Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures

Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Northwestern Mutual, a Milwaukee-based financial services mutual company. Launched in 2016 with an initial fund size of $50 million, it has grown to manage over $300 million in assets, focusing on early-stage startups that transform consumer finance, health, and technology experiences.

The firm pursues both financial returns and strategic partnerships. It has achieved five exits and activated collaborations with over a third of its portfolio companies. Led by a five-person team, including Chief Commercial Officer Aditi Javeri Gokhale and Managing Director Craig Schedler, the Ventures group typically invests between $500K and $5M per deal in areas like financial technology, insurtech, wealth management technology, healthcare, data analytics, and AI solutions.

As the center of expertise within Northwestern Mutual for emerging technologies, the firm supports its portfolio companies through sustained funding, quarterly business reviews, and entrepreneur growth, co-investing with other VCs when aligned opportunities arise. Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures is also committed to impact investing, aimed at expanding financial access for underserved entrepreneurs and communities via support programs such as mentorship and training.

Portfolio examples include companies like Trust and Will, which offers estate planning services, and Alkymi, focused on AI-driven middle office solutions. This aligns with the firm’s broader goals of enhancing advisor tools, improving client experiences, and advancing health data analytics.