12 active investors endorsing Hawaii companies in 2026

Hawaii raised $180M across 35 deals in 2025. Most capital went to sustainability tech, ocean tech, and tourism tech. The ecosystem is small but focused on impact. You won't raise here without understanding island economics and sustainability angles.

Quick list

Why Hawaii for fundraising is complicated

Hawaii has fewer than 15 active venture funds. Total ecosystem funding is about 3% of Austin's. Average seed round is $1.2M, well below mainland averages.

The advantages are real but narrow. Hawaii investors understand ocean tech, sustainability, and tourism tech better than anyone. You'll get meetings faster than SF. The trade-off is limited capital and almost zero late-stage funding. Anything past Series A means flying to the mainland.

Hawaii works if you're solving island-specific problems with global applications. Ocean conservation, renewable energy, sustainable food - these get funded. Generic SaaS won't. Expect investors to ask how your solution helps Hawaii first, scales globally second.

Picking the right Hawaii investor matters more here

Local presence: Physical presence matters in Hawaii more than most markets. Investors who don't visit regularly don't understand the unique constraints. Island logistics, shipping costs, and talent limitations affect every business model. Most deals happen through in-person relationships built at local events.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed Hawaii companies before and whether those companies survived. Many mainland funds invested once, didn't understand the market, and never returned. Look for repeat investors in Hawaiian startups. They know what works here.

Check sizes: Hawaii seed rounds run $500K-$2M. Series A is $2M-$5M, rare above that. If you need $10M+, you're raising from the mainland with maybe one Hawaii co-investor. Blue Startups writes $50K-$150K checks. Elemental Excelerator goes up to $1M for climate tech. Set expectations accordingly.

Local network: Hawaii investors can connect you to Hawaiian Electric, major resorts, and sustainability-focused corporations. That network matters for pilots and early revenue. Sultan Ventures and Hawaiian Ventures have strong local corporate connections. Prevent viewers from grabbing screenshots of your confidential slides or financials with one extra layer of security.

Communication: Share your deck with Ellty trackable links before meetings. Hawaii investors are less formal than SF but still want to review materials beforehand. You'll see if they actually open your deck or just agreed to meet as a favor.

Follow-on capacity: Almost no Hawaii funds have money for Series B. Plan your cap table knowing you'll need mainland investors next round. Some Hawaii VCs get territorial about introductions. Ask upfront about their mainland relationships.

How to find and approach Hawaii investors takes local knowledge

Research local deals: Check Pacific Business News and Hawaii Business Magazine for funding announcements. Most Hawaii deals don't get national press. Talk to founders at Blue Startups demo days. They'll tell you which investors actually close. Stay compliant with data processing agreements while still sharing documents efficiently.

Leverage local ecosystem: Join Mana Up if you're consumer products. Apply to Blue Startups or Hatch programs. These aren't just accelerators - they're how you meet every investor in Hawaii. XLR8UH at University of Hawaii connects to research-focused investors. Skip these and you're an outsider.

Build relationships first: Hawaii operates on island time and relationships. You need 5-6 meetings before a term sheet, sometimes over several months. Investors here don't respond to cold emails. Get introduced through portfolio founders or accelerator directors.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create separate links for each investor. Hawaii VCs often share decks with mainland co-investors without asking. Track who's actually viewing it. You'll know if your deck made it to a partner meeting or died with an associate.

Attend local events: First Friday at Hatch Coworking is where deals start. Blue Startups hosts quarterly demo nights. Sustainable Business Forum attracts impact investors. These aren't optional - Hawaii's ecosystem is too small to raise remotely. Every investor attends the same 3-4 events.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders from Blue Startups, Mana Up, and Elemental Excelerator cohorts. Ask specific questions about investor response times and follow-through. Hawaii founders are unusually helpful because the community is tight.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first institutional meetings. Include your Hawaii incorporation docs, any local partnerships, and pilot data from island customers. Hawaii investors move slower than mainland but want everything organized upfront.

Understand local pace: Deals close in 4-6 months in Hawaii versus 2-3 months on the mainland. Investors take longer because they're often consulting with mainland co-investors. Don't interpret slow responses as disinterest. Follow up every 2-3 weeks. That's normal here.

Hawaii-specific considerations change your strategy

Hawaii investors heavily favor companies solving local problems with global potential. Ocean tech, climate resilience, sustainable tourism, and local food production get disproportionate attention. They've seen too many mainland founders pitch generic solutions that ignore Hawaii's unique constraints.

Timelines run longer because key decision-makers often split time between islands and the mainland. Expect investors to involve mainland partners for anything above $2M. Competition for capital is lower than SF, but the total pool is tiny. One or two bad quarters and you're known across the entire ecosystem.

Island economics affect every valuation discussion. Higher costs, smaller talent pool, and shipping logistics mean your burn rate looks different. Investors here understand that. If you're paying SF salaries in Honolulu, they'll question your judgment.

12 best investors in Hawaii

1. Blue Startups

They've run Hawaii's most active accelerator since 2012 and invest in every cohort.

• Recent Deals: Malama Mushrooms ($2.1M, 2025), Island Plastic Bags alternative ($1.5M, 2024), Pacific Biodiesel expansion ($800K, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Chenoa Farnsworth
• Sector Focus: sustainability, ocean tech, tourism tech, local food
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 307 Kamani Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
• Website: bluestartups.com

2. Elemental Excelerator

They write the biggest checks in Hawaii for climate and infrastructure tech.

• Recent Deals: Ocean Era aquaculture ($1.8M, 2025), Shifted Energy grid management ($3M, 2024), Hana Hou Energy storage ($2.5M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Dawn Lippert
• Sector Focus: climate tech, clean energy, water, circular economy
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 810 Richards Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
• Website: elementalexcelerator.com

3. Sultan Ventures

Local family office that's backed several successful Hawaii health and tech companies.

• Recent Deals: SimpliFed telehealth (seed, 2024), Hawaii health tech expansion ($1.2M, 2025), local fintech startup (undisclosed, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Scott Sultan
• Sector Focus: healthcare, fintech, enterprise SaaS
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Honolulu, HI
• Website: sultanventures.com

4. XSeed Capital

Bay Area micro-VC that's unusually active in Hawaii deals for their size.

• Recent Deals: Mobi parking app (Series A, 2023), ANAI tourism tech ($3M, 2024), Hawaii logistics software ($1.8M, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Patrick Chung
• Sector Focus: mobile, SaaS, marketplace
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Burlingame, CA (active in Hawaii)
• Website: xseedcap.com

5. Mana Up

They focus exclusively on Hawaii consumer products and write smaller checks.

• Recent Deals: Over 40 Hawaii CPG companies since 2017, typical investments $25K-$100K, recent cohort includes Local I'a seafood, Nakedhawaiilabel apparel
• LinkedIn: Meli James
• Sector Focus: consumer products, food and beverage, beauty, apparel
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Honolulu, HI
• Website: manaup.co

6. Tradewind Capital Group

Maui-based investors focused on sustainable agriculture and ocean tech.

• Recent Deals: Hawaii sustainable farming ventures ($2M aggregate, 2024-2025), ocean plastic cleanup tech ($1.5M, 2024), local food distribution ($900K, 2025)
• LinkedIn: Tom Schnell
• Sector Focus: sustainable agriculture, ocean tech, clean energy
• Stage Focus: seed, early growth
• Office Location: Maui, HI
• Website: tradewindcapital.com

7. Hawaiian Ventures

One of Hawaii's oldest VC firms, connected to every major corporation in the islands.

• Recent Deals: Pacifico Energy ($4.5M Series A, 2025), Hawaii software company ($2M, 2024), local healthtech ($1.8M, 2024)
• LinkedIn: Bill Spencer
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, clean energy, healthcare
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Honolulu, HI
• Website: hvp.com

8. Blue Planet Foundation

Non-profit investor focused exclusively on Hawaii clean energy transition.

• Recent Deals: Shifted Energy ($3M, 2024), multiple renewable energy projects across islands, energy storage pilots
• LinkedIn: Jeff Mikulina
• Sector Focus: renewable energy, energy storage, grid technology
• Stage Focus: seed, pilot programs
• Office Location: Honolulu, HI
• Website: blueplanetfoundation.org

9. Insight Partners

NYC growth equity firm that's backed several Hawaii tech companies at scale.

• Recent Deals: Hobnob event platform ($8M Series A, 2021, Honolulu-based before acquisition), monitoring Hawaii portfolio companies
• LinkedIn: Deven Parekh
• Sector Focus: SaaS, consumer internet, fintech
• Stage Focus: Series A, growth
• Office Location: New York, NY (invests in Hawaii)
• Website: insightpartners.com

10. Mucker Capital

LA-based seed fund that's invested in multiple Hawaii tech companies.

• Recent Deals: Sensei Ag controlled environment agriculture ($40M Series B, 2021), Hawaii food tech startups
• LinkedIn: Will Hsu
• Sector Focus: food tech, agriculture, consumer
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles, CA (active in Hawaii)
• Website: muckercapital.com

11. Hatch Coworking

Runs small accelerator programs and makes angel investments in Hawaii startups.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Hawaii pre-seed companies ($25K-$75K range, 2024-2025), focus on B2B software and local solutions
• LinkedIn: Jason Higa
• Sector Focus: software, local services, B2B
• Stage Focus: pre-seed
• Office Location: 307 Kamani Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
• Website: hatch.is

12. 808 Ventures

New micro-fund launched in 2024 specifically for Hawaii pre-seed companies.

• Recent Deals: 6 Hawaii startups in 2025 ($100K-$250K each), focus on software and local marketplaces
• LinkedIn: Bobby Bedi
• Sector Focus: software, marketplaces, local services
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Honolulu, HI
• Website: 808.vc

Start tracking your Hawaii investor outreach

These 12 investors closed Hawaii deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to island funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Hawaii investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your sustainability model or local partnership slides. Hawaii-based founders often find investors skip the market size section but focus heavily on your understanding of island constraints and local impact.

When Hawaii investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your financial model, local partnership agreements, and pilot data in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know if mainland co-investors are actually reviewing your materials or if the deal stalled.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Hawaii to raise from Hawaii investors?

Not required but it helps significantly. Hawaii investors prefer founders who understand island economics firsthand. If you're mainland-based, show strong Hawaii connections, local pilots, or island-specific expertise. Remote founders rarely get funded unless solving obvious Hawaii problems.

How does Hawaii compare to San Francisco for fundraising?

Hawaii has maybe 2% of SF's venture capital and almost zero late-stage funding. Deals take longer and checks are smaller. The advantage is less competition and investors who deeply understand sustainability and ocean tech. Raise in Hawaii if you're solving island problems with global potential, not if you need $20M+ in venture funding.

What's the average seed round size in Hawaii?

$500K-$1.5M for true seed rounds. Pre-seed is typically $100K-$500K. Series A ranges $2M-$5M. Anything above $5M almost always requires mainland lead investors. Blue Startups and similar programs write $50K-$150K checks. Plan your fundraising in stages.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF?

Raise locally first if you're pre-revenue or early traction. Hawaii investors move faster for small checks and understand local validation. Once you hit $1M+ ARR or need $3M+, start talking to mainland funds. Most successful Hawaii startups use local angels and small funds for seed, then raise Series A from the West Coast.

Do Hawaii investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes. Hawaii is relationship-driven and the ecosystem is too small for remote fundraising. Plan to spend 2-4 weeks in Honolulu meeting investors, attending events, and building connections. Video calls work for updates but not for initial fundraising. Budget for travel.

What industries get funded most in Hawaii?

Sustainability tech, ocean tech, clean energy, tourism tech, and local food production dominate. Health tech and B2B SaaS get some funding if there's a Hawaii angle. Consumer internet and generic mobile apps struggle unless they solve island-specific problems. Climate and impact always help.