Network Ventures

Network Ventures is a Chicago-based, Midwest-focused seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Founder and Managing Director Jeff Maters, who was previously the third employee at Pritzker Group Venture Capital — J.B. and Tony Pritzker's multi-stage fund — where he observed the emergence of the New York and Los Angeles startup ecosystems firsthand. That experience led Maters to conclude that Chicago and the Midwest had the raw entrepreneurial ingredients but lacked consistent early-stage capital. Network Ventures leads rounds and writes early checks — typically $100,000 to $1 million — into companies building network effects: marketplaces, networks, and platforms. The fund is deliberately concentrated, backing only a handful of companies each year to enable genuinely hands-on engagement with founders. As of early 2025 the portfolio spans 18 companies, with 2 new additions in the trailing twelve months. Notable portfolio companies include Pickleheads, a pickleball community platform that raised $2.5 million in a seed round in February 2025 with Network Ventures participating; UnVale, a social platform software company that received the firm's most recent first-time check in March 2025; Honeycomb Credit, a small-business community lending platform; Hunt Club, an expert-network recruiting marketplace; EarlyBird, a family financial-gifting fintech; ShipBob, an e-commerce fulfillment company; Lemonlight, a video marketing marketplace; and Parentaly, a parental-leave coaching platform. Network Ventures leverages its founder and investor community as a flywheel for introductions, advice, and reference networks. The firm's Midwest orientation is a feature rather than a constraint — it gives Network Ventures access to a consistent deal flow of capital-efficient, operationally grounded companies that attract less competition from coastal funds.