Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
LongJump VC operates as a first-check, founder-led investment fund, delivering capital, connections, and community to early-stage entrepreneurs. It specializes in $110,000 initial investments, propelling ambitious concepts into scalable enterprises. While industry-agnostic, the firm prioritizes fostering innovation across the Midwest, maintaining a notable focus on the Chicago ecosystem.
The fund was established by seasoned entrepreneurs Aimee Schuster, Brian Golinvaux, Matt Meltzer, Jennifer Fried, Jeremie Bacon, Jeffrey Eschbach, and David Kalt. Their foundational insight, drawn from personal company-building experience, shaped LongJump's model to offer strategic mentorship and a robust network alongside financial backing for nascent ventures.
LongJump partners with resourceful founders dedicated to constructing impactful companies. Its vision centers on empowering entrepreneurs from ideation through sustained growth, advocating that significant businesses can originate beyond established tech hubs. The firm actively cultivates resilient innovation ecosystems, particularly in the Midwest, ensuring success for its portfolio companies.
Key people at LongJump VC.
LongJump VC is a Chicago-based, founder-led first-check venture capital fund focused on investing early-stage capital in underrepresented and emerging founders, primarily in the Midwest and other non-coastal U.S. tech hubs. Their mission is to empower visionary entrepreneurs by providing seed capital, strategic support, and access to a broad network of founders, operators, and investors, helping startups turn ambitious ideas into scalable, high-growth companies. LongJump invests typically between $50,000 and $110,000 at the pre-seed stage, emphasizing technology-driven businesses led by passionate founders who may lack traditional access to capital and networks[1][2][3].
Founded by a group of six Chicago-based entrepreneurs, many from underrepresented communities, LongJump was created to address funding gaps for diverse founders in Chicago’s startup ecosystem. The fund’s origin story centers on the belief that "it takes a city to raise a startup," aiming to build a lasting entity that changes the local tech landscape by removing barriers to early-stage funding. Their approach is founder-friendly, requiring no warm introductions and providing each portfolio company with a dedicated partner for hands-on support and mentorship. This model reflects their deep understanding of the founder journey, as the partners themselves have been operators and entrepreneurs[2][4].
LongJump rides the growing trend of democratizing venture capital by focusing on underrepresented founders and regions outside traditional coastal hubs. This timing is critical as the tech ecosystem increasingly recognizes the value of diverse perspectives and the economic potential of emerging markets like the Midwest. By providing early capital and community support, LongJump helps level the playing field, fostering innovation where it might otherwise be overlooked. Their model addresses systemic funding inequities and contributes to a more inclusive and geographically distributed startup ecosystem[2][3].
Looking ahead, LongJump is positioned to deepen its impact by scaling its portfolio and continuing to catalyze capital for underrepresented founders. As more startups from diverse backgrounds gain traction, LongJump’s influence as a first-check fund and community builder will likely grow, potentially inspiring similar models nationwide. Trends such as increased remote work, regional tech growth, and heightened focus on diversity in venture capital will shape their journey, reinforcing their role as a key enabler of the next generation of scalable tech companies outside traditional hubs[2][3][6]. Their commitment to being a "lasting entity" in Chicago suggests a long-term vision of transforming the startup ecosystem through sustained founder support and strategic investment.
Key people at LongJump VC.
