InvestMidwest

What InvestMidwest does

InvestMidwest is a private venture capital forum organization that operates the annual InvestMidwest Forum, a curated in-person conference connecting high-growth Midwest startups with active investors and strategic corporate partners. The organization is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with the flagship event held at the Kauffman Conference Center in Kansas City, MO. The forum features 50+ presenting startups annually across three structured industry tracks — AgriFood, MedTech, and Digital Technologies (including a Digital Health sub-track) — and attracts approximately 300 attendees from across the United States. Over 25+ years, more than 640 companies have presented through the program, with each historically meeting an average of seven VCs at the forum.

The core product is the forum itself: a curated experience built around a competitive application and selection process (Early Decision in November, second round in mid-January), structured 6-minute pitch plus 4-minute Q&A formats, panel sessions, and one-on-one meetings. The platform also includes the IM Alumni Network, a BizBlip-powered media coverage partnership that provides year-round press visibility for alumni companies, and select sector-specific tracks. The technology backbone is intentionally lean — third-party registration via vfairs.com and applications via Google Forms — reflecting the organization's positioning as a high-touch, curatorial event rather than a software platform.

InvestMidwest generates revenue primarily through conference sponsorships (a broad roster including V360, Forvis Mazars, Kansas City BioHub, Cultivation Capital, Venture360, TGI, Bayer, Pfizer, and Nestlé Purina) and conference registration fees ($299 per attendee for presenting companies). The organization is governed by an Advisory Board led by Board Chair Jeremy Degenhart (Principal, Advantage Capital Partners) and Executive Director Claire Kinlaw, with board representation from a who's-who of Midwest VC firms. It appears to operate as a nonprofit or member-based ecosystem initiative rather than a profit-maximizing commercial enterprise, with no disclosed funding rounds and a 1–10 employee footprint.

Name

InvestMidwest

Legal name

InvestMidwest

Website

https://investmidwest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

InvestMidwest is a private venture capital forum organization that curates an annual in-person conference in Kansas City, MO, connecting 50+ Midwest startups in AgriFood, MedTech, and Digital Technologies with approximately 300 active investors and strategic partners annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Forum and Conference Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Finance & Investment Conferences (MPAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Venture capital forum
• Startup investor networking
• Venture capital conference
• Startup pitch event
• AgriFood MedTech investing

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: InvestMidwest generates revenue through ticket sales for the annual conference. Presenting companies pay $299 per attendee for conference access.
2. Sponsorships: The forum is supported by generous sponsors including venture capital firms, corporate partners, and service providers that sponsor the event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

InvestMidwest operates an annual venture capital forum held in Kansas City, MO that connects high-growth startups with active investors and strategic partners across AgriFood, MedTech, and Digital Technology sectors. The forum features a competitive application and selection process, with selected companies delivering 6-minute pitches followed by 4-minute Q&A sessions, along with structured networking, panel discussions, and one-on-one meetings. The event attracts approximately 300 attendees and showcases 50+ regional startups each year, with alumni companies having collectively secured millions in follow-on funding.

Product overview

InvestMidwest operates as a venture capital forum/event platform connecting innovative startups with capital and resources. The core offering is the annual InvestMidwest Forum featuring three industry tracks: AgriFood, MedTech, and Digital Technologies (including Digital Health). The platform includes a company selection program for presenting startups, an alumni network of 640+ companies, and a BizBlip media coverage partnership for portfolio companies. Companies are selected through a competitive application process and receive opportunities to pitch to investors, network, and gain visibility. The forum takes place annually in Kansas City, MO, typically spanning two days with structured networking, panel sessions, and one-on-one meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• InvestMidwest Annual Venture Capital Forum Day-and-a-half annual in-person conference that connects high-growth startups (selected through a competitive application process) with active venture capital investors and angel investors across AgriFood, MedTech, and Digital Technology sectors. Selected startups deliver 6-minute pitches followed by 4-minute Q&A sessions. The event includes structured networking, panel sessions, smaller invite-only sessions, and one-on-one meeting time. Approximately 300 attendees participate each year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 640+ presenting companies have attended, each meeting with an average of 7 VCs at the forum
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BizBlipcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestMidwest has a partnership with BizBlip, an AI/human powered newsroom that turns portfolio company growth milestones into credible, investor-ready press. InvestMidwest sponsors access to unlock articles for all readers. Alumni companies are eligible for free news coverage through this partnership.
• Kauffman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kauffman Foundation supports InvestMidwest through representatives like Jenny Kelly, Senior Impact Officer, who provide opening remarks at the forum. The foundation supports entrepreneurship and economic growth in the Midwest.
• Digital Health KCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Healthcare 201 session at InvestMidwest 2026 focusing on Transforming Rural Healthcare
• Startup MidwestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization - Bob Calcaterra serves on the board and is founder of Startup Midwest
• Elevator Coworking SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides coworking space for InvestMidwest 2026 attendees with breakfast and lunch
• Aloft Country Club PlazaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated hotel for InvestMidwest 2026 attendees at 393 W 46th St, Kansas City, MO 64112

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Arch Grants: St. Louis-based startup competition and accelerator providing equity-free grants and investor exposure. Comparable as a Midwest-region founder-support organization; shares overlapping board representation (Alfred Jackson serves both).
• Cultivation Capital: St. Louis-based early-stage VC firm and InvestMidwest board member. Comparable as a regional Midwest venture investor; overlapping leadership (Brian Matthews) signals deep ecosystem integration.

Broad incumbents

• Web Summit: One of the world's largest tech conferences connecting startups, investors, and media across multiple tracks. Comparable in its multi-track, deal-making forum format, though global in scope rather than regional.
• BIO International Convention: The largest global biotech and MedTech partnering conference, featuring company presentations and one-on-one investor meetings. Comparable as a sector-specialized forum with structured startup-investor matchmaking — relevant to InvestMidwest's MedTech track.
• Money 20/20: The largest fintech-focused industry conference connecting startups with investors and financial institutions. Comparable as a vertical-specific investment forum, particularly relevant to InvestMidwest's FinTech/Digital Health sub-tracks.
• SXSW: Large multi-track conference combining technology, film, and music with active startup pitch competitions and investor programming. Comparable as a multi-track industry forum with startup-to-investor matching elements.

Direct peers

• TechCrunch Disrupt: The flagship tech-startup conference for seed-to-Series A fundraising, featuring startup pitches to active VCs — the same core mechanic that InvestMidwest offers. Disrupt operates at national scale and represents the primary upper-tier competitor for high-quality Midwest applicants.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global startup accelerator and VC platform running regular demo days and investor-matching events. Comparable as a deal-sourcing venue for early-stage startups, though with a more frequent cadence than InvestMidwest's annual format.
• Keiretsu Forum: A global angel investor network running regular pitch forums across multiple regions, including the Midwest. Directly comparable as a structured investor-startup matching event series, with similar sector-agnostic and regional chapter model.

Emerging players

• Techstars Startup Weekend: Community-driven startup events connecting founders with mentors and early-stage investors. Operates at smaller scale and shorter cadence than InvestMidwest but serves an overlapping founder-investor audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/investmidwest
• Xx.com/investmidwest
• Facebookfacebook.com/InvestMidwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about InvestMidwest