# Social Starts: portfolio, investments and team

> Social Starts is a vc firm based in United States. 294 investments on record, 4 in the last 12 months, latest Sept 2026.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/fund/social-starts (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

United States · [Investor](https://millionrounds.com/investors)

# Social Starts

Last cheque observed Sep 2026; 294 cheques on record.

Deploying now New fund $8.9M, Mar 2022 VC firm

Pre-seed Seed Series A AI & Machine Learning Advertising (AdTech) Apps

Deploying now

**57%** of best year **4** **cheques in 12 months**, 294 on record

Since the last cheque **55** days **00** hrs **00** min **00** sec

Median round **$3.0M** Rounds led **0 of 294** Sole investor **90 rounds** Exits **19 from the portfolio** Mostly in **United States, 79%**

Pitch Social Starts

## Social Starts highlights

- 01 4 cheques in the last 12 months
- 02 Mostly Seed and Venture: 84% of its rounds
- 03 Sole investor in 90 rounds, median $50K
- 04 19 exits from the portfolio

## What they do

> Filed 1 private fund offering with the SEC, the most recent in 2015-10 From their own website

- **Type:** VC firm (from a list, unverified)
- **Cheque size:** Not stated
- **Stages:** Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B Growth
- **Sectors:** AI & Machine Learning Advertising (AdTech) Apps
- **Based in:** San Francisco, United States
- **Cold pitches:** Not stated

## The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first **294 appearances**

- **2026** 4 rounds
- **Sept** **[InformAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/informai)** Grant · US **$1.0M** With 3 others
- **Aug** **[KidzToPros](https://millionrounds.com/company/kidztopros)** Venture · US **$522K** With 2 others
- **Apr** **[AmplifiDx](https://millionrounds.com/company/amplifidx)** Grant · US **$100K** Sole investor
- **Mar** **[Gameflip](https://millionrounds.com/company/gameflip)** Crowdfunding · US **$182K** With 4 others
- **2025** 3 rounds
- **Sept** **[Heartbeat](https://millionrounds.com/company/heartbeat)** Seed · US **$3.0M** Sole investor
- **Jun** **[Ruby Bio](https://millionrounds.com/company/ruby-bio)** Seed · US **$8.0M** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[Attune Neurosciences](https://millionrounds.com/company/attune-neurosciences)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** Sole investor
- **2024** 6 rounds
- **Aug** **[AlphaPoint](https://millionrounds.com/company/alphapoint)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 4 others
- **Jul** **[IRIS.TV](https://millionrounds.com/company/iris-tv)** Venture · US **$249K** With 2 others
- **Jun** **[SAVA](https://millionrounds.com/company/sava)** Seed · GB **$8.0M** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[WholyMe](https://millionrounds.com/company/wholyme)** Venture · GB **Undisclosed** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[Edly](https://millionrounds.com/company/edly)** Venture · US **$1.0M** With 2 others
- **Jan** **[Neosensory](https://millionrounds.com/company/neosensory)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 2 others
- **2023** 8 rounds
- **Nov** **[ClinOne](https://millionrounds.com/company/clinone)** Series A · US **$2.0M** With 2 others
- **Oct** **[KidzToPros](https://millionrounds.com/company/kidztopros)** Venture · US **$1.6M** With 2 others
- **Oct** **[mybacs](https://millionrounds.com/company/mybacs)** Series A · CH **$5.9M** With 2 others
- **Oct** **[Sigrid Therapeutics](https://millionrounds.com/company/sigrid-therapeutics)** Venture · SE **$4.0M** With 2 others
- **Sept** **[Novel Farms](https://millionrounds.com/company/novel-farms)** Grant · US **$1.0M** With 2 others
- **Jun** **[Misapplied Sciences](https://millionrounds.com/company/misapplied-sciences)** Venture · US **$9.0M** With 2 others
- **Feb** **[Eumentis Therapeutics](https://millionrounds.com/company/eumentis-therapeutics)** Grant · US **$3.0M** With 2 others
- **Feb** **[Wolf & Shepherd](https://millionrounds.com/company/wolf-and-shepherd)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **2022** 13 rounds
- **Oct** **[Neurosity](https://millionrounds.com/company/neurosity)** Venture · US **$5.0M** With 3 others
- **Oct** **[CoachMePlus](https://millionrounds.com/company/coachmeplus)** Venture · US **$1.0M** With 1 other
- **Aug** **[Clover](https://millionrounds.com/company/clover)** Venture · CA **$6.0M** With 1 other
- **Jul** **[RIDE Capital](https://millionrounds.com/company/ride-capital)** Seed · DE **$3.0M** With 2 others
- **Jun** **[HackNotice](https://millionrounds.com/company/hacknotice)** Series A · US **$7.0M** With 1 other
- **May** **[Dyad Medical](https://millionrounds.com/company/dyad-medical)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 1 other
- **Apr** **[Cassia Networks](https://millionrounds.com/company/cassia-networks)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 3 others
- **Mar** **[IrisVision](https://millionrounds.com/company/irisvision)** Venture · US **$12M** Sole investor
- **Mar** **[Enspectra Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/enspectra-health)** Grant · US **$1.2M** With 3 others
- **Mar** **[Speechly](https://millionrounds.com/company/speechly)** Venture · FI **Undisclosed** With 4 others
- **Jan** **[AmplifiDx](https://millionrounds.com/company/amplifidx)** Seed · US **$1.8M** Sole investor
- **Jan** **[StructionSite](https://millionrounds.com/company/structionsite)** Venture · US **$10M** With 1 other
- **Jan** **[Elma](https://millionrounds.com/company/elma)** Venture · ES **$3.4M** With 1 other
- **2021** 11 rounds
- **Dec** **[Bloom Science](https://millionrounds.com/company/bloom-science)** Series A · US **$12M** With 2 others
- **Oct** **[Panda](https://millionrounds.com/company/panda)** Venture · US **$5.4M** With 1 other
- **Sept** **[Pnoe](https://millionrounds.com/company/pnoe)** Seed · US **$5.8M** With 4 others
- **Aug** **[Wynd Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/wynd-technologies)** Series A · US **$10M** Sole investor
- **Aug** **[Van Robotics](https://millionrounds.com/company/van-robotics)** Crowdfunding · US **$1.1M** With 3 others
- **Jun** **[Hamama](https://millionrounds.com/company/hamama)** Seed **$3.2M** With 2 others

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

## The team

Named by the firm itself, on a filing, its Form ADV or its company registration **6 named**

AN **Andrew Nealon** Managing Director i Form ADV

BG **Bradley George Harrison Welch** Managing Director i Form ADV

JD **Jun Deng** Managing Director i Form ADV

ME **Michael Edelhart** Managing Director of Social Starts Health and Happiness GP, LLC, the Issuer's General Partner i Filing they signed

PT **Patrick Thomas Nicoll** Managing Director i Form ADV

WL **William Lohse** Manager of the Manager of the General Partner i Filing they signed

We also hold **12** people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

## What the register says

From the firm's own filings with the SEC, which it must file accurately by law

**$160M** gross assets of its funds Oct 2026

**Exempt** reporting adviser venture or small private funds

- **Legal name:** Ataraxia Partners, LLC
- **SEC number:** CRD 317485

## What they claim to have backed

From their own portfolio page (on their website)

**47** of 60 we have independently watched raise

[Art19](https://millionrounds.com/company/art19)[Barn2Door](https://millionrounds.com/company/barn2door)[Beam Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/beam-health)[Bloom Science](https://millionrounds.com/company/bloom-science)[ClinOne](https://millionrounds.com/company/clinone)[Concourse](https://millionrounds.com/company/concourse)[Copper Cow Coffee](https://millionrounds.com/company/copper-cow-coffee)[CourseKey](https://millionrounds.com/company/coursekey)[Dyad Medical](https://millionrounds.com/company/dyad-medical)[Edifice Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/edifice-health)[Edly](https://millionrounds.com/company/edly)[Embr Labs](https://millionrounds.com/company/embr-labs)[Enspectra Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/enspectra-health)[Faircraft](https://millionrounds.com/company/faircraft)[Finless Foods](https://millionrounds.com/company/finless-foods)[Folia Health](https://millionrounds.com/company/folia-health)[Gentem](https://millionrounds.com/company/gentem)[HackNotice](https://millionrounds.com/company/hacknotice)[Hey Jane](https://millionrounds.com/company/hey-jane)[INSO](https://millionrounds.com/company/inso)[InformAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/informai)[Inspectiv](https://millionrounds.com/company/inspectiv)[KidzToPros](https://millionrounds.com/company/kidztopros)[MANTL](https://millionrounds.com/company/mantl)[Madorra](https://millionrounds.com/company/madorra)[Medal](https://millionrounds.com/company/medal)[Mission Barns](https://millionrounds.com/company/mission-barns)[Mybacs](https://millionrounds.com/company/mybacs)[Novel Farms](https://millionrounds.com/company/novel-farms)[Nymbl Science](https://millionrounds.com/company/nymbl-science)[Oneday](https://millionrounds.com/company/oneday)[Ordway](https://millionrounds.com/company/ordway)[Osano](https://millionrounds.com/company/osano)[Osmosis](https://millionrounds.com/company/osmosis)[Outlier](https://millionrounds.com/company/outlier)[Paradromics](https://millionrounds.com/company/paradromics)[ProbiusDX](https://millionrounds.com/company/probiusdx)[Proper Good](https://millionrounds.com/company/proper-good)[Ravn](https://millionrounds.com/company/ravn)[Sharper Sense](https://millionrounds.com/company/sharper-sense)[StructionSite](https://millionrounds.com/company/structionsite)[Wayfinder Biosciences](https://millionrounds.com/company/wayfinder-biosciences)[WeRecover](https://millionrounds.com/company/werecover)[Weller](https://millionrounds.com/company/weller)[Wild Wonder](https://millionrounds.com/company/wildwonder)[Zehitomo](https://millionrounds.com/company/zehitomo)[Zone7](https://millionrounds.com/company/zone7) BrainKey Breakthrough Coedition Curie Co Digbi Electric Era Empathic Technologies Flux Biosciences Freeplay Fulcrum GroLens Heartbeat Javelin Biotech and 24 more

Weaker than a round we watched, stronger than a list somebody sold us. A firm is far less willing to put a company on its own site that it never funded.

## Exits from the portfolio

Companies it backed that were later bought or listed **19 in all**

**[Art19](https://millionrounds.com/company/art19)** Bought by [Amazon](https://millionrounds.com/fund/amazon) **Undisclosed** Jun 2021

**[Fabric](https://millionrounds.com/company/fabric)** Bought by [Google](https://millionrounds.com/fund/google-assistant-investments) **Undisclosed** Jan 2017

**[HeartThis](https://millionrounds.com/company/heartthis)** Bought by Thumbtack **Undisclosed** Sept 2015

**[Kanvas Labs](https://millionrounds.com/company/kanvas-labs)** Bought by [AOL](https://millionrounds.com/fund/aol) **Undisclosed** Aug 2015

**[Chronos Mobile Technologies](https://millionrounds.com/company/chronos-mobile-technologies)** Bought by Life360 **Undisclosed** Aug 2015

**[Open Me](https://millionrounds.com/company/open-me)** Bought by Rowl **Undisclosed** May 2015

**[Appinions](https://millionrounds.com/company/appinions)** Bought by ScribbleLive **Undisclosed** Apr 2015

**[Elite Daily](https://millionrounds.com/company/elite-daily)** Bought by [DMG Media](https://millionrounds.com/fund/dmg-media) **Undisclosed** Jan 2015

**[Earbits](https://millionrounds.com/company/earbits)** Bought by You42 **Undisclosed** Jun 2014

**[Comixology](https://millionrounds.com/company/comixology)** Bought by [Amazon](https://millionrounds.com/fund/amazon) **Undisclosed** Apr 2014

**[Mass Relevance](https://millionrounds.com/company/mass-relevance)** Bought by Spredfast **Undisclosed** Apr 2014

**[Big Frame](https://millionrounds.com/company/big-frame)** Bought by AwesomenessTV **$15M** Apr 2014

**[Nerve.com](https://millionrounds.com/company/nerve-com)** Bought by HowAboutWe **Undisclosed** Jan 2014

**[Health Guru Media Inc.](https://millionrounds.com/company/health-guru-media-inc)** Bought by Kitara Media **Undisclosed** Dec 2013

**[Optimal, Inc.](https://millionrounds.com/company/optimal-inc)** Bought by Brand Networks **$35M** Oct 2013

**[BestVendor](https://millionrounds.com/company/bestvendor)** Bought by Docstoc **Undisclosed** Aug 2013

**[GateGuru](https://millionrounds.com/company/gateguru)** Bought by [TripAdvisor](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tripadvisor) **Undisclosed** Jun 2013

**[Lucky Sort](https://millionrounds.com/company/lucky-sort)** Bought by [Twitter](https://millionrounds.com/fund/twitter) **Undisclosed** May 2013

**[alike](https://millionrounds.com/company/alike)** Bought by [Yahoo!](https://millionrounds.com/fund/yahoo) **Undisclosed** Feb 2013

An exit counts when it came after the firm's first round in the company. From historical deal records.

New fund on file

**$8.9M**

raised in Mar 2022

From its SEC filing, not a journalist: a firm that has just raised has money to deploy.

## The cheque

Pre-seed Seed Series A

Median round joined **$3.0M** the round, not its cheque Alone, median **$50K**

Led 0 of 294 rounds **0%**

- **Sole investor:** 90 rounds
- **Last cheque:** Sept 2026
- **Exits:** 19 from the portfolio

Rounds by stage said on their site

- Seed said *171*
- Venture *57*
- Series A said *33*
- Grant *6*
- Series B said *6*
- Pre-seed said *-*
- Growth said *-*

Cheques by month Led Joined

Nov 2023 Oct 2026

Often in the room with

- [William Lohse](https://millionrounds.com/fund/william-lohse) 18
- [500 Global](https://millionrounds.com/fund/500-startups) 15
- [Y Combinator](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator) 11
- [Eniac Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/eniac-ventures) 9
- [Google Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gv) 6
- [Plug and Play](https://millionrounds.com/fund/plug-and-play) 6

**Pitching Social Starts?** Put them on your fundraising board with this record on the card, and follow them to hear when they write a new cheque.

Add to your CRM *→*

## Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as Social Starts. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

[**William Lohse** VC firm **18** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/william-lohse)[**500 Global** Angel **15** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/500-startups)[**Y Combinator** Accelerator **11** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/y-combinator)[**Eniac Ventures** VC firm **9** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/eniac-ventures)[**Google Ventures** Corporate VC **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gv)[**Plug and Play** Accelerator **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/plug-and-play)[**TEEC Angel Fund** VC firm **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/teec-angel-fund)[**BoxGroup** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/boxgroup)[**Inovia Capital** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/inovia-capital)[**Joyance Partners** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/joyance-partners)[**MESA+** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/mesa)[**Social Capital** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/social-capital)

## Recently backed

The latest companies Social Starts put money into.

[**InformAI** $1.0M · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/informai)[**AmplifiDx** $100K · Apr 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/amplifidx)[**Gameflip** $182K · Mar 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/gameflip)[**Heartbeat** $3.0M · Sept 2025](https://millionrounds.com/company/heartbeat)[**Ruby Bio** $8.0M · Jun 2025](https://millionrounds.com/company/ruby-bio)[**AlphaPoint** Aug 2024](https://millionrounds.com/company/alphapoint)

## Quick answers about Social Starts

### What does Social Starts invest in?

Social Starts invests most often at Seed and Venture (84% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as AI & Machine Learning, Advertising (AdTech) and Apps.

### How active is Social Starts?

294 investments on record, 4 of them in the last 12 months. The most recent was in Sept 2026.

### What has Social Starts invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: InformAI (Grant, Sept 2026), KidzToPros (Venture, Aug 2026) and AmplifiDx (Grant, Apr 2026).

### How big are Social Starts's cheques?

The median round it joins is $3.0M.

### Does Social Starts lead rounds?

Rarely, if at all: none of its 294 investments on record names it as the lead.

### Where does Social Starts invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (79%) and the United Kingdom (5%).

### Is Social Starts investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 4 investments in the last 12 months.

### Who does Social Starts invest alongside?

Most often William Lohse (18 rounds together), 500 Global (15 rounds together) and Y Combinator (11 rounds together).

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Built from the rounds we watched, its filings and its own website, refreshed every night. [How we count](https://millionrounds.com/methodology) · [Report a correction](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?slug=social-starts) · [Is this your firm? Claim it](https://millionrounds.com/claim?org=social-starts)