Venture Investment
Venture Philanthropy Meets Venture Capital
Innovate SOMO Funds is a pioneering venture fund structure that blends philanthropic giving with traditional venture capital. By deploying charitable capital alongside institutional investment, Innovate SOMO Funds aims to close startup funding gaps, especially for promising pre-seed and seed-stage tech founders in smaller metropolitan areas and rural communities across southern Missouri.
Closing Gaps. Unlocking Entrepreneurship. Revitalizing Communities.
With 80% of all venture capital in the U.S. invested in just two major metro hubs, bold strategies are needed to overcome the long-standing pre-seed and seed funding drought stifling potential in smaller cities and rural areas across America's heartland. Innovate SOMO Funds is a pioneering venture fund that blends philanthropic giving with traditional venture capital. By deploying charitable capital alongside institutional investment, we aim to close startup funding gaps to empower homegrown job-creating tech startups, crucial for economic vitality and quality of life in our communities.
Learn MoreEmpowering Investors To Do Good and Do Well
Innovate SOMO Funds represent a first-of-its-kind regional approach combining a non-profit fund funded by charitable contributions and a for-profit fund backed by limited partners, co-investing to make equity and revenue-based investments in startups across southern Missouri. The model empowers investors to maximize impact in the earliest, riskiest stages where startup funding is most scarce, especially in areas where traditional investment models often fall short.
By concentrating on startups within southern Missouri, Innovate SOMO Funds will support innovation in a range of locally important industry sectors including information technology, tech manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and agriculture, and drive economic growth, and job creation where it’s needed most.
Learn MoreFilling the Largest Gap
Pre-Seed and Seed
About Innovate SOMO Funds
Limited Partner Seed Fund
- Accredited investors, leading foundations, family offices, institutional
- No admin fees or carried interests
- Individual minimum: $25,000
- Institutional minimum: $100,000
- LP Investment Committee
- Active and Passive Members
Evergreen Seed Fund
- IRS-Qualified charitable contribution to 501c3
- No admin fees or carried interests
- Individual minimum: $1,000
- Firm minimum: $25,000
- Independent board of directors
- Returned capital and gains 100% re-invested through fund
- Passive contributors
Empowering Startups to Go Further, Faster
As seasoned tech entrepreneurs, we understand firsthand the commitment and resources it takes to get an idea off the ground. That’s why our tech startup pipeline consists of four distinct programs strategically designed to maximize your potential for learning, growing, and funding as you progress along your journey. We’ve also wrapped in no-cost coaching, and professional services like software development, lead generation, and ongoing consulting as core components of our startup pipeline.
What We Look For
- Founder and team with unique market insights, entrepreneurial skills and commitment to high growth
- Large addressable market with a clearly identified, significant unmet need
- Unique solution that can disrupt the status quo and has a sustainable unfair advantage
- A go-to-market plan to demonstrate meaningful market traction
- A capital-efficient financial model that aligns investment dollars with value-creating milestones
Partnerships Enabling Business and Community Transformation
We work directly with co-investors and corporate innovation partners to provide capital, connections and market opportunities to our high-growth portfolio companies. In turn, our partners and investors can access these emerging technologies to accelerate internal innovation, solve pain points and generate new revenue streams.
Founding Partners
Capacity Building Partners
Ecosystem Partners
Our partners share our mission for driving growth and economic impact in our communities by harnessing the power of our region’s financial, intellectual and social capital.