Turn your industry experience into a scalable SaaS company.
Napkin Ventures partners with senior executives to build Business to Business(B2B) software companies from idea to scale — without the traditional venture complexity.
How It Works
From napkin sketch to funded startup—we work with founders to build category-defining companies.
Share Your Idea
Submit your napkin-sketch concept. We look for experienced operators with deep industry knowledge and a clear pain point worth solving.
Build Together
We pair you with a dedicated team—business development, engineering, cybersecurity compliance, customer experience engagement, back office support and go-to-market—to validate, build and launch your product in months, not years.
Scale with Support
Once you have traction, we help you raise, hire, and grow. You stay in the driver's seat while we accelerate the journey.
Taking great business software ideas from proven executives off the "napkin" and bringing them to market.
Napkin Ventures partners with proven executives to turn high-value software ideas into scalable, venture-backed B2B SaaS companies — quickly, efficiently, and with discipline.
The Big Idea (On a Napkin)
We start with experienced operators — senior executives, founders, and industry leaders — who see a better way to solve a meaningful problem in a $10B+ market. These are not first-time founders guessing their way forward; they are insiders with unfair insight, relationships, and credibility.
Founder-Napkin Partnership
Napkin Ventures works alongside founders who want to focus on building the business — not fundraising, staffing, or infrastructure. Access to a complete fractional C-suite for your startup. From CISO and CTO to COO, CMO, and CXO, our experts combine strategy, engineering, compliance, and go-to-market execution to help you validate, build, and launch faster.
Early capital
Strategic guidance
Proven operators and advisors
Execution resources through vetted partners
In return, Napkin Ventures typically earns up to a 50% equity position, aligned with long-term value creation.
Pre-Revenue Valuation Discipline
Napkin Ventures uses an industry-accepted pre-revenue valuation framework to establish fair, repeatable entry points before product launch. We apply the Berkus Method, which evaluates five core value drivers:
Sound Idea — Clear problem, strong market need
Prototype / Technology — Working prototype or MVP plan
Quality Management Team — Proven leaders with execution history
Strategic Relationships — Insider access to buyers or partners
Sales Traction or Plan — Early validation, LOIs, or rollout strategy
Each category is capped, resulting in a disciplined pre-revenue valuation (typically up to $2.5M). This protects downside risk while preserving upside for both founders and investors.
Launch & Acceleration (First 6 Months)
Each company begins with a $150,000 initial funding package designed to reach meaningful early milestones. This phase includes:
Product validation or prototype development
Go-to-market planning
Access to experienced operators and functional leaders
Execution support via approved third-party partners
The goal is speed without waste — and progress without unnecessary dilution.
Proven B2B Software as a Service (SaaS) Build Model
Napkin applies a repeatable B2B Software as a Service (SaaS) playbook focused on predictability and capital efficiency:
Clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and buyer-led design
Measured product releases
Early revenue signals
Tight cost control
Scalable operating processes
This approach reflects how successful Software as a Service (SaaS) companies are built — and valued.
Exit-Ready Company Profile
Napkin Ventures builds companies specifically for Series A readiness and strategic exits. A "ready" company typically demonstrates:
$2-5M in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
50%+ annual growth rate
Full-time leadership team in place
Mature product development and release processes
Predictable sales and operating metrics
Clear capital plan to scale 10x
Target valuation at this stage: $20M+.
Portfolio & Scale
Napkin Ventures applies this same formula across a growing portfolio of early-stage B2B SaaS companies — allowing investors to benefit from diversification while founders gain a repeatable path to success.
The Napkin Advantage
Winning by not losing.
By backing experienced leaders, enforcing valuation discipline, and executing a proven SaaS model, Napkin Ventures consistently turns "napkin ideas" into scalable, exit-ready companies.
Portfolio
Founder-led companies built with Napkin Ventures. Click on the company to view the founder story, solution and execution model.
Who We Are
Napkin Series Investments distinguishes itself by partnering with seasoned industry executives and repeat founders to invest early in foundational-level startups. This approach leverages their expertise and allows us to secure majority equity positions in our portfolio companies. By combining experienced leadership with early-stage investment, Napkin Series Investors offer greater liquidity than traditional venture capital investments.
Napkin Ventures (Napkin) will be entering into agreements with inventors/founders of SaaS companies to managed and invest in the early stages of the company development. Napkin will exit the primary management role of these engagements within 5 years but either raising additional capital from a larger preferred investor, the sale of the company or a company buyback of Napkin's interest.
Our motto is "Winning by Not Losing". This mindset recognizes that not every company will be a $1B unicorn but we will create the best possible conditions for companies to reach profitability.
Meet The Team
Seasoned executives with decades of experience building, scaling, and exiting companies across industries.
There are three main groups of senior resources leveraging complimentary skills and experience designed to support all aspects of the building of these early-stage startups.
Management Team
Founding partners and other critical staff members to ensure execution of each portfolio business plan.
Advisors
Active investors or other senior resources who are interested to help provide guidance and other support to specific portfolio companies. These positions maybe both pro-bono as well as paid engagements.
C-Suite Bench
This group of individuals are senior executives who bring unique experience to a portfolio company either with industrial knowledge or past experience of growing early stage SaaS startups.
Eben Hall
PresidentEben Hall leverages over 25 years of change leadership to drive both strategic and tactical excellence, helping companies meet their objectives.
Large enterprise experience at GE, Wolters Kluwer, Anthem, Chubb, and B.Braun
Small/startup experience across dozens of companies
Vast industry knowledge: real estate, financial services, hospitality, aerospace, medical equipment, and retail
Broad functional skills across IT, Finance, Operations and Sales
3x Exit (Services, Financial & Retail)
Ameet Shetty
Senior AdvisorAmeet Shetty is an award-winning C-level Technology Executive and Data and Analytics leader with comprehensive experience as a CDO, CIO, CDAO, CFO and CTO within prominent multinational organizations.
Large complex enterprise company experience such as Equifax (NYSE: EFX), Pilot Company (Berkshire Hathaway Company), McDonalds (NYSE: MCD), SunTrust Bank (NYSE: STI)
Global Top 100 Innovator in Data & Analytics by Corinium Global Intelligence (2020)
Family office experience