Top 5 Angel and VC Investors in Michigan 2026
Michigan's top angel investors and VC firms include Jonathan Oberheide, Robert Mylod Jr, Arboretum Ventures, RPM Ventures, and Straylight Capital (formerly Plymouth Growth). Michigan, often known for its automotive startup sector, is still a dream place for many entrepreneurs to boost or even set up their new businesses. The state is home to a growing base of startups across software, food, tech, and automotive.
However, the surprising fact is that many of these startups aren't self-funded. They were funded by angel investors and VC firms who are hungry and keep searching for deserving ventures that can utilize their investment.
Do you also want to know these investors and understand how to connect with them?
Well, here's the list of the top angels and VC investors in Michigan with some additional tips.
Top Angel Investors and VC Firms in Michigan
Following is the list of some of the top angel investors and VC firms in Michigan. While most of the investors are based in Detroit, remember that these firms and investors fund startups throughout the state.
Onto the list now!
Jonathan Oberheide
LinkedIn: Jon Oberheide
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Cybersecurity
Investment Stage: Early and Seed
An active angel investor since Duo Security's 2018 acquisition by Cisco for $2.35 billion, Jonathan Oberheide is a well-known Ann Arbor-based angel investor who likes to fund startups at the early and seed stages. Previously, he has been a security expert and a researcher with expertise in mobile security, cloud security, and malware analysis, and he co-founded Duo Security in Ann Arbor.
When funding startups, Jonathan likes to select startups that have decent growth potential and are led by senior entrepreneurs. Business leaders usually have to apply for a meeting online, and if they get selected, they have an opportunity to pitch to Jonathan Oberheide.
Aside from his investments, Jonathan Oberheide also serves as a board member and advisor to several of his portfolio companies. Some of his notable angel investments include:
Dropzone AI: Dropzone AI is an IT company that develops a platform delivering pre-trained autonomous AI security agents that work alongside human analysts on security operations. The platform handles the frontline work of investigating the mountain of alerts from security systems.
Abbey Labs: Abbey Labs operates an access governance platform intended to help engineers secure access to sensitive data. The platform integrates common access workflows, such as requests and approvals, into a company's existing developer tooling and infrastructure.
Blumira: Blumira is a developer of a cloud-based cybersecurity platform. It specializes in the identification, detection, and response to malware, data leakage, and cyber and ransomware attacks to prevent data breaches. Oberheide has backed Blumira across multiple rounds, from its 2021 Series A through its 2023 Series B.
Robert Mylod Jr
Website: Robert Mylod, Jr.
Investor Type: Individual Investor
Investment Interests: Consumer Products
Investment Stage: Early and Seed
Robert Mylod Jr is also an angel investor who provides funding to Michigan-based startups. He has held several roles at priceline.com from 1999 to 2011, including Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Head of Worldwide Strategy and Planning, and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining priceline.com, he was a Principal at Stonington Partners, a private equity investment firm.
In 2013 Mylod founded Annox Capital, through which he now funds and advises startups on an individual basis. He currently serves as Chairman of Booking Holdings and Chairman of Vroom, alongside his angel investing.
As for his startup selection process, Robert Mylod Jr selects startups that are based on unique ideas, offer solutions, and have strong chances of growth. Looking at his portfolio companies, it is evident that Robert often funds startups with limited direct competition.
Some of his notable portfolio companies are:
Sakara Life: This company received Series B funding from Robert Mylod Jr. when Sakara Life raised $15M in 2021. Sakara Life is a wellness company that provides organic, plant-based meals and functional products for delivery, and Mylod has been an investor and board member since its 2015 Series A.
Bloomscape: This company received Series B funding from Robert Mylod Jr. when Bloomscape raised $15M in 2020, and Mylod joined the company's board as part of the round. Bloomscape is a direct-to-consumer plant brand that delivers ready-to-go plants to your door along with tips and tricks for plant care.
Arboretum Ventures
Website: Arboretum Ventures
Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm
Investment Interests: Health Care, Life Sciences, Tech-Enabled Care Delivery
Investment Stage: Series A, Series B
Funding startups since 2002, Arboretum Ventures is a notable Midwest venture capital firm that funds Michigan-based and national healthcare businesses. The firm was founded by Jan Garfinkle and Tim Petersen. With headquarters in Ann Arbor, Arboretum Ventures focuses on funding startups that are related to healthcare, and now manages over $1 billion across six funds.
Arboretum specializes in seed-stage, early-stage, and mid-stage investments and growth capital. They value startups that solve significant healthcare problems and make a transformational impact. They look for teams who are diverse in thought, geography, and demographics.
Aside from their investment activities, Arboretum Ventures is also known to arrange many startup events throughout the year. They arrange many workshops and networking events to boost startup growth throughout the state.
Some of their notable portfolio companies are:
ConcertoCare: ConcertoCare is a provider of tech-enabled and value-based care intended for seniors and other adults with unmet health and social needs. The company deploys physician-led interdisciplinary teams supported by its proprietary population health platform and provides clinical decision support tools.
Boomerang Medical: Boomerang Medical is a women-led bioelectronic medicine company developing implantable neuromodulation technology to treat autoimmune diseases, with an initial focus on inflammatory bowel disease. Arboretum led the company's 2022 Series A and co-led its 2025 Series B.
Convergent Dental: Convergent Dental is a developer of a computer-aided dental preparation system designed to offer a comfortable patient experience during dental surgeries. The company's system is a carbon-dioxide laser for both hard and soft tissue indications that cuts quietly, finely, and faster than other laser-based systems in dentistry. Arboretum led Convergent Dental's $40M Series C in 2021.
RPM Ventures
Website: RPM Ventures
Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm
Investment Interests: Mobility, Enterprise Software, Insurance
Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, and Series B
RPM Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2000 (originally as Waypoint Ventures) by Marc Weiser and Tony Grover. The firm is based in Ann Arbor and funds startups that are in the early stages. Led today by Managing Directors Marc Weiser, Adam Boyden, and Tony Grover, RPM ensures it selects deserving startups through a thorough screening process before investing.
When arranging pitching contests, RPM Ventures, like most other firms, also has an online application form and only selects a few startups to pitch on-site. They have made 118 investments to date across a mix of seed and Series A rounds.
Similarly, the firm participates in fundraisers, conducts startup accelerators, and is involved in a lot of activities to boost the growth potential of the state.
RPM typically writes checks in the $100,000 to $5 million range, with average lifetime investment per company reaching $3 million to $4 million. Some of their portfolio companies are:
BountyJobs: BountyJobs is a technology for collaboration between employers and recruitment agencies. The company raised a total of $29.8M in funding before being acquired by Nixxy in 2024.
Convey: Convey is a company that develops last-mile and delivery management solutions, later rebranded and acquired by project44 in 2021.
DailyPay: DailyPay is a financial platform that provides on-demand pay and earned wage access. It is one of RPM's two unicorn portfolio companies, reaching a $1 billion-plus valuation.
Straylight Capital (formerly Plymouth Growth)
Straylight Capital, formerly known as Plymouth Growth, was founded by Ian Bund in 2003 and rebranded in 2026. The firm has invested in more than 65 startups since its inception and continues to fund more.
Website: Straylight Capital
Investor Type: Growth Equity Firm
Investment Interests:SaaS,Information Technology, Software
Investment Stage: Growth
When investing, Straylight Capital backs tech, B2B software, and other service-providing startups, with a focus on founder-led companies with $3 million to $13 million in annual revenue. They look for startups that are led by experienced entrepreneurs, have a hardworking team, and have strong growth potential.
Once funded, Straylight has an experienced network of mentors who guide their portfolio companies. The firm also organizes many additional startup events to boost the entrepreneurial landscape.
Straylight typically writes equity checks between $5 million and $25 million. Some of their notable portfolio companies are:
Nutshell: Nutshell is a company that develops a customer relationship management (CRM) platform designed to help small businesses sell more. The platform provides sales automation, email marketing, reporting, and tracking performance.
Able: Able (formerly EmployStream) is a company focused on workforce and income verification technology. Plymouth Growth participated in Able's $7M Series B round.
365 Retail Markets: 365 Retail Markets is a leader in unattended retail technologies, providing hardware, software, and payment solutions for micro markets, vending, and workplace dining. Plymouth first invested in 2013 and later exited the position.
Wrap-Up
Summing up, there are a lot of angel investors and VC firms whom you can pitch to and secure an investment.
However, the process often sounds difficult, especially for business leaders who are attending their first investor meeting. Regardless of your experience, have a strong belief in your startup idea, remain confident, and show the investors why your business is worth the funding.
Good Luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Michigan's top angel investors and VC firms typically invest?
It varies by firm and stage. Individual angels like Jonathan Oberheide and Robert Mylod Jr typically write smaller early and seed checks, while venture and growth equity firms in this list, such as RPM Ventures and Straylight Capital, invest anywhere from the low six figures at seed up to $25 million at the growth stage.
What industries do Michigan's top investors focus on?
Coverage spans multiple sectors: cybersecurity and enterprise software (Jonathan Oberheide, RPM Ventures), healthcare and life sciences (Arboretum Ventures), consumer and direct-to-consumer brands (Robert Mylod Jr), and B2B SaaS (Straylight Capital). Ann Arbor is a particular hub for cybersecurity and healthcare investing.
How do I get in front of Michigan's angel investors and VC firms?
Most of these investors screen founders through an online application or warm introduction before a pitch meeting. Researching an investor's investment stage focus, check size, and sector focus can help. Also using a tool like AngelMatch's investor database can save you time and effort in finding the right investors for your startup.
Do Michigan's angel investors provide mentorship in addition to funding?
Yes. Several of the investors and firms on this list, including Arboretum Ventures and Straylight Capital, actively host workshops and networking events and take board seats to guide portfolio companies beyond the check itself.
