Investing in Sovereignty. Building the Future.
Sweetgrass Ventures is an Indigenous-led investment and venture-building platform that funds and scales AI-first technology startups rooted in culture, community, and innovation.
About Sweetgrass Ventures
We exist to transform the venture landscape—starting with sovereign lands. Our mission is to empower Indigenous founders, attract aligned capital, and build generational prosperity through technology.
Our approach is guided by the principles of Culture, Capital, Capability, and Connectivity, weaving together tradition and innovation to create ventures that are resilient, ethical, and future-ready.
Why Build With Us?
- Indigenous-Led: Founded by and for Native innovators.
- AI-First Focus: We invest in scalable, infrastructure-enhancing technologies.
- Sovereignty-Centered: Our model honors tribal governance and community wealth.
- Best-in-Class Support: From strategic mentorship to milestone-driven funding.
Not ready to commit to one of our intensive Programs? Become a member of the Founders Fire Ecosystem:
- access self-paced online and instructor-led courses
- access tools and resources from our partners to help launch and grow
- access to mentors, Founders Community and more
Strategic Partners & Investors
Sweetgrass Ventures offers a rare opportunity to invest in an emerging market with deep cultural roots and high-growth potential. Our thesis is backed by decades of research from the Harvard Project and Native Nations Institute, proving that self-determination drives economic success.
We invite partners who seek not only financial returns, but also ethical alignment and generational impact.
Indigenous Startup Investment Disparities that challenge Indigenous startups in North America:
- Native American households and businesses face persistent barriers to credit access
- Limited generational wealth, institutional mistrust, and geographic isolation contribute to systemic undercapitalization of Native enterprises.
- The AIAN (American Indian and Alaska Native) population grew 160% from 2010 to 2020
- This surge signals a rising generation of Indigenous innovators—yet capital access hasn’t kept pace with demographic and talent growth
Sweetgrass Ventures directrly addresses
< 0.01%
Amount of Venture Captial that Indigenous Founders receive annually
0.5%
Amount of philanthropic funding that reaches indigenous communities
Only
<20%
of Impact Investors have criteria specific toward indigenous communities
Get in touch
Telephone: +1 509-587-0296
E-mail: jason.palmer@sweetgrassvc.com
Address: Colville Indian Reservation, Omak, Washington, United States