12 investors bankrolling Jacksonville companies in 2026

Jacksonville's raised $580M across 85+ deals in 2025. That's small compared to Miami or Tampa, but the ecosystem's growing steadily around fintech, logistics tech, and healthcare IT. Most capital comes from Florida funds with Jacksonville offices or national VCs scouting the I-4 corridor. You won't find 50 seed funds here like Austin, but the investors who are active actually know the local market.

Quick list

Why Jacksonville works for some founders

Jacksonville's ecosystem centers on three sectors: logistics tech (thanks to the port), healthcare IT (Mayo Clinic, Baptist Health), and financial services (Fidelity, Deutsche Bank operations). The city saw $580M invested in 2025, up from $420M in 2024. Average seed round here is $1.8M, lower than Tampa's $2.4M but easier to close, especially for teams operating like lean nonprofits.

The advantage is clear: lower burn rates and access to Fortune 500 customers. Fidelity, CSX, and Crowley Maritime all have major operations here. If you're building B2B software for logistics or financial services, you can get pilot deals without moving to New York. The disadvantage is equally clear - Jacksonville has maybe 8-10 active seed investors, and most Series A capital comes from Tampa, Miami, or out of state. Local founders often secure early traction faster when they protect key materials using password-protection.

Most Jacksonville VCs prefer profitable businesses over hypergrowth stories. They'll fund $200K MRR companies all day but won't touch pre-revenue consumer apps. The pace is slower than Miami, faster than most of the Southeast.

Picking the right Jacksonville investor

Local presence matters here more than Tampa or Miami. Jacksonville investors can intro you to Mayo Clinic, CSX, or Crowley decision-makers - those relationships take years to build and won't happen from a Zoom call. Check their portfolio companies first. If they've backed Jacksonville startups before, they understand the market. If every portfolio company is in SF or Boston, they probably won't get your local customer acquisition strategy.

Check sizes run $500K-$3M for seed, $5-12M for Series A. That's lower than coastal markets but matches the local burn rate reality. A $2M seed round lasts 18-24 months here versus 12 months in SF.

Local network is the real value - Vytal Ventures and Black Coral can open doors at Baptist Health or Bank of America's Jacksonville operations that take outsiders months to access.

Communication matters when most follow-on capital comes from out of state. Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links to Tampa and Atlanta investors. You'll see which sections they actually read versus what they claim in meetings.

Follow-on capacity is limited - only Vytal and Black Coral consistently write Series B checks. Plan to raise your Series A from Tampa Bay Wave network or go to Atlanta/Miami for growth rounds.

How to approach Jacksonville investors

Research local deals by checking One Spark and Florida Venture Forum archives. Past deal announcements tell you which funds actually close versus which just take meetings. Vytal Ventures and Black Coral led 60% of Jacksonville's $5M+ rounds in 2025.

Leverage local ecosystem through JAXUSA Partnership and CoWork Jax. Most Jacksonville investors meet founders at these events before taking formal pitches. The community is small enough that one bad impression spreads fast.

Build relationships first - Jacksonville investors want 2-3 meetings before term sheets. That's longer than Miami but faster than traditional Southeast markets. They'll check with your customers and other founders before deciding.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links. Jacksonville investors typically respond within a week if interested, radio silence means no. You'll see exactly which slides they review and can adjust your narrative.

Attend local events like One Spark, Florida Venture Forum's Northeast chapter meetings, and JAXUSA Partnership quarterly gatherings. Real intros happen at the receptions, not the panels. Skip the pitch competitions - Jacksonville investors rarely write checks from demo days.

Connect with portfolio founders at CoWork Jax or through Vytal's founder network. They'll tell you which funds actually respond and which ghost after initial meetings. Most are honest about timeline and process.

Organize due diligence materials in an Ellty data room before meetings. Jacksonville investors move fast once they decide - having your financial model, customer contracts, and cap table ready matters. They expect clean books and realistic projections.

Understand local pace - deals take 90-120 days from first meeting to close. That's slower than Miami (60 days) but faster than Atlanta (6+ months). Jacksonville investors want to see customer traction and unit economics before committing.

Jacksonville-specific considerations

Jacksonville investors strongly prefer B2B over consumer. Logistics tech, healthcare IT, and fintech get funded easily. Consumer apps almost never get local capital. They want to see a path to profitability within 24 months and expect you'll have Fortune 500 customers or pilots. The port and military presence mean maritime tech and defense-adjacent startups get attention.

Timeline expectations are regional - investors here won't fund you planning to move to SF or Miami after raising. They want you building in Jacksonville long-term. Competition is lower than other Florida cities, but so is available capital. Most Series A rounds require bringing in Tampa or Atlanta lead investors.

12 top investors in Jacksonville

1. Vytal Ventures

Jacksonville's most active VC, they actually understand the local ecosystem and can intro you to Mayo Clinic or CSX.

• Recent Deals: Paycor $100M Series D (2024), FIS partnership deals in Jacksonville fintech (2025), local healthcare IT seed rounds
• LinkedIn: Shawn O'Connor
• Sector Focus: fintech, healthcare IT, logistics tech, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Jacksonville, FL
• Website: vytalventures.com

2. Black Coral Capital

They focus on profitable Southeast companies and won't waste time if you're pre-revenue.

• Recent Deals: Availity $50M growth round (2024), Jacksonville healthcare payment platforms, B2B SaaS follow-ons
• LinkedIn: David Miller
• Sector Focus: healthcare IT, fintech, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth
• Office Location: Jacksonville, FL
• Website: blackcoralcap.com

3. Florida Funders

Statewide but scouts Jacksonville actively, they prefer technical founding teams over MBA-types.

• Recent Deals: RedLens $2M seed (2025), Jacksonville cybersecurity startups, statewide fintech rounds
• LinkedIn: Jake Kouns
• Sector Focus: cybersecurity, fintech, deep tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Multiple Florida cities including Jacksonville
• Website: floridafunders.com

4. Builders VC

They back logistics and supply chain tech, good fit for Jacksonville's port ecosystem.

• Recent Deals: Blue Swell Maritime $8M Series A (2025), port logistics platforms, supply chain software
• LinkedIn: Nicole Bitler
• Sector Focus: logistics tech, supply chain, maritime tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Jacksonville, FL
• Website: buildersvc.com

5. Southeast Ventures

Local fund that moves slowly but writes $3-5M checks when they commit.

• Recent Deals: DealMachine $3.5M seed (2025), Jacksonville real estate tech, local B2B SaaS
• LinkedIn: Rick Martinez
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, real estate tech, fintech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Jacksonville, FL
• Website: southeastventures.com

6. Cultivation Capital

St. Louis-based but co-invests in Jacksonville fintech rounds, they're analytical and data-driven.

• Recent Deals: Jacksonville fintech seed rounds (2024-2025), Midwest B2B SaaS, financial services software
• LinkedIn: Cliff Holekamp
• Sector Focus: fintech, B2B SaaS, healthcare IT
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: St. Louis, MO (active in Jacksonville)
• Website: cultivationcapital.com

7. Tampa Bay Wave

Tampa-based accelerator that scouts Jacksonville for logistics and supply chain startups.

• Recent Deals: 3 Jacksonville logistics portfolio companies (2024-2025), Florida supply chain tech, Southeast B2B SaaS
• LinkedIn: Linda Olson
• Sector Focus: logistics tech, supply chain, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Tampa, FL (scouts Jacksonville)
• Website: tampabaywave.org

8. Synapse Florida

Statewide network that connects Jacksonville founders to follow-on investors in Tampa and Miami.

• Recent Deals: Facilitated $15M+ in Jacksonville follow-on rounds (2025), statewide ecosystem connections
• LinkedIn: Susan Amat
• Sector Focus: all sectors, ecosystem building
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A connections
• Office Location: Statewide Florida presence
• Website: synapseflorida.com

9. Riverside Ventures

Local family office that backs profitable B2B companies, expect them to move slowly.

• Recent Deals: Jacksonville B2B SaaS seed rounds (2024-2025), local profitable startups, $500K-$2M checks
• LinkedIn: [Contact through website]
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, professional services software
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Jacksonville, FL
• Website: Contact through local network

10. Cox Enterprises

Strategic investor with Jacksonville logistics presence, they want strategic fit not just financial returns.

• Recent Deals: Maritime tech investments (2024-2025), logistics software, automotive tech
• LinkedIn: Alex Taylor
• Sector Focus: logistics tech, maritime tech, automotive
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, strategic
• Office Location: Atlanta, GA (Jacksonville operations)
• Website: coxenterprises.com

11. Arsenal Venture Partners

Baton Rouge-based growth equity fund that covers Jacksonville, they only fund profitable companies.

• Recent Deals: Southeast growth rounds (2024-2025), profitable B2B companies, $10-30M checks
• LinkedIn: Patrick Quinlan
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, healthcare IT, business services
• Stage Focus: Series B, growth, buyout
• Office Location: Baton Rouge, LA (covers Jacksonville)
• Website: arsenalvp.com

12. Social Leverage

Charleston-based seed fund active in Jacksonville workforce and supply chain tech.

• Recent Deals: Workforce tech seed rounds (2025), supply chain software, Southeast B2B SaaS
• LinkedIn: Rob Horlick
• Sector Focus: workforce tech, supply chain, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Charleston, SC (active in Jacksonville)
• Website: socialleverage.com

Start tracking your Jacksonville investor outreach

These 12 investors closed Jacksonville deals in 2024-2025. Before you start reaching out to local funds, set up proper tracking. Jacksonville's ecosystem is small and word spreads fast about founders who spam or waste time.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Jacksonville investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. Jacksonville investors typically skip market size slides but focus heavily on customer traction and unit economics.

When investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, customer contracts, and Jacksonville incorporation docs in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

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

Not technically, but it helps significantly. Local investors want you building here long-term and leveraging the port, Mayo Clinic, or financial services customers. Remote founders struggle to get meetings.

How does Jacksonville compare to Miami or Tampa for fundraising?

Jacksonville has less capital available but also less competition. Miami sees 10x the deal volume but 20x the pitches. Tampa has more seed funds. Jacksonville works if you're building B2B for logistics, healthcare, or fintech.

What's the average seed round size in Jacksonville?

$1.8M for seed, $5-8M for Series A. That's lower than Tampa or Miami but matches local burn rates. Most founders raise seed locally then go to Tampa or Atlanta for Series A.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF or Miami?

Raise seed in Jacksonville if you're building for local customers. The Fortune 500 connections matter early. Plan to bring in Tampa or Atlanta investors for Series A - Jacksonville doesn't have enough follow-on capital.

Do Jacksonville investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, at least 2-3 times before term sheets. The ecosystem is relationship-driven. Pure Zoom deals are rare unless you already have strong local connections or customer traction.

What industries get funded most in Jacksonville?

Logistics tech, healthcare IT, and fintech dominate. Maritime tech gets attention because of the port. Consumer apps almost never get funded locally. B2B SaaS works if you have clear enterprise customers.