ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Venture capital firms in St. Louis are gaining national notoriety for their work investing in startups, including those in the region’s science, geospatial and tech industries.
Three local firms recently made TIME’s 2026 list of America’s Top Venture Capital Firms—the only ones in Missouri to receive the honor:
- #190: Cultivation Capital (Score: 82.27)
- #310: SixThirty (Score: 79.75)
- #336: Lewis & Clark Ventures (Score: 79.31)
Greater St. Louis Inc. noted that the presence of three firms on this national ranking shows the region is transitioning from merely building an innovation ecosystem to developing a highly competitive capital network capable of supporting the next generation of high-growth companies.
Emily Hemingway, CEO of TechSTL—the region’s tech council—emphasized that local venture capital serves as the lifeblood for startups navigate rapid global transformations like artificial intelligence.
“St. Louis actually has a really strong venture capital community,” Hemingway said, noting that local firms gravitate around the city’s legacy verticals including life sciences, agtech, biotech, healthtech, fintech, geospatial, and advanced manufacturing.
While major venture capital operations are traditionally associated with Silicon Valley or New York, Hemingway argues that keeping initial investments regional is crucial for long-term growth.
“Those first checks should be local,” Hemingway said. “They’re making an investment in St. Louis. They’re also able to then be more engaged in the growth of that startup.”
This regional strength is already recognized on a global scale. PitchBook consistently ranks St. Louis as one of the top 20 venture capital communities in the world.
Clayton-based SixThirty, named in honor of the 630-foot height of the Gateway Arch, focuses its portfolio at the collision of personal finance and healthcare. Atul Kamra, SixThirty’s operations manager, attributes the region’s success to its collaborative culture.
“We have the advantage of an ecosystem of decision-makers,” Kamra said. “Change in regulated industries happens at the speed of trust.”
Kamra noted that while St. Louis firms have historically had to prove themselves on the coasts before securing local buy-in, the region’s massive healthcare and financial services footprint provides incredible buying power to rival traditional tech hubs.
“You almost had to get the belief of others outside of St. Louis for others to believe in us in St. Louis. I think we just need to believe in ourselves in so many ways. Believe in the ability to push forward,” he said.
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