For the second year running, Groove Capital brought together a group of 25 remarkable women through the Minnesota Women's Investment Collective, an initiative built to educate, empower, and put real capital to work in early-stage Minnesota startups. Once again, the cohort sharpened their angel investing skills and came out the other side having backed four start-ups they believe in.
The Learning Process
Like last year, the collective kicked things off by learning the fundamentals of angel investing and grounding the group in a shared investment thesis: We invest in companies positively benefiting society, led by founders with authentic connections to their solutions.
From there, members built their due diligence muscle, working through process, risk, deal terms, and investor rights, before putting that knowledge into practice with Groove's investment team, screening a slate of local start-ups across industries. The group narrowed the list down to four founders to hear pitch live and in-person, and we were able to hear first hand the origins of their products, their journey, and how they got to the point where they are now.
The Investments
After building out their portfolios and weighing the pitches, the collective chose to invest in two standout companies through pre-committed SPVs: AcQumen Medical and NXgenPort. And a fun twist, there was enough additional interest in the room that the group garnered extra capital to also invest in Octin Health and H+H Medical.
AcQumen Medical is developing a non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring system for pediatric and neonatal patients, giving clinicians a safer, faster way to track the health of the youngest and most vulnerable patients.
Founder Dori Jones, based in Minneapolis, brought the collective into her mission to improve outcomes for infants and their families. Reflecting on the experience, Dori shared:
"That was one of my favorite pitches, rare to pitch to a room of women, and I truly enjoyed it."
NXgenPort is building remote patient monitoring technology that integrates directly into chemo-port catheters, giving care teams real-time visibility into patients undergoing treatment.
Founder Cathy Skinner, based in St. Paul, pitched a solution aimed at reducing complications and easing the burden on patients managing cancer long-term care.
Octin Health is developing a new surgical approach to aortic arch surgery, aiming to reduce the risks tied to today's standard technique which hasn't seen a major update since the 1950s. Their device is designed to give surgeons a safer way to treat aortic aneurysms and dissections, a condition that's remarkably deadly but still under-recognized by the public.
Founder Dr. Meghana Helder, a practicing cardiovascular surgeon, built the company out of firsthand experience with just how high-stakes this corner of cardiac surgery really is
Founder Hilal Ibrahim is bringing dignity and comfort to healthcare by reimagining essential medical apparel. Through products like patient gowns, scrubs, and medical-grade hijabs, she is transforming the patient experience with thoughtful, patient-centered designs that enhance dignity, improve accessibility, and streamline clinical workflows across healthcare systems.
Together, the collective's investment commitments across the four companies totaled $199,000.
Recap
Once again, the Minnesota Women's Investment Collective proved to be more than an education program, it's a launchpad for women to build real investing experience while backing founders solving problems that matter. Founders who pitched to the group came away impressed, too. As one shared:
"I was so impressed with the quality of the women and the intentionality of the program content. The women were engaged, and their questions were purposeful."
Interested In Joining?
If you weren't able to join the collective this year but want to be first in line for future cohorts, fill out this form to stay in the loop.
Thank You Partners
