Innovate Mississippi is thrilled to share that Corridor Ventures, a New Orleans-based venture capital fund, is expanding into Mississippi with help from the InvestMS program. Co-founder and managing partner Kwamena “Kwam” Aidoo is leading the effort to bring more early-stage capital to promising Mississippi startups. The new partnership is part of the InvestMS strategy to strengthen the state’s innovation ecosystem by connecting local founders with serious investors who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of building companies in the Southeast.
Aidoo first connected with Mississippi’s startup landscape through Innovate Mississippi’s Lindsey Benefield and later deepened that relationship by participating in the 2024 Accelerate Conference. Aidoo, a Columbia graduate and Penn MBA, has years of investment banking and management experience in New York, Boston and elswhere. In 2022, he co-founded Corridor Ventures with Kelli Saulny to serve capital needs in Louisiana, along the Gulf Coast and throughout the Southeast.
“It’s been a fun journey of learning more about the Mississippi ecosystem,” Aidoo says. “And now we’re thrilled to be deploying capital to early-stage founders here.”
Corridor Ventures is building a fund focused exclusively on the Southeast; InvestMS is part of their initial $3.5 million close, which includes a $1.5 million SSBCI investment. As part of its fund strategy, Corridor is looking to invest up to $3 million in Mississippi-based companies.
The fund targets startups at the pre-seed and seed stages, aiming to solve what Aidoo calls the Southeast’s “capital access issue.” While support for entrepreneurs in the form of incubators and accelerators has grown across the region, capital remains elusive—particularly in the early stages. This scarcity has historically led talented founders to leave states like Mississippi and Louisiana searching for capital elsewhere. Corridor Ventures hopes to flip that script.
“We want the talent to stay here and build here,” Aidoo says. “And when those companies [sell for a profit], we want those returns to benefit this community.”
Corridor Ventures brings more than money to the table. Their “capital plus” approach includes strategic advising, expert mentorship, and access to deep networks. Aidoo and Saulny each bring over a decade of experience across venture capital, private equity, operations, and finance. Their team has worked with founders on everything from supply chain to finance and post-acquisition integration. And they’re committed to connecting founders with the right fractional executives and mentors, even if they haven’t yet received investment. “We don’t gatekeep our network,” Aidoo says. “If we can make a valuable connection, we will.”
Importantly, Corridor is looking for local founders solving global problems. That includes sectors like healthcare, future of work, climate tech, and AI, especially where Mississippi and the broader Southeast have unique insight or need. Aidoo believes diverse founders from outside traditional venture hubs often bring the perspective and scrappiness needed to build capital-efficient, high-growth companies.
“Groupthink kills innovation,” he says. “When you limit investment to just a few elite schools and cities, you’re missing out on so much genius.”
Mississippi founders ready to connect can reach Corridor Ventures at corridorvc.com, through LinkedIn or in person at this year’s Accelerate conference on November 11 & 12. Aidoo says the fund also welcomes interest from potential new investors who believe in the promise of Southern innovation. “We’re building a Southeast-wide fund with Southeast participation,” he says. “We’d love to have more Mississippians in the mix.”
Innovate Mississippi is proud to help bridge those connections—and even prouder to welcome Corridor Ventures to the state’s growing innovation ecosystem.
