Start Garden
AcceleratorGrand Rapids · Pre-Seed–Seed · 16 people tracked
Investment thesis
Start Garden operates as a community-driven support system for entrepreneurs in Michigan, providing access to resources, networking, and coworking space in downtown Grand Rapids. Through programs like The 100 and 5x5 Night pitch competitions, it connects founders with a coalition of Capital Partners offering grants, loans, shared revenue agreements, venture investment, and first-customer contracts to businesses at every stage. Its mission emphasizes opening entrepreneurship opportunities to the broader community, helping people turn ideas into action, grow startups, and access both intellectual and commercial capital regardless of where they are on their journey.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 16 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 2 of 3 portfolio companiesB2B Marketplaces ×1Cleantech ×1Energy ×1SaaS ×1
HQs:United States×2
Portfolio companies · 3 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeGrand Rapids, US
Nathan E. Owen(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMichael Morin(Director)Jason Mark Plimi(Director)David V. Huhn(Director)Carl B. Erickson(Director)Paul D'Amato(Director)
Co-investorseLab Ventures
Luma provides a platform for creating event pages, sending invitations, and selling tickets for events.
SaaS
Victor Pontis(Founder)in
Co-investorsAllen Institute for AI (AI2) IncubatorAmplify PartnersBerkley Center for EntrepreneurshipBethnal Green VenturesCedar CapitalEIT Urban Mobility Accelerator+13 more
GreenLancer operates an online marketplace connecting solar and EV charging station contractors with PV engineers and designers for standardized permit design, engineering, repair, and maintenance services.
B2B MarketplacesCleantechEnergyDetroit, US
Patrick McCabe(Co-Founder, President, and COO)Chris Seago(CEO & Chairman)Matt Howe(Chief Technology Officer)
Co-investorsEvergreen Climate InnovationsWakestream Ventures
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Events · techcrunch.com · Jul 14, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Start Garden invest at?
- Start Garden invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Start Garden's typical check size?
- Start Garden typically writes checks of $5K – $500K.
- What sectors does Start Garden focus on?
- Start Garden focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Start Garden located?
- Start Garden is headquartered in Grand Rapids, US.
- Does Start Garden lead rounds?
- Start Garden typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Start Garden co-invest with?
- Start Garden most often shares deals with Amplify Partners, Heavybit, Lighthouse Network Ventures Llc, among 17 tracked co-investors.
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