Michigan, once primarily associated with the automotive industry, has broken many chains and quietly emerged as a burgeoning fintech hub too. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan's fintech sector has experienced a 20% growth in the past five years.
This amazing growth has been driven by many things including a strong talent pool, supportive government initiatives, and angel investors. The state has seen over $1 billion invested in fintech startups over the past five years.
Let's move onto the list of the top angel investors in Michigan who are investing in the fintech sector.
Top Angel Investors in Michigan Who Invest in Fintech Startups
| Investor | Focused Sectors | Notable Investments | Funding Stages | Investment Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haemi Kim | Accounting, Banking, FinTech, SaaS, B2B, Enterprise Software, Human Resources, Insurance | Bloomscape, hiredMYway.com, UpTo | Seed, Series A | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| Kate Hernandez | FinTech, SaaS, Digital Media, Sports, AI, Content, Broadcasting, Video | Reach influence, Airspace Link, Marxent, FamilyTech, Flud, Rockbot | Seed, Early | Non-specific |
| Chris Thomas | Logistics, Marketplace, Advertising, Consulting, Freight Service, AI, Financial Services, Insurance | Buddy's Pizza, QuickPay, Zagster, Streetline, Masabi, SQLstream | Seed, Early | around $500,000. |
| Jared Stasik | FinTech, SaaS, B2B, Human Resources, Aerospace, Drone Management, Mapping Services, Geospatial | Guardhat Technologies, Digital Onboarding, Instore, Cargo | Seed, Early | $100,000 to $1M |
| Jake Cohen | FinTech, SaaS, Digital Media, Small Businesses, Financial Services, Industrial Automation, Wearables | StockX, Quikly, Dwolla, Chalkfly, Opsmatic, iRule, Waymark, Autobooks | Seed, Early | $75,000 and $500,000 |
| Jonathan Triest | E-Commerce Platforms, Marketplace, AI, Cloud Infrastructure, Consumer Internet, Gaming/eSports, Social Networks | StockX, Chalkfly, Honey, Density | Seed, Early | $50,000 and $250,000 |
| Gabe Karp | Analytics, Big Data, Retail Tech, SaaS, Marketplace, Financial Services, InsurTech, FinTech | Bloomscape, hiredMYway.com, UpTo, Guardhat Technologies | Seed, Series A | $50,000 and $250,000 |
| Dan Ratliff | Freight Service, Logistics, AI, Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, Robotics, Collaboration, Sensor Tech | Unfolded | Seed, Early | $100,000 to $600,000 |
Haemi Kim
- Contact: Haemi Kim, CPA | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: Accounting, Banking, Financial Services, FinTech, Payments, SaaS, Software, Digital Marketing, Small and Medium Businesses, B2B, Enterprise Software, Human Resources, Insurance, Life Insurance,
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: Bloomscape, hiredMYway.com, UpTo
Haemi Kim is one of the most active angel investors in Michigan with a strong background in venture capital and private equity. Funding startups since 2016, he has focused primarily on early-stage startups, including seed and Series A rounds.
Before becoming an angel investor, Haemi Kim worked with many renowned VC and PE firms. He held positions at Sequoia Capital and later at General Atlantic. As an investor, Kim prefers to invest in startups that have a solid growth model and are offering modern fintech solutions, improving data security and efficiency.
The investment range of Haemi Kim ranges between $50,000 to $500,000.
Kate Hernandez
- Focused Sectors: FinTech, Payments, SaaS, Software, Digital Marketing, Small and Medium Businesses, B2B, Enterprise Software, Artificial Intelligence, Broadcasting, Content, Digital Media, Sports, Video
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: reach | influence, Airspace Link, Marxent, FamilyTech, Flud, Rockbot
Kate Hernandez is a prominent angel investor and venture partner at Detroit Venture Partners.
Before her role at DVP, Hernandez worked as a principal at Detroit Venture Partners and has been involved with the Rock Family of Companies as an investor.
The investment range of Kate Hernadez can range up to several million dollars.
Chris Thomas
- Contact: : Chris Thomas | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: Logistics, Marketplace, Transportation, Advertising, Consulting, Enterprise Software, Information Technology, Marketing, Freight Service, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Services, Insurance, InsurTech
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: Buddy's Pizza, QuickPay, Zagster, Streetline, Relay Rides, Masabi, Synovia Solutions, SQLstream, NanoC
Chris Thomas, an experienced individual investor who began his angel investing journey in 2013 and has since funded over 30 startups.
Like most other investors in the state, Thomas also focuses on partnering with startups at the earliest stages and guiding them throughout the journey. He usually searches for startups that are dealing in TAM of larger than $200M and are led by experienced founders.
The average check size of Chris Thomas is around $500,000.
Jared Stasik
- Contact: Jared Stasik | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: FinTech, Payments, SaaS, Software, Digital Marketing, Small and Medium Businesses, B2B, Enterprise Software, Human Resources, Insurance, Life Insurance, Aerospace, Drone Management, Drones, Geospatial, Government, Mapping Services
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: Guardhat Technologies, Digital Onboarding, Instore, Campless, Miso Media, Onboard (Onboard.io), Cargo, StyleCaster, SpiritShop.com
Jared Stasik is a partner at Detroit Venture Partners and also a famous individual investor. He prefers to invest in startups that are dealing with software, IT, and consumer products solutions.
A little about his experience, Stasik previously worked as a consultant at ZS Associates and many other VC Firms. He usually invests through startup accelerators and looks for founders who are leading innovative companies with massive growth potential.
The investment range of Jared Stasik lies between $100,000 to $1M.
Jake Cohen
- Focused Sectors: FinTech, Payments, SaaS, Software, Digital Marketing, Small and Medium Businesses, B2B, Accounting, Banking, Financial Services, Enterprise Software, Human Resources, Insurance, Life Insurance, Aerospace, Drone Management
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: StockX, Quikly, Dwolla, Chalkfly, velos, Opsmatic, FarmLogs, iRule, Waymark, PriorAuthNow, Autobooks, WSC Sports, AYAH, GINKGOTREE, Sift, BoostUp
Jake Cohen is an angel investor who has been funding startups since 2015. He began his investor career with Intelligence and Crystal and invested in a huge number of software startups (many of which have been acquired).
Likewise, Jake Cohen likes to team up with creative founders who have a knack for solving problems. He participates in many startup events and looks for businesses that are revolutionizing the fintech space and addressing modern challenges.
The investment range of Jake Cohen falls between $75,000 and $500,000, depending on the startup’s idea and overall ROI.
Jonathan Triest
- Contact: Jonathon Triest | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: E-Commerce, E-Commerce Platforms, Marketplace, Sales, Shoes, AI, Cloud Infrastructure, Consumer Internet, FinTech, Gaming/eSports, Marketplaces, Media/Content, Messaging, Smb Software, Social Networks, Social media
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: StockX, Chalkfly, Honey, Density
Investing in startups for more than a decade, Jonathan Triest is also an experienced angel investor who backs Michigan's Fintech ecosystem. Triest’s career in venture capital began with his founding of Ludlow Ventures in 2010. He has invested in many Fintech startups and also guided numerous companies at stages where things often go in an unplanned direction.
As an experienced mentor and investor, Jonathan Triest has strict investment criteria. He only invests in startups that have industry-leading ideas and no competition in their industry.
The investment range of Jonathan Triest ranges between between $50,000 and $250,000.
Gabe Karp
- Contact: Gabe Karp | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: Analytics, Big Data, Information Services, Retail Technology, SaaS, Software, Logistics, Marketplace, Financial Services, Insurance, InsurTech, Fintech
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: Bloomscape, hiredMYway.com, UpTo, Guardhat Technologies, Digital Onboarding, Instore, Campless, Cargo, StyleCaster
Gabe Karp is also a well-known name among Michigan's angel community. He started his investor career in 2014 and has invested in more than 20 early-stage startups.
Like most other investors in the state, Karp had a successful career in venture capital fields. He served as an executive at ePrize (now Merkle) and later joined Detroit Venture Partners, investing in high-growth tech startups in the Midwest.
As for his individual investments, Gabe Karp likes to invest in startups with strong, coachable founders, a compelling product or service with a clear market need, and the potential for significant growth. His investment range is between $50,000 and $250,000, depending on the startup’s estimated ROI.
Dan Ratliff
- Contact: Dan Ratliff | LinkedIn
- Focused Sectors: Analytics, Freight Service, Logistics, SaaS, Transportation, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Services, Insurance, InsurTech, Drones, Robotics, Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Women Founded, Collaboration, Software, Electronics, Hardware, Manufacturing, Sensor
- Present In: Michigan
- Notable Investments: Unfolded
Dan Ratliff is an angel investor and a partner at Fontinalis Partners. Investing in startups since 2014, Ran Ratliff has invested in more than 15 companies and usually invests in fintech, autonomous vehicles, logistics, and smart infrastructure.
Moreover, Ratliff has a keen interest in companies that leverage innovative technologies to solve real-world problems, and he is known for his strategic insights and hands-on approach to helping startups grow.
The investment range of Dan Ratliff lies between $100,000 to $600,000. He often invests in the seed and early stages of a startup.
Wrap-Up:
Shortly put, the global fintech space is estimated to have a growth of over $320 Billion in 2026, with an annual growth rate of 25%.
Likely, the Michigan fintech ecosystem doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon. More VC firms and individual investors have started to invest in the state and we might be seeing newer unicorns by next year.
If you’re thinking about growing your fintech startup and securing an investment, now is the best time to act.