Living in Kansas City, you must've witnessed the rising number of startups. The city, which only had 100-150 startups a decade back, is now home to more than 9,000 startups in 2023.

Thinking, how has all of this happened? How has Kansas City emerged as one of the Midwest's top startup cities?

The credit goes to angel investors. These investors have always been funding hundreds of different startups, analyzing their growth potential and chances of market survival.

The best part is that most of these angel investors don't just provide financial help to these startups but also guide them via different programs.

So, let's wait no longer and jump on to the list of Top 9 Angel Investors in Kansas City.

Top 9 Angel Investors in Kansas City

From the gigantic number of angel investors in Kansas City, choosing the one that matches your business interests can be a real problem.

That is why we have prepared a list of different angel investors, VC Firms as well and startup accelerators to help you select an angel investor that matches your interest.

Mid-American Angels

Founded in 2006, Mid American Angels is one of the most prominent investing networks in Kansas City. They usually invest in startups related to media, healthcare, tech, software services, and entertainment. 

Consisting of different angel investors with backgrounds in the tech industry, Mid-American Angels understand the challenges startups face in the market. That is why they also conduct different mentorship programs to help startups accelerate their growth and become well-established brands.

As for screening tests, like every other investor, Mid-American Angels wants to fund the best startup with significant growth potential. The investing range of Mid-American Angels ranges from $200,000 up to $1.5M.

Humana Ventures

With investments over $3.3B, Humana Ventures is one of the biggest investment networks operating in Kansas City. The Ventrue Capital Firm was founded by David A. Jones, Sr., and Wendell Cherry in 1964. 

After investing in many different startups, Humana Ventures has changed its screening criteria and conducts strict screening tests, filtering out the most deserving startups. 

Moreover, the network also conducts different networking events throughout the year to help startups find investors that match their business interests. As for investment range, Humana Ventures supports startups ranging from $100,000 up to $5M.

John Fein

John Fein is an individual investor and Investment Partner known for his expertise in healthcare, information technology (IT), and startup ventures. His extensive background in these sectors equips him with valuable insights into the challenges of the healthcare and IT industries. 

Before his involvement with Techstars, John was working as a Senior Project Manager within the OptumRx unit. As an angel investor, John Fein is likely to focus on early-stage ventures, given his background in startups.

To help startups accelerate in their respective fields, John also organizes different mentorship events, guiding individuals about what challenges they may face during different stages of startups. The investment range of John Fien ranges from $100,00 to $800,000.

Invest Nebraska

Invest Nebraska is another influential angel investor with a unique approach when funding startups. Founded in 2002, the investor has made 193 investments, which sum up to $1M. While the investment amount may not be so high compared with other angel investors, Invest Nebraska focuses on early-stage startups that require low funding amounts of around $10,000-$25,000.

Moreover, aside from funding, Invest Nebraska also helps startups by arranging different events. Although most of their events are about business development, they also focus on networking and providing mentorship to their portfolio companies.

Currently, Invest Nebraska doesn't have a fixed investing range. They fund startups starting from $10,000 up to $150,000. 

Recently, they have funded Babbl Labs for $100,0000.

Drive Capital

After raising $650 Million over two funds in January 2020, Drive Capital is also one of the investing giants of Kansas City.

Operating as a startup accelerator as well as an angel investor, Drive Capital has funded numerous startups, becoming one of the most active investors in 2021. Known for their diverse investments, Drive Capital funds startups based on their growth potential as they have a vast network of investors with market knowledge.

The investment range of Drive Capital ranges from $200,000 up to several million dollars, depending on the project.

Gary Fish

Gary Fish is a prominent individual angel investor with a strong focus on seed-stage investments. He is widely recognized as the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Fishtech, a testament to his entrepreneurial prowess. 

After gaining a lot of experience in the business industry, Gary Fish invests in early-stage startups. He also provides mentorship programs to his portfolio startups, ensuring they overcome different challenges faced by startups. 

Currently, Gary Fish hasn’t disclosed his investment range. He usually invests in startups depending on their growth potential and investment strategy.

Render Capital

Another Venture Capital Firm in Kansas City, Render Capital, was founded in 2019 by the famous investor Patrick Henshaw. The VC Firm usually focuses on tech and finance-related startups that have the potential to make it big in the next years. 

As a new investor, Render Capital is searching for deserving startups to invest in. That is why they arrange so many screening tests and networking events to find a startup that can become an established brand in the future.

Aside from funding, Render Capital also arranges different mentorship programs to educate their portfolio companies about the different challenges they face in the startup ecosystem.

As for the investment range, Render Capital usually invests around $100,000 to $1M, depending on the startup.

Adam Blake

As an individual angel investor, Adam Black focuses on startups related to the tech industry. He usually conducts strict screening tests to ensure startups with the most unique ideas make it through.

From Blake's past investments, it is quite evident that he focuses on one thing in all startups during the screening tests: uniqueness. Most of his portfolio companies, even when they belong to the same sector, have distinctive ideas.

The investing range of Adam Blake usually depends on the startups. However, he starts investing in startups ranging from $100,00 upto $1M or above.

Matt Motsick

Matt Motsick is an individual angel investor specializing in early-stage venture and seed investments. As the Co-founder and CEO of RPA Labs, he has played a crucial role in enabling logistics companies to streamline their operations through Robotic Process Automation. His experience as the former CEO of Catapult Inter speaks a lot about his expertise in entrepreneurship.

With a focus on early-stage ventures, Matt Motsick provides essential support to startups during their initial growth phases. He arranges different startup accelerator programs to help startups meet new investors and gather investments.

The investment range of Matt Motsick spans $150,000 up to several million dollars, depending on the startup and its potential.

Wrap Up

With the list of top angel investors in Kansas City coming to an end, let's have some final words of wisdom.

Always remember that investors look for startups with great ideas and the drive to turn those ideas into reality. So, as you appear for the screening tests, keep these traits at the forefront of your mind. 

Moreover, building strong relationships with these investors goes beyond just securing funding; it's about creating long-term partnerships. Show them your commitment to growth, transparency in your operations, and a willingness to learn from their experience.

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