGood Fund LP (powered by TELUS)
Poppy provides an online marketplace for wedding florals, connecting couples directly with independent floral designers and farms to reduce costs and increase design flexibility.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesWashington, US
Cameron Hardesty(Founder)in
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesFront PorchIrishAngelsMichigan Capital NetworkMontage CapitalTechstars+4 more
Previse offers a data health monitor and financial technology tools that harmonize fragmented financial data across multiple systems, using no-code ERP connectors, payment automation, and configurable workflows and analytics.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintechLondon, GB
Philipp Schoenbucher(Founder)in
Co-investorsAugmentum FintechFounders FactoryReefknot InvestmentsSalica InvestmentsBessemer Venture PartnersGaingels+2 more
Esopredict is a methylation-based risk-stratification test that quantifies DNA methylation of four genes (p16, RUNX3, HPP1, FBN1) combined with patient age to predict a patient's 5-year risk of progressing from Barrett's esophagus to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical Devices
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
ProductWind runs e-commerce creator marketing campaigns for consumer brands, matching products with retail-native creators based on shopping behavior and category relevance to drive sales and organic retail visibility.
Creator EconomyE-commerceMarketing TechRedmond, US
Tom H(Founder)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsBroom VenturesEarly Light Ventures
ReGelTec develops injectable hydrogel technology for the repair of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, targeting interventional pain management and spine care.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesNew MaterialsBaltimore, US
Bill Niland(Co-Founder & Advisor)inPeter Boyd(CEO)inAnthony Lowman(CTO & Co-Founder)inMark Collins(CFO)inMoss Amer(Director)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsTech Council Ventures
Steady is a coordination platform that keeps teams aligned across people and AI agents by tracking shared intent, progress, and outcomes in a system of record.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSNew York, US
Henry Poydar(Founder)inAdamJavan
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesInner Loop Capital
Scamnetic develops scam and fraud protection technology aimed at defending consumers and organizations from financially motivated cybercrime such as identity theft and scams.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityFintechWesley Chapel, US
Alpohonse Pascual(Executive Officer, Director)Alphonse Pascual(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Al Pascual(CEO & Co-Founder)inJohn Evans(COO & Co-Founder)inJohn Evans Jr.(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Kelley(Chief Financial Officer)in
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsRoo CapitalMiami AngelsSaas Ventures, L.L.C.
Sonavex develops medical device technologies focused on vascular access and related clinical applications, drawing on ultrasound-based imaging and monitoring products.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesBaltimore, US
David Narrow(Executive Officer, Director)inDevin O'Brien-Coon(Co-Founder & Chairman)inJerry L. Prince(Co-Founder)inJohn Rappe(Executive Officer)inAlex Yevzlin(Executive Officer)
BoardRobert Hallenbeck(Director)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsFusionJStar Capital InvestmentsKeiretsu ForumMaryland TEDCORembrandt Venture PartnersTEDCO+2 more
UpEquity provides real estate services that help homeowners buying and selling simultaneously by unlocking equity and removing contingencies to enable competitive offers.
FintechPropTechAustin, US
Timothy Herman(Founder)in
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesEarly Light VenturesLaunchpad CapitalNext Coast VenturesOrigin VenturesS3 Ventures+11 more
HealthtechBaltimore, US
Douglas Falk(Executive Officer, Director)inVlad Coric(Director)Pat LaVecchia(Director)
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesMaryland TEDCOTEDCO
Wove is a custom fine jewelry company that enables customers to design their own engagement rings, wedding bands, and fine jewelry through a bespoke design process.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
PartnerMike Leffer· solo GP
Co-investorsEarly Light VenturesRareBreed VenturesWhite Rose VenturesAngelPadAugust CapitalCanaan Partners+5 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesFrenos · securityweek.com · Jul 28, 2026
Poppy · finsmes.com · Nov 20, 2025
Scamnetic · scamnetic.com · Jun 6, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Riptide Ventures made?
- Riptide Ventures has 25 tracked investments, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Riptide Ventures invest at?
- Riptide Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Riptide Ventures's typical check size?
- Riptide Ventures typically writes checks of $750K.
- What sectors does Riptide Ventures focus on?
- Riptide Ventures focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Cybersecurity, Defense Tech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, SaaS.
- Where is Riptide Ventures located?
- Riptide Ventures is headquartered in Baltimore, US.
- Does Riptide Ventures lead rounds?
- Riptide Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Riptide Ventures co-invest with?
- Riptide Ventures most often shares deals with Early Light Ventures, IrishAngels, JHH vc, among 43 tracked co-investors.
Images
Similar investors
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs bold, early-stage, technology-driven companies across deep tech and other sectors, providing hands-on 'venture assistance' to help founders build category-defining businesses.
Menlo Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm backing transformative technology companies, with a strong current emphasis on artificial intelligence across enterprise, healthcare, and consumer markets.
Eniac Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm run by former startup operators that partners closely with founders from 0 to 1 to accelerate product-market fit.
Frst is a French seed-stage venture capital fund that backs entrepreneurs at Day One, often before a company is incorporated. It provides a meaningful first check and a long-term partnership from the earliest stage.
Practica Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on backing founders in the Baltic States, investing at pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages.














__Twitter.png)






















































