Top 8 Angel Investors and VC Firms in Nashville

The most active startup investors in Nashville are Nashville Capital Network, Jumpstart Foundry, Frist Cressey Ventures, Mountain Group Partners, Relevance Ventures, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and individual angels Chase Gilbert and Doug Hudson. Together they cover pre-seed checks of $25,000 through Series A rounds, with a heavy tilt toward healthcare, health IT, and life sciences.

Nashville has a lively startup scene supported by a mix of individual angels, angel networks, and venture capital firms. Some are former founders who now write personal checks. Others are institutional funds with hundreds of millions under management.

Picking your best match from that group is its own problem. That is why I have put together this list of the top startup investors in Nashville, drawn from the 300+ Nashville investors in the Angel Match database, who can provide funding as well as guidance to make your startup an established brand.

So, let's not wait any longer and start discussing these investors.

Who Are the Top Angel Investors and VC Firms in Nashville?

When looking for angel investors, always remember that the investors prioritize entrepreneurs with in-depth knowledge of startup stages, business plans, and market-erupting ideas.

That said, here are eight verified Nashville investors, from angel networks to venture firms to individual angel investors.

Nashville Entrepreneur Center

Founded in 2010, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) and the anchor of the city's startup ecosystem. It is not a fund itself, so it does not write checks directly, but it is often the first door founders walk through.

NEC was created by a group of Nashville business leaders as a beacon of hope for individuals who had market-erupting ideas but lacked the essential funding and connections. The organization runs accelerator cohorts and offers mentorship, curriculum, coworking space, and introductions to the investors on this list.

Nashville Capital Network

Nashville Capital Network (NCN) is the city's best-established angel network. Founded in 2003, it is a partnership of more than 100 professional investors, most of them former founders and executives of successful Nashville companies.

NCN manages several vehicles, including NCN Angel Fund I, NCN Angel Fund II, the Tennessee Angel Fund, NCN Partners Fund, and NCN Fund IV. The group has historically led or joined seed and Series A rounds in Tennessee companies including AxiaMed and CareHarmony, often bringing in later-stage co-investors.

For a founder, NCN is one entry point to a large pool of individual angels rather than a single check.

Jumpstart Foundry

Jumpstart Foundry launched in Nashville in 2010 and is now the pre-seed fund inside the Jumpstart Health Investors platform, alongside Jumpstart Capital and Jumpstart Nova. With a keen eye for innovation, the fund has been one of the most active pre-seed healthcare investors in the country.

Jumpstart Foundry invests strictly in healthcare: health IT, digital health, diagnostic devices, consumer health, and tech-enabled services. It does not invest in biotech, pharma, or life sciences.

The structure is deliberately simple. Jumpstart Foundry writes a standard $150,000 check on a SAFE note, which spares founders a negotiation and a legal bill, and it backs roughly 30 to 50 companies a year.

Frist Cressey Ventures

Frist Cressey Ventures (FCV) was founded in 2016 by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., and private equity veteran Bryan Cressey. It is the largest healthcare-dedicated venture firm headquartered in Nashville.

FCV closed its fourth fund at $425 million in early 2026, bringing the firm to roughly $846 million in assets under management. Backers of that fund included The Cigna Group Ventures, MedStar Health, and OhioHealth.

The firm invests in early-stage companies building technology or tech-enabled services that improve quality of care, system integration, patient outcomes, affordability, and access. Portfolio companies include Bicycle Health, Oshi Health, DexCare, and Chamber Cardio.

Mountain Group Partners

Founded in 2002, Mountain Group Partners is a Nashville venture capital firm with family office roots. Its focus is narrower than most: life sciences, animal health, diagnostics, AgTech, and disruptive technology.

The firm closed its third fund, MGP Fund III, at $128 million in 2022 and has invested in more than 60 companies. Mountain Group is known for a hands-on approach and a long holding period rather than a quick flip.

Notable portfolio companies include Castle Biosciences, the skin cancer diagnostics company that went public in 2019, animal health company TARGAN, solar developer Silicon Ranch, and AN2 Therapeutics.

Relevance Ventures

Relevance Ventures, which operated for years as Relevance Capital, is an early-stage firm founded in 2011 as a public-private partnership with the state of Tennessee. It is based in Brentwood, just outside Nashville, with additional offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, New York, and Santa Fe.

The firm now manages more than $115 million and backs two areas: scalable technology platforms including fintech and enterprise software, and health and wellness solutions. Its two principal general partners are members of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, making Relevance one of very few Native-owned independent early-stage venture firms in the country.

Relevance believes in long-term partnerships beyond financial support, delivered through mentorship, business development help, and access to a network of founders. Portfolio companies include Talkiatry, DietID, CivicEye, and Endostim.

Doug Hudson

Doug Hudson is a respected figure within Nashville's business community and one of the city's better-known serial healthcare entrepreneurs. He founded HearingPlanet and Simplex Healthcare, served as founding CEO of SmileDirectClub, and co-founded the dental care company Tend in 2018, leading it through the end of 2023.

He is based in Nashville, sits on the board of NYSE-listed Allurion Technologies, and is listed as an individual angel investor in Nashville investor directories. His background is concentrated in consumer-facing healthcare, so that is where his experience is most useful to a founder.

Hudson does not publish an investment range or a portfolio list, so treat him as a warm-introduction target rather than a fund with a public process.

Chase Gilbert

Chase Gilbert is the co-founder and CEO of Built Technologies, the Nashville construction finance software company he started in 2014 and grew to a $1.5 billion valuation after a $125 million Series D. He is also an active individual angel investor.

Gilbert invests mainly in technology, and construction tech in particular, which is the sector he knows best. He is known to move quickly and decide on the merits of each case without too much delay.

His checks are angel-sized rather than institutional. NFX Signal puts his investment range at roughly $5,000 to $50,000, with a sweet spot near $25,000, which makes him a realistic first check rather than a round lead.

Wrap Up

With the list of top investors in Nashville coming to an end, let us discuss some final words of wisdom.

Plenty of angel investors are always on the hunt for promising startups. But founders should keep in mind that angels take on a lot of risk when they invest this early, and Nashville's investor base skews heavily toward healthcare, so a fit with the local thesis matters.

When seeking an investment from an angel investor, have a well-thought-out business plan and make sure your company has strong potential. If you are still building your target list, you can filter Tennessee investors or narrow by health care focus and pre-seed stage, then use the investors directory to shortlist the ones that fit your round.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Nashville angel investors typically invest?

Individual Nashville angels typically write $5,000 to $50,000 checks. Chase Gilbert's range, for example, is roughly $5,000 to $50,000 with a $25,000 sweet spot. Institutional pre-seed vehicles go higher: Jumpstart Foundry writes a standard $150,000 SAFE, and Nashville Capital Network's funds participate in full seed and Series A rounds.

Which industries do Nashville investors favor?

Healthcare dominates. Jumpstart Foundry and Frist Cressey Ventures invest exclusively in healthcare and health IT, and Mountain Group Partners focuses on life sciences, diagnostics, and animal health. Outside healthcare, the active areas are fintech and enterprise software (Relevance Ventures) and construction technology, reflecting Nashville's healthcare and real estate industries.

How do I get in front of a Nashville angel investor?

Most Nashville capital moves through relationships. The Nashville Entrepreneur Center runs accelerator cohorts and connects founders to mentors and funders, Nashville Capital Network gives you access to 100+ individual investors through one relationship, and Jumpstart Foundry takes direct applications on an open cycle for healthcare startups.

Is Nashville a good city to raise a pre-seed round?

It is strong for healthcare and weaker for everything else. Angel Match lists 300+ investors in Nashville and 500+ across Tennessee, which is smaller than Atlanta or Austin. Most Nashville founders raising outside healthcare pair local angels with regional or coastal funds rather than filling a round locally.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a concise presentation that outlines a startup's business idea, product or service, market opportunity, competitive landscape, financial projections, and team. It is the main tool for pitching angel investors and venture capitalists. A well-crafted pitch deck tells a compelling story and showcases the startup's value proposition and growth potential.