questions, answered
Everything founders ask us.
The venture studio model, our deal structure, the process, and the portfolio — in plain language. If your question isn't here, ask us directly.
about the studio
What is Tech Maven?
Tech Maven (“Maven”) is a venture studio headquartered at 155 N Wacker Dr, Chicago, operating since 2017. We build companies with their founders: we invest up to $3M per partnership — mostly as consulting and build credit, with direct capital where it moves the needle, plus working capital on top — and take equity or revenue share instead of invoicing fees. Ten ventures have shipped through the studio, alongside paid engineering engagements for organizations like NASA and Northern Trust.
What is a venture studio?
A venture studio is an organization that builds companies alongside founders, contributing hands-on product and engineering work plus capital, in exchange for ownership. It differs from a VC fund (which writes checks but doesn't build), an agency (which builds for fees but holds no stake), and an accelerator (which runs short cohort programs). Maven's model collapses capital and engineering into one partner with one aligned incentive. Read the full guide: What is a venture studio?
Where is Tech Maven located, and do you only work with Chicago companies?
We're based at 155 N Wacker Dr in Chicago's Loop, and we work with founders anywhere. The portfolio spans fintech in the US, healthcare platforms in production across hospital systems, and consumer products as far afield as the Philippines.
How long has Maven been operating?
Since 2017 — eight-plus years of company building, ten ventures shipped, and enterprise engagements including NASA's Data & Reasoning Fabric and distributed-ledger settlement work for Northern Trust ($14T assets under custody).
Who is Maven a fit for?
Founders and companies with a credible path to $200K+ in revenue by year two after launch — anywhere from a written thesis to a Series-A company that wants a long-term technology arm. We are stage-agnostic but partnership-shape opinionated.
the deal
How much does Maven invest?
Up to $3M per partnership. Most of it is delivered as consulting and build credit — design, engineering, and operational hours we would otherwise invoice — with direct capital layered in where it moves the needle, and working capital on top of the core investment so the company keeps moving while it builds.
What does Maven take in return?
Equity or revenue share — usually one or the other, occasionally both, set in the joint-venture agreement based on what the cap table and cashflow allow. We charge no retainers, no implementation fees, and nothing upfront.
Are there really no upfront fees?
Correct: $0 upfront. We invest before we ask anything of you. If we don't believe in the company enough to take that risk, we shouldn't be at the table.
Do you ask founders to share build costs?
Sometimes. Where revenue isn't yet proven, we may ask for a contribution toward build costs (our intake asks about a $50K contribution) — it aligns incentives and helps us prioritize, but it is discussed case by case and is not a fee.
Does Maven do pure consulting?
Only if we can hold equity in the end. Straight fee-for-service work without ownership isn't our model — the incentive alignment is the point.
How long is a typical partnership?
Up to 48 months. We stay for the second year, the third, and the parts of the roadmap nobody wants to own — observability, on-call, compliance.
process
What does the process look like from first call to build?
Three phases. Exploration (30–90 days): founder calls, a technical assessment, and a written scoping document. Agreement (30–60 days): letter of intent, consulting agreement, and a joint-venture agreement covering equity, revenue share, control, and unwinds. Launch (up to 48 months): MVP in users' hands, phased production deployment, then long-term partnership.
What team do I actually get?
A dedicated, named team — the same caliber of work as a top-tier engineering firm, but compensated in outcomes rather than hours. You also get the operator network: distribution intros, technical hires, fundraising paths, and regulatory contacts.
How do I start?
Two ways: the intake form (about 2 minutes, tells us stage, revenue expectations, and the ask) or just say hello. A Maven partner replies within two business days.
What information does the intake ask for?
Whether the founder is a company or an individual, your background, the year-two revenue picture (we focus on ventures with a credible path to $200K+ in year 2), any customer commitments or letters of intent, willingness to share build risk, and the primary ask — full product build, team augmentation, fractional CTO, go-to-market help, or capital.
portfolio & experience
What companies has Maven built?
Ten ventures across fintech, blockchain, healthcare, real estate, media, and mobility — including Obseq (stablecoin settlement liquidity), Earlii (AI commercialization of R&D, backed by Techstars, trusted by the US Census Bureau), BitRail (regulatory-compliant crypto payments, $900M+ annual transactions, 5M+ users), Plutus Protocol (DeFi for real-world rentals), Realios (retail access to commercial real estate), Linda (HIPAA-compliant AI voice agent for medical front desks), Questionnaire Connect® (patient intake in production across hospital systems), Oriri (live music competition for the Philippines), and WeGO (ride-sharing). See the work.
What enterprise engineering has Maven done?
Paid engagements — not equity ventures — including NASA's Data & Reasoning Fabric for safe autonomous flight, distributed-ledger settlement infrastructure for Northern Trust (the world's 4th-largest custodian, $14T AUC), and a HyperLedger Fabric supply-chain build for Daikin, a $20B manufacturer.
What sectors does Maven know best?
AI, blockchain and DeFi, payments and fintech, healthcare, real estate, media, and mobility — with deep production experience in regulated environments (HIPAA healthcare, US crypto regulatory frameworks, enterprise finance).
comparisons
How is a venture studio different from a VC?
A VC writes a check and advises from the board. A studio does that and builds — design, engineering, launch — as the same partner. With Maven you don't patch a check from a VC together with hours from an agency; the two come from one partner with one incentive. Full comparison: venture studio vs. VC vs. accelerator.
How is Maven different from a dev agency?
Agencies sell hours and are paid whether or not the product works. Maven takes equity or revenue share instead of invoices — if your company doesn't work, neither do we. The work is comparable to a top-tier engineering firm; the incentives are not.
How is Maven different from an accelerator like Y Combinator or Techstars?
Accelerators run short cohort programs — a small check, mentorship, demo day — and work best at the earliest stage. A studio is a long-term (up to 48-month), hands-on building partnership. They're complementary: Maven-built Earlii is itself backed by Techstars.
Ready to talk? Start the intake — it takes about two minutes — or read how we partner.