The Founder's Chair: Who Are We?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what The Founders Chair really is—who we are and what we’re building. After refining this question over the past few weeks, I wanted to share my thoughts with you. These are the insights will resonate with anyone interested in what makes The Founders Chair special.

Our Funders

At our core, we’re a community of investors who’ve made their mark in the insurance and financial services industries. Many of them are angel investors who have successfully exited their firms but still have a deep passion for the industry. For them, this isn’t just about making money—it’s about diversifying their portfolios into areas they know well and doing it alongside people they trust and enjoy working with.

Our Funders range from those with $20 million in net worth to those with north of $1 billion. What they all have in common is a desire to engage with innovative Founders and new ideas. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about being part of the future, whether as a passive participant or an active, hands-on investor.

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Our Founders

The Founders we work with are tech-enabled entrepreneurs, many of whom are still in the pre-revenue stage. On average, they’re looking to raise about $1 million, typically through a mix of SAFEs and other structures. They bring fresh perspectives, creative solutions, and a drive to make their mark in the industry.

What we’ve found is that The Founders Chair works best for Founders who need more than just capital—they need strategic partnerships and investors who can offer valuable insight. Our Founders benefit from working with Funders who understand their space, making it easier to build trust and move deals forward.

The Common Thread

So what ties all of this together? It’s simple: speed, expertise, and relationships.

We operate within a tight 30-60-day window after each event, during which Funders and Founders negotiate and finalize deals. This timeframe creates urgency but also clarity—it’s enough time for thoughtful due diligence without dragging things out.

Our Funders are smart and experienced, and they’re looking for reasonable deals so they can move on quickly. The goal isn’t to waste time but to find great opportunities, make strategic investments, and grow together.

How We Make It Happen

At TFC, we facilitate these connections through a combination of live events and our digital platform. The live events are where the magic happens—Funders and Founders connect in a dynamic, collaborative environment. But it’s the prep work leading up to those events that really set the stage.

Our platform, which we call “The Lounge”, is a virtual deal room where Founders can create profiles, upload relevant data, and engage with Funders well before the event. This means Funders already know a lot about the companies they’re interested in before they even set foot in the room.

From there, deals can happen fast. We’ve designed our economic model to be fair and flexible. We charge a flat 4%, but as deals get larger, we’re able to slide down to 3% or even 2% to make it work for both parties. If it makes strategic sense, we can also organize Funders into a single SPV, with no upfront or management fee—just a carry to align everyone’s interests.

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Growth Potential

Looking ahead, there’s real growth potential for TFC.

We’ve been approached to go deeper into our core sectors, like FemTech and AAPI Founders, and also to expand beyond insurance and financial services into other industries. There’s even interest from Israel-based firms seeking U.S. angel investors. And, on the Funder side, we’ve had conversations about growing into a micro-VC model, where we could keep our live events and group selection process but expand the ways we invest.

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What This All Means For Our Funders, The Founders Chair is a playground for opportunity. They get to see the future of the industry, and what’s coming next, and decide if they want to be part of it—whether that’s passively or with a more hands-on approach.

For our Founders, we offer a chance to get in front of serious, strategic investors in a format that’s loose, fun, and doesn’t require months of fundraising. We know their time is better-spent building, and we want to help them get back to doing what they do best.