# Seed investors based in Chicago (2026 list)

> 36 seed investors based in Chicago, 97% active in the last 12 months. Led by Alumni Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, Valor Equity Partners.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/lists/seed-investors-based-in-chicago (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Investor Lists](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

# Seed investors based in Chicago

Updated 7 November 2026

Firms with an address in Chicago that we have watched take part in a seed round in the last two years.

[See all 36 *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fseed-investors-based-in-chicago)The top 25

**36** investors on the list No change this week

**594** cheques in 12 months *-8%* against the market

**$5.8M** median round they joined *-28%* against the market median

**97%** wrote a cheque in 12 months

**61%** have led a round

## The Top 25

Ordered by cheques observed, never by anything anyone paid for

Deploying now (25)

- 1 [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **1,598** **$12M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 2 [ARCH Venture Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/arch-venture-partners) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **337** **$74M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 3 [Valor Equity Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/valor-equity-partners) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **261** **$50M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 4 [Lightbank](https://millionrounds.com/fund/lightbank) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **206** **$5.5M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 5 [CMT Digital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cmt-digital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **156** **$7M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 6 [Hyde Park Venture Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/hyde-park-venture-partners) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **132** **$5.5M** median round **May 2026** last seen
- 7 [Jump Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/jump-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **128** **$11M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 8 [Promus Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/promus-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **124** **$20M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 9 [Chicago Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/chicago-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **116** **$5.8M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 10 [M25](https://millionrounds.com/fund/m25) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **115** **$2.2M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 11 [Second Century Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/second-century-ventures) *Deploying now* Corporate VC · United States **103** **$4.4M** median round **Jul 2026** last seen
- 12 [S2G Investments](https://millionrounds.com/fund/s2g-investments) *Deploying now* Growth equity · United States **102** **$16M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 13 [Origin Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/origin-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **93** **$7.5M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 14 [Corazon Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/corazon-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **81** **$5.7M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 15 [IrishAngels](https://millionrounds.com/fund/irishangels) *Deploying now* Angel network · United States **78** **$3M** median round **Apr 2026** last seen
- 16 [New Stack Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/new-stack-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **53** **$3.3M** median round **Jun 2026** last seen
- 17 [Motivate Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/motivate-venture-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **50** **$3.7M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 18 [Sfermion](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sfermion) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **44** **$5M** median round **Jan 2026** last seen
- 19 [Chingona Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/chingona-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **40** **$3M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 20 [VitalizeVC](https://millionrounds.com/fund/vitalize-venture-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **40** **$4.8M** median round **Jul 2026** last seen
- 21 [Evergreen Climate Innovations](https://millionrounds.com/fund/evergreen-climate-innovations) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **33** **$2.4M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 22 [Illinois Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/illinois-ventures) *Deploying now* Government · United States **24** **$10M** median round **Feb 2026** last seen
- 23 [Listen](https://millionrounds.com/fund/listen-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **13** **$7M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 24 [DRW](https://millionrounds.com/fund/drw) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **9** **$22M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 25 [Starting Line](https://millionrounds.com/fund/starting-line) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **6** **$16M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen

**11 more on this list**

All 36 are in the app, with filters for stage, sector and market. A free account shows 10 per search, Pro up to 1,000.

[See the whole list *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fseed-investors-based-in-chicago)

## The Newest Cheques

Rounds this list's investors joined most recently

- **5** Nov **[firmly](https://millionrounds.com/company/firmly)** Series A · $15M *With* [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)
- **5** Nov **[RadianX](https://millionrounds.com/company/radianx)** Seed · $9M *With* [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)
- **5** Nov **[Zipline](https://millionrounds.com/company/zipline)** Growth · $1.5B *With* [Valor Equity Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/valor-equity-partners)
- **4** Nov **[Lazarus AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/lazarus-ai)** $43M *With* [Motivate Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/motivate-venture-capital)
- **2** Nov **[Larridin](https://millionrounds.com/company/larridin)** Series A · $30M *With* [Alumni Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)
- **2** Nov **[CRSHMARKET](https://millionrounds.com/company/crshmarket)** Seed · $3.5M *With* [Starting Line](https://millionrounds.com/fund/starting-line)

## Stages This Year

566 rounds

- Venture **20%**
- Seed **19%**
- Series A **17%**
- Series B **12%**
- Debt **6%**
- Other **26%**

## What They Backed

Sectors, last 12 months

- AI **212**
- Biotech **43**
- Fintech **32**
- Energy **32**
- Big Data & Analytics **31**
- Healthcare **31**

## Cheques by Quarter

Led Joined

189 Q1 25

163 Q2 25

162 Q3 25

194 Q4 25

198 Q1 26

136 Q2 26

152 Q3 26

36 Q4 26

The last bar is the quarter still running.

## Lists Like This

- [AI investors based in San Francisco 353](https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-based-in-san-francisco)
- [AI investors based in New York 345](https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-based-in-new-york)
- [Seed investors based in San Francisco 273](https://millionrounds.com/lists/seed-investors-based-in-san-francisco)
- [Series A investors based in San Francisco 266](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-a-investors-based-in-san-francisco)
- [Series A investors based in New York 255](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-a-investors-based-in-new-york)
- [Seed investors based in New York 227](https://millionrounds.com/lists/seed-investors-based-in-new-york)
- [AI investors based in London 223](https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-based-in-london)
- [Series B investors based in New York 198](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-b-investors-based-in-new-york)
- [Fintech investors based in New York 197](https://millionrounds.com/lists/fintech-investors-based-in-new-york)

[All investor lists *→*](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

## Quick answers about seed investors based in Chicago

### Who are the most active seed investors based in Chicago?

By cheques observed, the most active are Alumni Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, Valor Equity Partners, Lightbank and CMT Digital.

### How many seed investors based in Chicago are there?

36 are on record. 97% made an investment in the last 12 months and 61% have led a round.

### Which stages do seed investors based in Chicago back?

Of the rounds with a named stage in the last 12 months, mostly Seed (26%) and Series A (23%).

### How big are the rounds seed investors based in Chicago join?

The typical (median) round among the leading investors here is $5.8M.

### Which sectors do seed investors based in Chicago back most?

In the last 12 months, mostly AI, Biotech and Fintech.

### Which seed investors based in Chicago lead the most rounds?

Valor Equity Partners (21 led), ARCH Venture Partners (12 led) and Jump Capital (7 led).

### What have seed investors based in Chicago invested in recently?

Recent rounds include firmly (Series A, Nov 2026, with Alumni Ventures), RadianX (Seed, Nov 2026, with Alumni Ventures) and Zipline (Growth, Nov 2026, with Valor Equity Partners).

### How is this list of seed investors based in Chicago ranked?

By cheques observed, from the rounds and filings we watched, and never by anything anyone paid for. It is rebuilt every night.

Built from the rounds we watched, refreshed every night. [How we count](https://millionrounds.com/methodology) · [Report a correction](https://millionrounds.com/corrections)