Investing in America’s wildest dreams at pre-seed and seed

Build what only you can see. We’ll back you.

We are a Pre-Seed and Seed stage venture fund, investing up to $500K in remarkable founding teams seeking to transform the economies of tomorrow.

Where others see risk, we see overlooked potential – in the underestimated, the underrepresented, and the unapologetically bold.

At South Loop, we invest in the transformational – not the trendy.

We back breakthrough innovation — wherever it exists.

We don’t believe world-changing startups follow formulas or confirm to buzz words.

We reject pattern-matching in favor of mold-breaking.

That’s why South Loop Ventures is intentionally generalist, investing across sectors, business models, and technologies — wherever vision and execution collide.

Here are a few of the sectors in which we have particular access, interest and expertise, given our location in Houston, TX.

Energy / Climatech

Innovation in renewable energy and the energy transition.

Healthtech

Blending technology and healthcare to reimagine and improve patient outcomes.

Spacetech

Commercializing the cosmos. Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and where it’s possible.

Sportstech

Technology revolutionizing sports entertainment, human performance, and fan engagement.

Fintech

Digital transformation driving financial empowerment and performance.

How we help

We help diverse founders founders turn instinct into market-shifting innovation. We partner closely with founders to sharpen their insights and equip them with the resources to turn bold ideas into category-defining companies.

South Loop Ventures has been an absolute joy to work with.
Zach is constantly connecting the dots, making valuable introductions, and sharing his deep network in private industry and government. He literally helped us close our next VC checks.
When needed, Zach rolls up his sleeves and dives into the trenches with you. And if you don’t need the help, he gets out of the way. Simple as that.

Ayoola John
Co-Founder & CEO @ Astronaut

Zach has had conviction in our vision since day 1 and brings the rare combination of belief and action. He's made critical introductions, offered thoughtful feedback, and consistently shows up as a partner. We feel deeply supported and are lucky to have Zach and SLV in our corner.

Navjeet Chhina
CEO @ Nucleus 4D

Among all the VC's we pitched to at the early stage, South Loop stood out for their ability to quickly understand and build conviction around our business. They have been fantastic partners whose deep connections and expertise have added tremendous value on our journey.

Pedro R. Silva
Co-founder @ Milkify

CircNova is Incredibly grateful to have South Loop Ventures and Zach Ellis as early believers and champions of CircNova. Their leading check provided the vital fuel we needed to build traction, accelerate progress, and establish a foundation for sustainable growth. Beyond capital, Zach’s hands-on support and strategic coaching have been instrumental—particularly in Crystal’s evolution from founder to CEO. His guidance has helped shape not just the company, but the leader at its helm. We couldn’t ask for a more aligned and empowering partner.

Crystal Brown
CEO & Co-Founder @ CircNova
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We work with world-class partners to offer unparalleled resources and guidance.

South Loop manages relationships with some of the world’s most well-known and respected institutions. They work with our companies to offer customer introductions, technology validation and unparalleled mentorship. In partnership with leading organizations, we provide exceptional resources and support.

South Loop leverages its strong relationships with renowned and trusted institutions to benefit our portfolio companies. Through these connections, we offer client introductions, technological verification, and top-tier mentorship.

We. See. You.

Learn more about our fund, explore our portfolio, follow our journey, or connect with us directly. We’re building with intention—and we welcome partners who see what we see.