Early Stage Partners

General contacts

Investor type

Founded

2001

AUM

Location

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Investment Ticket

$1-5 m

Investment Stage

Seed Series A

Region of investment

North America

Investor profile last updated: 12 August, 2026

Profile

Early Stage Partners is a venture capital firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 2001. With a team that includes Managing Director Jim Petras and CFO Charlie MacMillan, the firm boasts a commitment to supporting technology companies primarily based in the Midwest. Emphasizing its strategic focus on this region's burgeoning tech potential sets them apart from typical VC firms focused on more traditional hotspots like Silicon Valley.

The firm targets investments in technology companies, particularly those with innovative solutions poised for growth. Early Stage Partners invests across various stages, including Seed and Series A. They manage funds such as ESP Fund I and ESP Fund II, aimed at achieving high returns relative to their size and vintage. Besides providing capital, they actively support portfolio companies with advice and connections.

Notable investments include TOA Technologies, Simbionix, and Reverse Medical, which collectively attracted significant acquisition interest, leading to successful exits. Their strategic investment approach has resulted in one of Ohio's largest software company exits, underscoring their impactful footprint in the region's tech landscape.

Industry

Medical Devices Industrial Education Healthcare Services Software MedTech Technology Marketing and Advertising Food and Beverage

Early Stage Partners Funds

Name	Type	Industry	Stage	Region	Size	AUM	Launch date
ESP Fund I	Venture Capital (VC)	Technology MedTech Software Marketing and Advertising Healthcare Services Food and Beverage Education	Seed Series A	North America	$1-5 m	—	January 2002
ESP Fund II	Venture Capital (VC)	Technology MedTech Software Marketing and Advertising Healthcare Services Food and Beverage Education	Seed Series A	North America	$1-5 m	—	January 2008

Contacts

Name

Title

Social Networks

Jim Petras Managing Director

Managing Director

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Charlie MacMillan Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer

c•••@•••

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Investment-team contacts for Early Stage Partners — including verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — are available to Private Equity List subscribers.
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Contacts sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.

FAQs about Early Stage Partners

Is Early Stage Partners a venture capital or private equity firm?

Early Stage Partners is a venture capital firm. It backs companies at Seed and Series A, writing tickets of $1-5 m.

Where is Early Stage Partners located?

Early Stage Partners is located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

When was Early Stage Partners founded?

Early Stage Partners was founded in 2001.

What sectors and industries does Early Stage Partners invest in?

Early Stage Partners invests in companies and startups in Medical Devices, Industrial, Education, Healthcare Services, Software, MedTech, Technology, Marketing and Advertising, Food and Beverage.

What is Early Stage Partners geographical focus of investments?

Early Stage Partners invests in companies and startups in North America.

At what stages of companies and startups does Early Stage Partners typically invest in?

Early Stage Partners invests in companies and startups at Seed, Series A.

What is the usual amount of Early Stage Partners investment?

Early Stage Partners usually invests $1-5 m on average.

What are the contacts of Early Stage Partners?

Early Stage Partners can be reached through its website esplp.com. Its general enquiries address is [email protected]. Cold-mailing a general inbox rarely reaches a partner, so Private Equity List also lists the investment-team contacts for Early Stage Partners — names, roles, verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — available on a Pro plan from $129/month (see pricing). Contacts are sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn and re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.

Can I access Early Stage Partners data via API or MCP?

Yes. Every field on this page — profile, funds, investment criteria, portfolio and investment-team contacts — is available programmatically through the Private Equity List REST API and MCP server, so AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT can query Early Stage Partners directly instead of scraping this page. One subscription covers both the web app and machine access — see API & MCP.

When was the Early Stage Partners profile last updated?

Private Equity List re-verifies investor profiles on a rolling cycle, pulling from the firm's own website and LinkedIn rather than a one-off import. This profile was last updated on 12 August, 2026. Something out of date here? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.