Cincinnati has emerged as a thriving hub for startups and venture capital, driven by a unique blend of innovation, collaboration, and a supportive ecosystem. Known for its strong foundation of Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble and Kroger, the city has cultivated a vibrant entrepreneurial landscape that spans industries such as health tech, SaaS, and consumer brands. Venture capital firms like Lightship Capital, Refinery Ventures, and CincyTech are at the forefront of this growth, providing critical funding and mentorship to startups with transformative potential.
With a growing focus on diversity and inclusion, initiatives like Lightship Capital are empowering underrepresented founders, while collaborative efforts between startups and established corporations are accelerating innovation. As Cincinnati continues to attract talent, investment, and groundbreaking ideas, it solidifies its position as a leading startup hub in the Midwest.
Top VCs in Cincinnati
Lightship Capital
About: Lightship Capital is a venture capital fund that is driving innovation and investment in the Midwest.
Sweetspot check size: $ 500K
Traction metrics requirements: Post Revenue
Thesis: Inclusion is innovation.
Refinery Ventures
About: Refinery Ventures focuses on investing in information technology, digital health, and human capital technology sectors.
Sweetspot check size: $ 2M
Traction metrics requirements: We are looking for: Leaders with a clear vision and strong values Companies with hypergrowth potential and ambition Technology that will transform an experience, or an entire industry.
Thesis: We invest in early scale companies – bridging the gap and mentoring our teams between post-seed and Series A funding.
CincyTech
About: CincyTech is one of the Midwest's most active seed funds, investing in disruptive human health and technology companies in Ohio.
Sweetspot check size: $ 1M
Traction metrics requirements: Data points to validate some market traction
Thesis: Undeniably Better
H Venture Partners
About: H Venture Partners is an early-stage fund that invests in consumer brands.
Sweetspot check size: $500K
Thesis: H Venture Partners invests in early stage science-based consumer brands.
Maywic Select Investments
About: Maywic is a venture capital firm that invests in growth stage companies that promote healthy lifestyles, wellness, and well-being.
Sweetspot check size: $ 2M
Traction metrics requirements: At least $5MM of revenue
Thesis: Keep Living Better
Lightship Foundation
About: Hillman Accelerator focuses on companies led by underrepresented individuals in tech by developing venture backable companies.
Thesis: We serve underrepresented tech-driven startups through mentorship, specialized curriculum, partnerships, and capital investments-- providing them the resources and guidance they need to scale.
Cintrifuse Capital
About: Cintrifuse is dedicated to Supporting Startups, Igniting Innovation, Attracting Investment, and Catalyzing our Thriving Ecosystem to make Greater Cincinnati the #1 startup hub in the Midwest and a Top Innovation Center in the Country.
We invest in startups through our venture arm, Cintrifuse Capital, which fuels startup success by providing strategic investments, mentorship, and connections to accelerate growth and drive innovation.
Thesis: $250-500k Investments into Pre-Seed, Seed, & Series A rounds
Procter & Gamble Ventures Studio
About: P&G Ventures creates new brands and businesses that solve consumers’ everyday problems.
Allos Ventures
About: Investors in early-stage B2B software and business services companies in the Midwest.
SaaS Capital
About: As the name suggests, SaaS Capital exclusively finances SaaS companies. Their Committed Credit Facilities are specifically designed to fund the growth of a SaaS business in lieu of a round of equity. The company provides Committed Credit Facilities of $2 million to $15 million to SaaS companies with $200k and up in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).They understand the nuances of your business model and can get to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ quickly.
Traction metrics requirements: $250,000 in monthly recurring software revenue.
Service Provider Capital
About: Venture fund whose limited partners include the most knowledgeable, respected and best connected service providers in the industry.
Blue Chip Venture Company
About: Blue Chip Venture Company is a leading venture capital firm providing capital and business-building assistance to entrepreneurs seeking to build growth companies. Their end-to-end approach to your success includes being an integral part of your strategic planning sessions, key employee recruiting, industry conferences, fund-raising, corporate partnerships, public offerings and more. Blue Chip has over $600 million of capital under management.
River Cities Capital Funds
About: RC Capital is a growth equity firm building high-potential healthcare companies by leveraging the unique interplay of our segments of focus: medical device, healthcare services and healthcare IT. We are dedicated to investing on the right side of healthcare, growing companies that enable clinicians to improve the delivery of care and the experiences and outcomes for patients. We seek to be a business partner first and a capital provider second, investing significant human capital to leverage our domain expertise, a network of healthcare thought leaders and deep relationships with health systems assembled over our 30-year history. With more than $1 billion of capital raised and a consistent track record, the firm has established itself as a preferred source of growth capital.
Startup Trends in Cincinnati
Cincinnati has emerged as a vibrant startup hub with a growing ecosystem supporting innovation across various industries. Here are the key trends shaping the city's startup landscape in 2025:
Growth in Health Tech, SaaS, and Consumer Brands
Cincinnati is making significant strides in health tech, SaaS, and consumer brands, driven by its strong foundation of Fortune 500 companies and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. The city ranks among the top Midwest startup hubs, excelling in health tech and fintech sectors.
Consumer brands are also thriving, with Procter & Gamble Ventures Studio leading the way in fostering innovation. This division of Procter & Gamble supports startups that solve everyday consumer problems, leveraging the company's extensive resources and expertise.
Increasing Focus on Diversity and Inclusion in Funding
Cincinnati's startup ecosystem is becoming more inclusive, with initiatives to support underrepresented founders. Lightship, for example, is a venture capital firm dedicated to funding startups led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, and other underrepresented groups. This focus on diversity is helping to create a more equitable entrepreneurial environment and driving innovation across industries.
Collaboration Between Startups and Established Corporations
One of Cincinnati's unique strengths is the collaboration between startups and established corporations. Procter & Gamble and Kroger actively engage with startups to drive innovation. For instance, Procter & Gamble's 1819 Innovation Hub is a nexus for collaboration, connecting startups with resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities. This partnership model accelerates startup growth and helps established corporations stay ahead in their respective industries.
Top Networking Events and Communities for Cincinnati Founders
Cincinnati's startup ecosystem thrives on collaboration and community, offering numerous opportunities for founders to connect, learn, and grow. Here are some of the top networking events, coworking spaces, and programs that every founder in Cincinnati should know about:
Key Events
- StartupCincy Week: This annual event is a cornerstone of Cincinnati's entrepreneurial community. It brings together over 1,000 attendees, including founders, investors, and innovators, for a week of workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. The event highlights Cincinnati as a hub of innovation and provides a platform for startups to showcase their work.
- Cintrifuse Networking Programs: Cintrifuse, a nonprofit organization supporting startups, hosts various events throughout the year, including Demo Nights and the Venture Velocity Program. These events connect founders with investors, mentors, and other ecosystem players, fostering meaningful collaborations.
Coworking Spaces and Accelerators
- Union Hall: Located in the heart of Cincinnati, Union Hall serves as a coworking and event space for startups. Cintrifuse manages it and provides a vibrant environment for collaboration, with dedicated desks, private offices, and event rentals available.
- The Brandery: This nationally recognized accelerator focuses on consumer brands and offers a robust program that includes mentorship, funding, and access to a network of industry experts. It has been instrumental in helping startups scale and succeed.
Local Meetups and Pitch Competitions
- Cincinnati Startup Founder 101: This Meetup group brings together aspiring and experienced tech entrepreneurs to discuss, meet, and collaborate. They host numerous free events throughout the year where you can learn best practices for starting a company, meet local founders and investors, exchange ideas, and get feedback. Recent and upcoming events include topics like "Why Leveraging Your Unique Life Proposition Is Crucial for Startup Success" and "Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder".
- Startup Grind Cincinnati: This is a global community for entrepreneurs that hosts monthly startup events to teach, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. It's a great place to meet new hires and investors.
- StartupCincy's Calendar of Events: Keep an eye on the StartupCincy calendar for pitch nights, workshops, and networking events. This is a central hub for startup activities in the region.
- Eventbrite: Search Eventbrite for "startup pitch" events in Cincinnati to find upcoming pitch competitions and related events.
Connect With Investors in Cincinnati Using Visible
At Visible, we often times compare a fundraise to a B2B sales and marketing funnel. At the top of your funnel, you are finding new investors. In the middle, you are nurturing and pitching potential investors. At the bottom of the funnel, you are working through diligence and ideally closing new investors.
With the introduction of data rooms, you can now manage every aspect of your fundraising funnel with Visible.
- Find investors at the top of your funnel with our free investor database, Visible Connect and find a filtered list of Cincinnati's investors here.
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- Share your pitch deck and monthly updates with potential investors
- Organize and share your most vital fundraising documents with data rooms
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