Top Angel Investors and VC Firms in Minneapolis 2026
Minneapolis's top angel investors and VC firms include John Cosgriff, Michael Berman, Hassan Syed, Gopher Angels, Norwest Equity Partners, Brightstone Venture Capital, and Rice Park Capital, spanning individual angels, an angel network, and established venture and private equity firms.
Minneapolis is also known for its thriving startup scene. The city ranks 2nd among Midwest metros in M25's annual Startup City Rankings, behind only Chicago.
And since we're discussing startups, let's not forget the driving force behind these startups: the investors. These investors have always invested their time and money into startups, making Minneapolis a successful city like it is today.
However, for many entrepreneurs, connecting with these investors and finding ones with identical investing interests remains a huge problem.
So, let's wait no longer and start discussing the top angel investors and VC firms of Minneapolis and some tips about connecting with them.
Top 7 Angel Investors and VC Firms of Minneapolis
Following is the list of some of the top investors in Minneapolis.
Before we move on to the list, always remember to double-check the information about specific investors before contacting them. This will help you increase your chances of getting funding and give you confidence during screening conversations.
Norwest Equity Partners
Founded in 1961, Norwest Equity Partners is a private equity firm based in Minneapolis focused on middle-market companies in business services, consumer products and services, and industrial growth sectors. Since its founding, the firm has made 370 investments and completed 153 exits.
Norwest partners closely with the leaders of the companies it backs, often as their first institutional investor, and provides operational support alongside capital.
Because Norwest is a private equity firm rather than an angel investor, its check sizes and diligence process differ significantly from an individual angel's. Founders should expect an institutional-style process.
- Website: Norwest Equity Partners (nep.com)
John Cosgriff
As Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at UnitedHealth Group, John Cosgriff is one of Minneapolis's individual angel investors. He is careful when funding startups, focusing on business strategy, yearly targets, and potential to survive in the market.
Aside from funding, John Cosgriff utilizes his leadership qualities and provides mentorship to his portfolio companies. He is actively searching for startups that have massive growth potential, and his known investments include Enso and Hinge Health.
The investment range of John Cosgriff depends on the project and stage of the startup.
Michael Berman
A veteran medical device entrepreneur, Michael Berman is one of Minnesota's most established med-tech angel investors. He co-founded and served as a board member at Prospect Medical, serves as Chairman at CardiacSense, and is a consultant and Venture Partner at RiverVest Venture Partners.
Before turning to investing, Berman spent years leading Boston Scientific's interventional cardiology and cardiology divisions, which gives him deep operating experience in the medical device sector.
As an angel investor, Berman focuses on healthcare-related startups. His portfolio includes S.T. Stent, PharmaCentra, and Prospect Medical, and he conducts strict screening to ensure only the most deserving startups make it through.
Berman is a long-established investor in the medical device space, not a new one, and he provides guidance to portfolio companies drawing on his decades of industry experience.
The investment range of Michael Berman really depends on the type of startup being funded.
Rice Park Capital
Rice Park Capital, founded in 2019 by CEO Nick Smith, is a Minneapolis-based private investment firm. Its core focus is unlocking value in complex residential and commercial mortgage and real estate opportunities, including mortgage servicing rights and lending products for real estate investors.
Through its RPC Ventures strategic equity arm, the firm has also begun backing real estate and mortgage-adjacent technology companies, including leading Candor Technology's Series B funding round.
Because Rice Park's core business is institutional real estate and mortgage investing rather than early-stage tech, founders outside that adjacent space should expect a narrower fit than a typical angel or seed VC.
- Website: Rice Park Capital Management
Hassan Syed
As the founder and CEO of Bir Ventures, Hassan Syed is one of Minneapolis's individual angel investors. Throughout his career, Syed has worked as a technologist and entrepreneur, and he also chairs the board of ASPIRE Pakistan.
His investment interests are mainly tech-related startups with the potential to thrive in the future. Syed generally keeps his portfolio companies private and does not disclose most of the names of the ventures he funds.
As for screening, Hassan Syed carefully evaluates a startup's market value, staying power, and capability to generate profits before investing.
Brightstone Venture Capital
Founded in 1985, Brightstone Venture Capital is an early-growth stage venture capital firm based in Minneapolis that manages a roughly $100M fund. In the past four decades, the firm has made more than 100 equity investments in companies spanning technology and life sciences.
The investors at Brightstone VC conduct strict screening to ensure that the most promising startups make it through. Their portfolio includes Wasabi Technologies, FLYR Labs, Mosaic, VRChat, Definity Health, HomeSpotter, FlipGrid, GRAVIE, AppTec Labs, CRYOsa, Celcuity, CREXi, CADRE, and VersusGame.
Because Brightstone is a venture capital firm rather than an angel investor, it typically writes larger checks and expects a company to already have meaningful traction.
Gopher Angels
Founded in 2012 by David and Sara Russick, Gopher Angels is Minnesota's largest and most active angel investor network, based in the Twin Cities. Since its founding, the network has invested more than $24M across 75 companies in Minnesota and the wider Midwest.
Gopher Angels is open to accredited investors from across Minnesota's corporate, investment, and entrepreneurial communities, and members provide portfolio companies with mentorship and strategic guidance alongside capital. The network focuses on early-stage startups with strong management teams and a clear path to product-market fit.
- Website: Gopher Angels
Wrap Up
So, there you have the list of top angel investors and VC firms in Minneapolis. Before we wrap up, let us discuss some important tips about how you can pitch to angel investors. If you're also looking beyond the Twin Cities, our guide to angel investors across Minnesota covers the wider state.
Pitching investors needs confidence and knowledge about your business. First, research specific investors so you have a decent idea about whom you're talking to. Make a short and exciting presentation, focusing on what makes your idea special, how it can grow, and how it can make money.
Be clear about how much money you need and how you'll use it to make your business better. Practice a lot so you feel comfortable and can answer questions well. AngelMatch's Investor Database resource can also help you shortlist investors whose stage and sector fit line up with your startup before you reach out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many angel investors are based in Minneapolis?
AngelMatch currently lists more than 300 investors headquartered in Minneapolis, ranging from individual angels to venture capital and private equity firms. That is part of a database of 125,000+ investors nationwide, so Minneapolis founders have a meaningful local pool to work with before looking further afield.
What industries do Minneapolis investors fund most?
Healthcare and med-tech are especially strong in Minneapolis, reflected in investors like Michael Berman and John Cosgriff. Local firms also back consumer products, industrial growth companies, and real estate and mortgage-adjacent technology, so the ecosystem is broader than tech alone.
How much do Minneapolis angel investors typically invest?
Check sizes vary widely. Individual angels in Minneapolis generally write checks from the tens of thousands into the low hundreds of thousands of dollars, while local venture capital and private equity firms invest considerably more per deal. Confirm exact ranges directly with each investor.
How can I get in front of Minneapolis investors?
Start with a warm introduction through your network, an accelerator, or a group like Gopher Angels, since referrals travel faster than cold outreach.
