CoFoundersLab, a US based matchmaking portal for entrepreneurs is now open for India
Starting up alone or finding a co-founder is always a debate and both have their pros and cons but more often than not, we see companies having co-founders. Having a good balance of skills at the top is very important for a startup and if you're a lone person looking for someone to complement your skills, finding someone is a huge challenge.
Shahab Kaviani and Culin Tate who are both established entrepreneurs met at a 'Co-Founders Wanted Meetup' in Maryland in 2010 and realized the troubles in the process of finding a co-founder. They got together to help fix the problem and came up with CoFoundersLab which conducts events and has an online tool as well to help entrepreneurs find co-founders. Anyone can create their profile on the CoFoundersLab and from thereon, the startup helps you find the right match. The CoFounderLab is a six member team based in Maryland USA.
Entrepreneurs everywhere can create an online profile and connect with fellow entrepreneurs who are seeking to be part of a startup. We're also expanding our co-founder matching events outside of the U.S. where we've been hosting these events for more than 3 years in more than 25 cities across the United States.
CoFounders Lab raised investment in 2012 and now have more than 15,000 entrepreneurs on the platform. They work on a freemium model wherein the PRO version allows one to connect with any number of entrepreneurs (5/month for the free version) along with other features.
The events have a format which has been arrived at after a lot iterations over the 3 years. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to create profiles online before attending the event to best target the most likely partner. "At the event, we facilitate networking through color-coded stickers, quick intros, then facilitated networking. We also educate attendees on what questions to ask and what to look for as far as compatibility in the most complimentary co-founder," says Shahab.
The company has now entered India with a partnership with The Morpheus and are looking for additional partners. "We expect to be hosting events, and bringing thousands of entrepreneurs to the online platform by year end, leading to our first matches and new companies shortly after. We expect to host events in Pune, Mumbai, Bombay ,Delhi, and Bangalore," says Shahab about their plans for India.