Chippewa Valley Investment Partners

What Chippewa Valley Investment Partners does

Chippewa Valley Investment Partners, doing business as CVAIN (Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network, LLC), is a Wisconsin-domiciled angel investor network formed in 2003 to address regional capital gaps for early-stage ventures. The entity is a private LLC comprising approximately 24 individual accredited investors drawn from the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin, who convene monthly (second Tuesday) for 90-minute sessions to pre-screen venture presentations and conduct due diligence on prospective portfolio companies. Investment vehicles are structured as separate LLCs in which interested members participate proportionately, with a stated minimum of $100,000 in equity financing per deal and a target for 10x-plus appreciation potential.

The network does not deploy proprietary technology, software platforms, or AI tooling; its offering is the curated network service itself, including deal sourcing, pre-screening, collective due diligence, and ongoing portfolio monitoring. Revenue mechanics consist of undisclosed annual member dues (recurring subscription) plus optional capital deployment into portfolio companies, with realized returns depending on individual exit outcomes. CVAIN has recorded two positive exits with substantial returns and two negative exits to date, and does not publish a collective ROI figure because returns vary by member. The organization explicitly avoids crowdfunding and general solicitation, operating under accredited-investor rules.

CVAIN's customer base splits between two constituencies: (1) approximately 24 member-investors who pay annual dues and selectively deploy personal capital into opportunities, and (2) early-stage entrepreneurial ventures—primarily those headquartered within 100 miles of Eau Claire or holding strategic ties to the Chippewa Valley—that seek equity capital, mentorship, and a path toward liquidity events. The network limits its deal pipeline geographically to the greater Chippewa Valley, with secondary consideration for the Twin Cities and Madison/Milwaukee metropolitan areas.

Name

Chippewa Valley Investment Partners

Legal name

Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network, LLC

Website

https://cvain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chippewa Valley Investment Partners (CVAIN) is a Wisconsin-based angel investor network of approximately 24 accredited individuals who pool capital and due diligence to fund early-stage startups in the greater Chippewa Valley and select Wisconsin metro areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Annual dues paid by members to participate in the network, attend meetings, hear venture presentations, and make investment decisions.
2. Investment Returns (Portfolio): Returns generated from successful exits of portfolio companies. Historical national averages show 20% annualized returns achievable in the five to seven year timeframe. CVAIN has experienced two positive exits with substantial returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CVAIN is a regional angel investor network comprising approximately 24 individual accredited investors from the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin region who collectively provide equity capital to early-stage entrepreneurial ventures. The network sources deals through pre-screening, conducts due diligence during monthly meetings, and invests through separate LLCs that take equity stakes in qualifying companies. Ideal portfolio candidates require a minimum of $100,000 in equity financing, are located within 100 miles of the Greater Chippewa Valley or have strategic alliances with regional companies, and demonstrate potential for 10x+ valuation appreciation.

Product overview

Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network (CVAIN) operates as a single-service angel investor network, not a technology product company. The organization provides a platform connecting high-net-worth individual investors with early-stage entrepreneurial ventures in the Greater Chippewa Valley region. The network facilitates investment opportunities, performs due diligence on presenting companies, and enables collective investment through separate LLC structures. There are no distinct product modules—the offering is the network service itself.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Angel Investor Network Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% annualized returns achievable over 5-7 year timeframes (historical national averages)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AbilityminorOthersPortfolio company displayed on CVAIN's About page under 'Companies We Work With.' This appears to be a company that has received investment or support from the angel network.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Alliance of Angels: Pacific Northwest-based angel network that connects individual investors with early-stage startups, with structured deal review and pooled investment. Similar community-of-individual-investors model to CVAIN but operating in a much larger regional ecosystem.
• Queen City Angels: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky-based angel investor group of accredited individuals making equity investments in early-stage companies. Comparable structure with member portfolio reviews and due-diligence-driven decisions but focused on a different metropolitan region.
• North Coast Angel Fund: Ohio-based angel fund that invests equity capital from individual members into early-stage companies, primarily in the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio region. Comparable model of individual investor pooling, due diligence, and equity participation.
• Tundra Angels: Minnesota-based angel network of individual investors pooling capital and expertise for early-stage equity investments. Comparable in operating model (individual members, group due diligence, equity rounds) but serves a different primary geography than CVAIN.

Broad incumbents

• Band of Angels: Silicon Valley-based angel investing group of former and current technology executives making equity investments in early-stage startups. Comparable member-driven angel structure but with deeper check sizes and a much larger deal-flow pipeline than CVAIN.
• gener8tor: Wisconsin-founded national accelerator and early-stage investment platform that combines capital with a structured program for startups. Comparable in regional Wisconsin roots and early-stage focus, but operates as a broader incumbent with a portfolio-style fund and corporate partners.
• Techstars: Global accelerator and early-stage investor operating programs across multiple geographies with structured mentorship and seed investment. Overlaps with CVAIN in providing equity capital plus coaching to early-stage founders, but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Idea Fund of La Crosse: Western Wisconsin-based early-stage investor affiliated with the La Crosse region that provides seed capital and mentorship to local entrepreneurs. Operates with a similar regional economic-development mandate and early-stage equity focus as CVAIN.
• Wisconsin Investment Partners: Wisconsin-based angel investor network pooling capital from accredited individuals to make equity investments in early-stage Midwest companies. Highly comparable in structure, member-driven model, geographic focus, and deal-size profile to CVAIN.
• Marquette University Golden Angels Network: Wisconsin-based angel network of high-net-worth individuals affiliated with Marquette University, evaluating and funding early-stage companies. Operates with a similar structure of monthly meetings, due diligence, and member-by-member investment decisions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 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

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Chippewa Valley Investment Partners