Backing founders who build efficiently.
Pre-seed and seed capital for founders solving real problems, plus help most investors cannot give: implementation hours from Groundwork and evaluation support from Baseline.
Working with Kindling
Capital with an operating team behind it.
- Stage
- Pre-seed and seed
- Instrument
- Standard SAFEs
- Office hours
- Free, 30 minutes
- Decision
- Within 2 weeks of a second meeting
What we look for
The founders we back.
A problem with a name on it
You can point to the customer who has it and what it costs them today.
Efficiency as a habit
Small teams that get far on little capital and measure what they spend.
AI where it earns its place
AI used because it makes the product work better, with the margins to prove it.
Overlooked markets
Founders building for customers most capital ignores, including across Africa.
How a decision gets made
A clear answer, with our reasons.
- 1
Office hours
A free 30-minute conversation about your product or go-to-market. No deck needed.
- 2
Second meeting
We meet your customers or users where we can, and look at what you have built.
- 3
Diligence
A short, written list of what we need to check, shared with you on day one.
- 4
A clear answer
Yes or no, with our reasons, within 2 weeks of the second meeting.
What comes with a check
Capital, people and evidence.
Capital
Pre-seed and seed checks on standard SAFEs.
Groundwork hours
Implementation time from the team that builds AI systems for our clients.
Baseline evaluation
Help measuring whether your AI features do what you claim, before customers ask.
Sending
Press send in your email app.
A message to support@bit175.com has opened with your introduction. A partner replies within two business days of receiving it.
Kindling invests Bit175 LLC's own capital. Nothing on this page is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security.
Groundwork never trades services for equity without a written agreement on arm's-length terms.