LongJump
LongJump is a company.
Active
Updated: ·
Financial History
Total Raised
N/A
Valuation
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Leadership Team
Key people at LongJump.
LongJump is a company.
Key people at LongJump.
Key people at LongJump.
LongJump is a Chicago-based, founder-led venture capital fund that invests $110K in pre-seed startups as a first-check investor, providing capital, connections, and community to help founders build scalable businesses.[1][2][3] Industry-agnostic and focused on U.S. founders outside major tech hubs like SF, NYC, Boston, LA, Seattle, and Miami—with a strong Midwest bias, especially Chicago—it has made 43 investments in Midwest startups, whose portfolio companies have raised $54.6M following LongJump's backing.[1] Its mission centers on supporting passionate, resourceful founders from zero to one through a standardized deal ($100K on a $5M SAFE cap plus $10K for 3% common equity), dedicated partner support, and a network of over 200 founders, operators, and investors.[1][3][4]
This approach democratizes access to early-stage funding, emphasizing tech-focused or tech-enabled businesses led by strong teams that can leverage the capital for measurable progress.[4]
LongJump was founded by a group of experienced founders and operators who have personally navigated the challenges of building startups, including fighting to survive, assembling teams, acquiring customers, and raising capital.[1][3] Based in Chicago, the fund emerged to address gaps in early-stage investing, particularly for founders outside coastal hotspots, flipping the traditional model to be more open and founder-friendly with no need for warm introductions.[2][3][4]
Its evolution reflects a commitment to the Midwest ecosystem, growing a limited partner network of over 190 founders and operators, plus 70 portfolio founders, while maintaining monthly application reviews and a disciplined, hands-on investment process.[1][3]
LongJump rides the trend of decentralizing tech innovation beyond coastal hubs, capitalizing on the Midwest's rising talent pool, lower costs, and untapped markets to foster "great companies... anywhere, not just on the coasts."[1] This timing aligns with post-pandemic remote work shifts, regional economic development initiatives, and investor fatigue with overheated coastal valuations, making non-hub founders more attractive for scalable, efficient builds.[1][2]
By prioritizing pre-seed tech-enabled ventures, it influences the ecosystem through de-risking early Midwest startups—evidenced by $54.6M follow-on raises—and building a collaborative founder community that strengthens regional networks, challenging the SF-centric model.[1][3]
LongJump is poised to expand its Midwest dominance as remote talent and AI-driven tools further erode geographic barriers, potentially scaling its LP network and check sizes while maintaining founder-centric discipline.[1][4] Trends like AI democratization and vertical SaaS will shape its portfolio, amplifying influence as non-hub unicorns emerge.
Tying back to its core promise, LongJump empowers the next generation of founders to leap from ambitious ideas to high-growth realities, proving location is no longer destiny in VC.
