Key Takeaways
- • Motivate Venture Capital, a Chicago-based VC firm founded in 2019, closed Motivate Ventures Fund II at $81 million, anchored by two global Financial Services institutions.
- • The firm has already invested in more than 20 companies from Fund II, according to the announcement made via Business Wire.
- • Fund II targets pre-seed and seed-stage North American startups, with a focus on B2B software, financial technology, AI/ML, manufacturing and supply chain SaaS, B2B marketplaces, and insurance technology.
- • Early Fund II portfolio companies include Lazarus AI, ReloShare, Valiot, Moove.ai, Fin3, Jawnt, Finofo, and Inca Digital.
Summary
Motivate Venture Capital ("Motivate") announced the launch of its second venture capital fund, Motivate Ventures Fund II, a $81 million vehicle anchored by two global Financial Services institutions, according to a Business Wire release dated December 14, 2023. The firm, founded in 2019 and based in Chicago, Illinois, supports founders at the earliest stages of company formation in North America. The fund is positioned as the next step in the firm's effort to back what it describes as era-defining companies.
Motivate's founding partners have invested together for more than a decade, with a focus on B2B software and financial technology. The broader team, drawn from firms including FTV, Centana Growth Partners, Chicago Ventures, and Manifold Group, works alongside the partners on companies in artificial intelligence and machine learning, manufacturing and supply chain SaaS, B2B marketplaces, and insurance technology. Motivate states that it has already invested in over 20 companies out of Fund II, although the announcement does not disclose the individual check sizes or the anchor investors' names.
The release highlights several portfolio companies. Lazarus AI automates complex document processes for the healthcare, insurance, and defense industries. ReloShare is building an operating system for social service agencies. Valiot provides factory optimization software for manufacturers including Heineken, Coca-Cola, and John Deere. Moove.ai uses connected vehicle data to improve transportation safety and fleet efficiency for insurers, governments, and automakers. Fin3 offers a digital payment instrument for banks and businesses, Jawnt provides a unified platform for transit access, Finofo helps exporters manage FX risk and cross-border payments, and Inca Digital supplies financial market surveillance software to regulators, exchanges, and investors.
The firm's disclosures note that the release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation. Motivate describes itself as a Registered Investment Advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Motivate's founding partners have invested together for more than a decade, with a focus on B2B software and financial technology. The broader team, drawn from firms including FTV, Centana Growth Partners, Chicago Ventures, and Manifold Group, works alongside the partners on companies in artificial intelligence and machine learning, manufacturing and supply chain SaaS, B2B marketplaces, and insurance technology. Motivate states that it has already invested in over 20 companies out of Fund II, although the announcement does not disclose the individual check sizes or the anchor investors' names.
The release highlights several portfolio companies. Lazarus AI automates complex document processes for the healthcare, insurance, and defense industries. ReloShare is building an operating system for social service agencies. Valiot provides factory optimization software for manufacturers including Heineken, Coca-Cola, and John Deere. Moove.ai uses connected vehicle data to improve transportation safety and fleet efficiency for insurers, governments, and automakers. Fin3 offers a digital payment instrument for banks and businesses, Jawnt provides a unified platform for transit access, Finofo helps exporters manage FX risk and cross-border payments, and Inca Digital supplies financial market surveillance software to regulators, exchanges, and investors.
The firm's disclosures note that the release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation. Motivate describes itself as a Registered Investment Advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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