Gopher Angels
Gopher Angels is a Minneapolis-based angel investment network founded in 2012 that connects accredited investors with early-stage startups, primarily in Minnesota and the Midwest, across medical device, healthcare, SaaS, agtech, and biotech.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Gopher Angels does
Gopher Angels is an angel investment network founded in 2012 by David and Sara Russick and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm operates as a member-based organization connecting accredited angel investors — including Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, micro VCs, and family offices — with scalable, early-stage startups primarily based in Minnesota and the broader Midwest, with stated national reach. The network curates deal flow, facilitates collaborative due diligence, and provides investor education and social programming for its membership.
The firm invests in seed and Series A rounds across medical device, healthcare, enterprise SaaS, agtech, and biotech, with a portfolio of 40+ companies including Kidizen, 75F, Ichor Vascular, Oculogica, Dispatch, Pear Commerce, Nested Knowledge, and Cayuga Biotech. Gopher Angels does not operate a traditional technology product; its core "platform" consists of deal-sourcing infrastructure (the Gust platform for entrepreneur applications and investor profiles), curated deal flow processes, and collective due diligence workflows. The firm claims to be Minnesota's largest and most active angel investor network and holds accredited membership in the Angel Capital Association.
Gopher Angels' revenue model is membership-driven and investment-driven rather than product-driven. Members pay dues to access the network; returns accrue from equity stakes in portfolio companies. Pricing for membership and minimum investment commitments is not publicly disclosed. The firm does not generate revenue from licensing a product, SaaS subscriptions, or services — its economic engine is investment performance and member subscriptions, with co-investment syndicates (e.g., the Kidizen $3.2M Series A with Origin Ventures, Royal Street Ventures, Corigin Ventures, Irish Angels, Mergelane, and Sofia Fund) providing deal-flow scale.
Gopher Angels firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gopher Angels
- Legal name
- Gopher Angels
- Website
- https://gopherangels.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gopher Angels is a Minneapolis-based angel investment network founded in 2012 that connects accredited investors with early-stage startups, primarily in Minnesota and the Midwest, across medical device, healthcare, SaaS, agtech, and biotech.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gopher Angels industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Angel Investment Network
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
Keywords
Where Gopher Angels is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gopher Angels business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Membership/Investment Returns: Gopher Angels operates as an angel investment network where members pay to join and gain access to investment opportunities. Returns come from equity investments in portfolio companies rather than direct revenue streams from products or services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Gopher Angels product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gopher Angels operates a member-based angel investment network that connects accredited investors with scalable early-stage startups, primarily in medical device, healthcare, enterprise SaaS, agtech, and biotech sectors. The network provides curated deal flow, facilitated collaborative due diligence, investor education, and social events for members, while offering startups capital, mentorship, and industry connections. Founded in 2012 in Minnesota, it is positioned as the state's most active angel investor network.
Product overview
Gopher Angels operates as Minnesota's largest and most active angel investor network, offering a unified platform of investment network services rather than discrete software products. The core offering consists of an angel investment network that connects accredited investors with vetted early-stage startups, providing deal flow curation, collaborative due diligence, and organized investment processes. For entrepreneurs, the network delivers capital investment along with mentorship and industry connections. The service is industry-agnostic with heavy focus on med device, healthcare, enterprise SaaS, biotech, agtech, and early-stage companies with ties to Minnesota and the Midwest.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Angel Investment Network Membership A membership-based angel investment network providing accredited investors access to curated deal flow from Minnesota and across the U.S., collaborative due diligence, and organized investment processes.
- Curated Deal Flow Access Vetted deal flow service delivering pre-screened early-stage investment opportunities to members, with a focus on Minnesota and Midwest-based startups in medical device, healthcare, enterprise SaaS, biotech, and agtech.
- Entrepreneur Investment and Mentorship Seed and Series A capital investment service for scalable, high-growth early-stage companies, bundled with mentorship from experienced investors and access to industry connections.
Companies that use Gopher Angels
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gopher Angels technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gopher Angels partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Nebraska AngelsminorListed as an angel syndicate partner, indicating cross-regional collaboration between Midwest angel networks
- Angel Capital AssociationcoreGopher Angels is an accredited member of the Angel Capital Association, the industry association for angel investors
- GustcoreGopher Angels uses Gust platform for entrepreneur applications and investor profiles, enabling deal flow management
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Gopher Angels competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nebraska Angels: Regional angel network based in Nebraska with a comparable member-based model targeting Midwest early-stage startups. Listed as an explicit syndicate partner of Gopher Angels, confirming direct operational overlap in geography and stage.
- Irish Angels: Midwest-focused angel network that co-invested alongside Gopher Angels in Kidizen's Series A. Operates an analogous accredited-member, collaborative-due-diligence model in the same geography and stage.
- Sofia Fund: Twin Cities-based angel fund investing in women-led early-stage companies. Shares Gopher Angels' Minnesota base and seed/Series A focus, making it a directly comparable regional angel capital provider.
- Origin Ventures: Early-stage venture firm with a Midwest orientation that co-invested with Gopher Angels in Kidizen. Comparable in stage focus and geography, though structured as a traditional fund rather than an angel network.
- Corigin Ventures: Early-stage investor co-investing alongside Gopher Angels in Midwest rounds. Operates at the same seed/Series A stage and geographic focus.
- Royal Street Ventures: Early-stage venture firm with co-investment history alongside Gopher Angels. Comparable in stage and target sectors, especially consumer and tech-enabled services.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator and early-stage investor. While broader and more institutional than Gopher Angels, it serves overlapping early-stage founders seeking seed capital, mentorship, and network effects.
- gener8tor: Midwest-headquartered accelerator that runs multiple programs per year across U.S. cities. Comparable to Gopher Angels in regional focus and seed-stage orientation, but delivers accelerator-style programming in addition to capital.
- AngelList: Largest online platform for angel syndicates and rolling funds. Competes with Gopher Angels for accredited investor mindshare and provides a digital alternative to regional in-person angel networks.
Others
- Angel Capital Association: Industry trade association for angel investors of which Gopher Angels is an accredited member. Relevant as a peer in the sense that it convenes and represents the same competitive set of angel networks nationally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gopher Angels social profiles
Digital presenceGopher Angels financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gopher Angels leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Gopher Angels funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gopher Angels M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments27 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gopher Angels
What does Gopher Angels do?
Gopher Angels operates a member-based angel investment network that connects accredited investors with scalable early-stage startups, primarily in medical device, healthcare, enterprise SaaS, agtech, and biotech sectors. The network provides curated deal flow, facilitated collaborative due diligence, investor education, and social events for members, while offering startups capital, mentorship, and industry connections. Founded in 2012 in Minnesota, it is positioned as the state's most active angel investor network.
Is Gopher Angels a public or private company?
Gopher Angels is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gopher Angels founded?
Gopher Angels was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gopher Angels based?
Gopher Angels is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gopher Angels make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership/Investment Returns.
Who are Gopher Angels's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nebraska Angels, Irish Angels, Sofia Fund, Origin Ventures, Corigin Ventures and Royal Street Ventures. Broad incumbents are Techstars, gener8tor and AngelList. Angel Capital Association is listed as an others.
Does Gopher Angels have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gopher Angels.
What industry is Gopher Angels in?
Gopher Angels's product category is Angel Investment Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.