Among all the cities in Arkansas, Little Rock has always attracted the highest number of venture capital firms and entrepreneurs. Not to forget that the state was the first to mandate programming in its public education system.

Similarly, most of the investors in Little Rock are always focused on tech-related startups since it's the hottest trend in the city.

Want to know more about these investors and venture capital firms?

Well, find out as we dive deep into the list of the top 6 angel investors in Little Rock and how you can pitch to them.

Top 6 Angel Investors in Little Rock

Below are some of the top angel investors and VC firms in Little Rock. While most of these investors are located in Arkansas, some are also headquartered outside the city and fund Little Rock-based startups as a part of their exterior city funding campaigns. Before contacting any startup for funding, it is important to do proper research and pitch to the investors professionally.

Stephens Group

Website: Stephens Group

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Healthcare, E-Commerce and Marketing. 

Investment Stage: Early and Seed Stages.

Stephens Group is currently one of the biggest venture capital firms in Arkansas. The network is privately owned by the Stephens family and was founded in 1933 by W.R. Stephens and Jackson T. Stephens. With around 70 portfolio companies, the firm seeks to invest in startups with strong teams that can provide promising results.

The investor panel has strong criteria of only funding startups that can at least generate 8-10x ROI within the first three years of investment. Aside from their funding campaigns, Stephen Group comprises some of Arkansas's best mentors. They organize different networking events and mentorship programs to help startups grow and make successful exits.

The investment range of Stephens Group ranges from $20M-$300M as they only invest in seed and early stages of a startup. Notable companies in their portfolio are:

TierPoint: TierPoint is a data centre operator providing cloud, colocation, and managed services.

GoodLeap: GoodLeap is a market-leading point-of-sale platform for financing sustainable home solutions.

StubHub/Viagogo: StubHub/Viagogo is the world's leading marketplace for live event ticketing.

Jens Talbert

LinkedIn: Jens Talbert | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Angel Investor

Investment Interests: Consumer Products, Software, Biotech, Energy and Entertainment.

Investment Stage: Early and Seed Stages.

Jens Talbert is one of the most active individual angel investors in Little Rock. As for his experience, he is currently the Vice President at The Stephens Group. Prior to joining The Stephens Group in 2020, Jens was an Associate at The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm.

With so much experience regarding funding startups, Jens Talbert knows which startup can be a game-changer and generate the highest ROI. Once he funds a startup, Jens Talbert also guides it personally and arranges various mentorship programs, monitoring the startup's performance and growth.

The investment range of James Talbert usually depends on the startup, as he can fund upto several million dollars. Some of his recent portfolio companies are:

Silicon Energy: Silicon Energy is a global leader in silane-based, high-purity silicon materials. They offer a variety of products.

Fuego: Fuego is a global dance-inspired athleisure & lifestyle brand with a line of patented dance sneakers worn in 120 countries around the world. They have raised a total of $3.2M in funding over 2 rounds.

Rules-Based Medicine: Rules-Based Medicine is a multiplexed immunoassay testing laboratory that provides biomarker services. They have raised a total of $25M in funding over 2 rounds.

VIC Technology Venture Development

Website: Home - VIC Tech

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Robotics and Healthcare. 

Investment Stage: Seed Stage.

VIC Technology Venture Development is a VC firm that funds startups in Little Rock. The network is headquartered in Fayetteville but provides funding to other Arkanses-based cities throughout the year. Since its inception in 2000, they have funded many tech-related startups and continue to do so.

The firm conducts rigorous pitching competitions and screens around 1,500 startups per year. Investors prefer startups with a great team, an understanding of their related market, strategies to outperform their competitors, and, most importantly, a massive growth potential.

Once the investors have funded such startups, the group of mentors at VIC Tech Venture Development guides these networks in the best ways. The investment range of VIC Technology Venture Development ranges from $50,000 to $800,000.

Some of their recent portfolio companies are:

BiologicsMD: A company that is currently developing highly targeted, novel human therapeutics for hair loss diseases and conditions, as well as severe bone disorders.

Celia Science: Formed to develop and commercialize point-of-care haematology analyzers. It aims to advance blood cell analysis using label-free deep-UV imaging.

SFC Fluidics: A medical device company whose drug delivery platform can improve therapy compliance in diabetes and other disease states.

New Road Capital Partners

Website: NewRoad Capital Partners 

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Healthcare, and Consumer Products. 

Investment Stage: Early, Seed and Late Stages.

New Road Capital Partners is a venture capital firm based in Roger, Arkansas. With almost 40 portfolio companies since their inception, New Road Capital Partners funds startups all over Arkansas, including Little Rock. The firm has many investors who don't just work but also provide the required guidance to startups.

Once a startup has passed the screening test, New Road Capital ensures they receive the best mentorship. They have a team of investment professionals, operating partners, and strategic advisors with deep, sector-specific investing and operating expertise.

The investment range of New Road Capital Partners ranges from $10M-$130M. Some of their famous portfolio companies are:

WorkStep: A workforce hiring and retention platform for the supply chain. It raised $25 million in Series B funding to combat the workforce shortage by transforming how enterprises hire and retain frontline workers.

Emerge: A Digital Freight Marketplace that allows shippers to bring their own carriers onto the platform, calculate committed volumes to those carriers and compare prices with over $50,000 pre-vetted carriers.

Kevin's Natural Foods: A manufacturer and supplier of health-forward food products such as refrigerated protein entrées, side dishes, sauces, and spices.

Tyson Ventures

Website: Tyson Foods

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Biotech and Agritech.

Investment Stage: Seed and Early Stages. 

Tyson Ventures is also a venture capital firm that was founded by an entrepreneur, Chris B. Tyson, in 2016. The network was founded to promote the food culture in Arkansas. Ever since its inception, the venture capital firm has supported over 30 startups and guided them across different startup stages.

Moreover, Tyson Ventures is also known for its famous event, "Demo Day," where startups are invited to demonstrate their startup ideas and show how their ideas can become brands provided the required funding. Similarly, Tyson Ventures has a huge network of experienced mentors hosting different workshops.

The investment range of Tyson Ventures ranges from $500,000 to several million dollars, depending on the project. They usually fund startups with an average funding of $10M.

MycoTechnology: A food technology company that developed an organic food processing platform that transforms agricultural material into functional ingredients. They recently raised $85 million in a series E round to expand their mycelium-fueled platform.

Future Meat Technologies: A Jerusalem-based biotechnology company advancing a distributive manufacturing platform. They have raised $347 million in a Series B round of financing.

Joe Hays

Investor Type: Individual Angel Investor

Investment Interests: Fintech, Healthcare and Software.

Investment Stage: Early Stages

Joe Hays is an individual angel investor in Little Rock. He has funded startups for five years and strongly focuses on tech-related ventures. For his career, Joe Hays has worked as a Senior Finance Manager at Lightbank Venture Capital and also funds startups individually.

Instead of conventional ways of conducting pitching contests, Joe Hays follows a more personalized approach and funds startups by doing his own research. He likes to remain in touch with the market, attend networking events and, most importantly, fund startups that deserve the funding.

The investment range of Joe Hays ranges from $25,000 to $200,000. Some of his recent portfolio companies are:

VIOlife: Violife is a company that specializes in vegan products. 

Mercari Technologies: Mercari, Inc. is a company that focuses on the planning, development, and operation of the Mercari marketplace app.

TrestleTree: TrestleTree is a health behaviour transformation platform. The company provides a personalized approach to health coaching, using data and analytics to identify and address individual needs.

Wrap Up

So, there you have the list of top angel investors in Little Rock. Before applying for funding from any venture capital firm or investor, it is recommended to thoroughly research their investment interests.

Moreover, read some additional tips for your first meeting with angel investors, remain confident throughout the screening test, and you will secure the funding.

Frequently Asked Questions