OCA Ventures

OCA Ventures, based in Chicago, is an early-stage venture capital firm that has been investing since 1999. The firm primarily targets technology, financial services, education, and healthcare technology sectors. Their investment strategy focuses on Seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with typical initial investments ranging from $1 to $4 million. They often lead the rounds in which they participate. Notable companies in their portfolio include SpotHero, a parking app; Base CRM, a cloud-based customer relationship management software; Pangea, an online money transfer service; and Cleversafe, a cloud-based data storage system. Other significant investments include dv01, LogicGate, and Placer.ai. OCA Ventures is also known for its OCA EDGE program, which invests $50,000 to $200,000 in seed rounds of about $1.5 million or less. This program is designed to support early-stage startups with potential for dramatic growth. The firm has a strong track record of successful exits, including the sale of Cleversafe to IBM and the IPO of Marqeta. Led by CEO Jim Dugan and co-founders John Dugan and Peter Ianello, OCA Ventures leverages a robust network of strategic relationships to support their portfolio companies and drive their growth.