18 VCs and angel groups endorsing New Jersey startups in 2026

New Jersey raised $3.1B across 280+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to life sciences and pharma tech, with enterprise software coming in second. The ecosystem is anchored by pharma giants and Princeton's research pipeline. You won't raise here without understanding the life sciences bias, even if you're not in biotech.

Quick list

Why New Jersey for fundraising

New Jersey has 30+ active funds but 60% focus on life sciences. Average seed round is $2.2M, lower than New York but with better lab space costs. Princeton creates a research pipeline that rivals Boston for biotech, but non-pharma founders struggle to get attention.

The state offers tax incentives through the NJEDA that actually matter. You can save $200K+ annually on qualified hires. Geographic split is real: Princeton handles pharma and deep tech, Newark focuses on fintech and enterprise software, Jersey City gets proptech overflow from Manhattan.

Most New Jersey investors expect you to stay in-state through Series A. After that, you'll probably need New York or Boston capital. The ecosystem lacks late-stage funds above $50M checks. Plan accordingly.

Picking the right New Jersey investor

Local presence matters more here than most states. New Jersey investors want monthly in-person updates, not Zoom calls. Princeton-based funds expect you near their offices. Newark funds care if you're hiring locally and contributing to the city's tech recovery.

Portfolio companies tell you everything. Check if they've backed non-pharma startups if you're not in life sciences. Most New Jersey funds have 70%+ pharma portfolios but claim they're sector-agnostic. Look at actual check distribution, not marketing language.

Check sizes range from $500K angel rounds through Jumpstart to $50M+ growth rounds from Edison Partners. Seed rounds average $2.2M but pharma seeds hit $5-8M. Enterprise software gets $1.5-3M. Fintech sits at $2-4M. These are 20-30% lower than comparable New York rounds.

Local network is the main reason to raise in New Jersey. Princeton investors connect you to pharma corporate dev teams at Merck, J&J, and Bristol Myers. Newark funds link you to Prudential and Audible for enterprise deals. These intros don't happen from SF-based funds.

Communication needs to be tighter than coastal markets. Upload your deck to Ellty and create trackable links for each New Jersey investor. You'll see exactly who reviews your financials versus your team slide. New Jersey investors spend 40% more time on unit economics than SF funds based on our data.

Follow-on capacity is limited. Only Edison Partners, Osage, and ARCH regularly lead Series B+ in New Jersey. Everyone else co-invests or taps out after Series A. If you're venture-scale, build New York relationships early. If you're aiming for acquisition by pharma or enterprise, New Jersey capital works through exit.

How to approach New Jersey investors

Research local deals through the NJEDA's quarterly reports and NJ Tech Council newsletters. These list every significant funding round with investor names. Crunchbase misses 30-40% of New Jersey seed deals because local angels don't always publicize. When sharing sensitive materials like forecasts or presentations, founders often rely on password-protected decks to retain control.

Leverage local ecosystem through NJ Tech Council membership ($500/year, worth it), Princeton Innovation Center programs if you're near campus, or Newark Venture Partners' community events. TechLaunch accelerator in Clifton connects you to 15+ investors in one program.

Build relationships first at monthly NJ Tech Meetup events and Princeton Entrepreneurship Club gatherings. New Jersey investors want 3-5 touchpoints before formal pitches. That's slower than New York but faster than Philadelphia. Most local funds won't take cold emails seriously.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each investor. New Jersey funds typically review decks within one week. If someone hasn't opened it in 10 days, they're not interested. The analytics tell you which pages investors reread, useful for follow-up conversations.

Attend local events like NJ Tech Council's yearly conference, TechLaunch Demo Days twice per year, and Propelify in Hoboken each fall. These three events account for 40%+ of New Jersey seed introductions. Skip the small networking mixers, focus on these. At the same time, it’s smart to stay mindful of data governance and core GDPR principles when distributing internal strategy documents.

Connect with portfolio founders by reaching out to recent New Jersey-based companies in your sector. Ask which funds actually helped beyond the check. Edison Partners and Osage get consistently good references. Some others write checks and disappear.

Organize due diligence materials before first meetings. Set up an Ellty data room with your Delaware C-Corp docs (don't incorporate in New Jersey), financial model, and any pharma partnership agreements if relevant. New Jersey investors move slower than New York but expect cleaner data rooms.

Understand local pace runs 6-8 weeks from first meeting to term sheet for seed rounds. Series A takes 10-14 weeks. That's 2x longer than San Francisco but similar to Boston. Budget accordingly and don't let one New Jersey process block you from talking to other investors.

New Jersey-specific considerations

New Jersey investors strongly prefer B2B over consumer. They've been burned by consumer plays trying to compete with New York on smaller budgets. If you're consumer-focused, raise in New York and just maintain New Jersey operations for the tax credits.

Pharma and life sciences founders get red carpet treatment. Everyone else fights for attention. Enterprise software works if you can show pharma or financial services customers. Fintech gets funded in Newark but needs Prudential or other local anchor customers on the roadmap.

Expect profitability discussions earlier than coastal markets. New Jersey funds want to see a path to breakeven within 24-36 months. The "grow fast, monetize later" approach doesn't work here. Come with unit economics that make sense.

18 top investors in New Jersey

1. Edison Partners

Princeton-based growth equity firm that's been the backbone of New Jersey's enterprise software scene for 35 years.

• Recent Deals: Alchemer $30M Series C (2025), Solink $35M Series B (2025), Diligent $2.5B acquisition (2024)
• LinkedIn: Chris Sugden
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, fintech, healthcare IT
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Website: edisonpartners.com

2. Osage Venture Partners

Princeton fund with deep life sciences expertise and pharma corporate connections throughout New Jersey.

• Recent Deals: Biomeme $8M Series B (2025), Emulate Bio $82M Series C (2024), Verge Genomics $98M Series C (2024)
• LinkedIn: Bob Lenz
• Sector Focus: Life sciences, diagnostics, medical devices
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Website: osagevc.com

3. ARCH Venture Partners

Major biotech investor with strong Princeton University connections and portfolio companies in New Jersey's pharma corridor.

• Recent Deals: Generate Biomedicines $273M Series C (2025), Valo Health $300M Series B (2024), Freenome $290M Series C (2024)
• LinkedIn: Robert Nelsen
• Sector Focus: Biotechnology, computational biology, drug discovery
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: New York (Princeton corridor operations)
• Website: archventure.com

4. NJ Tech Council Venture Fund

State-focused fund that actually deploys capital into early-stage New Jersey startups, not just talks about it.

• Recent Deals: Six Newark-based startups $2.4M total (2025), three Trenton-area companies $1.8M (2024)
• LinkedIn: Ryan Lashway
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, fintech, healthcare IT
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Newark, New Jersey
• Website: njtc.org

5. Dexterity Capital

Newark-based firm betting on the city's fintech and insurance tech revival with local hiring commitments.

• Recent Deals: Veratrak $4M seed (2025), Ascent $30M Series A (2024), Vestwell participation (2024)
• LinkedIn: Sarah Hodges
• Sector Focus: Fintech, insurance tech, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Newark, New Jersey
• Website: dexteritycapital.com

6. Village Global

West Coast fund with Princeton presence that backs technical founders from top universities.

• Recent Deals: Figure Technologies NJ expansion $12M (2025), multiple Princeton University spinouts at seed stage
• LinkedIn: Erik Torenberg
• Sector Focus: Enterprise infrastructure, fintech, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Seed
• Office Location: Princeton network (SF-based)
• Website: villageglobal.vc

7. Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network

Most active angel group in the state with 100+ members and surprisingly good follow-on discipline.

• Recent Deals: 15 New Jersey seed rounds $18M total (2025), consistent follow-on participation in Series A rounds
• LinkedIn: Mario Casabona
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, healthcare IT, cleantech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Pre-seed
• Office Location: Multiple New Jersey locations
• Website: jumpstartnj.com

8. Greycroft

New York fund with Hoboken operations that catches overflow from Manhattan's proptech scene.

• Recent Deals: Rhove $7.5M Series A Jersey City (2025), Fundera $20M Series B (2024), multiple NYC-NJ corridor deals
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Fintech, proptech, consumer internet
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: New York (Hoboken presence)
• Website: greycroft.com

9. Teamworthy Ventures

Princeton-based firm that leads rounds and actually helps with enterprise sales through their network.

• Recent Deals: Ontra $200M Series C (2025), Artera $25M Series B (2024), Solink $35M Series B (2025)
• LinkedIn: Judd Hollas
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, legal tech, B2B SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Website: teamworthy.vc

10. Serra Ventures

Life sciences specialist with laboratory space connections and pharma BD introductions throughout New Jersey.

• Recent Deals: Celentyx $6M Series A (2025), Mammoth Biosciences $195M Series D (2024), multiple NJ immunotherapy deals
• LinkedIn: Tim Albus
• Sector Focus: Immunotherapy, oncology, precision medicine
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Princeton network (multi-location)
• Website: serraventures.com

11. RiverPark Ventures

Short Hills fund with healthcare IT focus and strong connections to New Jersey's hospital systems.

• Recent Deals: Dendron $4.2M seed (2025), multiple New Jersey healthcare IT investments in patient engagement
• LinkedIn: Jim Doyle
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, patient engagement, medical billing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Short Hills, New Jersey
• Website: riverparkvc.com

12. Ascent Venture Partners

Multi-location fund with New Jersey offices that backs industrial automation and manufacturing tech.

• Recent Deals: Kinitics $5M Series A Princeton (2025), multiple automation deals in NJ manufacturing corridor
• LinkedIn: Scott Herren
• Sector Focus: Industrial automation, robotics, supply chain tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Multiple New Jersey locations
• Website: ascentvp.com

13. Newark Venture Partners

City-focused fund that requires portfolio companies to have presence in Newark and hire locally.

• Recent Deals: 12 Newark startups seed stage $14M total (2025), emphasis on local job creation metrics
• LinkedIn: Tom Wisniewski
• Sector Focus: Fintech, enterprise software, logistics tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Newark, New Jersey
• Website: newarkventurepatners.com

14. Overlook Investments

Summit-based fund that backs later-stage fintech with real revenue, not just growth metrics.

• Recent Deals: Vestwell $125M Series D (2025), participation in multiple New Jersey fintech growth rounds
• LinkedIn: Daniel P. O'Donnell
• Sector Focus: Fintech, wealth management, retirement tech
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Growth
• Office Location: Summit, New Jersey
• Website: overlookinvestments.com

15. Rho Capital Partners

Large fund with Princeton presence that backs late-stage biopharma with clear FDA pathways.

• Recent Deals: Insmed $350M follow-on (2025), multiple New Jersey biopharma growth rounds over $100M
• LinkedIn: Mark Leschly
• Sector Focus: Biopharma, rare disease, FDA-stage therapeutics
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Pre-IPO
• Office Location: New York (Princeton corridor operations)
• Website: rhocap.com

16. Gaingels

LGBTQ+ focused fund that's backed multiple New Jersey startups with diverse founding teams.

• Recent Deals: Three New Jersey companies $8M total (2025), strong track record of co-investment with local funds
• LinkedIn: Lorenzo Thione
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, consumer internet, healthcare
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Multiple locations (New Jersey presence)
• Website: gaingels.com

17. SoGal Ventures

Women-focused fund that's co-invested in New Jersey seed rounds with local angel networks.

• Recent Deals: Two New Jersey women-led startups seed stage (2025), participation in Newark Venture Partners deals
• LinkedIn: Pocket Sun
• Sector Focus: Healthcare, enterprise software, consumer
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Multiple locations (New Jersey network)
• Website: sogalventures.com

18. Princeton Alumni Angels

University-connected angel group that backs Princeton founders and research commercialization.

• Recent Deals: Eight Princeton-connected startups $3.2M total (2025), focus on university spinout technology
• LinkedIn: Princeton Alumni Angels Network
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, life sciences, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Website: Contact through Princeton Innovation Center

Start tracking your New Jersey investor outreach

These 18 investors closed New Jersey deals throughout 2025 and early 2026. Before you start reaching out to local funds, set up proper tracking so you know who's actually interested versus who's being polite.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each New Jersey investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials versus your team page. New Jersey-based founders report that local investors spend significantly more time on unit economics and customer acquisition costs than coastal VCs. That data helps you prepare for follow-up conversations.

When New Jersey investors ask for additional materials during diligence, share an Ellty data room instead of sending 15 different email attachments. Your cap table, financial model, Delaware incorporation docs, and any pharma partnership agreements in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know if they actually reviewed your model or just skimmed the executive summary.

Common questions

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

No, but it helps significantly. Most New Jersey funds prefer companies with physical presence in-state, especially for regular check-ins. If you're remote, expect to travel monthly for board meetings. Some funds like Newark Venture Partners explicitly require local operations and hiring.

How does New Jersey compare to New York for fundraising?

New Jersey offers 20-30% smaller check sizes but with more reasonable dilution expectations. You'll face less competition than New York but also less late-stage capital. Best approach: raise seed in New Jersey for the network and lower burn rate, then tap New York funds for Series A+ when you need larger checks and growth-stage expertise.

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

$2.2M for non-pharma startups, $5-8M for life sciences companies. Enterprise software typically raises $1.5-3M at seed. These are lower than New York ($3-4M average) but higher than Philadelphia ($1.5-2M). Factor in New Jersey's lower operating costs when comparing.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Raise locally if you're in life sciences, enterprise software selling to pharma/finance, or building a capital-efficient business. Go to SF/NYC if you're consumer internet, need $10M+ seed rounds, or planning aggressive land-grab strategy. New Jersey's strength is the pharma network and lower burn rates, not growth-at-all-costs funding.

Do New Jersey investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, especially for first meetings and monthly updates post-investment. Princeton and Short Hills investors want quarterly in-person board meetings minimum. Newark funds are slightly more flexible with video calls but still expect regular physical presence. Budget for monthly New Jersey trips if you're not based in-state.

What industries get funded most in New Jersey?

Life sciences and pharma tech account for 60%+ of New Jersey venture capital. Enterprise software is second at roughly 25%, especially if targeting pharmaceutical or financial services customers. Fintech works in Newark with around 10% of deals. Everything else fights for the remaining 5%. Don't pitch consumer internet here unless you have exceptional traction.

How long does it take to close a round in New Jersey?

Seed rounds average 6-8 weeks from first meeting to signed term sheet. Series A takes 10-14 weeks. That's roughly 2x longer than San Francisco but comparable to Boston. New Jersey investors move methodically and want multiple reference calls with customers. Plan your fundraising timeline accordingly and don't rely on quick closes.