Entrepreneur Fund
Entrepreneur Fund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing flexible small business loans, personalized advising, and targeted grants to entrepreneurs across a 29-county region in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersDuluth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Entrepreneur Fund does
Entrepreneur Fund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) founded in 1989 and headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, operating under the DBA "EFund by Entrepreneur Fund." The organization provides flexible small business loans and personalized advisory services to entrepreneurs and small business owners across a 29-county service region spanning Minnesota and Wisconsin. Its core offerings are Lending (flexible small business loans) and Advising (experienced advisory support to help entrepreneurs achieve business goals), complemented by targeted grant programs such as the Rural Field to Market Grant, which supports small and midsize agricultural businesses in rural Minnesota counties.
The business model is nonprofit and relationship-driven: revenue is generated primarily through interest and fees on its loan portfolio, supplemented by programmatic grants from institutional funders such as the Wells Fargo Foundation and the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund (which awarded $4.96M in April 2023). Distribution is direct and field-based, with dedicated teams conducting needs assessments and connecting borrowers to appropriate lending and advising options. To date, the organization reports serving 24,000 entrepreneurs, deploying $160 million in cumulative lending, and supporting the creation or sustainment of 20,000 jobs across the region. Strategic partnerships with the SBA, CDFI Fund, and Wells Fargo underpin its capital base and referral pipeline, while its nonprofit status positions community impact over profit maximization.
Entrepreneur Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Entrepreneur Fund
- Legal name
- Entrepreneur Fund
- Website
- https://entrepreneurfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Entrepreneur Fund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution providing flexible small business loans, personalized advising, and targeted grants to entrepreneurs across a 29-county region in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Entrepreneur Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Financial Services / Small Business Lending
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)
Keywords
Where Entrepreneur Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Duluth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Entrepreneur Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Loan Interest and Fees: As a nonprofit lender, the organization provides flexible small business loans and generates revenue through interest and fees on loans. They also partner with organizations like Wells Fargo for grant programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Entrepreneur Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Entrepreneur Fund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that provides flexible small business loans and trusted one-on-one business advising to entrepreneurs across a 29-county region in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It complements its lending and advising with targeted grant programs, most notably the Rural Field to Market Grant for small and midsize agricultural businesses, and acts as an SBA-approved lender and CDFI-certified partner to fill financing gaps left by traditional banks.
Product overview
Entrepreneur Fund operates as a nonprofit lender offering a unified portfolio of two core services—Lending and Advising—alongside targeted grant programs. The Lending and Advising services work together to provide personalized financial support and knowledge to entrepreneurs, while the Rural Field to Market Grant program specifically targets agricultural businesses. The organization serves a 29-county region in Minnesota and Wisconsin, having provided $160 million in total lending to 24,000 entrepreneurs, creating or sustaining 20,000 jobs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Business Lending Flexible small business loans (including SBA-approved and CDFI-funded loans such as microloans) provided by Entrepreneur Fund to help small and medium-sized businesses in its 29-county Minnesota/Wisconsin service region access capital when traditional lenders decline them.
- Business Advising One-on-one, trust-based advisory services delivered by Entrepreneur Fund's dedicated team to entrepreneurs and small business owners, helping them improve financial stability, build confidence, and achieve growth goals.
- Rural Field to Market Grant Competitive grant program administered by Entrepreneur Fund that awards non-debt capital to small and midsize agricultural businesses in rural Minnesota counties, supporting farm and food business growth and sustainability.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24,000 entrepreneurs served
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Entrepreneur Fund
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Entrepreneur Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Entrepreneur Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Entrepreneur Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Grameen America: Microfinance nonprofit lending to women entrepreneurs across the U.S. — overlapping underserved SMB lending mission, but with different microloan product structure.
Direct peers
- Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC): CDFI providing small business loans, advising, and education across Wisconsin, directly overlapping Entrepreneur Fund's Wisconsin service region and core product set.
- Justine PETERSEN: St. Louis-based CDFI offering small business lending and advising to underserved entrepreneurs — closely comparable operating model with nonprofit CDFI structure and advisory integration.
- LiftFund: San Antonio-based nonprofit small business lender with a multi-state footprint providing microloans and advising — directly comparable mission, product mix, and target customer.
- Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF): Minneapolis-headquartered national CDFI providing capital and loan servicing to mission-driven lenders — same Minnesota base, same CDFI model, comparable SMB lending focus.
- CDC Small Business Finance: San Diego-headquartered CDFI providing SBA and small business loans to underserved borrowers across multiple states — same nonprofit lending DNA and SBA lender focus.
- Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing small business loans, advising, and rural economic development — same integrated model and similar rural/SMB customer focus.
- Northern Initiatives: Marquette, MI-based CDFI providing loans, advising, and grants to small businesses in Michigan and Wisconsin — most direct geographic and mission peer to Entrepreneur Fund.
Broad incumbents
- SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration): Federal agency that backs the loan programs Entrepreneur Fund distributes through; relationship is symbiotic (SBA lender) but SBA's broader policy and capital frameworks shape Entrepreneur Fund's operating environment.
Others
- Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National membership/advocacy network for CDFIs — ecosystem counterpart that provides training, capital, and visibility to Entrepreneur Fund and its peer CDFIs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Entrepreneur Fund social profiles
Digital presenceEntrepreneur Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Entrepreneur Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Entrepreneur Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Entrepreneur Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneur Fund
What does Entrepreneur Fund do?
Entrepreneur Fund is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that provides flexible small business loans and trusted one-on-one business advising to entrepreneurs across a 29-county region in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It complements its lending and advising with targeted grant programs, most notably the Rural Field to Market Grant for small and midsize agricultural businesses, and acts as an SBA-approved lender and CDFI-certified partner to fill financing gaps left by traditional banks.
Is Entrepreneur Fund a public or private company?
Entrepreneur Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Entrepreneur Fund founded?
Entrepreneur Fund was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Entrepreneur Fund based?
Entrepreneur Fund is headquartered in Duluth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Entrepreneur Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: loan Interest and Fees.
Who are Entrepreneur Fund's main competitors?
Grameen America is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), Justine PETERSEN, LiftFund, Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF), CDC Small Business Finance, Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI) and Northern Initiatives. SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration) is listed as a broad incumbent. Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is listed as an others.
Does Entrepreneur Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Entrepreneur Fund.
What industry is Entrepreneur Fund in?
Entrepreneur Fund's product category is Community Development Financial Services / Small Business Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAI, SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 6153.