VentureSouth
VentureSouth is a Greenville, SC-based angel investment network with nearly 600 accredited investor members and six sidecar funds that deploy $250K-$1M into early-stage Southeast US startups, having completed 312+ rounds across 130+ companies since 2008.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersGreenville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What VentureSouth does
VentureSouth is a membership-based early-stage angel investment network founded in 2008 (originally as the Upstate Carolina Angel Network in Greenville, SC, and branded VentureSouth since 2014) that operates across 17 Southeast US markets with headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. The firm serves two customer sets: approximately 600 accredited angel investor members who join by invitation and gain access to curated deal flow, and early-stage Southeast-based entrepreneurs seeking $250,000 to $2,000,000 in seed capital for 15%-30% preferred equity. Investment tickets range from $250,000 to $1,000,000 per company, with a target of 50% annualized return over a five-year horizon. Portfolio construction is industry-agnostic but skews toward scalable, capital-efficient, technology-driven companies with demonstrated product-market fit.
The business operates three revenue and product layers. First, the core angel network generates membership fees from accredited investors in a subscription-style arrangement. Second, six sidecar pooled funds (VentureSouth Angel Funds I through VI, with Fund VI holding 50 LPs) co-invest alongside individual member deals and generate management fees and carried interest on exits. Third, the 2025 combination into Vicinity Ventures added a platform layer covering Reg D and RegCF fundraising, enabling public-deal participation alongside the traditional private network channel. Supporting infrastructure includes the Venture in the South podcast, a "How To Pitch Tips" guide with 101 practical tips, and a partnership with Furman University's Hill Institute running the Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship for student education.
The GTM motion is community-led: warm introductions from members and portfolio founders feed a structured pipeline of monthly virtual screening meetings, multi-stage collective due diligence, and member roadshows before investment. The firm distributes through annual and seasonal summits (the 10th Annual Summit in February 2026 drew 200+ attendees and featured 23 deals), monthly meetings across 17 markets, regional conference participation (Venture Atlanta, Seed the South, Venture 135), and the South Carolina Angel Investor Tax Credit program (35% credit on qualified investments). Since inception, the network has executed 312+ investment rounds, deployed over $100M across 130+ companies, and ranked #8 most active angel group in North America and #1 in the State of Startups report, with Fund VI achieving top 1% VC fund DPI.
VentureSouth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VentureSouth
- Legal name
- VentureSouth
- Website
- https://venturesouth.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VentureSouth is a Greenville, SC-based angel investment network with nearly 600 accredited investor members and six sidecar funds that deploy $250K-$1M into early-stage Southeast US startups, having completed 312+ rounds across 130+ companies since 2008.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VentureSouth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Angel Investing / Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where VentureSouth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
VentureSouth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: VentureSouth charges membership fees to accredited investors who join the angel network. Members gain access to curated early-stage investment opportunities, professional investment administration, and member education resources.
- Sidecar Fund Economics: The organization operates sidecar funds (currently on Fund VI) that pool capital alongside the angel network. These funds charge management fees and carried interest (typically 15-20%) on returns to investors.
- Carried Interest / Investment Returns: Returns from portfolio company exits are distributed to members and sidecar fund investors. In 2025, $8.7M in proceeds were returned from 9 realized gains and losses, with one exit achieving 5x return in 18 months.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Accredited Investor Membership (By Invitation) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Investment Criteria - Deal Size Range |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | SC Angel Investor Tax Credit |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
VentureSouth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VentureSouth operates a membership-based angel investing network of nearly 600 accredited investors across the Southeast US who collectively evaluate, conduct due diligence on, and co-invest in early-stage companies. The firm supplements its angel network with six sidecar funds (VentureSouth Angel Funds, currently Fund VI) that pool member capital for automatic co-investment alongside the network's individual deals, and combines these with the Vicinity Ventures platform enabling Reg D and RegCF fundraising for portfolio companies.
Product overview
VentureSouth is an angel investment network/firm that operates as a unified platform combining a membership-based angel investing network with sidecar funds (VentureSouth Angel Funds) and the Vicinity Ventures platform for broader fundraising capabilities. The core offering is the angel investing membership network where nearly 600 members across the Southeast evaluate and co-invest in early-stage companies, supplemented by six sidecar funds that co-invest alongside the angel groups, and the Vicinity platform enabling Reg D and RegCF fundraising. The firm also provides educational resources through the Venture in the South podcast, the 'How To Pitch Tips' guide, and facilitates the South Carolina Angel Investor Tax Credit program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VentureSouth Angel Funds: Sidecar pooled investment vehicles that invest alongside the VentureSouth angel groups, currently at Fund VI.
Products and services
- VentureSouth Angel Investing Membership Network A membership-based angel investment network of nearly 600 accredited investors across the Southeast US who collectively source, due diligence, and co-invest in early-stage companies. Members include business leaders, founders, professionals, academics, and retirees who gain curated deal flow, shared due diligence burden, professional administration, and member education resources in exchange for annual membership fees.
- VentureSouth Angel Funds (Sidecar Funds) Six pooled investment vehicles (sidecar funds) that co-invest alongside the VentureSouth angel groups, managed by VentureSouth as General Partner. These funds automatically deploy member capital into the network's deal flow for investors who prefer passive, fund-based allocation rather than selecting individual deals; they charge management fees and typically 15-20% carried interest on returns.
- Vicinity Ventures Platform A technology-enabled fundraising platform under the Vicinity Ventures umbrella that supports both Reg D and RegCF offerings, expanding the firm beyond traditional angel network investing and helping local companies access different financing options from a wider investor group.
- South Carolina Angel Investor Tax Credit Program A member service that facilitates the South Carolina Angel Investor Tax Credit, providing up to 35% credit on qualified investments (up to $100,000 credit per taxpayer per year) with up to 50% available in the year of investment and the remainder over subsequent years (up to 10 years); VentureSouth assists with credit transfers between buyers and sellers.
Quantifiable outcome
- VentureSouth invests in ~2% of companies that start the process, but >50% of companies that reach due diligence
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use VentureSouth
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VentureSouth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
VentureSouth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Savannah Harbor Innovation Partnership (SHIP)minorSHIP, a public-private partnership positioning Savannah, GA as a startup hub, plans to establish a partnership with early-stage fund VentureSouth. SHIP will support local tech and tech-enabled startups across supply chain, logistics, AgTech, defense, and healthcare sectors.
- Vicinity VenturescoreVentureSouth combined into Vicinity Ventures, enabling coverage of the full range of Reg D and RegCF fundraising. This expanded team, systems, and deal flow opportunities for members while helping local companies access different financing options from a wider investor group.
- Angel Capital AssociationcoreVentureSouth is a proud member of the Angel Capital Association, the leading trade organization for angel groups in North America. ACA provides members with best practice sharing, investor education, public policy advocacy, and connections to leading angels across the country.
- Furman University Hill InstituteminorPartnership between Furman's Hill Institute and VentureSouth provides the Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship, giving students practical experience in venture capital investing through diligence, team sheets, and cap tables training.
- Flywheel CoworkingminorVenue partner for VentureSouth Summit 2026 portfolio review. Flywheel Coworking is Greenville's premier coworking space where the summit's Day 1 portfolio review took place.
- ONE Building / RoamminorConference venue partner for VentureSouth Summit 2026 Day 2. The ONE Building conference space in downtown Greenville was provided courtesy of Roam.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
VentureSouth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atlanta Technology Angels (ATA): Atlanta-based angel investing network serving Southeast US startups. Closely comparable to VentureSouth in model (member-led diligence, pooled sidecar funds) and regional focus, making it the most direct peer.
- Queen City Angels: Charlotte-based angel network actively investing across the Carolinas and broader Southeast. Operates a similar membership/sidecar model and overlaps with VentureSouth in several Charlotte-area deals.
- Service Provider Capital: Southeast-focused seed/early-stage investor that co-invested alongside VentureSouth in StratusGrid. Comparable angel/syndicate model targeting Southeast founders raising seed capital.
- Dogwood Ventures: Tennessee-based seed fund that led the StratusGrid round with VentureSouth participating. Comparable regional seed/early-stage focus with similar check sizes.
- Carolina Angel Network: North Carolina-based angel network serving Carolinas startups. Overlaps with VentureSouth's Triangle and Charlotte markets and uses a similar member-led diligence model.
Broad incumbents
- BIP Ventures: Southeast-focused venture firm based in Atlanta with a capital and platform model larger than VentureSouth. Competes for similar Southeast deal flow but at Series A/B scale and with institutional LP base.
- Techstars: Global accelerator with active programs in Atlanta and other Southeast cities. Competes for early-stage Southeast founders but at much larger scale and with structured accelerator programming.
Regional players
- Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN): Tennessee statewide venture development organization and fund-of-funds that co-invests in Southeast startups. Comparable regional focus but different structure (state-backed, fund-of-funds model).
- Mountain Group Partners: Nashville-based venture firm investing in Southeast healthcare and tech-enabled services. Comparable regional focus at slightly later stages than VentureSouth.
Others
- Angel Capital Association: Industry trade organization for angel groups across North America of which VentureSouth is a member. Not a competitor but a peer organization aggregating and serving the same class of angel networks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VentureSouth social profiles
Digital presenceVentureSouth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VentureSouth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
VentureSouth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VentureSouth M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments160 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VentureSouth
What does VentureSouth do?
VentureSouth operates a membership-based angel investing network of nearly 600 accredited investors across the Southeast US who collectively evaluate, conduct due diligence on, and co-invest in early-stage companies. The firm supplements its angel network with six sidecar funds (VentureSouth Angel Funds, currently Fund VI) that pool member capital for automatic co-investment alongside the network's individual deals, and combines these with the Vicinity Ventures platform enabling Reg D and RegCF fundraising for portfolio companies.
Is VentureSouth a public or private company?
VentureSouth is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VentureSouth founded?
VentureSouth was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VentureSouth based?
VentureSouth is headquartered in Greenville, United States, in the North America region.
How does VentureSouth make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are sidecar Fund Economics and carried Interest / Investment Returns.
Who are VentureSouth's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atlanta Technology Angels (ATA), Queen City Angels, Service Provider Capital, Dogwood Ventures and Carolina Angel Network. Broad incumbents are BIP Ventures and Techstars. Regional players are Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) and Mountain Group Partners. Angel Capital Association is listed as an others.
Does VentureSouth have an API?
No public API is recorded for VentureSouth.
What industry is VentureSouth in?
VentureSouth's product category is Angel Investing / Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds, with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.