Pre-Seed Investment

Pre-Seed Investment

Supports early Connecticut technology firms through matched pre-seed investment that requires private co-investment.

Connecticut Innovations' Pre-Seed Investment programme provides up to $150,000 in equity capital to very early-stage technology companies based in or willing to relocate to Connecticut. The instrument is equity — not a grant — with Connecticut Innovations taking a stake in exchange for the investment. A minimum 50% private co-investment match from outside sources is required before CI funding can be received, meaning teams must secure at least $75,000 in parallel private capital to access the full $150,000.

Eligibility criteria are specific: the company must be in operation for fewer than seven years; non-recurring revenue from non-grant sources must be below $2 million; at least 50% of employees must be based in Connecticut; and the company must be registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State prior to receiving funds. Target sectors are bioscience, information technology, clean tech, photonics, and advanced materials. Affiliates or subsidiaries of larger companies, or those under common ownership with larger enterprises, are not eligible.

Applications are submitted via CI's online pitch deck form on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines. The programme is administered by Tamyra Cote (tamyra.cote@ctinnovations.com) and the broader CI investments team. Given the co-investment requirement and sector focus, companies that have already secured a committed lead investor, meet the Connecticut presence threshold, and operate in one of CI's five core technology verticals are best positioned for acceptance. The pre-seed investment is designed as an entry point into CI's broader portfolio ecosystem.