SMART & ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING FUND (SAM FUND)
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About the SAM Fund
The Smart & Advanced Manufacturing Focus Fund (SAM Fund) will provide investment, entrepreneurial support resources, and thought leadership to manufacturers and manufacturing entrepreneurs seeking to grow new ideas within the manufacturing industry. With initial investments from $100,000 to $500,000, the SAM Fund can lead or co-invest in larger financing rounds, which are designed to bring more robust support to help startups with product/market fit, product development, generate sustained early revenue and attract larger investments, while also stimulating local job growth and creating a return to the investment.
As a sector-specific fund, SAM co-invests with individual or institutional investors (and in the case of corporate spin-offs, the sponsoring corporate entity), but not with Elevate Ventures’ other funds in a single round. The fund plans to invest $3 million each year.
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Investment Criteria
- Team: Strong team with complementary skills or prior startup venture experience, demonstrated coachability, and commitment to high-growth ventures.
- Market: Addressable market size at, or reasonably projected to grow to, over $500 million; clear and sustainable competitive advantages such as technical superiority, speed of execution, partnerships, etc.; and a business and revenue model that is realistic, repeatable, and scalable.
- Product: Well-articulated and accepted value proposition, demonstrated technical scalability, and product development roadmap based on customer feedback. While no technology invention is required, application of technology is usually desired as part of product or solution offering.
- Customer: Identified target customers and decision-makers with desirable attributes based on sales cycle, stickiness and upsell potential, through either direct or indirect sales approaches, with revenue-generating companies demonstrating compelling customer references.
- Return: Reasonable market-driven investment terms with a capital structure appropriate for institutional investment with no significant business or financial liabilities and value-added strategic or financial co-investment partners strongly preferred.
Want to learn more about the SAM Fund? Click the infographic on the right for more details.
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Investment Sectors
AI/Machine
Learning
Data Analytics &
Big Data
Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality
Additive (3D) Manufacturing Equipment/Process
Industrial IoT Sensors/Programs/Wireless Infrastructure
Robotics &
Machine Vision -
How To Engage
Companies eligible for the SAM Fund are Indiana-headquartered, rooted in manufacturing with principles in the areas of the “Big Four”:
safety, quality, productivity and cost. Special consideration for ideas with independent, local supply chains.If you’re ready to apply, visit elevateventures.com/apply, under “Topic”, choose “Direct Investment”, or contact Mark Gramelspacher, Executive Director of the SAM Fund.
