■ A portfolio program for venture funds

Install the operating foundation before it's a problem.

Finance, people, security and revenue systems, set up properly in the 90 days after a seed or Series A round. Sponsored by the fund, built into the plan for every new investment, and handed over to the team when it's done.

Start a fund pilotSee the program
Operating foundation scorecardEXAMPLE · FUND III · Q3
CompanyFinancePeopleSecurityRevenueDay
Co. A · Seed✓✓~✓84
Co. B · Series A✓~~~41
Co. C · Seed~!!~12
Co. D · Seed✓✓✓✓Done
✓In place~Being installed!Gap found

Example only. Each fund gets one view of every company's foundation, updated as the work happens.

The problem

The systems everyone means to set up after the round.

Right after a raise, every hour goes to product and hiring. The back office gets a spreadsheet and a promise. Twelve months later it shows up in diligence.

FinanceBooks that can't be trusted

Cash-basis bookkeeping, late closes and board decks rebuilt by hand every quarter.

PeopleHR by email thread

Offer letters from templates found online, equity grants tracked loosely, payroll set up in one state.

SecurityThe first security review stalls a deal

An enterprise buyer sends a questionnaire and nobody owns the answers.

RevenueMetrics no one agrees on

Three versions of ARR, a CRM nobody updates, and a pipeline that lives in the founder's head.

The program

Four tracks. One owner each. Ninety days.

We pick tools that fit the company's stage, set them up, write the runbooks and train the person who will own each one. No long-term consultant dependency.

Finance & reporting

Track 1
  • Accrual books and a monthly close by day 10
  • Budget versus actual and a 24-month model
  • A board and investor reporting pack
  • Clean cap table, 409A on schedule, R&D credit captured

Handed over: a close checklist and a board pack the team runs itself.

People & HR

Track 2
  • Payroll and HR system, set up for every state you hire in
  • Offer, onboarding and offboarding templates
  • Equity administration and grant tracking
  • An employee handbook and core policies

Handed over: a hiring and onboarding flow any manager can follow.

Security & compliance

Track 3
  • Single sign-on, MFA and device management
  • Access reviews and offboarding that actually removes access
  • Security policies and a vendor list
  • A SOC 2 readiness plan, sized to when customers will ask

Handed over: answers to the standard security questionnaire.

Revenue & data

Track 4
  • A CRM with defined pipeline stages and owners
  • One written definition for each core metric
  • A single KPI dashboard from live data
  • A monthly investor update template

Handed over: numbers the founder, the board and the next investor all agree on.

How it runs

From close to handover.

Weeks 0–2

Baseline

A scorecard across all four tracks, shared with the founder and the fund.

Weeks 2–8

Install

Tools chosen and configured, policies written, data migrated.

Weeks 8–12

Handover

Each system gets an owner, a runbook and training.

Months 4–12

Check-ins

A quarterly review keeps it from drifting, and the fund sees the scorecard.

For investors

Make it part of every new investment.

  • Add it to the 100-day plan or the side letter, so it happens instead of being promised.
  • One program and one scorecard across the portfolio, not a different setup at every company.
  • Companies arrive at the next round diligence-ready, with books and metrics that hold up.
  • Fewer late-night calls about payroll, a failed audit or a lost enterprise deal.
Start a pilot with three companies
For founders

Your investor is paying for this. Use it.

  • We do the setup work, so your team keeps shipping.
  • Tools sized to your stage. Nothing you'll have to rip out at Series B.
  • You own everything at the end: accounts, data, runbooks.
  • Your answers to diligence and security reviews are ready before anyone asks.
Ask about your fund
Why early

Skipped systems cost more later.

6–12 months

A traditional first SOC 2 project, from gap assessment to audit report. Starting early means it's done when the first enterprise buyer asks.

Industry estimate, Comp AI
$65k–$175k

The cost of a first SOC 2 done the traditional way, much of it engineering time pulled off the product.

Industry estimate, Comp AI
#1

Hiring and managing people is the top challenge founders report to their investors. A working HR system is where that starts.

Bain Capital Ventures
Get started

Start with a pilot.

Three portfolio companies, one 90-day program, and a scorecard at the end. If it works, roll it into every new investment.

■ First pilot cohort

Pilot enquiries open shortly.

We're lining up the first funds now. A short enquiry form for investors and founders will be on this page soon.

  • Three portfolio companies
  • One 90-day program across all four tracks
  • A portfolio scorecard at the end