The Investment Collective was designed to provide financing to early stage companies from a coordinated group of experienced executives. We are not a venture capital or angel fund – we operate like a rolling syndicate of engaged investors.
Importantly, each of our investors, called Members, joined The Investment Collective to actively help our portfolio companies succeed. Our goal is to invest more than money. In some cases, this may mean Members will provide guidance within their areas of expertise or make connections within their vast networks. In other cases, our Members may help solve significant problems or capture major opportunities at the behest of our portfolio CEOs.
The Investment Collective is interested in funding seed stage businesses run by great entrepreneurs who have developed products and services that target specific markets . Our initial investments will focus on companies that compete in the transportation & next generation automotive, smart cities, healthcare delivery and information delivery verticals.
While geography is substantially less important than product and market, we expect that the majority of our investments will be in companies located outside of California and New York. Those two states account for over 65% of funding for early stage companies. There are many good reasons why this occurs, but we believe that successful companies can start anywhere.
About Jim Kimbel
Jim Kimbel is the CEO and Principal of The Investment Collective, a role that includes managing the relationships with each startup in which the group invests. Jim has extensive experience in managing company finances, closing investment deals, and leading startups.
Jim started his career with General Motors where he quickly rose through management positions within the company, including running GM’s Revenue Management group (big data analytics) and serving as the CFO for an $800 million business unit. Before leaving GM in 2010, he spent a year working with the U.S. Treasury Department to restructure GM through bankruptcy and sell off non-core assets like Saab and Nexteer Automotive.
Jim began working for his first startup, Fisker Automotive, in 2010 as Director of Manufacturing Finance & Business Development. He helped the company to launch its first vehicle, manage operations, and create public and private partnerships.
After leaving Fisker in 2012, Jim founded Acumen Consulting Group to focus on providing finance and general business advice to companies that were rapidly scaling operations, including many startups. While with Acumen, Jim served as:
- The Interim President for a consumer goods startup, signing their first Fortune 500 client;
- The Interim CEO of a transportation startup, signing their first sales contracts and building the leadership team;
- Project leader for the acquisition of two business units to be carved out of a bankrupt former Fortune 500 company.
During his career, Jim has closed over $7.5 billion in M&A, licensing, divestiture and financing deals. He also served as the Vice President of Finance for Xerox in 2015. Jim has a BBA degree in Finance from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI and a Master of Finance degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.