Reading about Kavak, Bitso, and Konifo, you might have thought about “how do these startups get so much funding for their ideas?”

Well, to your surprise, many of the recently formed businesses in New Mexico aren’t using their funding at all. Instead, they pitch to angel investors, secure an investment, and start marching toward success.

But, before you start feeling concerned, I will be sharing with you the list of the top 6 angel investors in New Mexico and some additional tips.

Top Angel Investors in New Mexico

Following is the list of some of the top-ranked venture capital and investment firms in New Mexico. Remember that most of the individual investors in New Mexico have joined VC firms or investment networks. So, it is recommended to conduct strong research and pitch accordingly.

Onto investors now!

NM Angels

Website: NM Angels

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Healthcare, Fitness, Software and Consumer Products.

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

NM Angels was founded in 1999 by George Richmond. Since its inception, NM Angels has invested over $25 million in more than 43 portfolio companies. 

As for the screening process, NM Angels has a screening committee that meets once a month to consider new applications, review applications that have been assessed based on the content of the Gust application, and select companies for a more detailed review with the entrepreneurs.

Similarly, NM Angels focuses on a wide list of startup sectors and usually invests in software businesses. Startups with the lowest competitors and higher ROIs are most likely to win the screening tests.

The investment range of NM Angels ranges from $100,000 to $1M. Some of their notable portfolio companies are:

Parting Stone: This company offers a unique service that transforms 100% of cremated remains into solidified remains that resemble a collection of 40-80+ smooth stones. Parting Stone has raised a total of $4.2M in funding, with the latest funding round raising $1.3 million.

TruFit: One is a fitness club chain that offers a fun, safe, and personalized experience for women and men. 

Matrix-Bio: This company is a personalized medicine company that develops blood testing products for monitoring neurodegeneration in brain diseases. They have raised a total of $140K in funding.

MSDx, Inc.: MSDx is a personalized medicine company that develops blood testing products for brain diseases. The company is dedicated to providing healthcare providers and patients with critical data that can be useful in diagnosis, monitoring, and assessing therapeutics response. 

Lighter Capital

Website: Lighter Capital

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech and Healthcare

Investment Stage: Early and Seed

Lighter Capital was founded in 2010 by Andy Sack and Erik Benso. Funding more than 500 companies, the network offers growth capital as royalty-based financing to early-stage tech companies based in the US. 

Lighter Capital uses a data-driven process to provide founders with non-dilutive growth capital. They work specifically with high-growth, high-margin businesses in the tech industry. The specific time in business and credit score do not matter, as long as the business has made at least $15,000 in the last three months.

Similarly, Lighter Capital is dedicated to the investment community and offers several benefits to startups. They have an active community program where you may be able to connect with peers and venture capitalists. One of their notable events is the Lighter Summit, an annual event that allows their portfolio companies to meet and discuss.

The investment range of Lighter Capital ranges from $100,000 to $1M. Notable portfolio companies are:

Syntrio: Syntrio is a company that provides online compliance and risk management courses in areas such as ethics, HR, environmental health and safety, and healthcare compliance. 

Swoogo: Swoogo is an event marketing software that provides tools for event planning and execution. They have raised $20.5M in funding.

Graphium Health: Graphium Health offers a suite of anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) designed to streamline the documentation process, improve charge capture, and provide actionable insights.

Verge Fund

Website: Verge Fund

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Healthcare

Investment Stage:  Early and Seed

Founded in 2003, Verge Fund is also a notable investment firm that funds startups at the early and seed stages. With founders like Bill Bice, it is evident that Verge Fund doesn't just invest in startups but also guides them across various stages.

Similarly, Verge Fund invests in high-growth ventures. The team of investors focuses on opportunities at the earliest stages of their development, even if the business plan hasn’t been properly prepared.

Aside from investments, Verge Fund also has a wide network of mentors. Although they aren't a lot active with their investment activities, once Verge Fund invests in a startup, they ensure its success by providing the best success.

The investment range of Verge Fund can range up to several million dollars. Some of their notable portfolio companies are:

RetiSpec: RetiSpec is a medical imaging company that uses advanced AI for the detection of neurodegenerative diseases through hyperspectral imaging of the eye. RetiSpec has raised a total of $750K in funding over 5 rounds.

Active8me: Active8me is a digital health and wellness platform devoted to building a healthy future. They provide a comprehensive platform for managing chronic respiratory diseases. 

iWEECARE: iWEECARE is a company that develops a smart wearable baby thermometer patch designed to measure and monitor infant basic body temperature. Their product, Temp Pal, has received medical certification in Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan. iWEECARE has raised a total funding of $3.4M over 2 rounds from 8 investors.

Flywheel Ventures

Website: Flywheel Ventures

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage:  Early and Seed

Founded in 2002 by Trevor R. Loy, Flywheel Ventures is a notable venture capital firm that invests in early and seed-stage startups. Headquartered in Santa Fe, Flywheel Ventures focuses on seed and early-stage companies building B2B products based on innovations in information technology and/or physical sciences.

The investors at Flywheel Ventures focus on companies that are growing expeditiously and can show chances of profitability. From their portfolio, it is evident that Flywheel Ventures only invests in startups that are led by experienced entrepreneurs.

The investment range of Flywheel Ventures can range up to 2M, depending on the startup. Among many investments, some notable portfolio companies are:

AppCityLife: APPCityLife® brings real-time, vendor-controlled geomobile coupons and gamification to civic services. APPCityLife provides a mobile and cloud platform to the city IT stack that rewards people in the community for participating in everyday activities. The company has raised a total of $1.5M in funding over 2 rounds.

Submittable: Submittable is a software company that helps organizations worldwide launch, manage and measure social impact programs. They have raised a total of $64.3M in funding over 7 rounds. 

Iron Creek Partners

Website: Iron Creek Partners

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech

Investment Stage:  Early and Seed

Iron Creek Partners was founded in 2009 by John Bingaman. The firm has funded a total of 15 startups and is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They fund startups at the seed and early stages, with a strong focus on tech-related companies.

When funding startups, Iron Creek Partners prioritizes startups with the lowest competitors and invests in startups that will generate at least 4x ROI within 24 months of investment. They also have a dedicated network of mentors to guide their portfolio companies and help them succeed.

The investment range of Iron Creek Partners ranges from $100,000 to $2.5M. Notable portfolio companies are:

Verified Credentials: Verified Credentials is a human resources company offering background screening services. They have raised a total of $38.4 million in funding over 1 round.

MBI Worldwide: MBI Worldwide is a human resources company that specializes in providing various employment background checks including drug testing and driving records. They have raised funding over 2 rounds.

Sun Mountain Capital

Website: Sun Mountain

Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm

Investment Interests: Tech, Software, and Manufacturing. 

Investment Stage:  Early, Seed, and Late.

Sun Mountain Capital was co-founded in 2006 by Brian Birk. They have invested in a total of 68 companies and are headquartered in Santa Fe, NM. When funding startups, Sun Mountain Capital invests in all stages, including early, seed, and late stages. They have an experienced network of investors who understand the startup environment and fund startups that will grow over time.

The investment range of Sun Mountain Capital ranges from $200,000 to $10M. Some of their investments are:

Aspen Avionics: Aspen Avionics is an American aircraft avionics manufacturer producing display systems to reduce pilot’s workload. They have raised a total of $30.4M in funding over 5 rounds.

Getpulpo.com: Getpulpo.com is a software startup that focuses on changing the way companies manage their vehicles and fleet operations. They have raised a total funding of $16.4M over 4 rounds.

Wrap-Up:

In conclusion, remember that investors are always interested in startups that are generating revenue and want to invest. If you want to secure a lower investment then always pitch to newer investment firms as they are also eager to invest in startups and expand their portfolio.

Regardless of how strict the screening tests may be, if your startup has something special to offer, it will always secure investments and catch the attention of angel investors. Just look at some examples of a successful pitch deck so you can understand things better.

Frequently Asked Questions