KCRise Fund
KCRise Fund is a Kansas City-based venture capital firm investing in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million in early-stage technology companies with a strategic connection to western Missouri or Kansas, operating as a co-investment fund with 30+ VC partners and over $100 million in assets under management.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KCRise Fund does
KCRise Fund is a Kansas City, Missouri-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Darcy Howe. It invests side-by-side with institutional venture capital and corporate investors in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million, targeting early-stage technology companies with a strategic connection to western Missouri or the state of Kansas. The firm operates as a co-investment fund rather than a lead investor, syndicating with a network of 30+ VC partners that includes national firms such as Founders Fund and Foundry Group alongside regional Midwest funds.
The fund's core service is capital deployment and strategic support for B2B-leaning startups across health tech, fintech, agtech, SaaS, cybersecurity, AI-enabled compliance, and other verticals. KCRise manages over $100 million in assets under management across three fund vehicles (most recently KCRise Fund III, closed in 2023), with limited partners including corporations, university endowments, family offices, and regional business leaders. The firm is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC through KCRise Capital, LLC and KCRise Capital Management, LLC, and is led by a four-person core team (Founding Managing Director Darcy Howe, Managing Director Edward Frindt, Associate Aaliyah Aramjoo) supported by a board with deep operating and institutional investment experience.
KCRise does not develop proprietary technology products; its "technology" surface consists of an online introduction form, an investor login portal (via AltaReturn), and standard CRM/marketing infrastructure. Revenue derives from traditional VC fund management economics — management fees on committed/invested capital plus carried interest on exits — and is not publicly disclosed. The portfolio spans more than 50 companies, with recent visible investments including Benefitbay (Series A, 2026), Invary (seed, 2025), and Scout (pre-seed, 2025), reflecting a deliberate tilt toward AI-enabled B2B software themes within the firm's KC-region remit.
KCRise Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KCRise Fund
- Legal name
- KCRise Capital, LLC
- Website
- https://kcrisefund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- KCRise Fund is a Kansas City-based venture capital firm investing in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million in early-stage technology companies with a strategic connection to western Missouri or Kansas, operating as a co-investment fund with 30+ VC partners and over $100 million in assets under management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KCRise Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital Fund Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where KCRise Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
KCRise Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management: KCRise Fund operates as a traditional venture capital fund investing side-by-side with other institutional investors. The fund generates returns through carried interest and management fees from its funds (KCRise Fund III as of 2023).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
KCRise Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KCRise Fund is a Kansas City-based venture capital firm that invests in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million in early-stage technology companies with a strategic connection to the Kansas City region (western Missouri or Kansas). The firm operates as a co-investment fund, partnering with institutional VC firms and corporate investors to syndicate rounds, and currently manages over $100 million in assets under management across its fund vehicles (KCRise Fund I, II, and III).
Product overview
KCRise Fund is a venture capital firm that provides investment services to early-stage technology companies. The firm operates as a co-investment fund that partners with institutional investors to invest in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million. Their core service is capital deployment and strategic investment support for startups with a connection to the Kansas City region (western half of Missouri or the entire state of Kansas).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KCRise Fund III The firm's third and most recent venture capital fund vehicle, investing in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million in early-stage technology companies with ties to Kansas or western Missouri. LPs include corporations, university endowments, family offices, and prominent regional business leaders.
- KCRise Co-Investment Program KCRise's core investment offering, providing regional startups with co-investment capital and access to a network of more than 30 institutional venture capital partners for syndicated pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds. Targets B2B technology companies with strategic connection to western Missouri or Kansas.
Companies that use KCRise Fund
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KCRise Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KCRise Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
KCRise Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cultivation Capital: St. Louis-based early-stage VC investing in tech and life sciences across the Midwest. Comparable co-investment posture and stage focus as KCRise.
- Dundee Venture Capital: Omaha-based early-stage VC investing in Midwestern B2B software startups. Overlaps in geography, stage, and B2B tech vertical with KCRise.
- Active Capital: B2B SaaS-focused seed/early-stage VC. Comparable in stage and B2B tech focus; partners with KCRise as a co-investor (per data).
- Firebrand Ventures: Kansas City-headquartered early-stage VC fund investing in consumer and B2B tech companies out of the Midwest. Operates in the same regional market and stage bracket.
- Flyover Capital: Kansas City/Midwest-focused early-stage VC firm that co-invests alongside institutional investors in B2B tech. Direct regional peer operating in the same geography and stage as KCRise.
- Atento Capital: Kansas City-based early-stage VC firm investing in underrepresented founders in the Midwest. Same regional focus and similar pre-Seed/Seed/Series A stage profile.
Broad incumbents
- Drive Capital: Larger Midwest-focused VC firm based in Columbus, OH, investing beyond Seed into growth stages. Comparable regional thesis with materially bigger AUM and broader stage mandate.
- Chicago Ventures: Chicago-based seed-stage VC investing in Midwestern tech companies. Overlaps in early-stage B2B focus and co-investment role with KCRise.
- Correlation Ventures: Large-volume, data-driven VC co-investor across stages and sectors. Frequently co-invests with regional funds including KCRise in syndicated rounds.
Emerging players
- Techstars: Global accelerator/early-stage investor that runs programs across the US including the Midwest. Tangentially comparable as a source of pre-seed deal flow in the same regional ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KCRise Fund social profiles
Digital presenceKCRise Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KCRise Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
KCRise Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KCRise Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments71 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KCRise Fund
What does KCRise Fund do?
KCRise Fund is a Kansas City-based venture capital firm that invests in pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds of at least $1 million in early-stage technology companies with a strategic connection to the Kansas City region (western Missouri or Kansas). The firm operates as a co-investment fund, partnering with institutional VC firms and corporate investors to syndicate rounds, and currently manages over $100 million in assets under management across its fund vehicles (KCRise Fund I, II, and III).
Is KCRise Fund a public or private company?
KCRise Fund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was KCRise Fund founded?
KCRise Fund was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is KCRise Fund based?
KCRise Fund is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does KCRise Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management.
Who are KCRise Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cultivation Capital, Dundee Venture Capital, Active Capital, Firebrand Ventures, Flyover Capital and Atento Capital. Broad incumbents are Drive Capital, Chicago Ventures and Correlation Ventures. Techstars is listed as an emerging player.
Does KCRise Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for KCRise Fund.
What industry is KCRise Fund in?
KCRise Fund's product category is Venture Capital Fund Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.