Investors Circle community investors most often make investments using proven structures, such as traditional equity financing. We also learn and help pioneer newer models that can allow more people to participate and/or regenerative approaches that can return greater benefits to stakeholders. Promising newer model examples include: structures that allow groups of investors to invest together with lower minimums, support for community development financial institutions (CDFIs), revenue-based financing, collaboration with donor-advised funds (DAFs), and philanthropic investing. 

Most of our IC community investor investments are in U.S.-based start-ups, with early-stage valuations. Some of our community members also invest globally and in larger, later-stage businesses, or serve on boards of companies supported by Investors Circle.

Investors Circle accepts applications on a rolling basis. We work with:

• For-profit ventures solving social, community and/or environmental issues including addressing gaps in renewable, regenerative and/or green markets

• Applicants present how they plan to make change, who they impact, the depth / scale of difference, and metrics to track

• Exceptional founding teams uniquely suited to make the enterprise successful, with a deep understanding of their market, their customers, and an achievable financial plan

• Entities raising between $500K to $5MM in equity or alternative deal structures such as debt or revenue based financing

• Enterprises with a reasonable exit liquidity plan for investors and other key stakeholders

• Visionary and driven entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply, including minority founders (including BIPOC, female, differently-abled and other minority group members) and military veteran founding teams

We ask all applicants to submit to us on Dealum. Creating a profile is free and also allows you to reach other angel groups and investors that use the Dealum platform.

If you are interested in applying to present to IC, but have questions?  Get in touch with Don Megrath and our team by emailing us at: info[at]investors-circle[dot]org (note: use symbols for the bracketed words).

The Investors Circle (IC) Student Impact Program (SIP) is a national learning program, with IC in collaboration with partner Universities, IC integrates participating university students in IC’s real-world impact investing ecosystem.  For students and their University groups, this builds on their other educational work as they develop investor-grade judgement and discipline as emerging investors. Working with IC’s network of angels and other professional investors and entrepreneurs, participants support sourcing, analyzing, and conducting due diligence of active impact investment opportunities – directly shaping which investment prospects advance to capital commitment. The SIP supplements University programs and/or student-run fund work preparing students to make informed impactful capital commitment decisions and engage in the impact investing ecosystem.

The SIP is an emerging program of IC, which we are rolling out on a pilot basis in 2026.  We have a growing Advisory Committee, including several prominent Universities, which has been meeting on a regular basis for a few months.  If you would like to join the SIP Advisory Committee, please do so at this link.

WHO THIS IS FOR: Colleges and universities seeking a high-value experiential learning model aligned with academic, co-curricular, and mission-driven goals.

WHY PARTNER WITH INVESTORS CIRCLE:

• Institutional Alignment: Associate with a nationally respected impact investing network advancing a just, equitable, and sustainable economy.

•  Governance-Safe Experiential Learning: Provide students with real-world investment experience within a structured framework that preserves institutional oversight and clearly separates analysis from investment authority.

•  Optional Co-Investment Pathway: Access structured opportunities to co-invest with established angel networks and peer institutions, at the institution’s discretion.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

• Experiential Learning & Academic Value Applied Impact Investing Model: A framework that complements existing coursework and student investment funds while lowering the barrier to launching new impact investment programs.

•  Faculty Engagement: Faculty Advisors actively shape and supervise student learning within a professionally grounded investment context.

•  Career-Relevant Preparation: Students develop investor-grade skills applicable to finance, consulting, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and public-interest careers.

•  Network & Institutional Visibility Selective Convenings: Invitations to curated in-person gatherings, site visits, and briefings that connect institutions to the national impact investing ecosystem.

•  Strategic Partnerships: Access to service providers, sponsors, and platforms that support institutional objectives and student engagement.

•  Network & Institutional Visibility National Representation: Opportunities for institutional visibility within Investors Circle’s national network and at select industry convenings.

•  Deal Flow & Investment Engagement Dealum Platform Access: Institutional access and training on the industry- standard platform for sourcing, screening, and managing opportunities. 

•  Structured Student Diligence: A governed process for student participation in screening and diligence, with a clear separation between analytical contribution and investment decision-making.

•  Collaborative Investment Network: Opportunities to engage with peer institutions, Investors Circle members, and partner angel groups around shared deal flow.

REQUIREMENTS

• Annual Membership (per institution):  $2,000 (12-month term).

• Leadership:  One Faculty Advisor and one Student Liaison per University.

• Capital:  Optional co-investment at institutional discretion.

Think this might be a good fit for your University or College?  Get in touch with Babbie Jacobs and our team by emailing us at: info[at]investors-circle[dot]org (note: use symbols for the bracketed words).