LendAPI Partners with Target Optical
In a significant step forward for pediatric eye care, Great North Ventures portfolio company LendAPI has partnered with Target Optical to launch a specialized financing program for myopia management. This initiative aims to tackle the growing global myopia epidemic by removing the financial barriers associated with high-end treatments like Essilor Stellest lenses. While these “gold […]
Vertical AI in Action: Inhabitr Partners with IHG Hotels & Resorts
Great North Ventures portfolio company Inhabitr recently announced a major milestone, entering into a strategic vendor partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts. Under a new Master Goods Agreement, Inhabitr is now an official furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) vendor for IHG, initially launching across the Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean (MLAC) and Canada regions. This […]
Toward BNPL 3.0: From Checkout Button to Financial Infrastructure
Lower funding costs, tighter distribution and regulatory fragmentation will define the next phase of buy now, pay later. PayPal and Affirm recently applied for industrial loan company charters, and Sezzle says it’s open to pursuing that path. These moves reveal something bigger: BNPL is no longer just about shopping. It’s becoming core financial infrastructure. These […]
Firing On All Cylinders: Quicklly Rockets Ahead With 200% Revenue Run Rate Growth and 4X More Stores
Quicklly is the leading online marketplace for Indian groceries and food in the U.S., operating as an aggregator and infrastructure provider across all the major e-commerce platforms and brick-and-mortar retail. Founded and based in downtown Chicago, the company had a strong year in 2025, scaling significantly and increasing revenue run rate by more than 200%. […]
From Digital Marketplace to Mainstream Retail: Quicklly’s Landmark Expansion into Costco and ALDI
At Great North Ventures, we look for founders who don’t just identify market gaps—they build the infrastructure to bridge them. Today, we are thrilled to celebrate a massive milestone for our portfolio company, Quicklly, as they officially launch their “Just by Quicklly” ready-to-heat meals in Costco and ALDI locations nationwide. Since our initial investment, we’ve […]
Looking Back at 2025
We spent 2025 focused on what we know best: backing early-stage companies, helping teams embed financial infrastructure and AI into operations, and writing about the execution decisions that move companies forward. Some of that work came from companies we’ve backed directly. Some came from platforms we’ve supported for years. All of it reflects our belief […]
Deal Flow Is the Lifeblood of Any VC Firm – Here’s How It Happens
by Graeme Thickins Not surprisingly, the more established a VC firm, the more startup pitches it gets. Well-known VC partners get hundreds and hundreds of unsolicited pitches every week. But the real essence of deal flow for a VC is getting to see only the best of the best startups. Of course, that’s easier said […]
How Does Anti-Portfolio Thinking Affect VC Investing? Great North Ventures Takes a Look
by Graeme Thickins Babe Ruth once famously said, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” And he struck out a lot – actually leading the American League five times. He also said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” And we all know how that ended […]
Inside Field Nation, The Platform Powering America’s On-demand IT Workforce
During the height of the pandemic, national IT deployment firm Worldlink saw demand for retail tech upgrades spike while it worked through labor shortages and supply-chain challenges. Like many service providers facing similar pressures, the company turned to outside support to close the gaps. One key partner was Field Nation, a software platform that connects […]
From Bootstrapping a $70M Company to Leading a VC Fund: Lessons for Founders
By Graeme Thickins Twin brothers Rob and Ryan Weber, founding partners of Great North Ventures, have raised two funds and invested in more than 50 startups to date and counting, throughout the Midwest and the rest of the county. Well before that success, however, they were founders themselves of their own ventures, beginning in their […]