Vlad
CEO
22+ years building AI, data and production systems. CTO, Principal Engineer, OSS contributor to Google ML infrastructure and former Linux Foundation Edge lead. Former 500 Startups and Antler ecosystem.
ProveThenScale
Execution capital for startups with proven demand.
We invest senior product and engineering execution for 1–2% equity.
We back startups that know who will buy, but need to get the product from prototype to production.
We invest where execution is the bottleneck. Not where demand still needs to be discovered.
You prove demand. We invest in execution.
Preserve runway until traction justifies the burn.
Execution is capital.
Startups don't always need another check. Sometimes they need senior execution to turn customer demand into a production product.
Our capital is execution. Our return is equity. We put our own delivery economics at risk and make money when the company creates value — not when engineering takes longer.
Investment thesis
Who we invest in.
We invest when:
- A working product or prototype exists
- Real customer pull exists
- Founders know who they sell to
- Execution is blocking deployment or revenue
If the product were production-ready tomorrow, would you know who would buy it? If yes, we may be a fit.
What we invest
A senior product and engineering team accountable for an agreed production outcome: product implementation, architecture, infrastructure, integrations and early customer-driven iteration.
What founders keep
Product vision, customers, GTM, pricing and company strategy.
How it works
Customer: “We need SSO to start the pilot.”
You bring the commercial signal. We get it shipped.
The engagement ends at the agreed milestone, followed by a defined support period. Materially new product objectives become a new engagement. You own the code, repositories, infrastructure, data and IP from day one — no technical lock-in.
Economics
Our investment model.
We typically invest execution for 1–2% fully diluted equity.
We enter after the company, founders and initial demand already exist. We are not building the company from zero. We invest specifically in removing the execution bottleneck between demonstrated demand and production.
Our capital is execution. Our return is equity.
For funds
Execution capital for portfolio companies.
We independently invest in portfolio companies where customer demand exists but product execution is blocking deployment, revenue or the next financing milestone.
The fund introduces opportunities. We make our own investment decisions. Selected companies receive execution capital in exchange for a small equity stake.
- Preserve runway
- Reach production
- Avoid premature hiring
Team
Investors who operate.
We invest the work of the same senior people who evaluate the opportunity.
Mike
CTO
20+ years as architect and platform engineer. Owns product architecture and engineering execution through production. Principal / Solutions Engineer at EMC; earlier at Alcatel-Lucent.
Andy
DevOps & Partner
Owns production reliability, infrastructure and databases under real load. Staff DBRE at Bolt; previously Oracle, SAP and T-Systems.
FAQ
Questions we hear often.
What do you invest?
Senior product and engineering execution toward an agreed production milestone — implementation, architecture, infrastructure, integrations and early customer-driven iteration.
How much equity do you take?
Typically 1–2% fully diluted, depending on starting point, delivery objective, execution risk and post-launch involvement.
What companies do you invest in?
Companies with a working prototype or early product, real customer pull, founders who know who they sell to, and an engineering gap blocking deployment or revenue.
If the product were production-ready tomorrow and you still would not know who would buy it, more engineering is probably not the right investment yet.
What outcome do you commit to?
An agreed production outcome — for example, making the current product ready for a first enterprise pilot — not a frozen feature list.
What happens after the milestone?
A defined post-launch support period for production issues, maintenance and minor changes within the delivered product. A substantial new objective is a new engagement.
Who owns the IP?
Your company — code, repositories, cloud accounts, infrastructure, data and IP — from day one. No proprietary platform lock-in.
What happens if the company pivots?
We stop and reassess. A major pivot is a new investment decision, not unlimited continuation of the original agreement.
Do you ever work for cash?
Occasionally. Companies that are not an investment fit may be offered a premium fixed-price engagement.
Apply
Apply for execution investment.
Three questions. LinkedIn or WhatsApp so we can reply.
Application received.
We'll review it and get back to you.