Why Chicago
Chicago: A City Like No Other
Chicago’s economy is balanced, with no single industry dominating. Founders here can tap into a large, affordable talent pool and a community that supports growth.
Corporate HQ Magnet
Chicago leads the nation in corporate headquarters relocations, making it a prime choice for companies looking to set up their central operations.
Women-Founded Startups Thrive
Chicago ranks as the top city in the U.S. for women founders, offering a supportive environment for female entrepreneurs.
Fortune 500 Central
With the second-highest number of Fortune 500 companies, Chicago offers unparalleled opportunities for corporate partnerships.
Top Destination for Grads
Chicago is the second most popular city for recent graduates, attracting young talent eager to start their careers.
Nuclear Energy Leader
Chicago is at the forefront of nuclear energy innovation, positioning itself as a critical hub for advancements in this sector.
Manufacturing Powerhouse
As the second-largest manufacturing hub in the U.S., Chicago plays a vital role in the nation’s industrial output.
Rail Freight Capital
Chicago is the busiest rail center in the U.S., with 25% of the nation’s freight passing through, making it a logistics giant.
AI Talent Pipeline
Chicago is home to the third-largest talent pool of graduates in core AI disciplines, nurturing the next generation of tech leaders.
Economic Powerhouse
Ranked third among U.S. metros in GDP and seventh worldwide, Chicago stands as a global economic leader.
Quantum Education Hotspot
Chicago ranks third in the U.S. for universities offering quantum programs, solidifying its position in cutting-edge research.
Data Center Density
Chicago has the third highest concentration of data centers in the country, making it a critical hub for data storage and management.
Funding
Curated List of 50 Chicago Venture Firms
Paragon Capital
Investing in the intersection of technology and consumer behavior
Drive Capital
Multi-stage venture firm investing in market-defining companies.
Hyde Park Venture Partners
Early-stage VC firm for high-growth tech startups.
Cleveland Ave
Invests in food, beverage, lifestyle consumer brands, AgTech, and tech companies.
11 Tribes
Early-stage fund for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.
Permanent Capital
Investing in post-PMF B2B SaaS.
Starting Line
Early-stage VC fund for consumer startups and brands.
7Wire Ventures
Early-stage healthcare venture fund.
Sandbox Industries
Invests in healthcare, insurance, and food & agriculture sectors.
Chicago Ventures
Leads seed investments in overlooked teams.
Nomadic Ventures
Early-stage climate tech VC for decarbonizing mining, manufacturing, and transportation.
Velocity Catalyst
Invests in early-stage founders and emerging fund managers in critical Chicago industries.
81 Collection
Founders fund for un-sexy industries.
Listen Ventures
Operates at the intersection of venture and culture.
OCA Ventures
Operates at the intersection of venture and culture.
The Josephine Collective
Operates at the intersection of venture and culture.
Fifth Star Funds
Equitable access to ‘Friends & Family’ capital for underrepresented founders.
Dundee VC
Pre-seed and seed VC firm for fintech, supply chain, logistics, and commerce.
Origin Ventures
Early-stage firm for software, consumer, and marketplace businesses.
Tawani Ventures
Generalist early-stage fund for diverse founding teams.
Off Center Ventures
Early-stage firm investing at the intersection of tech and media.
Supply Change
Early-stage firm at the intersection of food, culture, and tech.
New Leaf Ventures
Multi-strategy fund for diversified early-stage venture investments.
Chingona Ventures
Focuses on changing industries and overlooked founders.
Lofty Ventures
Invests in software and tech sectors.
Motivate Ventures
Invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups.
M25
Early-stage venture firm focusing on Midwest companies.
TechNexus
Helps corporations and entrepreneurs accelerate growth.
Propellant Ventures
Seed-stage firm for Chicago and Midwest B2B industries.
Lightbank
Specializes in venture capital investments across various stages.
Jump Capital
Focus on software opportunities in fintech, crypto, IT, data infrastructure, and future of work.
Bluestein Ventures
Early-stage food sector investors.
Arch Venture Partners
Early-stage vc for tech firms in IT, life sciences, and physical sciences.
Distributed Ventures
Transforms risk through investments in Insurtech, Fintech, and Health & Benefits.
Capitalize VC
Focuses on commerce enablement and consumer brands.
HPA
Early-stage Midwest firm.
Nameless Ventures
Chicago-based Seed and Series A investor.
Impact Engine
Invests in economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health equity.
KB Partners
Invests at the intersection of sports and technology.
Moderne Ventures
Seed/early-stage venture capital for tech firms in IT, life sciences, and physical sciences.
Consumer Ventures
Invests in next-gen consumer brands, products, and enabling technologies.
New Stack Ventures
Early-stage venture investments in remarkable founders.
Chicago Early
Seed-stage investment firm for Chicago startups.
Portal Innovations
Life sciences VC firm offering crafted capital for breakthroughs.
LongJump Ventures
First-check fund focused on Chicago founders with capital, community, and connections.
Vitalize Venture Capital
Focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage WorkTech deals.
High Alpha
Funding B2B SaaS companies.
53 Stations
Early-stage firm for healthcare, logistics, tech, and insurance.
EverPresent Ventures
Invests in the future of scalable commerce.
Plug and Play
Sector-agnostic early-stage global firm with a large corporate innovation network.
DRW VC
Stage-agnostic investor in financial and enterprise tech.
Raising Capital?
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Curated List of Founder Communities
Chicago Launchpad
Exclusive community and resource hub for founders and leaders.
Paragon Network
Private community for business leaders, investors, and founders.
Operators Guild
Group for finance and operations leaders.
Build Illinois
UIUC entrepreneurial community for creatives, artists, and founders.
Northwestern AI Club
Empowers students to shape the future with AI.
Chicago Data Professionals
Events on topics related to Microsoft Azure Data Services.
Gildre
Hosts international Executive Workshops and events in Chicago.
DinnerClub.
Where ambitious founders come together and grow side-by-side.
AI Tinkerers
Meetup for practitioners building with foundation models.
Founder House
Exclusive community built by founders for founders.
Pitch and Run
Run club for founders.
Inside The Loop Meetups
Bi-weekly coffee meetups for founders in Fulton Market.
EdTech Chicago
Meetups for EdTech founders and investors.
Startup Grind
Chicago founder community.
The Garage
Northwestern University’s innovation hub.
Accelerators, Incubators, and Programs
Paragon Ventures
Product and design co-founders
Duality
Quantum
Techstars Chicago
Connects early-stage brands with resources.
MATTER
Health.
Polsky Center Transform
AI
TechRise
Weekly pitch competitions for early-stage founders.
1871 Accelerator
Various fields (4) per year.
2112
Music, film, and creative technology
Drive Seed Program
SaaS, AI, Automation
Relish
Food industry startups
LeapYear
AI and SaaS
2112 Chicago
Music and entertainment-tech.
mHUB
Hardware and med-tech.
Gener8tor
General sustainability, carbon removal solutions, and EdTech.
Food Foundry
Food-tech.
Founders Institute
SaaS
Workbox
International Workplace Group
Working From_
WeWork
TeamWorking
mHUB
Deskpass
Regus
Expansive
Industrious
1871
Second Shift
Co-Working Spaces
Top co-working locations in Chicago
There are many co-working spaces that are suitable for founders, including spaces that offer amenities, networking opportunities, and programs for entrepreneurs.
Events
Events Around Chicago
Get An Invite to Our Exclusive Events
Want to connect with other founders and industry leaders? Join our free community and get invites to exclusive networking events, private dinners, poker nights, and more.
Hiring
Recruitment Firms & Job Boards
Explore top recruitment firms and job boards in Chicago to find the best talent for your startup. Connect with specialized agencies and platforms dedicated to the tech community.
Saragossa
Recruitment Firm
Hunt Club
Recruitment Firm
Omna Search
Recruitment Firm
Victory Lap
Recruitment Firm
HireHex
Recruitment Firm
Artisan Talent
Recruitment Firm
Wellfound
Job Board
Techicago
Job Board
BuiltIn Chicago
Job Board
YC Chicago
Job Board
1871 Job Board
Job Board
Leaders
Chicago Leaders to Connect With & Follow
Newsletter
Weekly Chicago Startup News
Chicago Startup & Business News: First Week of September 2024 Roundup
The first week of September 2024 has been a whirlwind of…
Chicago Startup News for the Week of August 19, 2024
Chicago’s Startup Ecosystem Thrives with $1.8 Billion in Early-Stage FundingChicago’s startup…
Daily Startup News: August 5th, 2024
MVPLead Offers Limited-Time Free Access to Early Adopters Database for 50…
Latest Funding Rounds for Chicago Startups in August 2024
1. FranShares Secures $4.1 Million in Seed FundingChicago-based FranShares, a startup…
Daily Startup News: August 4th, 2024
1. Duality Quantum Accelerator Welcomes 5 Startups into Fourth CohortChicago’s Duality…
