About
Great Lakes Angels has a complex operational history that requires clarification. Founded in 2002 as Michigan's original nonprofit angel investor group based in Bloomfield Hills, the original organization ceased operations on December 1, 2020. However, the Great Lakes Angels Fund was subsequently formed on August 1, 2018, and is managed by CitySide Ventures as a 2022 vintage early-stage venture capital fund based in Birmingham, Michigan. The fund focuses on early-stage companies across the Great Lakes region, with particular emphasis on the Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois). The investment strategy encompasses equity investments in early-stage startups, with the fund making capital commitments of up to $250,000 per deal for qualified companies. The fund considers both early-stage equity investments and later-stage debt, bridge, and mezzanine financings. Investment thesis centers on scalable technology companies across diverse industries including healthcare technology systems, information services, and business productivity software. The fund provides portfolio companies with comprehensive support beyond capital, including access to a full-stack development team, go-to-market management advisors, board-level guidance, business coaching and mentoring, and additional startup capital. David Weaver serves as Chairman of Great Lakes Angels and Partner/Chief Investment Officer at CitySide Ventures, bringing extensive experience in medical products and life-science business model development. Rick Galdi holds the President position. The organization operates with approximately 9 members and has completed 11 documented investments in companies including HeraWell Technologies, NeedAnything, Clixie AI, MagWerks Vision, and Electrocept. Founders and investors benefit from direct access to accredited investor networks and operational support infrastructure, while investors gain equity exposure to early-stage regional technology companies with hands-on management involvement opportunities.