The Josephine Collective

What The Josephine Collective does

The Josephine Collective is a women-led angel investment group founded in 2021 and based in Chicago, Illinois. It enables accredited individual investors to co-invest directly into early-stage U.S. startups at check sizes as low as $1,000 per angel per deal, with the Collective committing $10,000 to $100,000 per startup depending on member interest. The model differs from a conventional angel syndicate or venture fund: there is no pooled fund, no SPV per deal, and no management or sourcing fees. Instead, founders apply on a rolling basis through Airtable, are screened by managers, and are presented to the full investor base via recorded Zoom sessions. The group reviews 2-3 deals per month and aims to complete the entire process — pitch to wire — within three weeks.

The Collective generates revenue through two streams: a $250 annual membership fee per investor that covers accounting and K-1 filings, and a 3% carried interest on earnings generated from successful exits. Managers do not take fees for managing the Collective or sourcing deal flow. Membership is open to any accredited investor, though admission may be delayed to preserve the group's compositional target of at least 51% women and people of color among its members. Investments span Friends and Family rounds through Series B, with the Collective unable to lead rounds but willing to help set terms.

The company is co-founded by Desiree Vargas Wrigley (a two-time Latina founder of GiveForward and Pearachute, and Executive Director of TechRise by P33) and Amy Rosenow, CFA, CFP (founder of Bold Vision Financial and President of RUOK Management). It operates with 1-10 employees, serves only the U.S. market, and discloses a portfolio of approximately 30 companies across fintech, healthcare, consumer products, sustainability, biotech, legal tech, quantum computing, and digital health. The namesake — Josephine Garis Cochrane, inventor of the first commercial dishwasher in 1886 and progenitor of KitchenAid — anchors the brand identity and explicit mission to broaden access to angel investing, particularly for women and people of color.

Name

The Josephine Collective

Legal name

The Josephine Collective

Website

https://joinjosephine.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Josephine Collective is a women-led, Chicago-based angel investment group founded in 2021 that enables accredited investors to co-invest in U.S. early-stage startups from Friends and Family through Series B, with low minimums ($1,000 per angel) and a 3-week pitch-to-wire process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investing

NAICS

Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM), Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Angel investment group
• Early-stage funding
• Accredited investors
• Startup co-investment
• Venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of $250 per investor that covers accounting and K-1 filings.
2. Carried Interest (Carry): A small 3% carry on earnings generated from successful investment exits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Josephine Collective is a women-led angel investment group that curates and presents early-stage startup deals to a community of accredited individual investors, who then co-invest directly in the startups with checks as low as $1,000 per angel and deal sizes of $10K to $100K. The Collective appears as a single line on each portfolio company's cap table and supplements capital with mentorship, talent connections, and customer introductions from its investor network. Investors pay a $250 annual membership fee, and the group earns a 3% carry on earnings from successful exits.

Product overview

The Josephine Collective is a women-led angel investment group offering a single unified investment service: facilitating early-stage funding for high-potential startups. Unlike a venture fund or angel syndicate, the collective enables individual angels to co-invest while maintaining a single line on the cap table. Their core offering combines capital deployment ($10K-$100K per deal) with hands-on support including mentorship, talent connections, and customer introductions from their network of founders, seasoned startup employees, and industry veterans. The investment process takes up to 3 weeks from presentation to wire, with the collective reviewing 2-3 deals per month on a rolling basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investment Services A women-led angel investment group that curates and presents early-stage startup deals to a community of accredited individual investors. Founders apply through Airtable on a rolling basis; the Collective reviews 2-3 deals per month and presents them via recorded Zoom sessions, with the goal of closing the investment within 3 weeks. The Collective invests $10K to $100K per deal, with individual angel checks as low as $1,000, and appears as a single line on the startup's cap table. Investors pay a $250 annual membership fee and the group earns a 3% carry on earnings from successful exits.
• Portfolio Companies Support Ongoing non-capital support provided to portfolio companies alongside the Collective's angel investment, leveraging the operating experience of its investor base. Many of the Collective's angels are founders, seasoned startup employees, service providers, and industry veterans who connect portfolio companies with mentorship, talent referrals, and potential customers to help them grow. The Collective has invested in 30+ portfolio companies spanning fintech, consumer products, healthcare, sustainability, biotech, and other sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Process completion in 3 weeks from presentation to wire
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers40 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pipeline Angels: Pipeline Angels is a network of angel investors focused on women and non-binary entrepreneurs, providing both capital and mentorship. Directly comparable as a women-focused angel collective with a similar low-minimum, cohort-based approach to inclusive angel investing.
• Astia Angels: Astia is a global angel network of both women and men investing in high-growth companies led by women and diverse founding teams. Closely comparable to Josephine's mission of diversifying cap tables and providing curated deal flow to a community of angel investors.
• SoGal Ventures: SoGal is a global venture and angel network for diverse founders and investors, with a strong community of women and minority operators. Directly comparable as a community-led, DEI-focused investment vehicle targeting early-stage companies.

Broad incumbents

• Halogen Ventures: Halogen Ventures is an early-stage venture fund investing in consumer-tech companies led by Black and African American founders. Comparable in mission (diverse cap tables, early-stage) but operates as a pooled fund rather than an angel collective, making it a larger incumbent in the same space.
• Fearless Fund: Fearless Fund is a venture fund providing capital to women of color founders, particularly Black women. Comparable as a DEI-focused early-stage investor; operates as a pooled fund with institutional backing, distinguishing it from Josephine's angel collective model.
• Backstage Capital: Backstage Capital invests in underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+) via a dedicated fund. Comparable in DEI mission and early-stage focus; operates with committed fund capital rather than angel-by-angel deployment.
• Female Founders Fund: Female Founders Fund is an early-stage venture fund investing in companies with female founders. Comparable as a women-focused early-stage investor; institutional fund structure with larger check sizes and more concentrated portfolio.

Emerging players

• WOCstar Fund: WOCstar Fund invests in early-stage companies led by women of color across multiple sectors. Highly comparable in DEI mission and check-size profile, though operates with pooled fund capital and a smaller, more selective portfolio.
• Impact America Fund: Impact America Fund is a venture firm investing in companies creating positive social impact, with a focus on diverse founders. Comparable as a DEI-aligned early-stage investor, though more concentrated in impact-driven sectors.
• Republic: Republic is an investment platform enabling retail and accredited investors to co-invest in startups and private companies. Comparable as a low-minimum, community-driven angel investing platform, but operates as a technology-enabled marketplace rather than a curated collective.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-josephine-collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments20 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Josephine Collective