Introducing Network Search for FundersClub founders
Scaling startup introductions and making them more accessible
As software continues to eat the world, it is also eating VC. At FundersClub, we build software and leverage network effects to best discover, vet, fund, and support promising startups at scale. This is what we call online VC.
Today, we’re proud to announce the next iteration of the value-add pillar of our online VC platform with the rollout of Network Search, available to all FundersClub founders.
The product expands the rolodex of founders by orders of magnitude, giving them superpowers in securing warm introductions for building and scaling their startups. It is made possible by the FundersClub network.
Over the past four years, our Venture team has facilitated hundreds of introductions for our founders to help them connect with new job candidates, customer leads, prospective partners, follow-on investors, and others.
One of the “superpowers” our team has enjoyed is being able to tap into the FundersClub community--which spans 63 countries and is over 18,000 individuals strong and growing--for expertise, knowledge, and connections.
Now, for the first time, FundersClub founders have direct access to the entire FundersClub community for securing these value-added introductions.
This means founders can tap into a vast network that includes their FundersClub fund investors, their fellow FundersClub portfolio founders (as of this writing, 207 companies and over 450 co-founders), all FundersClub staff, the investor members of FundersClub, as well as the extended professional networks of these individuals.
How it works
An expansive, high-quality network. By focusing on optimizing startup outcomes and investment returns (not volume), the FundersClub community naturally selects for high-performing startup founders and engaged, discerning investors.
Nearly every major technology industry is covered – consumer, enterprise, hardware, the hard sciences, as well as many industries only now being disrupted by technology.
We are also increasingly a global community. Although 75% of our 207 portfolio startups are located in Silicon Valley, the long tail is spread across 19 countries. And our over 18,000 investor members span 63 countries.
Curated interactions. Network Search removes the noise and friction associated with professional introductions.
Both sides of the interaction are highly curated--the top 1-2% of startup founders on the one side, and individuals who’ve opted in to back startups, the majority of whom are executives, managers, business owners, and other leaders, many of whom enjoy both a personal and financial upside from facilitating intros.
Founders can directly make intro requests without requiring FundersClub staff to intermediate.
Example of a real search from the point of view of a FundersClub founder
Double opt-in. No one likes an unwanted introduction.
Network Search follows the best practices of professional introductions and is engineered to comply with what is known as the double opt-in intro system. This means that intros are only made if the recipient wishes to accept the introduction request.
From the into request recipient’s point of view
Interested in engaging more with the FundersClub community?
If you’re a startup founder:
If you’re a startup investor:
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- check out our thought pieces, investor guides, and events