Chicago ArchAngels

What Chicago ArchAngels does

Chicago ArchAngels (legal entity: Chicago ArchAngels II, LLC) is a Chicago-based membership angel investment network that provides working capital to early-stage US companies, typically at the seed and Series A stages. Founded in 2015 and operating as an affiliate chapter of Washington DC ArchAngels, the group conducts six meetings per year where members evaluate investment opportunities sourced through member referrals. While members confer collectively on prospective deals, each member invests individually rather than through a pooled fund vehicle — meaning the LLC itself does not deploy capital but functions as a screening and curation platform for its members.

Between 2015 and 2022, Chicago ArchAngels members invested in 52 companies spanning diverse industries (healthcare, medical devices, fintech, consumer products, education, media, and more), with 46 of those companies still operating at year-end 2022 (an 88% survival rate). The group has achieved 13 exits to date, with reported returns in the 1x–2x range, suggesting modest value-realization performance for a typical angel portfolio. There is no proprietary technology product, software platform, or AI capability associated with the organization — the business is fundamentally a curated relationship network of accredited investors evaluating and backing early-stage ventures.

The revenue model is non-traditional for an operating company: Chicago ArchAngels generates returns through the equity appreciation of portfolio companies held by its individual members, with the LLC entity itself not publicly disclosing revenue. Marketing and deal-sourcing occur through the corporate website, member referrals, and the affiliated Washington DC ArchAngels network. Legal resources are provided by sponsor Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.

Name

Chicago ArchAngels

Legal name

Chicago ArchAngels II, LLC

Website

https://chicagoarchangels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago ArchAngels is a Chicago-based angel investment network and affiliate of Washington DC ArchAngels that sources, screens, and presents early-stage US investment opportunities (typically seed and Series A) to its 18 accredited members, who invest individually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investment Network

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Angel investment network
• Early-stage venture capital
• Seed stage investing
• Series A funding
• Startup equity investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: Chicago ArchAngels generates returns through equity investments in early-stage companies. Members invest their own capital individually after group discussions. Returns have ranged from 1x to 2x on investments, with 13 exits achieved to date.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chicago ArchAngels is a membership-based angel investment network that channels capital from accredited individual investors into early-stage US companies, typically at seed and Series A stages. Members collectively review opportunities at six annual meetings but invest individually with their own capital across a diverse set of industries. From 2015 to 2022 the network invested in 52 companies and recorded 13 exits, while ongoing operations are open to new investor inquiries and referred portfolio companies.

Product overview

Chicago ArchAngels is an angel investment network that provides working capital to early-stage US companies, typically investing in seed and Series A rounds. The organization facilitates investment opportunities across various industries through six annual meetings where members review presentations and invest individually. From 2015 to 2022, the organization invested in 52 companies with 13 exits achieved. Chicago ArchAngels is an affiliate of Washington DC ArchAngels and collaborates with a network of sponsors and referral partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chicago ArchAngels Angel Investment Network Membership A membership-based angel investment service that gives accredited individual investors access to vetted early-stage US investment opportunities (typically seed and Series A), evaluated collectively at six annual meetings. Members invest individually with their own capital across a broad range of industries and geographies, with deal flow sourced exclusively through member and referral network introductions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 of 52 companies still operating at end of 2022 (88% survival rate)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington DC ArchAngelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago ArchAngels is an affiliate chapter of Washington DC ArchAngels. Washington DC ArchAngels is a collaborating partner of Ventana Capital and a Chapter of the Orange County ArchAngels and Private Capital Network. The affiliation provides cross-network deal flow and investor referrals between chapters.
• Michael Best & Friedrich LLPminorOthersSponsor providing legal resources and documents for entrepreneurs including introductions to intellectual property, venture capital financing, and litigation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sand Hill Angels: Silicon Valley-based angel group focused on early-stage technology and healthcare investments through a structured screening process. Comparable angel-network investment model with multi-sector deal flow.
• Golden Seeds: National angel network investing in early-stage companies with an emphasis on women-led businesses. Comparable as a membership-based angel organization screening and funding seed and Series A rounds across multiple industries.
• Band of Angels: One of the oldest U.S. angel groups, founded in Silicon Valley, investing in early-stage technology and life-sciences companies with individual member check writing. Comparable in angel-network structure and individual-investor model, though operating in a different region.
• Orange County ArchAngels: Affiliated angel chapter within the same ArchAngels network as Chicago ArchAngels, also collaborating through Washington DC ArchAngels. Operates a comparable membership-based angel model with shared cross-chapter deal flow.
• New York Angels: Premier New York-based angel network that reviews and funds early-stage startups through a membership model. Comparable in structure, screening cadence, and individual member capital deployment to early-stage companies.
• Alliance of Angels: Seattle-based angel investor group pooling expertise and capital across multiple industries for early-stage investments. Highly comparable membership-based angel screening and investing model with diverse sector exposure.
• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest U.S. angel investor networks, with multiple chapters screening and funding early-stage deals. Directly comparable membership-based angel model with similar screening meetings and individual member investing.
• Washington DC ArchAngels: Affiliated parent chapter of Chicago ArchAngels operating the same membership-based angel model with six annual meetings and individual member investing. The two groups share deal flow and investor referrals through their formal chapter affiliation.
• Hyde Park Angels: Chicago-based angel network investing in early-stage companies across diverse sectors. Highly comparable as another Midwest regional angel group with a membership structure, screening meetings, and individual member deal participation.

Emerging players

• AngelList: Online platform enabling angel syndicates and rolling funds to deploy capital into early-stage startups. Adjacent rather than directly competing with traditional angel networks, but increasingly captures deal flow and investors that legacy groups rely on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Chicago ArchAngels