StarTec Investments

StarTec was co-founded in 1998 by Joy J. Lindsay and Thomas J. McLeod, Sr. The firm lists both as its principals and does not reference any additional partners or investment committee members on its public site. Investment decisions appear to be made jointly by the two co-founders, consistent with a small, partnership-run venture firm.

StarTec does not disclose any external limited partners or fund vehicles. The absence of SEC-registered funds and the lack of any fundraising announcements indicate that the firm deploys its own capital, maintaining full discretion over its investment pace and size.

StarTec explicitly requires that portfolio companies be headquartered in Minnesota. Its entire known portfolio is drawn from the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area and other Minnesota cities such as Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud, with the sole exception of Pramata Corporation, which later moved its headquarters to San Francisco.

According to its published investment criteria, StarTec makes initial investments ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. The firm targets early-stage companies, positioning these checks as seed or very early institutional capital.

The firm only invests in technology companies. It does not list any consumer products, retail, or services businesses outside of tech among its portfolio, nor does it engage in real estate, natural resources, or public-market strategies.