FoundersEdge

Talking about AI is one thing. Seeing it in action is another. Founders, builders, and investors join us for Ditch the Deck April 16th: Show, Not Tell—an AI-focused meetup where demos take center stage. No hypotheticals—just founders showcasing AI in action and real-world impact. If you’re curious about where AI is actually moving the needle—or if you’ve built something game-changing—you don’t want to miss this. ?? April 16th, 6pm ??Downtown Boston ?? Save your spot: https://lnkd.in/eDuQQzT3 Demo applications are open—founders, let’s see what you’ve built! #AI #Startups #Innovation #BostonTech #VentureCapital #TechDemo #ShowNotTell

Exciting news! Our next event is here, and we’re giving it a twist. We realized “DitchTheDeck” left some people guessing, so we’re making it crystal clear—“Show, Not Tell”—an AI-focused experience where demos take center stage. Join us and see AI in action! Demo applications also open. Save your spot here - https://lnkd.in/eTJVmXjn

What if you could see the next big thing before it even launched? That’s what Ditch the Deck is all about—hope you’ll join us at FoundersEdge on February 25th at Ned Devines in Boston to see standout founders giving live, no-fluff previews of their game-changing products—including Kara Peterson from descrybe.ai. She’ll be demoing descrybe.ai’s about-to-launch legal toolkit—rethinking legal research with AI ? No slides. No fluff. Just real conversations with founders building the future. Come hang, ask questions, and get a first look at what’s next. Huge thank you to Vanessa Smith from Gunderson Dettmer and Kyle Gross from Citizens for making the event possible with great food & drinks ?? ?? Event link in comments #Startups #AI #FounderCommunity #DitchTheDeck #PitchingReimagined

Hard truth: If you’re not sending community & investor updates, you’re making fundraising way harder than it needs to be. Here’s what happens when you don’t stay in touch: ? People forget about you ? You miss out on intros to customers & hires ? You lose trust & momentum I get it—you’re busy. Things aren’t going as planned. You tell yourself: ?? “I don’t know what to say.” ?? “I should be focused on more mission-critical tasks.” ?? “What if they judge me?” But, skipping investor updates is a huge mistake. When I was a founder, I sent monthly updates—through the highs and the absolute lows. That consistency led to: ? Game-changing customer introductions ? Key hires that unlocked growth ? Followers becoming investors ? Investors doubling down Now, as an investor, I see too many founders skipping updates. And I get it—so I put together a playbook to make it easier! ?? What’s inside: ?? What to send when you’re actually too busy ?? Format for early traction vs. repeatable traction ?? How to make asks that get results If you’re fundraising (or will be), read the full playbook here ?? #fundraising #investorupdates #communityupdates #founderhacks #foundertips

FoundersEdge Launches 2025 Call for Startups - As we wrap up 2024 and plan for the new year, we’re excited to announce our first call for startups. Starting this January, FoundersEdge will back a select group of pioneering founders building at the intersection of AI and User Experience. We believe the next decade presents immense opportunities for founders leveraging AI to disrupt incumbents. Winners will be those who take an AI-first approach, thoughtfully integrating AI to transform products with innovative user experiences rather than just adding a chat interface. Why FoundersEdge? “When we started our own companies, the best support came from other founders who’d been there before. That’s the core of FoundersEdge—founders helping founders succeed.” — Greg, FoundersEdge GP We’ve been in your shoes. FoundersEdge was created by Greg and Jess, who know firsthand that founders can be a powerful advantage to each other. Many of our investors have also been highly successful founders, creating a supportive, aligned network and competitive advantage. Our first checks range from $100,000 to $200,000, and we’re committed to helping you navigate the tough challenges right from the start. Through hands-on mentorship calls and curated introductions to potential customers and investors, we give you our all. We’re here to help you build the company you envision—faster, more efficiently, and always with a community of experienced founders by your side. What We’re Looking For ? Software-Enabled Ventures: Often B2B SaaS but open to other models (avoiding biotech, CPG, pharma, crypto). ? AI-First Builders: Founders reimagining user experiences through AI and using it on the backend to improve operational efficiency. ? Seasoned Teams: Experienced entrepreneurs and former colleagues ready to disrupt the status quo. ? Industry & customers ready for disruption: Especially excited about founders solving problems currently managed in excel spreadsheets and pen & paper with signals that now is the right moment for innovation. Beyond the Check “FoundersEdge isn’t just about capital; it’s about connection. Ask any founder we’ve worked with, when we invest, we give you our all and have your back as you iterate and tackle challenges. Whether it’s customer introductions, investor intros, or 1-1 tactical feedback we’re there to accelerate the path.”? — Jess, FoundersEdge GP We accept rolling applications because founders shouldn’t wait for a set date. Even if you’re not raising yet, we’d love to meet you and follow your progress as we gear up for 2025 investments. Ready to shape the future together? Tell us what you’re building, and we’ll be in touch: https://lnkd.in/eAFtZhPb

We're hiring! Are you fueled by helping founders & startups be successful? Natural community builder? Crazy organized? Interested in venture capital? We're hiring a Head of Platform at FoundersEdge to help build our founder-centric ecosystem. Great opportunity for a prior founder / experienced operator to join us on the ground floor and roll up their sleeves with us to help founders maximize their company's potential. ?? Boston or Hartford area, remote-first role ? Starting part-time, could turn full-time ?? Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ewVBQTya Know someone that would be a good fit? Re-post, tag them, or share this role - thanks!! #hiring #venturecapital #communitybuilder #startupjobs

Excited to announce that we are kicking off a search for an exceptional leader to join our team. We’re hiring a Head of Platform—a key role for anyone passionate about startups and eager to shape the future of our fund. Know someone extraordinary? Share this opportunity: https://lnkd.in/ejK_ivfC

Excited to be part of this amazing community!

When I started Raiz Capital, I chose the name because I appreciate a good pun. But over the last six months, it became clear that a better name was waiting in the wings. "Raising Capital" was never the main point. After all, I built a successful business as a bootstrapped founder. When I invest in startups, I often say that money is the least valuable thing I offer. What holds true, long-term value, are the insights, skills, and hard-earned lessons from my experience building and working on hundreds of products and companies. For those who don’t know, I’ve partnered with Jessica Lynch to build a world-class venture firm and we wanted the name of the firm to be an inclusive brand, not a personal brand. It was important that we were creating something that was much bigger than any one of us. As we brainstormed a new name, we had a few key requirements: - It needed to be founder-centric. - It had to represent more than just money. - We wanted a name with an edge, something that stood out. - And, we wanted a brand that could grow, one that would welcome future investors and founders alike. I'm excited to announce our rebranding to FoundersEdge. Jess and I believe the world needs change, and founders are the ones to create it. Our goal is to give those founders an edge—an unfair advantage—to build exceptional companies. We do this by using data & research to inform our advice and by connecting them with customers, mentors, and investors, so they can, in turn, become the edge for future founders. Being a founder is tough. Raising capital is tough. But founders don't have to do it alone. We're here to give you the edge.? If you're building something world changing and need an edge, we would love to help.

Isn't it funny how we call startup showcases "demo days" but they rarely include product demos? Given our focus at Raiz Capital on disruptive user experiences, we decided to change that and hosted our first "Ditch the Deck" product demo event last night. No slides. No pre-recorded videos. Founders pulled up their product live and gave us a demo! Sure there were a few hiccups, but the founders did an amazing job highlighting the intuitive, impactful, and innovative products they're building ? It was a blast! Awesome job live demo-ing Ethan Pierce, Amanda Goodwin, MFA, Fahim Faruque, Tucker Olen, Caspian Chaharom! Thank you Enyu R. and Gregory Raiz for coordinating and Alina Ritter, CBPA from Insperity and CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) for making it possible! #innovation #productdemos #ditchthedeck #startups #bostontech