by Victor Robinson
Over the past few years at Innovate Mississippi, I’ve seen firsthand how early-stage investing drives our state’s entrepreneurial growth. Mississippi has the talent and ambition, but even the best ideas struggle without funding.
Mississippi’s investment landscape includes individual angel investors, angel funds like the Mississippi Angel Fund, angel networks like the Bulldog Angel Network, and institutional sources. There are also programs such as the Mississippi Seed Fund and InvestMS that have helped so many founders in Mississippi.
Before joining Innovate Mississippi, I commonly only thought about investing in real estate and the stock market. It has been eye-opening to see how angel investing offers an accessible way to make an impact and generate returns. Mississippi’s angel investors are business owners, professionals, and leaders from all walks of life. Many don’t have finance backgrounds but recognize the opportunity to support innovation in their communities.
The Mississippi Seed Fund, initially $4 million, has supported 80+ startups and stretched to nearly $5M over 25 years, offering early-stage startups a stamp of approval through small $10-25k awards and access to later-stage funding of up to $100k. Today, funding is nearly depleted, and we can only offer the $10-25k awards, creating a bottleneck for early-stage startups looking to get through their riskier customer development stages before raising capital from angels. In the past, Seed Fund awards of up to $100K helped companies test ideas before raising capital. We need the legislature to reinvest $5M to keep fueling growth.
Innovate Mississippi launched InvestMS Direct to invest alongside angels and other investors, streamlining funding opportunities and offering later-stage funding. The program has syndicated 11 deals over the last 12 months. The River Region is emerging as a key area for investment, with promising startups gaining attention from investors.
Beyond funding, engagement through mentoring founders and expanding your network at events like the Accelerate conference and CONNECT is crucial. These events bring together investors and entrepreneurs, fostering relationships that help businesses scale.
Mississippi has all the ingredients for a thriving startup ecosystem, but we must invest in it. Replenishing the Seed Fund and expanding angel investment will help turn innovative ideas into successful startups. If you’ve ever considered angel investing, now is the time to get involved and be part of Mississippi’s next big success story!
Interested in angel investing? Get started here.
