Motivate Venture Capital

Active

Overview

Motivate Venture Capital is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2019, specializing in pre-seed and seed-stage investments in fintech and enterprise software companies.¹²³ It provides $250k-$1m for pre-seed and $1.5-$3m for seed rounds, along with operational expertise, connections, and mentorship to founders tackling durable problems in large markets.¹³ The firm distinguishes itself by also investing in emerging pre-seed and seed-stage VC funds, acting as both a direct investor and ecosystem builder.¹³

History

Motivate Venture Capital was co-founded in 2019 by David Wieland and Lauren DeLuca.¹⁴ David Wieland previously co-founded IrishAngels in 2012, a Notre Dame-affiliated angel group deploying over $10mm annually into early-stage companies, where he served as Chairman until 2019.⁴ The firm has managed closed funds including Motivate Ventures Fund II (closed Dec 2023) and has two funds in market as of 2025, with a focus on pre-seed and seed investments across the US.⁵

Notable Products

Motivate Ventures Fund II - Closed fund from Dec 2023 focused on pre-seed and seed-stage investments.
Motivate OF I - Fund in market since Aug 2025 targeting early-stage opportunities.

Reputation

Motivate is perceived as a hands-on, founder-friendly VC firm emphasizing collaboration and operational support over passive investing, drawing from partners' entrepreneurial experience.¹³ Professionals note its unique dual strategy of direct startup investments and backing emerging VC funds, strengthening the early-stage ecosystem.¹ It maintains a small team with a reputation for integrity, fairness, and transparency.⁴

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