Start Something Ventures

Start Something Ventures

Start Something Ventures operates from Indianapolis as a private equity firm with an early-stage mandate. Founded by Managing Partners Michael Kelly and Michael Cloran, the firm has assembled a network of over 250 individual investors to back nascent companies. The principals — Kelly, Cloran, and Partners Connor Love, Bob Carlson, and Jason Whitney — lead a six-person team deploying capital into ideas and entrepreneurs at the seed stage. The firm targets early-stage venture across generalist technology, with sector interests including Enterprise Software and AI/ML. Its investment structure functions as a syndicate — 250-plus individuals co-investing alongside the firm, giving portfolio companies access to a wide base of angel capital. The firm discloses over $5 million deployed across 45 companies, a deployment figure that positions it as an active, high-volume angel group rather than a traditional venture fund. Start Something Ventures runs the "Venture Declassified" podcast, an educational channel designed for new angel investors. The podcast, produced by the firm, works through the fundamentals of investing and aims to demystify the venture process, suggesting the firm views investor education as a core part of its community-building model. Structurally, the firm operates less as a fund with limited partners and more as a curated investor network — 250 co-investors routing capital into deals sourced and vetted by the Kelly-Cloran partnership. This hub-and-spoke angel model distinguishes it from traditional VC firms that manage committed fund vehicles.