🏁 Fresh off the 108th running of the Indy 500 and two weeks before playing host to the 2024 US Olympic Swim Trials, Indianapolis was center stage in early June for a full week of events in the VC and startup community. The M25 team was around for it all, and we’re recapping some highlights below! 🏁
The month of May in Indianapolis is centered around the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, but this year, early June was all about the state’s startups and venture capital firms in a total sprint of events.
We kicked off the week at the perennial favorite Rick’s Cafe Boatyard for some summer drinks and networking with local and out-of-town investors as a preview to the Next Level Fund Summit and the Innovation Showcase.
Next Level Fund Summit
This time of year also means it’s time for Indiana’s Next Level Fund Summit. A model fund-of-funds for the region, NLF aims to spur new investment activity in Indiana-based startups and funds. This year, 50 South Capital’s Aaron Gillum shared updated data on the success of the fund in its sixth year, inviting companies funded by VCs that are a part of NLF’s fund of funds. There was also a pitch appearance by Club M25’s Jennifer Mason, CEO and Co-Founder of TitleWise.
Innovation Showcase
The Venture Club of Indiana’s annual Innovation Showcase hit the stage after the Next Level Fund Summit. Now in its 16th year, the Innovation Showcase featured some of the state’s best and brightest early-stage startups and life sciences companies. After the showcase, investors, audience members, and startups stayed around to celebrate and network.
M25 & Friends Happy Hour + White River Concert
Following the Innovation Showcase, we invited friends of M25 to Taxman Brewery for our annual Indianapolis Happy Hour. It was great to catch up with LPs, co-investors, and friends of the firm. With a prime spot in the city, we were able to catch up on and celebrate the innovation happening within the Circle City. Shoutout to our friends at Banc of California for sponsoring this awesome event!
After the happy hour wrapped, we headed over to White River State Park. We were able to secure box seats courtesy of the team at HG Ventures. Our friends from Elevate Ventures and ground game joined in on the festivities. The entire experience was amazing, including the recently upgraded amphitheater at the park!
TechPoint VentureConnect
Capping the end of a busy week for Indiana’s tech and VC scene, TechPoint hosted their annual VentureConnect event, bringing together dozens of startups and investors for curated 1:1 meetings. This event has become a mainstay of early summer in Indianapolis, and this year’s iteration did not disappoint. Many thanks to the TechPoint team for organizing!
About M25: M25 is an early-stage venture firm based in Chicago, investing solely in tech startups headquartered in the Midwest. Since launching in 2015, M25 has become one of the most active investor in the region, quickly becoming the preferred seed investor for the next generation of Midwest unicorns. Portfolio companies include Kin Insurance, Loop Returns, Astronomer, Summersalt, SteadyMD, Branch, Authenticx and more. For more information, please visit www.m25vc.com.
