Conexus Venture Capital

We believe entrepreneurs pursuing big bets and scalable businesses are vital to our community's health and success. We invest in idea to growth stage companies and technologies across industries and sectors, supporting exceptional founders with a vision to go the distance. Our approach We take on financial risk and strive to venture with founders and their companies in hopes they have a successful run building and scaling new businesses in Kentucky. We work with investors, advisors, and strategic partners to help founders gain early wins and growth. Investment Criteria We make pre-seed and seed stage venture capital-type investments in high-growth startups and entrepreneurs based in or interested in relocating to KENTUCKY. Companies should 1) be building an innovative, technology-enabled product, process, or service, 2) have developed a prototype, be seeking product-market fit, or entering early growth stage of development, and 3) present a well-articulated market opportunity with some level of customer validation and a strong founding team. You might qualify for investment if your business: has a prototype, MVP or product-market fit possesses an innovative technology and or business model has high-margin opportunity demonstrates the ability to generate revenue serves customers beyond your local market demonstrating ability to execute on incremental growth at scale i.e. regional to national, even global shows significant potential for stimulating economic growth and a reasonable probability to enhance employment opportunities within the Commonwealth of Kentucky Investment ProcessApplication Screening Preliminary Due Diligence Final Due Diligence Investment Committee Review Closing

Drawing its strength from the group's more than 30 years of experience in finance and capital markets, Inveo Ventures is also one of the oldest and most effective stakeholders of the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem. Our group has invested in more than 100 technology startups since 2014 through various venture capital investment funds. Established with the goal of consolidating all this knowledge and expertise under one roof, Inveo Ventures invests in technology startups that have high growth potential, a competitive advantage, the aim for success in global markets, founded by the right teams. Inveo Ventures, along with other venture capital investment funds within the Inveo ecosystem, has already invested in 30 portfolio startups and is witnessing their enjoyable growth journeys.

Our vision is to be the leading Mid-Michigan Venture Fund providing economic impact for the region and the state with new jobs, new companies, and value-added partnerships. Who we are As the premier land grant university, Michigan State University has a presence in every county within the state of Michigan. To complement MSU’s land grant mission, the MSU Research Foundation formed and supported the first Mid-Michigan Venture investment organization, Red Cedar Ventures. Our team supports 4 funds. Pre-Seed Fund Opportunity Fund I Opportunity Fund II Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III Supporting Michigan Startups The focus of these funds is to support early-stage entrepreneurs throughout the state of Michigan. Our funds have significant partnerships and collaborations to assist in its vision. Its close relationships with Michigan State University Technologies and Spartan Innovations provides a robust pipeline of early-stage technologies for cultivation and assessment. Red Cedar Ventures also partners with Spartan Innovations in the facilitation of Conquer Accelerator program. When possible, working with Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures assists in bridging Industry and Statewide Commercial entities in innovations and partnerships around startups with the vast and talented resources surrounding Michigan State University. The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation empowers students to learn through action by providing programs, courses, and resources to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, develop empathy, and create new ventures – another pipeline created for student startups in search of funding and support. As a member of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, our team works in concert to support startups in Michigan in coordination with Invest Detroit, Invest Michigan, Renaissance Ventures, and other ecosystem partners looking to impact Michigan's economy. Red Cedar Ventures portfolio companies and startups, throughout campus and the Mid-Michigan region, can rent office space at The East Lansing Technology Innovation Center or VanCamp, and access essential resources made available by the MSU Foundation. Our team provides many resources to help launch entrepreneurial ventures including funding, mentorship and coaching, board participation, commercial/market assessment, startup advising, business documentation and support services, partnership opportunities related to MSU, and consulting on overall strategy and execution.

We help entrepreneurs grow companies of significance by connecting a community of mentors, capital for startups and customers to support growth. The Why At NXTUS, Inc, we are a catalyst for the region’s startup ecosystem. At our essence, we serve as a nexus for entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners, and the community at-large. Our primary aim is to achieve the ‘next us’ by growing startups, strengthening innovation culture and building support systems. Based out of Wichita, we collaborate with other entrepreneur support organizations, government agencies, economic development groups, corporate innovators, and, most of all, founders and investors to positively impact and advance the economy, culture and vitality in our Midwest region. NXTUS currently manages Accelerate Venture Partners, a fast-growing regional Angel investor syndicate, the NXTSTAGE Pilot Competitions, aimed at connecting startups to mature businesses and regional partners looking to become customers for their technologies, and NXTCONNECT and AVP Insights, free monthly education series presenting wisdom and resources for our entrepreneurs and investors. One of our core values is to make sure the face of entrepreneurship reflects the make-up of our community. Diversity plays a huge role in the success of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. For our region to thrive, we want and need as many entrepreneurs as we can get. We are an inclusion organization, committed to providing customized support to all who have an idea and want to make it grow. Background In 2014, a group of experienced entrepreneurs came together with a vision to reinvigorate the entrepreneurial spirit of Wichita. Thus, an organization then called e2e was launched in 2016, with the support of many passionate individuals and corporate sponsors. Here are some history and program highlights: An initial e2e Accelerator class, launched in 2016 was made up of Appointment Launch, Buddy Brands, Knoxx / Alyss Analytics, KingFit, Reverie Roasters, and Tru-Building. LaunchPrep, launched in the Spring of 2017 as a partnership between the Wichita State University Center for Entrepreneurship and NXTUS, is a 90-day mentor driven accelerator program for early stage entrepreneurs. In 2018, Accelerate Venture Partners was formed to broaden the base of angel-stage capital investment in the region. By the end of 2019, AVP had become one of the fastest-growing angel syndicates in the U.S. In January 2020, e2e became NXTUS, continuing its vital work to support founders and their young, growing companies. NXTUS launched NXTSTAGE startup programs and a new era of community-wide innovation began.

Lumma is a global accelerator program designed to help founders and operators build, scale, and expand high-potential businesses into sustainable, internationally competitive companies. Founded with the vision of creating globally connected accelerator ecosystems, Lumma operates structured accelerator programs that combine execution-focused mentorship, market-driven strategy, and performance management. Our model enables local operators to run accelerators in their own markets while remaining aligned with a unified global framework. By connecting founders, investors, corporate partners, and regional ecosystems, Lumma accelerates growth, strengthens execution, and supports long-term value creation. Our approach balances global standards with local insight, allowing businesses to scale efficiently and responsibly across markets.

Axion Ventures is launching a new venture capital fund aimed at strategically investing in a very selective portfolio of high-growth, early-stage companies. Where We Come From Rooted in Babson College’s renowned entrepreneurial principles, our investment approach focuses on identifying, building, and scaling high-potential platforms through strategic acquisitions and operational excellence. We conduct rigorous market analysis to identify scalable platform opportunities with untapped potential, guided by the entrepreneurial mindset cultivated at Babson College. By deploying strategic capital into complementary startups and providing incubation support, we foster innovation and drive value creation. Through integration and Babson College-inspired growth strategies, we build cohesive platform ecosystems, optimizing operational synergies and scalability. Additional acquisitions enable vertical integration, strengthening competitive advantages and ensuring sustainable growth. Our structured exit strategies deliver superior returns, embodying Babson’s principles of innovation, leadership, and strategic foresight.