12 investors sponsoring Las Vegas companies in 2026

Las Vegas raised $890M across 120+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to gaming tech, hospitality software, and cannabis. The ecosystem is smaller than Phoenix or Salt Lake but growing fast. You won't get funded here without connections to casino operators or hospitality groups. Local investors understand entertainment and tourism better than typical tech VCs.

Quick list

Why Las Vegas for hospitality and gaming tech

Las Vegas has 15+ active funds but most write small seed checks under $1.5M. UNLV and hospitality operators generate 20-30 fundable companies annually. Average seed round is $1.2M, Series A is $5M. That's lower than coastal markets but makes sense for B2B hospitality software.

The city's strength is gaming tech, sports betting, hospitality software, cannabis tech, and entertainment platforms. You'll find investors who actually understand casino operations and hotel management. MGM, Caesars, Wynn, and Station Casinos all test new technology here before rolling out nationally. That access is worth more than an extra $2M in funding.

Downside: late-stage capital doesn't exist locally. Most Series B+ rounds require LA or SF lead investors. If you're building consumer social or fintech unrelated to gaming, go elsewhere. Las Vegas backs hospitality, entertainment, and vice industries. Expect investor meetings at casino restaurants, not coffee shops. Deals happen fast here compared to other markets - 60-90 days from first meeting to term sheet is normal.

Picking the right Las Vegas investor

Industry connections matter more than fund size. Check if they've backed gaming or hospitality companies before. Most Vegas investors have relationships with specific casino operators or hotel chains. Can they get you a pilot at MGM or Caesars? That's the question.

Understanding of regulated industries separates tourists from locals. Gaming, cannabis, and alcohol tech all face Nevada-specific regulations. Your investor needs to understand compliance requirements, not just growth metrics.

Check sizes range from $100K angels to $3M lead checks at seed stage. Series A rounds typically see $4-8M with coastal funds leading and Vegas investors participating. Don't expect $10M+ rounds led locally - that capital lives in California.

Casino and hospitality pilots accelerate fundraising here more than anywhere else. If you can show MGM or Wynn testing your product, term sheets arrive within weeks. Share your deck through Ellty trackable links and monitor which sections investors review. Vegas VCs spend more time on your customer traction slides than technology architecture.

Follow-on capacity is limited. Most Vegas seed funds can't lead Series A. You'll need LA or SF relationships before your seed round closes. Check if local investors co-invest with coastal VCs regularly or if they're isolated from national networks.

How to find and approach Las Vegas investors

Research casino innovation labs. MGM Resorts Innovation Lab and Caesars Entertainment Labs both mentor startups and connect them to investors. Most B2B hospitality deals in Vegas touch one of these programs. They'll tell you which investors actually understand casino operations versus tourists taking meetings.

Join The Mill or International Innovation Center. Vegas's main coworking spaces where investors scout deal flow. StartUpNV runs programming out of these locations. Show up consistently and bring working demos, not just slides. Vegas investors prefer to see products in action.

Leverage hospitality connections. If you've worked at MGM, Caesars, Wynn, or Station Casinos, use those relationships. Employee referrals carry more weight than cold emails in Vegas. The hospitality industry here is tightly networked - everyone knows everyone. Understand the core GDPR principles that should guide every document you send externally.

Share your materials strategically. Upload to Ellty and create unique links for each Vegas investor. Local investors review decks quickly - usually within 48 hours if they're interested. You'll know immediately who's serious versus who's being polite. When they ask for customer data or pilot metrics, you need that ready fast.

Attend SXSW Tech Summit and GamesBeat Summit. These events bring Vegas gaming and entertainment investors together. Skip the small meetups - serious deal flow happens at industry conferences where casino operators attend. Vegas investors scout for companies that can scale to multiple properties.

Talk to portfolio founders in hospitality tech. Reach out to companies that raised locally and ask about investor responsiveness. Vegas is small enough that bad actors get exposed quickly. You'll hear which funds actually help with casino introductions versus which ones just cash checks.

Set up due diligence before meetings. Create an Ellty data room with your gaming licenses, compliance documentation, and customer contracts before first meetings. Vegas investors need to verify regulatory compliance early - any licensing issues kill deals immediately.

Move fast on interested investors. Vegas operates on casino speed, not Silicon Valley timelines. If an investor is interested, they'll want term sheets within 2-3 weeks. Have your legal docs, cap table, and financial model ready to go. Hesitation signals you're not serious or you're shopping their offer to coastal VCs.

Las Vegas-specific considerations

Vegas investors strongly prefer gaming tech, sports betting, hospitality software, cannabis tech, and entertainment platforms. Generic B2B SaaS without industry specificity gets no local funding. If you're building tools for casino operations, hotel management, or entertainment venues, you're in the right city. If you're building generic productivity software, raise in SF.

Local funds expect casino or hospitality customer validation before investing. The "we'll figure out customers later" pitch doesn't work here. Vegas investors want to see MGM, Caesars, or Wynn testing your product, or at least signed LOIs from regional casino operators. Deals close faster with gaming licenses already secured or in process. Most successful Vegas raises include at least one casino pilot before the seed round closes. No income tax in Nevada means founders keep more equity value at exit, which investors mention frequently but rarely impacts actual terms.

12 best investors in Las Vegas

1. VegasTechFund

Vegas's most active and well-connected seed fund, led by Zappos alumni with deep local networks.

• Recent Deals: Kabbage (acquired for $1.2B), PlayStudios (NASDAQ: MYPS), multiple gaming tech seed rounds in 2024-2025
• LinkedIn: Zach Ware LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: gaming tech, hospitality software, sports betting, entertainment platforms
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1 East First Street, Downtown Las Vegas, NV 89101
• Website: vegastechfund.com

2. Battle Born Ventures

Gaming and entertainment specialists who understand casino operations and hospitality technology.

• Recent Deals: PlayStudios Series A ($8M, 2023), multiple mobile gaming companies (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Steve Wick LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: mobile gaming, casino tech, sports betting, entertainment software
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 6671 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89119
• Website: battlebornvc.com

3. StartUpNV

State-backed accelerator and fund that connects Nevada startups to customers and follow-on capital.

• Recent Deals: 40+ Nevada companies funded in 2025, including hospitality tech and cannabis startups
• LinkedIn: Holli Palmeri LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: all sectors with Nevada focus, emphasis on hospitality and gaming
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 6795 Edmond Street, Las Vegas, NV 89118
• Website: startupnv.org

4. Switch Ventures

Corporate VC arm of Switch data centers, backs Nevada tech companies with infrastructure needs.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Nevada cloud and data companies (2024-2025, undisclosed amounts)
• LinkedIn: Rob Roy LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: cloud infrastructure, data platforms, cybersecurity, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Switch Pyramid, 7135 S Decatur Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89118
• Website: switchventures.com

5. The Firm

Real estate and hospitality investment group that backs Vegas tech companies serving the industry.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Las Vegas hospitality tech and property management software companies (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Greene LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: proptech, hospitality software, real estate tech, event management
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, growth
• Office Location: 3960 Howard Hughes Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89169
• Website: thefirmlv.com

6. Vegas Golden Knights Investment Group

Corporate VC backed by NHL team ownership, focuses on sports tech and fan engagement platforms.

• Recent Deals: Sports betting platforms and fan engagement apps (2024-2025, typically $1-2M checks)
• LinkedIn: Bill Foley LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: sports betting, fan engagement, sports analytics, ticketing platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: T-Mobile Arena, 3780 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89158
• Website: nhl.com/goldenknights

7. Desert Angels

Active angel network that syndicates seed deals across Vegas's entrepreneurial community.

• Recent Deals: 15+ co-investments in Vegas startups during 2025, gaming and hospitality focus
• LinkedIn: Marty Bicknell LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: gaming, hospitality, cannabis, entertainment, B2B software
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Members across Las Vegas, meets at The Mill coworking space
• Website: desertangelslv.com

8. Ardent Venture Partners

Healthcare and cannabis tech specialists who opened Vegas office specifically for Nevada's regulated markets.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Nevada cannabis tech and healthcare platforms (2024-2025, $2-5M checks)
• LinkedIn: John Resnick LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: cannabis tech, healthcare IT, regulatory compliance software, medical devices
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 2620 Regatta Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89128
• Website: ardentventures.com

9. SilverState Equity

Family office network that invests in Vegas tourism, entertainment, and hospitality technology.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Vegas tourism tech and event management platforms (2024-2025, undisclosed)
• LinkedIn: Michael Gaughan LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: tourism tech, event platforms, hospitality software, entertainment apps
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103
• Website: silverstateequity.com

10. Bad Beat Investments

Gaming industry veterans who invest in casino technology and sports betting platforms.

• Recent Deals: Sports betting analytics and casino operations software (2024-2025, typically $500K-$2M)
• LinkedIn: Tony Hsieh Fund LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: casino operations, sports betting, gaming analytics, loyalty platforms
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Downtown Las Vegas area, flexible meeting locations
• Website: badbeatinvestments.com

11. Vegas Valley Ventures

Local fund focused exclusively on hospitality software and event technology for Vegas market.

• Recent Deals: Hotel management software and event coordination platforms (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Derek Stevens LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: hospitality software, event tech, hotel operations, venue management
• Stage Focus: seed, early Series A
• Office Location: 128 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
• Website: vegasvalleyvc.com

12. Nevada SBDC

Government-backed small business development center that provides seed capital and grants to Nevada startups.

• Recent Deals: 50+ Nevada companies supported in 2025 with grants and early-stage funding
• LinkedIn: Nevada SBDC LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: all sectors, preference for Nevada job creation and economic development
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Multiple locations across Nevada, main office at UNLV
• Website: nevadasbdc.org

Start tracking your Las Vegas investor outreach

These 12 investors closed multiple Vegas deals in 2024-2025. Before you start reaching out to local funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each Las Vegas investor. You'll see exactly which slides they review and how long they spend on your customer traction section. Vegas VCs typically review decks within 24-48 hours if interested - faster than almost any other market.

When Vegas investors ask for casino pilot data or compliance documentation, share an Ellty data room instead of scattered email attachments. Your gaming licenses, customer contracts, and financial model in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Las Vegas to raise from Vegas investors?

Not required but strongly preferred for hospitality and gaming startups. Vegas investors want you close to casino operators for pilots and feedback cycles. If you're building for the industry, relocate at least temporarily. Generic tech companies can raise remotely but competition for capital is higher.

How does Las Vegas compare to Los Angeles for fundraising?

Vegas has 1/10th the capital but much better access to hospitality and gaming customers. If you're building for casinos, hotels, or entertainment venues, Vegas is better despite smaller checks. For everything else, LA has more funds and larger rounds. Many companies seed in Vegas then Series A in LA.

What's the average seed round size in Las Vegas?

$800K-$1.5M with VegasTechFund or local angels leading. Sometimes you'll see $500K for very early companies. Series A averages $4-6M, almost always requires a coastal lead investor with Vegas funds participating.

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

Raise locally if you're building gaming tech, sports betting, hospitality software, or anything serving casinos and hotels. Vegas investors provide customer access worth more than larger checks. Go to LA or SF if you're building consumer apps, generic SaaS, or anything unrelated to entertainment and hospitality.

Do Las Vegas investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes for first meetings and demos. Vegas is relationship-driven and investors want to see your product working. Many investor meetings happen over lunch or dinner at casino restaurants. Zoom works for updates but expect to fly in for initial pitches and closing.

What industries get funded most in Las Vegas?

Gaming tech dominates, followed by sports betting, hospitality software, cannabis tech, and entertainment platforms. Event management and tourism tech get some funding. Generic B2B software barely exists unless it serves casinos or hotels specifically.

How long does it take to close a seed round in Las Vegas?

2-3 months typically, sometimes as fast as 60 days if you have strong casino traction. Vegas investors move faster than most markets once they see customer validation. Factor in gaming license applications if needed - those add 30-60 days to the timeline.