Investor profile
Appalachian Investors Alliance
Angel syndicate
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Appalachian Investors Alliance (AIA) is a non-profit educational foundation working to revitalize the Appalachian region's economy by facilitating community-based, self-reinforcing economic and workforce development through entrepreneur readiness. AIA organizes accredited investors into regional angel and micro-venture funds capitalized between $1M and $3M, provides fund management and technical services (due diligence, deal structuring, valuation, closings, and portfolio curation), and delivers educational resources to demystify early-stage investing for both investors and founders. Investors in AIA's network seek Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies — including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, clean energy, robotics, software, and artificial intelligence — and AIA applies a disciplined, repeatable process for identifying, assessing, and closing investment-ready ventures at the seed and early stages across Appalachia and beyond.
Notable quotes
“The diligence performed by the Appalachian Investors Alliance is second to none in this industry. It gives investors comfort their investments are being smartly made and entrepreneurs the confidence that their business is structured properly to succeed. If a business passes muster with the Alliance, it can pass muster anywhere.”
“The Appalachian Investors Alliance has the non-profit mission of bringing together impact-oriented angel investors in small- and mid-sized communities throughout Appalachia. We provide the technical knowledge and support necessary to help investors put their capital to work funding startups and local small businesses. Think of AIA as an 'umbrella organization' facilitating a network of 14 funds from Mississippi to southern New York.”
“WVJIT has had the opportunity to work with AIA over the past several years. Their expertise and knowledge of the funding opportunities in the region have been invaluable in growing access to capital to our current and potential portfolio companies. With a similar investment strategy, they are able to work with a best fit solution.”
Team
Steve Mercil
Founder & Fund Organizer
Jim Hart
Chairman & Chief Operating Officer
Jeremy Turner
Fund Manager & Director of Education and Outreach
Erik Bergvin
Fund Manager & Analyst
Mike I. Green
AIA Secretary & Chairman, West Virginia Growth Investment Fund
Gene Bressler
AIA Director & Chair, Upper Cumberland Investment Alliance
Recent investments
| Company | Round | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkis Biosciences | Seed/Angel | — | — |
| Gilson Snow | Seed/Angel | — | 2021-03-01 |
| Lobaki | Seed/Angel | — | 2020-08-01 |
| Conservation Labs | Seed/Angel | — | 2020-08-01 |
Frequent co-investors
| VC firm | Deals together |
|---|---|
| Mountain State Capital | 3 |
| Tri-State Angel Investment Group | 3 |
| Ben Franklin Technology Partners | 2 |
| West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust (WVJIT) | 2 |
| Keyhorse Capital | 1 |
| Pioneer Venture | 1 |
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