Venture Capital

Updated:

Newlin Ventures

Grant Newlin runs a Chicago-based early-stage firm backing pre-seed to Series A hardware and software startups across the Americas.

Newlin Ventures logo

Newlin Ventures

Newlin Ventures is a Chicago-based investment firm established in 2019. It focuses on backing pre-seed and seed-stage startups through a syndicate-driven model in technology-driven sectors.

General information

Firm type

Venture Capital

Year founded

AUM

Undisclosed

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Chicago

Corporate office

Chicago, IL, United States

Principals

Grant Newlin

GP & Fund Manager

Sector focus

IoT & Smart HardwareAgriTech & FoodTechInsurTechConsumerEnterprise SoftwareFinTechClimateTechMobility & TransportationCybersecurityHealthcare Services

Frequently asked questions

Who runs investment decisions at Newlin Ventures?

Grant Newlin runs the firm as GP and fund manager. Before Newlin Ventures, he was Head of Dealflow at New Stack Ventures, where he led inbound and outbound dealflow strategies and managed LP engagement for that Chicago-based early-stage fund.

How does Newlin Ventures source proprietary deal flow?

The firm sources through Grant Newlin’s network built across management consulting, investment banking, and venture, and runs a dedicated summer deal-flow internship program, as announced in July 2022. Its website also accepts direct founder pitches, and its cross-border practice focuses on origination in Latin America and Pakistan.

Is Newlin Ventures structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?

Newlin Ventures operates as a venture capital firm rather than a single family office. It invests across pre-seed, seed, and Series A and leads syndicates that bring in external follow-on capital.

Does Newlin Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The firm focuses on direct deals, writing initial checks and leading syndicates. There is no public evidence that it acts as a limited partner in other venture funds.

What investment stages does Newlin Ventures typically target?

Newlin Ventures target pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds, according to its own published materials.

Which sectors does Newlin Ventures explicitly avoid?

The firm does not publish a formal exclusion list, but its public portfolio concentrates on IoT and smart hardware, food tech, insurtech, and B2B2C / consumer, suggesting it avoids biotech, deep science, and most traditional enterprise SaaS.

What is Newlin Ventures' known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

Co-investment is central to its model. The firm structures itself as a syndicate lead and advertises $250M+ in total follow-on capital raised, indicating regular collaboration with external GPs and angel networks.

Profile maintained by using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.

Need institutional-grade insight on venture capital firms?

Altss delivers:

Principals with verified direct contactsAllocation history by asset classOSINT-derived deal signals
Book a demo

Prefer a guided tour?

We’ll walk you through:

Interactive funding timelinesCustom mandate & allocation filters
Book a demo

Browse by category

More Chicago Venture Capital profiles