Top 6 Angel Investors in Nebraska
According to research from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the opportunity share of new entrepreneurs in Nebraska has been higher than the national rate in most years since 1998. The startup scene in Nebraska keeps growing too, with venture capital firms and angel investors concentrated in Omaha.
That said, most of Nebraska's dedicated early-stage capital now flows through a handful of angel networks, venture firms, and private equity groups rather than a large pool of individual angels. That means there isn't a huge list of solo investors to pitch, but the state's organized networks are active and well-funded.
Here's a list of the top angel investors and VC firms in Nebraska, along with what they invest in and who they've backed. There are currently 90+ investors listed in AngelMatch if you want to browse beyond this list.
Top 6 Angel Investors and VC Firms In Nebraska
Following is the list of some of the top angel networks, private equity firms, and venture capital firms that fund Nebraska startups.
Nebraska Angels
- Website: Nebraska Angels
- Investor Type: Angel Network
- Investment Interests: Tech, Consumer Products, and Digital Businesses
- Investment Stage: Early and Seed
Founded in 2006, Nebraska Angels is one of the most prominent and active angel networks in Nebraska. The network has backed 85+ portfolio companies and deployed more than $75M in capital to date.
When funding startups, Nebraska Angels searches for startups that are at the seed and early stage. They prefer companies that have significant chances of growth and present unique solutions. The investors also prioritize companies that have a hardworking, experienced team, led by entrepreneurs with at least 5-10 years of industry experience.
Once a startup has been funded, Nebraska Angels ensures they receive guidance through the investor panel. Throughout the year, the network arranges events and fundraisers to boost the startup environment.
Per Nebraska Angels' own investment criteria, the group's typical aggregate check ranges from $120,000 to $545,000+. Among many of their investments, some notable names are:
Powderhook: Powderhook is a company that develops a localized message board for the fishing and hunting community. The platform helps to connect people to their fish and wildlife resources through cooperative partnerships that engage, educate, and connect people to each other.
Iris Industries LLC: Iris Industries manufactures high-value sustainable composites using renewable bio-based resin with agricultural residue, recycled, and reclaimed materials. They create beautiful, durable, cost-effective materials from available waste streams.
Flywheel: Flywheel is a company that provides digital commerce solutions, purpose-built to accelerate growth for the world’s leading brands.
Loophire: Loophire is a company that provides hiring solutions, HR support, and employment services. They help small- to medium-sized companies handle hiring with the help of simple technology and human connection.
Dundee Venture Capital
- Website: Dundee Venture Capital
- Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm
- Investment Interests: E-commerce, FinTech, and SaaS
- Investment Stage: Early and Seed
Founded in 2010 by Mark Hasebroock, Dundee Venture Capital is a renowned venture capital firm that invests in Midwest-based startups. The firm has invested in 70+ companies since its inception and focuses on early-stage startups.
Unlike other firms, they do not run a single formal screening process but often conduct informal reviews first. It can be as casual as a conversation between a partner and a founder or as formal as an in-depth review of a pitch deck or business plan. They focus on the compatibility of the investment with the fund and the quality of key aspects of the venture.
Dundee Venture Capital is dedicated to investing in transformational technology startups being built outside of traditional coastal startup hubs and hype cycles.
Dundee's typical check ranges from $500,000 to $1M. Some of their portfolio companies are:
Anra Technologies: Anra Technologies is a company that operates a cloud-based drone operational platform. They have raised a total of $8.1M in funding.
Blanka: Blanka is a platform that helps anyone start a makeup or skincare line by automating the process of branding products. They have raised $2M in a seed round.
Amify: Amify is a company that provides a solution for brands seeking to maximize their selling potential on Amazon. They offer sales acceleration, brand enhancement, brand protection, and unauthorized seller protection.
Panorama Point Partners
- Website: Panorama Point Partners
- Investor Type: Private Equity Firm
- Investment Interests: Tech, Software, and Healthcare
- Investment Stage: Seed and Late
Founded by Clarey Castner and Stephen George, Panorama Point Partners invests in seed and late-stage companies and is headquartered in Omaha. The firm's portfolio includes 8 companies to date.
When funding startups, Panorama Point Partners invests in businesses that are based on unique ideas and have decent chances of growth. They also have a network of investors who conduct diligence.
Some of their portfolio companies are:
Liqid: Liqid is an IT company that provides comprehensive, software-defined composable infrastructure solutions and services. The company’s platform empowers users to manage and configure physical, bare-metal server systems in seconds.
Forge: Forge is a workforce management software primarily pioneering talent sharing and flexible scheduling of hourly employees. Forge enables businesses to find and ask questions from candidates and provides background check services.
Alterra Home Loans: Alterra Home Loans is a minority-owned, Nevada-based retail lender that provides mortgage loans and refinancing services to new and existing homeowners. The company offers products that include government, conventional, VA, and portfolio loans.
Invest Nebraska
- Website: Invest Nebraska
- Investor Type: Venture Capital Firm
- Investment Interests: Tech and Consumer Products
- Investment Stage: Early
Headquartered in Lincoln, Invest Nebraska is one of the biggest investment networks that funds startups in the state. The network was founded in the early 2000s and has funded 290+ startups to date. Each year, Invest Nebraska invests $2M-$3M in ventures with strong growth potential.
During screening, Invest Nebraska looks for startups that have massive growth potential and just need capital for a push. The startups must be based on strong ideas and shouldn't have heavy market competition.
Aside from investments, Invest Nebraska also conducts and supports extra startup programs. They founded "The Combine", a statewide initiative supporting high-growth agri-food entrepreneurs through mentoring, commercialization support, and networking events.
Some of their portfolio companies are:
BasicBlock: BasicBlock provides streamlined, cost-effective financial services for fleets and carriers.
Benefitbay: Benefitbay is a developer of an end-to-end individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (ICHRA) administration platform for brokers and their clients.
Birds Eye Robotics: Birds Eye Robotics develops a poultry robot that provides solutions to poultry farmers. Their autonomous robotic solution aims to bring cutting-edge technology together with farmer intuition.
M-One Capital (formerly McCarthy Capital)
- Website: M-One Capital
- Investor Type: Private Equity Firm
- Investment Interests: Tech, Healthcare, Food, and Software
- Investment Stage: Growth and Middle-Market
McCarthy Capital was founded by Michael (Mike) R. McCarthy in 1986 and rebranded to M-One Capital in September 2025. The firm has invested in over 80 private companies to date. M-One typically invests alongside management teams who retain meaningful equity ownership, taking majority or minority positions.
They fund companies with innovative products or services and, within their private equity strategy, typically invest between $30M and $125M in businesses with more than $10M in revenue.
Some of their portfolio companies are:
Navigate Wellbeing Solutions: Navigate is a provider of a health- and wellbeing-focused, employee engagement Software-as-a-Service platform to corporate, municipal, and health system clients.
Omaha Steaks: Omaha Steaks is an Omaha, Nebraska-based family-owned company that markets and distributes a wide variety of quality USDA-approved, grain-fed beef and other gourmet foods.
Medaxion: Medaxion is a provider of mobile perioperative software solutions that improve the performance of operating rooms by leveraging the anesthesia process.
Caraway: Caraway is a company that designs and sells non-toxic, ceramic-coated cookware.
First Capital Partners
- Website: First Capital Partners
- Investor Type: Private Equity Firm
- Investment Interests: Manufacturing, Business Services, and Value-Added Distribution
- Investment Stage: Late
First Capital Partners was founded in 2006 by David McLeese. They have invested in dozens of companies and are headquartered in Omaha, with a second office in Chicago.
First Capital Partners is a junior capital investment firm that prefers to invest in innovative companies in manufacturing, business and industrial services, value-added distribution, food, agriculture, and healthcare. They frequently partner with other like-minded investors, including management teams, private equity funds, independent sponsors, mezzanine funds, family offices, and individual investors.
As for investment range, First Capital Partners provides mezzanine debt and equity to companies with revenues of $10 to $100 million and EBITDA of $2 to $10 million. Learn more about deal terms like this in our startup fundraising glossary. One of their investments is:
Mytee: Mytee is a company that manufactures and distributes cleaning vacuum equipment and accessories intended for the automotive, carpet cleaning, and facility maintenance industries.
Wrap-Up
Summing Up, even when there aren’t a lot of individual angels in Nebraska, you can still find capital by pitching to the state's networks and firms. Just ensure that you are preparing a good pitch deck and have gone through a practical checklist before you pitch to angel investors. You can also browse AngelMatch's full private equity firm directory for more Midwest-focused investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Nebraska angel investors typically invest?
It varies by investor. Nebraska Angels' aggregate group checks typically range from $120,000 to $545,000+, while venture and private equity firms in the state, like Dundee Venture Capital and M-One Capital, write checks from the hundreds of thousands up to tens of millions depending on the deal stage.
Where are most of Nebraska's investors based?
Omaha and Lincoln are Nebraska's two main hubs for startup capital. Omaha is home to Nebraska Angels, Dundee Venture Capital, M-One Capital, and Panorama Point Partners, while Lincoln hosts Invest Nebraska and its AgTech incubator, The Combine.
Does Nebraska have investors focused on agriculture technology?
Yes. Invest Nebraska runs The Combine, a Lincoln-based incubator dedicated to high-growth agri-food and AgTech startups, offering mentoring, commercialization support, and access to a network of Nebraska producers.
What do Nebraska investors look for in startups?
Nebraska's angel networks and VC firms generally look for a sizable market opportunity, a clear point of differentiation, and an experienced, coachable founding team. Several, like Nebraska Angels, also weigh whether a company has already built a small customer base and a developed revenue model.
