Investing in Mississippi’s early-stage startups and venture funds.
InvestMS provides equity investments to Mississippi-based funds and venture capital funds providing early-stage equity capital for Mississippi-based startups.
Rolling Applications Now Open!
Total Funds for Fund Match Investments
Allowable Service Fee Paid to Funds for their Services To Portfolio Companies
InvestMS provides equity investments to Mississippi-based funds and venture capital funds providing early-stage equity capital for Mississippi-based startups.
Join our Mississippi Angel Investor Network to learn about investment opportunities and ecosystem invites. We can also connect you to our regional angel groups who invest in a range of opportunities from pre-seed to Series A investments, making it a great way to diversify portfolios and start angel investing.
A venture capital fund is a fund that meets the SEC’s definition of a venture capital fund, as shown here. Other types of funds will not be considered for investment at this time.
InvestMS is seeking to partner with early-stage venture capital funds that are aligned with our mission to expand access to capital for Mississippi-based startups.
We are targeting an InvestMS LP investment of $1M–$5M per fund, with a 1:1 private capital match required. At the time of application, we expect at least 50% of the matching capital to be secured, with a clear plan to complete the full match and close within 90 days. Applications with higher match readiness may be prioritized.
Funds must target investing 100% of InvestMS capital—and the corresponding match—into Mississippi-based companies that meet SSBCI eligibility requirements. We are open to participating as a minority LP in a larger fund; however, InvestMS capital may only be used for investments that fully comply with U.S. Treasury SSBCI guidelines, regardless of the fund’s broader strategy.
We prioritize funds that are based in Mississippi, have previously invested in the state, or show a strong commitment to contributing to founder development and ecosystem growth here. Sidecar fund structures may be considered if they meet Treasury guidelines.
If selected, funds will be required to comply with all SSBCI rules, including Treasury’s conflict-of-interest standards, reporting requirements, and other documentation.
As permitted by U.S. Treasury, funds may request service fees on a quarterly basis, up to a cumulative cap of 17.1% over the life of the fund, based on their InvestMS capital commitment. These fees must support direct services to SSBCI-backed portfolio companies, be disclosed in fund agreements, reported to MDA, and certified by the companies receiving them.
InvestMS adheres to the SSBCI 2.0 program guidelines set by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which do not allow the investment of SSBCI capital into portfolio companies where there is an existing financial interest. Therefore, the capital commitment made by InvestMS into newly formed funds can only be used to invest in new companies and not in any existing portfolio companies.
Review our full FAQ page before submitting an investment application.
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Are you a fund interested in investing in startups based in Mississippi? Let’s connect.
InvestMS reserves the right to amend or modify InvestMS’ SSBCI program or the information provided in this description at any time. Eligibility for the InvestMS SSBCI program is not a guarantee of funding. Any provision of funds under the InvestMS SSBCI program is contingent upon receipt of SSBCI funds by InvestMS and the availability of funds for investment. The InvestMS SSBCI program will conform with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and rules. Additional information about the SSBCI program can be found here.
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