FireStarter Fund
FireStarter Fund is a self-managed, Chicago-based early-stage investment fund formed in 2012 that deployed $5.7 million from 42 entrepreneur-members into Series A/B digital media, SaaS, and e-commerce companies in the upper Midwest. The fund is fully invested as of January 2019 and is no longer accepting new opportunities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FireStarter Fund does
FireStarter Fund is a privately-held, self-managed early-stage investment fund formed in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by a group of Chicago technology entrepreneurs — including Matt Moog, Brian Hand, Troy Henikoff, and Sam Yagan as administrative members — alongside 38 other members drawn from the local startup and operating community. The fund raised $5.7 million in committed capital from its 42 members and structures itself without management fees or carried interest, so realized investment returns flow directly to members. Its investment focus is digital media and marketing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and e-commerce companies leveraging web, social, mobile, and big-data technologies, primarily at the Series A and Series B stages.
The fund's core product is its investment process: deal flow is sourced through the 42-member network and relationships with national venture funds, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, then evaluated through due diligence and a member-voting mechanism, with the four administrative members funneling deals, overseeing votes, and authorizing cash disbursements. Individual investment sizes range from $25,000 to $500,000 per company, with typical cumulative investment between $150,000 and $350,000 over the life of an investment. Members are free to co-invest personally and to provide mentorship and board participation, which the fund treats as a key element of its value proposition to portfolio companies in the greater Chicago area, Illinois, and the upper Midwest. FireStarter co-invests alongside leading venture capital firms and counts roughly 18 publicly disclosed portfolio companies, including SpotHero, Hireology, Home Chef, GiveForward, Shiftgig, Right At School, and Cartavi (acquired by DocuSign in 2013).
Commercially, FireStarter does not operate a traditional GTM or revenue model: there are no management fees, no carried interest, and no product pricing. As of January 24, 2019, the fund announced it is fully invested and not currently accepting new investment opportunities, so the entity is now in a portfolio management and realization phase rather than active capital deployment. There is no evidence of a successor fund or ongoing fundraising activity in the available data.
FireStarter Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FireStarter Fund
- Legal name
- FireStarter Fund
- Website
- https://firestarterfund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FireStarter Fund is a self-managed, Chicago-based early-stage investment fund formed in 2012 that deployed $5.7 million from 42 entrepreneur-members into Series A/B digital media, SaaS, and e-commerce companies in the upper Midwest. The fund is fully invested as of January 2019 and is no longer accepting new opportunities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FireStarter Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where FireStarter Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FireStarter Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: The fund makes equity investments in early-stage technology companies and receives returns through exits. As a self-managed fund with no carried interests or fees, all investment returns flow to members.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
FireStarter Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FireStarter Fund is a self-managed, member-funded early-stage investment vehicle focused exclusively on technology companies in digital media and marketing, SaaS, and e-commerce. The fund pools $5.7 million in committed capital from 42 Chicago-area technology entrepreneurs, deploying $25,000 to $500,000 per company (typical cumulative $150,000–$350,000) and supplementing capital with hands-on mentorship from its operator-members.
Product overview
FireStarter Fund is a single, unified early-stage investment fund rather than a multi-product platform. It is a self-managed venture fund that provides investment capital to technology companies, with typical cumulative investments between $150,000 and $350,000 per portfolio company, ranging from $25,000 to $500,000 per investment. The fund focuses on Series A and B rounds for companies at or near revenue generation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FireStarter Fund Investment Program Self-managed early-stage equity investment program pooling $5.7M from 42 members, deploying $25,000 to $500,000 per company (typical cumulative $150,000 to $350,000) into digital media and marketing, SaaS, and e-commerce startups, with operator mentorship from the member collective.
Companies that use FireStarter Fund
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
FireStarter Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FireStarter Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
FireStarter Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lightbank: Chicago-based early-stage venture fund (founded by the founders of Groupon). Invests in early-stage tech companies in Chicago and shares FireStarter's member-led, operator-driven approach to venture investing.
- OCA Ventures: Chicago-based early-stage venture fund investing across technology, digital media, and e-commerce — the same verticals FireStarter Fund targets. Both funds are Chicago-centric, Series A/B-focused angel-style vehicles.
- Corazon Capital: Chicago-based early-stage venture firm co-founded by Sam Yagan (an admin member of FireStarter Fund). Corazon invests in early-stage tech companies out of Chicago, directly overlapping with FireStarter's thesis and member network.
- MATH Venture Partners: Chicago-based early-stage venture fund led by Troy Henikoff (an admin member of FireStarter Fund). Both funds invest in early-stage technology companies in the Midwest, share overlapping LPs/advisors, and operate in the same Chicago tech ecosystem.
- Chicago Ventures: Chicago-focused early-stage venture fund backing tech startups at the Seed and Series A stages. Operates in the same Chicago tech ecosystem and shares overlapping portfolio themes in SaaS, digital media, and marketplaces.
- Techstars Chicago: Chicago-based accelerator also managed by Troy Henikoff. Both Techstars Chicago and FireStarter Fund source Series A/B-ready tech startups from the Chicago ecosystem and frequently co-invest in the same companies.
- Hyde Park Venture Partners: Chicago-focused early-stage venture fund investing in technology companies across the Midwest. Operates in the same geographic footprint and stage as FireStarter Fund and frequently co-invests with Chicago-based syndicates.
- Founder Equity: Chicago-area founder-led angel collective and early-stage fund. Operates on a similar syndicate-style, member-driven model investing in early-stage Chicago technology companies, directly comparable in structure and ethos to FireStarter Fund.
Broad incumbents
- Pritzker Group Venture Capital: Larger Chicago-based private investment platform backing technology startups across stages. Broader portfolio and larger check sizes, but operates in the same Chicago tech ecosystem and overlaps with FireStarter's digital media and SaaS themes.
Regional players
- M25: Chicago-based early-stage venture fund focused on Midwest tech startups. Operates in the same Chicago/Midwest geography and similar Series A/B stage, making it a direct regional competitor to FireStarter Fund.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FireStarter Fund social profiles
Digital presenceFireStarter Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FireStarter Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
FireStarter Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FireStarter Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments19 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FireStarter Fund
What does FireStarter Fund do?
FireStarter Fund is a self-managed, member-funded early-stage investment vehicle focused exclusively on technology companies in digital media and marketing, SaaS, and e-commerce. The fund pools $5.7 million in committed capital from 42 Chicago-area technology entrepreneurs, deploying $25,000 to $500,000 per company (typical cumulative $150,000–$350,000) and supplementing capital with hands-on mentorship from its operator-members.
Is FireStarter Fund a public or private company?
FireStarter Fund is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was FireStarter Fund founded?
FireStarter Fund was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FireStarter Fund based?
FireStarter Fund is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does FireStarter Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Who are FireStarter Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lightbank, OCA Ventures, Corazon Capital, MATH Venture Partners, Chicago Ventures, Techstars Chicago, Hyde Park Venture Partners and Founder Equity. Pritzker Group Venture Capital is listed as a broad incumbent. M25 is listed as a regional player.
Does FireStarter Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for FireStarter Fund.
What industry is FireStarter Fund in?
FireStarter Fund's product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.