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Think Big Ventures
Darwin Ling's Think Big Ventures writes concentrated seed checks from Kansas City, backing technical founders in enterprise SaaS, AI, and digital health.
Think Big Ventures
Think Big Ventures is a private equity firm based in Kansas City, US. It focuses on a Venture Capital investment approach.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2014
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Kansas City
Corporate office
Kansas City, MO, United States
Principals
Darwin Ling
Founder & General Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at Think Big Ventures?
Darwin Ling, the founder and sole general partner, makes every investment decision. He operates a concentrated portfolio with no investment committee, supported by a small network of venture partners who are often exited founders from the portfolio. The firm has maintained this solo-GP structure since 2014.
What is Think Big Ventures' typical check size and stage focus?
Initial checks range from $250,000 to $2 million at the pre-seed and seed stages, with capital reserved for follow-on investments through Series B rounds. The firm leads or co-leads roughly half its deals and prefers to take a board seat when leading. Think Big Ventures does not participate in later-stage growth rounds outside its existing portfolio.
How does Think Big Ventures source deals outside the major venture hubs?
Proprietary deal flow derives from Ling's personal network of technical founders and the firm's reputation in the Midwest startup ecosystem. Portfolio companies frequently refer other founders, and the firm's willingness to invest in Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver, and Minneapolis — markets with less venture density — creates an origination advantage. The firm also maintains relationships with Midwestern university tech-transfer offices.
Does Think Big Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Think Big Ventures invests exclusively in direct equity deals at the company level. The firm does not allocate to other venture funds or participate as a limited partner in external vehicles, concentrating all deployment into its own direct portfolio construction.
What sectors does Think Big Ventures explicitly avoid?
The firm does not invest in hardware-heavy deep tech, consumer mobile applications, or capital-intensive cleantech manufacturing. Its investment thesis concentrates entirely on asset-light enterprise software models where the general partner's technical background provides an underwriting and post-investment support advantage.
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