Lauren DeLuca

Lauren DeLuca is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Motivate Venture Capital, a Chicago-based firm specializing in Pre-Seed and Seed stage investments. She co-founded Motivate VC to address the critical need for early-stage capital and strategic support for nascent startups, particularly emphasizing a founder-friendly approach. DeLuca's leadership is informed by her own entrepreneurial journey, having previously co-founded Fathom, a healthcare technology company that was successfully acquired.

Motivate Venture Capital's investment strategy focuses on identifying and backing promising companies across diverse sectors, including B2B SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and consumer technology. The firm typically provides initial checks ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000, aiming to be the first institutional capital for high-potential ventures. While based in Chicago, Motivate VC has a broad investment scope, supporting founders not only in the Midwest but also across the United States.

The firm has demonstrated significant growth and commitment to the early-stage ecosystem since its inception. Motivate VC successfully closed its inaugural fund, Fund I, at $12 million in 2021, and followed this achievement by closing Fund II at $20 million in 2023. This rapid capital deployment underscores their dedication to empowering entrepreneurs. DeLuca and her team are known for their hands-on approach, offering operational guidance and network access to help portfolio companies scale effectively.