FireStarter is an early stage investment fund focused on helping technology companies grow. We are a group of Chicago technology entrepreneurs who have come together to support the next generation of innovators. We all have direct experience founding, operating and investing in technology based businesses that leverage the developments of the past forty years. We owe a debt to the innovators who came before us and it is a debt we intend to repay by helping to fund promising new ideas and the entrepreneurs who have the passion and the drive to see their ideas become reality. Our focus: We believe that one of the most important factors in the development and growth of entrepreneurship and innovation is the growth of a business community that is open, helpful and nurturing. We know that as entrepreneurs some of the most helpful counsel and advice we have received over the years has been from successful founders who graciously made themselves available as mentors and shared lessons that gave us the confidence and insight necessary to persevere and succeed. Technology is a driving force of modern civilization Progress throughout history has been marked by the development of significant new technologies that improved people’s lives. The printing press, the telephone, the internal combustion engine, the microprocessor, vaccinations and a myriad other technologies have changed lives for the better and brought the world closer together. Forty years ago the personal computer started a revolution by digitizing content. Fifteen years ago the Internet gave rise to a global network of more than 1 billion users. And just a few years ago the introductions of smartphones and tablets have accelerated the rapid change to a digital world where everyone is connected and able to contribute to the growing body of human knowledge. These disruptive changes provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for entrepreneurs to help create businesses that can change the world.