11 venture capital investors promoting New Hampshire companies in 2026

New Hampshire raised $289M across 41 deals in 2025. Most capital went to software, medtech, and manufacturing tech. The ecosystem is small but scrappy - you're competing with Boston startups for attention, which means you need stronger fundamentals to get funded. Manchester and Portsmouth have the most activity. Nashua gets spillover from Massachusetts investors.

Quick list

Why New Hampshire works for bootstrapped founders

New Hampshire has 5-7 active institutional investors and another 12+ angel groups. Average seed round is $500K-$1M. Series A rounds typically hit $2-4M. That's 30% smaller than Boston but your costs are 40% lower. No state income tax helps with recruiting talent too.

The ecosystem favors B2B software, medtech, and advanced manufacturing. Portsmouth has the strongest startup scene with spillover from Boston investors. Manchester is rebuilding its tech community after losing some anchor companies. Nashua gets attention from Massachusetts funds looking for better valuations.

You're close enough to Boston that most investors will drive up for meetings. That's an advantage - you get Boston capital without Boston burn rates. The downside is you're competing against Boston startups for those same investors. Your metrics need to be stronger to win.

Picking the right New Hampshire investor for your startup

Local presence: Physical location matters less here than in Iowa or Nebraska. Many New Hampshire startups get funded by Boston investors who don't mind the drive. Portsmouth and Nashua are easier sells than Berlin or Lebanon for Massachusetts funds.

Portfolio companies: Look for investors with 3+ New Hampshire portfolio companies. Many Boston VCs have one New Hampshire deal but don't actively source here. Check if those portfolio companies are still operating or quietly shut down.

Check sizes: Seed rounds are $400K-$1M. Series A is $2-5M. Above $8M you're raising from Boston funds exclusively. New Hampshire angels typically write $25K-$100K checks. Expect to syndicate 4-6 local investors for a full seed round.

Boston connections: Most successful New Hampshire founders eventually bring in Boston lead investors. Ask New Hampshire funds about their Massachusetts relationships. Those co-investment patterns repeat across multiple deals.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. New Hampshire investors respond faster than Midwest funds but slower than Boston VCs. You'll see which partners actually reviewed your deck versus which ones are just being polite.

Follow-on capacity: Almost no New Hampshire funds can lead your Series B. You'll need Boston investors by then. Ask upfront about their reserve strategy and which Boston funds they regularly co-invest with.

How to find and approach New Hampshire investors effectively

Research local deals: Check Business NH Magazine and the Union Leader business section. Every significant New Hampshire deal gets covered. Note which Boston funds co-invest with New Hampshire investors - those patterns repeat.

Leverage local ecosystem: Start with Alpha Loft in Manchester or the Portsmouth Angel Network. They know every active investor in the state. University of New Hampshire's InterOperability Lab connects hardware companies to funding.

Build relationships first: New Hampshire investors are more accessible than Boston VCs but still prefer warm intros. Get connected through portfolio founders or the local accelerator directors. Plan on 1-2 coffee meetings before formal pitches. Protect your deck and stop worrying about your pitch deck ending up in the wrong hands or circulating beyond your intended audience.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create unique links for each investor. New Hampshire investors take 2-3 weeks for initial decisions. You'll see which slides they study - most focus heavily on team background and customer traction over market size projections.

Attend local events: TechOut Manchester brings together local investors monthly. Portsmouth Business Meetup is where deals actually start. Skip most university pitch competitions unless you're a student founder. Boston VC events are worth attending too since many fund New Hampshire companies.

Connect with portfolio founders: Talk to founders at WeWork Manchester or the Portsmouth coworking spaces. They'll tell you which investors actually close deals versus which ones string founders along with endless diligence requests. Avoid common pitfalls that could land you in hot water, especially when sharing documents across borders.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before meetings. New Hampshire investors move methodically but not slowly. Have your financials, customer references, and key contracts ready. Boston investors expect this level of organization as table stakes.

Understand local pace: Expect 6-10 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. New Hampshire funds move faster than pure Midwest investors but slower than Boston VCs. Many local investors have quarterly investment committee meetings, not weekly ones like coastal funds.

New Hampshire-specific considerations for raising capital

New Hampshire investors prefer capital-efficient business models. If you need $20M to reach breakeven, you're raising from Boston funds exclusively. Most local investors want to see profitability within 24-30 months. That's longer runway than Iowa but shorter than San Francisco expectations.

The state has no income tax, which helps with recruiting engineering talent from Massachusetts. Your burn rate will be 30-40% lower than Boston for similar team quality. Use that in your pitch - New Hampshire location is a feature, not a bug.

Competition is moderate. Maybe 35-40 companies per year raise institutional rounds in New Hampshire. If you're in Portsmouth or Nashua, Boston investors will consider you. If you're in northern New Hampshire, you'll struggle to get Boston meetings. Geography still matters.

11 top investors in New Hampshire

1. NH High Tech Council Ventures

They've backed multiple New Hampshire exits including Dyn and maintain the strongest local network.

• Recent Deals: Dyn (early rounds, acquired by Oracle for $600M), multiple Manchester software companies (2024-2025), medtech investments
• LinkedIn: Matt Cookson LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: software, medtech, advanced manufacturing, cleantech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
• Website: nhhightech.com

2. Safeguard Scientifics

Portsmouth office that focuses on healthcare and technology companies with strong revenue traction.

• Recent Deals: Preverity ($8M Series A, 2024), multiple New Hampshire medtech companies (2024-2025), healthcare IT investments
• LinkedIn: Eric Salzman LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: healthcare IT, medtech, enterprise software, biosciences
• Stage Focus: Series A, growth
• Office Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Website: safeguard.com

3. Granite State Angels

Most active angel group in New Hampshire with 45+ members and track record including Bottomline Technologies.

• Recent Deals: Bottomline Technologies (growth rounds), multiple Manchester startups (2024-2025), software and medtech seed rounds
• LinkedIn: Granite State Angels LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, medtech, manufacturing tech, cleantech
• Stage Focus: seed, angel
• Office Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
• Website: graniteangels.com

4. Great North Ventures

Portsmouth-based fund that backs manufacturing tech and hardware companies that Boston VCs ignore.

• Recent Deals: Turbocam (expansion financing, 2023), multiple New Hampshire advanced manufacturing companies (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Great North Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense tech, industrial IoT
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, growth
• Office Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Website: greatnorthvc.com

5. New Hampshire Community Loan Fund

Mission-driven lender that provides growth capital to New Hampshire companies banks won't fund yet.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Portsmouth software companies (2023-2025), manufacturing expansion loans, social enterprise investments
• LinkedIn: NH Community Loan Fund LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: sector agnostic, preference for job creation
• Stage Focus: seed, early growth
• Office Location: Concord, New Hampshire
• Website: nhcommunityloans.org

6. Seacoast Capital

Portsmouth fund that's backed 15+ New Hampshire companies since 2020 and actually closes deals.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Portsmouth tech companies (2024-2025), medtech seed rounds, B2B SaaS investments
• LinkedIn: Seacoast Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, medtech, maritime tech, cleantech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Website: seacoastcap.com

7. Portsmouth Angel Network

Active angel group that's funded Tidemark, SmartDrive, and multiple successful exits from New Hampshire.

• Recent Deals: Tidemark (early rounds), SmartDrive (seed), multiple Portsmouth software companies (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Portsmouth Angels LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: software, maritime tech, medtech, manufacturing
• Stage Focus: seed, angel
• Office Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Website: portsmouthangels.com

8. Alpha Loft

Manchester accelerator that's launched 40+ New Hampshire startups and connects them to investors statewide.

• Recent Deals: 40+ portfolio companies (2020-2025), connections to Boston VCs, local angel network intros
• LinkedIn: Alpha Loft LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: software, hardware, consumer products, services
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
• Website: alphaloft.org

9. Green Mountain Capital

Focuses on renewable energy and cleantech across New Hampshire and Vermont with strong industry connections.

• Recent Deals: Multiple New Hampshire cleantech companies (2023-2025), renewable energy projects, sustainable manufacturing investments
• LinkedIn: Green Mountain Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: cleantech, renewable energy, sustainable manufacturing, climate tech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, project finance
• Office Location: Lebanon, New Hampshire
• Website: greenmountaincap.com

10. Techstars Boston

Several New Hampshire companies go through their Boston program and get follow-on funding from local investors.

• Recent Deals: Multiple New Hampshire startups in cohorts (2023-2025), connections to Boston VCs, local follow-on rounds
• LinkedIn: Techstars Boston LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: software, hardware, marketplace, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Boston (serves New Hampshire founders)
• Website: techstars.com/accelerators/boston

11. New Hampshire Innovations Research Center

University of New Hampshire's commercialization arm that connects faculty research to investors and industry.

• Recent Deals: 25+ university spinouts (2022-2025), ag tech commercialization, materials science investments
• LinkedIn: UNH Innovation LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: university spinouts, materials science, ag tech, ocean sciences
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Durham, New Hampshire
• Website: unh.edu/research/innovation

Start tracking your New Hampshire investor outreach

These 11 investors closed New Hampshire deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Manchester, Portsmouth, or Boston funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each New Hampshire investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. New Hampshire-based founders often find investors focus heavily on team background and customer traction while spending less time on market size projections.

When New Hampshire investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your cap table, financial model, customer contracts, and references in one secure place with view analytics. Boston investors expect this level of organization as standard.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New Hampshire to raise from New Hampshire investors?

Not necessarily. New Hampshire funds invest in New Hampshire companies, but Boston investors fund New Hampshire startups regularly. If you're in Portsmouth or Nashua, you can pitch to both. Northern New Hampshire is harder.

How does New Hampshire compare to Boston for fundraising?

New Hampshire has way less capital but also less competition. Boston writes bigger checks and has more late-stage funds. Most successful New Hampshire startups bring in Boston lead investors by Series A. Use New Hampshire angels for seed, then graduate to Boston VCs.

What's the average seed round size in New Hampshire?

$500K-$1M. You might hit $1.5M with multiple angel groups plus a small fund. Anything above $2M typically requires a Boston co-investor or lead.

Should I raise locally or go straight to Boston?

If you're pre-revenue or under $30K MRR, raise from New Hampshire angels. Boston VCs won't take meetings yet. Once you're doing $50K+ MRR, you can pitch Boston funds for Series A while keeping local investors in the round.

Do New Hampshire investors expect in-person meetings?

Usually yes for first meetings and major milestones. They're more flexible than Midwest investors since many portfolio companies eventually move to Boston or have remote teams. Quarterly in-person updates are standard.

What industries get funded most in New Hampshire?

B2B software is number one. Medtech and healthcare IT is second. Advanced manufacturing and cleantech get attention. Consumer apps rarely get funded unless you've got strong revenue and Boston investor interest.

How long does fundraising take in New Hampshire?

6-10 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. Add 3-4 weeks for legal work. Plan on 3-4 months total if you're starting without warm intros. That's faster than pure Midwest markets but slower than Boston.