Founders Launchpad

Co-founders Chris McCann and Cory Levy serve as the firm's General Partners and make all final investment decisions. Both are former founders with operating experience at venture-backed startups. McCann's background includes a Y Combinator-backed company, while Levy previously built and sold a consumer social platform. They lead a lean investment team supported by a broader network of operator-advisors.

The firm sources deals primarily through its syndicate of operator-advisors, who are active tech founders and executives investing personal capital alongside the fund. This network provides early visibility into startups founded by second-time entrepreneurs and teams emerging from established tech companies. The firm also maintains a presence in Southeast Asian markets through offices in Singapore, Manila, and Taipei, which generates deal flow from founders outside standard US venture pipelines.

Founders Launchpad operates as a hybrid structure: it is a formal venture fund with general partners making investment decisions, but its capital base and deal-sourcing network function like an organized syndicate. The firm pools capital from individual tech founders who also contribute to scouting and due diligence. This architecture allows the fund to move quickly on seed-stage allocations while offering portfolio companies access to a broad community of experienced operators.

The firm focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage companies, aiming to provide the first institutional capital a startup receives. Its initial check size ranges from approximately $50,000 to $200,000. Founders Launchpad may participate in follow-on rounds for select portfolio companies but structures its primary mandate around early entry points.

Yes, the firm frequently co-invests alongside other seed-stage funds and angel investors. Its syndicate structure means its operator-advisors often have relationships with other venture funds, creating natural co-investment pathways. Publicly known portfolio companies such as Airbyte and Replit had multiple institutional backers in their early rounds, consistent with the firm's collaborative investment posture.

The firm maintains a dual geographic focus on North America and the Asia-Pacific region. It has offices in San Carlos and Menlo Park, California, as well as Singapore, Makati City, and Taipei City. This presence enables it to evaluate startups in both mature venture markets and emerging tech hubs in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

Founders Launchpad connects portfolio companies with its network of operator-advisors, who are active founders and executives at established tech firms. This community provides mentorship on product-market fit, engineering team scaling, and go-to-market execution. The firm also expanded its operations team in Manila in early 2023 to deliver centralized back-office and founder-support services, an approach designed to keep portfolio companies lean while accessing professional operational resources.