Velveteen Ventures: A Breakthrough Native American-Led Venture Fund
When people search for Native American-led venture fund news, they often want to know how inclusive the startup ecosystem truly is—and whether underrepresented communities are finally gaining a seat at the investment table. Betsy Fore’s Velveteen Ventures is the answer many have been waiting for. Launched in 2025, Velveteen Ventures isn’t just another early-stage fund; it’s one of the very few led by a Native American woman in the United States. The fund aims to invest between $500,000 and $4 million in high-potential seed and Series A startups, primarily across healthcare, climate, consumer, and community sectors. Rooted in the Midwest, this new venture is more than a financial vehicle—it’s a symbol of systemic change in the venture capital world.
Image Credits:Betsy Fore
Why Velveteen Ventures Matters for Native American Representation
Velveteen Ventures stands out because of who is leading it and why. Founder Betsy Fore has long been a trailblazer in entrepreneurship. As the co-founder of Tiny Organics—where she became the first Native American woman to raise a Series A—and the creator of Wondermento, she’s proven her business acumen and vision. But Fore’s latest move into venture capital isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s a cultural one. In an industry notoriously dominated by a narrow demographic, Velveteen Ventures is flipping the script by offering support where there’s historically been a void. According to previous reports, the number of Native American founders who receive venture funding is so low, it's often statistically negligible. By launching this fund, Fore is doing more than investing—she’s actively reshaping what inclusive investing looks like in 2025.
Backing Purpose-Driven Startups in Underserved Regions
Velveteen Ventures is betting on the overlooked and underestimated—not just in terms of founder background, but geography, too. While many VC firms cluster around Silicon Valley or coastal hubs, this Native American-led venture fund is rooted in the Midwest. That’s intentional. Fore believes that high-return opportunities lie in heartland innovation, particularly when it comes to industries that create meaningful social and environmental impact. The fund’s focus on healthcare, climate solutions, and consumer and community innovation reflects a deeper investment philosophy: one that blends ROI with social return. Velveteen aims to support 15–20 startups through this inaugural fund, nurturing early-stage companies that align with these values.
Beyond Capital: Mentorship and Community for Native Founders
Funding is one thing. Access, mentorship, and sustained support are another. Fore understands this deeply—she’s spent years offering pro bono mentorship to Native American founders through a nonprofit she helped lead. That same mission carries over into Velveteen Ventures. As she puts it, being on the “other side of the table” enables her to uplift multiple founders, instead of just building one company at a time. It’s a multiplier effect. And the early traction shows promise: Velveteen secured institutional backers from the start, signaling strong belief in both the vision and the economic viability of Midwestern startups led by diverse teams. Fore’s fund isn’t just about changing portfolios—it’s about changing pipelines and power dynamics within the startup landscape.
Velveteen Ventures represents a rare and long-overdue shift in the venture capital space. As a Native American-led venture fund, it doesn’t just check boxes on diversity—it raises the bar for what inclusive, regionally distributed investing should look like in 2025 and beyond. Betsy Fore’s unique blend of entrepreneurial experience, cultural perspective, and investment focus makes Velveteen Ventures a fund to watch—for investors, founders, and advocates of a more equitable startup future.
Post a Comment