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Social Starts
Social Starts is a $60M+ venture capital partnership with a uniquely data-driven approach to investing in moment-of-inception and Series A financing rounds.
Social Starts
Social Starts is a $60M+ venture capital partnership with a uniquely data-driven approach to investing in moment-of-inception and Series A financing rounds.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2012
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Reno
Corporate office
Reno, NV, United States
Principals
Mike Edelhart
Managing Partner
William Lohse
Founder Emeritus
Patrick Nicoll
General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer
Andrew Nealon
Partner & CTO
Bradley Welch
Investment Partner
Charles C. Smith
Investment Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Social Starts?
Managing Partner Mike Edelhart leads investment decisions. He brings over four decades of experience across tech media, startups, and venture capital, including roles at Ziff-Davis and SoftBank. Investment Partners Bradley Welch and Charles C. Smith, alongside Partner and CTO Andrew Nealon, contribute to sourcing and diligence.
How does Social Starts source proprietary deal flow?
Social Starts uses a proprietary analytics engine to identify the strongest companies in the strongest market segments. The firm reviews and adjusts its sector focus every six months based on quantitative signals. Its portfolio of over 400 companies also generates referral and co-investment opportunities.
Is Social Starts structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Social Starts operates as a traditional venture capital partnership, not a single-family office. It manages a series of early-stage venture funds backed by external LPs, including corporations and media leaders from three continents. Founder Emeritus William Lohse seeded the initial fund, but the firm functions as an institutional asset manager.
Does Social Starts participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Social Starts makes direct equity investments in seed and Series A rounds. It does not disclose acting as a limited partner in other venture funds. Its model is built on direct company engagement, often writing first-check or early-stage checks alongside other institutional co-investors.
What investment stages does Social Starts typically target?
The firm targets moment-of-inception and Series A financing rounds. Its historical portfolio includes companies at the seed and startup stages, with occasional follow-on participation. The current Health and Happiness fund maintains this early-stage posture.
How is Social Starts related to Joyance Partners?
Several Social Starts principals hold identical roles at Joyance Partners, including Mike Edelhart, Patrick Nicoll, Andrew Nealon, Bradley Welch, and Charles C. Smith. Social Starts launched in 2012 and Joyance Partners followed in 2017, suggesting a parallel or successor vehicle structure focused on health and happiness science, though the legal entity relationship is not publicly detailed.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Social Starts does not publicly disclose a single wealth origin. Founder Emeritus William Lohse contributed initial capital following his career at SoftBank and Ziff Davis, but the firm has since raised capital from a range of external limited partners.
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