Scott Jacobs

Scott Jacobs is the Executive Director of QCA Ventures, the Cincinnati-based angel and venture organization formerly known as Queen City Angels. He has held the Executive Director role since 2014 and brings roughly 40 years of experience helping businesses grow through marketing, business coaching, and angel investing. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Miami University (Ohio).

In his current role, Jacobs oversees QCA's deal management (through the firm's proprietary "Deal Hub"), deal syndication, member engagement, and sponsor relationships. He reviews funding applications from companies seeking investment and gives feedback to entrepreneurs pursuing engagement with QCA members. He works closely with HCDC's Business Incubator — QCA's longtime sponsor and partner — and connects with the broader regional ecosystem including StartupCincy, Aviatra Accelerator, The Brandery, and CincyTech.

Jacobs is also President of the QCA Education Foundation (dba Startup College®), which runs entrepreneurial learning programs such as the Entrepreneur Boot Camp and Morning Mentoring™. He serves on the branding/marketing committee of the Angel Capital Association (ACA) and has been a speaker at industry events including the ACA Summit of Angel Investing (2024) and the WIN Summit.

QCA was founded in 2000 and, under its leadership team, has directly invested nearly $130 million across roughly 123 portfolio companies, helping attract more than $1 billion in total syndicated and follow-on capital. The organization launched QCA First Fund VII in late 2024 and rebranded from Queen City Angels to QCA Ventures in February 2026, reflecting its evolution from a local angel group of five into a national venture organization of 219+ accredited members.

• Capital plus hands-on mentorship. QCA's differentiator is that members invest "both capital and time" — Jacobs frames the roughly 50,000 pro-bono mentoring hours members contribute annually as central to the value proposition. Tagline: "Capital. Connections. Commitment."
• Stage: Historically seed-stage angel investing; the firm now does deals from seed-plus up to Series B as it has scaled.
• Check size: Averaging around $1 million per deal at the firm level (larger, later-stage participation than early angel checks).
• Sectors: Life sciences, B2B SaaS / IT, advanced materials, and advanced manufacturing.
• What makes them say yes: Jacobs stresses that founders should understand the different funding stages, build a clear plan for bridging the gap between early-stage and larger-scale financing, and pursue non-dilutive funding where possible. He looks for entrepreneurs who view investors as trusted guides and want active partnership, not just a check.
• In his words: "Our goal is to be more than just investors — we aim to be a trusted resource and guide for early-stage companies on their path to success."