- Updated: April 2, 2026
- 2 min read
Gateway Capital Closes $25 Million Fund II, Boosting Milwaukee’s Venture Ecosystem
–:–:–:– The first StrictlyVC of 2026 lands in San Francisco on April 30. Tickets are limited. Register here. Save up to $680 on your Disrupt 2026 pass. Ends 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. REGISTER NOW.Close In Brief Posted: 12:45 PM PDT · April 2, 2026 Image Credits:Dana Guthrie Dominic-Madori Davis Gateway Capital announces first close of $25M Fund II Gateway Capital Partners, the venture firm founded by Dana Guthrie, announced the first close for its $25 million target Fund II earlier this week, the Milwaukee-based firm told TechCrunch. Gateway Capital declined to share the exact amount of the first close. The first close means Fund II can begin its investment operations.Guthrie said the firm began raising its Fund II in the middle of last year. Fund II’s average check size will be between $500,000 and $600,000. It will be industry-agnostic, she said, though it will have “a bias toward Midwest industries that are ripe for disruption,” such as supply chain and logistics, and manufacturing AI. Guthrie said she hopes to back at least 20 companies from this fund. Gateway Capital, launched in 2020, last raised a $13 million Fund I in 2020.Topics In Brief, Midwest, Startups, Venture April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice.Related Venture Toyota’s Woven Capital appoints new CIO and COO in push for finding the ‘future of mobility’ Dominic-Madori Davis 2 days ago Latest in Venture In Brief Gateway Capital announces first close of $25M Fund II Dominic-Madori Davis 3 hours ago Startups Diverse teams start with diverse VCs, with Leah Solivan, Taskrabbit Maggie Nye Isabelle Johannessen 10 hours ago In Brief Startup funding shatters all records in Q1 Marina Temkin 1 day ago
Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.