What is the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about New Hampshire? Great landscapes and Historical museums could be some of the answers, but!

Allow me to tell you that New Hampshire is also becoming a home to innovation. Every month, we witness a rise in the number of startups, especially those related to tech. And discussing startups, let’s not forget the primary force behind these startups: the angel investors.

In New Hampshire, there are many angel investors who don’t just provide you with the funding but also provide you with the required guidance. So, let’s wait no longer and jump onto the list of the top 6 angel investors in New Hampshire. 

Top Angel Investors in New Hampshire

Before we jump onto the list, remember that all angel investors have different investment interests and requirements. That is why I have mentioned the portfolio companies and investments of each of the angel investors and VC firms.

Enough said, onto the list now. 

Gary Hirshberg

LinkedIn: Gary Hirshberg | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Food

Investment Stage: Early

Gary Hirshberg is an American businessman and angel investor who is known for his work in the organic food industry. He co-founded Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt producer, and served as its CEO from 1983 until 2011.

As an angel investor, Hirshberg has a preference for startups in the AgTech, Food and Beverage, and Consumer Health sectors. He has been involved in funding startups since the early 2000s and has started individual investing since 2018. He also arranges screening contests and pitching events through the Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute. 

When funding startups individually, Gary Hirshberg usually funds startups through investor meetings and also invests through fundraisers. 

The investment range of Gary Hisrhberg ranges from $25,000 to $500,000. Some of his portfolio companies are:

Tacombi: Tacombi is a taqueria and products company. They also started producing their own authentic, traditional “Vista Hermosa” tortilla products.

Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce: Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce is a food company that produces all-natural, elevated applesauce. The company’s mission is to get kids, parents, and grandparents to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Atlast Food (now MyForest Foods Co.): Atlast Food, now known as MyForest Foods Co., is a food technology company that produces ingredients for plant-based and whole-cut meat products. The company was originally known for creating whole-cut plant-based meats like bacon and steak.

Kyle York

LinkedIn: Kyle York | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: SaaS and B2B

Investment Stage: Early

Kyle York is a well-known angel investor and the co-founder, CEO, and managing partner of York IE. He has been actively investing in startups for over a decade. 

When making investments, Kyle York prefers startups that are related to business-to-business, subscription, and Software as a Service at the earliest stage through Series A startups. 

He has made a total of 100 investments in the previous decades, many of which were a part of his individual angel investor portfolio. Before becoming an investor, Kyle York had a successful career in the tech industry. He was an executive at Dyn, a cloud-based Internet Performance and Domain Name System company, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager. 

Similarly, Kyle York also focuses on guiding his portfolio companies through mentorship programs. However, he doesn't conduct or attend a lot of networking events. The investment range of Kyle York usually depends on the startups. Some of his famous portfolio companies are:

Auditoria: Auditoria is a SaaS company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to automate key finance processes. The company’s mission is to make organizations more efficient and competitive.

Finmark: Finmark provides financial planning and modeling software for startups. The platform is designed to help businesses make better financial decisions faster. 

Metadata: Metadata is a B2B demand generation company that uses AI to optimize paid media campaigns for marketers. 

Sonny Vu

LinkedIn: Sonny Vu | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

Sonny Vu is also a notable angel investor in New Hampshire who funds tech-based startups. He started funding startups in 2015 and has made a total of 8 startup fundings. As for his experience in the entrepreneurship community, He co-founded Misfit, which was later acquired by Fossil Group for $260M. He is a founder of Alabaster, which has investments in over 30 deep-tech startups.

Discussing his individual investments, Sonny Vu priotizes ventures that are related to the tech industry and have the lowest of competition. He often invests in startups that are gaining a lot of hype or have a solid plan to prove their worth.

The investment range of Sonny Vu ranges from $100,000 to $1M. Some of his investments are:

Cradlewise: Cradlewise is a sleep tech startup that has designed a crib that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to help a baby sleep. The crib is designed to track the health of infants and children. 

Butlr: Butlr is an AIoT and real-time behavior analytics platform that helps companies create a better workplace and optimize their operations.

The Desire Company: The Desire Company is a media and retail startup that creates online videos, guides, and classes to help users better understand the quality of retail products.

Jeremy Hitchcock

LinkedIn: Jeremy Hitchcock | LinkedIn

Investor Type: Individual Investor

Investment Interests: Cybersecurity

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

Jeremy Hitchcock is a well-known entrepreneur and an angel investor who has been actively investing in the tech scene. He is a partner at New North Ventures and has invested in over 50 companies. 

During the meetings, Hitchcock prefers to invest in startups that are in the sectors of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and next-gen communication. Startups that have the lowest number of competitors and the highest ROI are more likely to secure an investment. 

Once a startup has been funded, Jeremy Hitchcock ensures that he provides it with the best guidance. Jeremy Hitchcock is also an entrepreneur, and he knows how to guide startups at different stages.

The investment range of Jeremy Hitchcock ranges from $50,000 to $500,000. Some of his portfolio companies are:

Dyn: Dyn was an Internet performance management company that also dealt with web application security. It offered products to monitor, control, and optimize online infrastructure and also provided domain registration services and email products. 

Minim: Minim is a networking company that develops software and designs hardware for Internet security. The company offers a mobile app, cable modems, gateways, WiFi routers, mesh WiFi systems, and other home networking products with an emphasis on home automation.

River Birch Partners

Website: River Birch Partners (riverbirch-partners.com)

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech and Automotive

Investment Stage: Seed and Late

River Birch Partners is a private investment firm based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The firm was founded in 2011 and invests in businesses that are quickly growing and have strong chances of future expansion.

They prefer to invest in companies based in the Eastern half of the United States, as well as Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. As for the investment range, River Birch Partners seeks out companies with recurring revenues of >$10 million, gross margins > 30%, and an EBITDA of $1 million to 8 million. They do not manage outside capital and, as a result, have no restrictions on their capital, providing tremendous flexibility, including an unlimited investment timeline.

Some notable portfolio companies of River Birch Partners are:

Vortex Racing: Vortex Racing is a leading manufacturer of aftermarket parts and accessories for motorcycles. 

Vital Delivery Solutions: Vital Delivery Solutions is a full-service provider of same-day and next-day delivery solutions. The company has grown to over 300+ daily routes and services in New England with over 350 employee drivers. 

Midasco: Midasco is a provider of construction services for intelligent transportation systems, highway signing and lighting, and installation of reinforcing steel.

MassVentures

Website: MassVentures - Fueling Early Stage Companies in Massachusetts | MassVentures (mass-ventures.com)

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Fintech and Consumer Products

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

MassVentures is one of the most renowned VC firms in Massachusetts. The network has been operating since the late 1970s and has funded around 200 startups. Being one of the most active VC firms, MassVentures invested $91.9 million in 152 Massachusetts companies in 2019. 

However, since 2020, they have expanded their presence and also have offices in New Hampshire. Entrepreneurs have to fill out forms and then send online applications. After approval, they are selected for live presentations, which can then result in funding.

In 2021, MassVentures provided some 200 hours of pitch coaching sessions to applicants of all the grant programs it manages, as well as to entrepreneurs in its network seeking to raise venture capital. They also held the MALSI virtual conference in July, attracting 500 participants to the flagship life science networking event.

The investment range of New Hampshire ranges from $250,000 to $500,000. Some of their past investments are:

Inkbit: Inkbit is an additive manufacturing company. The company’s Inkbit Vista™ system is designed for mass production of end-use polymer 3D printed parts.

JetCool: JetCool is a company that develops microjet cooling modules for advanced electronics. The company’s liquid cooling solutions provide the essential foundation for semiconductor manufacturers, hyperscalers, and their partners.

Paerpay: Paerpay is a financial application designed to provide contactless payment service.

Wrap-Up:

On a lighter note, remember that angels will always want to fund a startup that can prove to be profitable. You just need to read some good pitch deck examples and, most importantly, understand the preferences of an investor in order to secure the investment successfully. 

Frequently Asked Questions