Manifesto
What we believe.
We lower theactivation energyit takes tobecome a founder.
Most ambitious people never start. They wait for permission, a co-founder, funding, or the right moment. None of that is required. What is required is an environment where beginning costs less than not beginning.
Transition metal
Element 23 · Vanadium
We accelerate.
We do not take over.
Vanadium : “A catalyst speeds up a reaction without being consumed by it. It is present at the exact moment two things would not otherwise combine, and it leaves unchanged.”
Who’s behind it
Nikhil Srinath
Founder
Where we sit
We are not competing with them. We are the stage before them.
| Firm | Entry requirement | Mechanism | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y Combinator | An existing company | Capital for equity | Seed |
| Solo Founders | Fundable solo founder | Capital for equity | Pre-seed |
| a16z Speedrun | Fundable team, games and consumer | Capital for equity | Pre-seed |
| Catalysis23 | Ambition | Capability, then capital | Pre-company |
The builders we develop become the people they fund, which makes every one of those firms a partner rather than a rival, and gives us a defensible answer to the only hard question: why would a good founder come to you first.