Turn your industry experience into a scalable SaaS company.
Napkin Ventures partners with senior executives like you 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.
Apply To Napkin
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.
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.
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.
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 CFO, 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
Execution resources through vetted partners
A Team of Proven Operators and Advisors
Team
Work with your Napkin Ventures Fractional C-Suite Team
Napkin Ventures typically earns up to a 50% equity position with up to $2M of funding, aligned with long-term value creation.
Funding Stages
YR1 Pre-Angel (10%)
YR1 Angel (20%)
YR2 Seed (20%)
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.
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 Ventures 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 Napkin Venture shareholders to secure majority equity positions in our portfolio companies. By combining experienced leadership with early-stage investment, Napkin Ventures offer greater liquidity than traditional venture capital investments.
Napkin Ventures enters 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 by either raising additional capital from a larger preferred investor, the sale of the company or a company buyback of Napkin Venture'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.
Management Team
Founding partners and other critical staff members to ensure execution of each portfolio business plan.
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)
Invest in what's next – with us
We invite investors to champion not only innovative solutions but the many seasoned executives who put their trust in Napkin Ventures to elevate their best ideas into scalable SaaS companies.
At Napkin Ventures, we believe some of the best ideas start exactly where you'd expect — on a napkin. We also believe that by engaging investors at the beginning of innovative ideas the entrepreneurial journey is more rewarding for all involved. We're looking for investors who desire to be part of what's next.
If you like backing smart people early and helping shape the future, you'll feel part of the Napkin Ventures team from day one. Join us today for early access to what comes next.
Why People Invest With Us ...We Are a Founder First Company
Real Builders, Not Just Ideas
We back executives who've been there before - people who know how to take something from zero to market.
Simple, Focused Strategy
We concentrate on SaaS companies that either complement existing markets or shake them up entirely.
We Roll Up Our Sleeves
This isn't passive investing. We bring capital, hands-on support, and a strong network to help companies grow faster and smarter.
Aligned From Day One
Our typical model is a 50/50 partnership with the companies we back, built on shared upside and real commitment.
Clear Path Forward
We work toward a ~5-year horizon, with a focus on building meaningful value and creating liquidity opportunities.
Visibility You Can Trust
With independent valuations every 6 months, investors always have a clear picture of where things stand.
Napkin Ventures is a Georgia-based C Corporation founded in October 2024
with a simple goal: Help great ideas move faster from concept to company.
Explore InvestingAdvisors
Active investors or other senior resources who are interested in providing guidance and support to specific portfolio companies. These positions may be either pro bono or paid engagements.
John M. Humenik
Senior AdvisorKnown for energizing teams and delivering strategy with impact, John has deep expertise in local news, digital media, audience insights, product development, and organizational strategy and growth.
Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Local Media Association
Leads LMA's Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab and the AI Community Journalism Lab
Founder of Pinwheel Insights focusing on digital content innovation and business transformation
Former Vice President for News and Chief Content Officer at Lee Enterprises
Former President & Publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal and Arizona Daily Star
Co-founded the nationally acclaimed Tucson Festival of Books
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
Jason Weaver
Strategic AdvisorJason Weaver is an experienced inventor and entrepreneur with over a decade of success in launching innovative software platforms and securing venture capital funding. He has founded several startups, including one recognized among the top 50 most innovative companies globally. A thought leader in tech, Jason has written for Forbes, Mashable, and Bloomberg, and authored "Manager's Guide to Online Marketing" (McGraw-Hill). His expertise spans marketing technology, e-commerce, and media, and he excels in collaborating with engineers, designers, and business leaders to drive innovation.
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.
Sid Bhambhani
C-SuiteSid Bhambhani is a seasoned technology leader and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience driving innovation and scaling companies in the software industry. At global firms like PTC and Symantec, he played a pivotal role in launching high-impact product lines, building world-class engineering teams, and navigating complex mergers and acquisitions. As the co-founder of Summatti, an AI conversational analytics platform providing actionable insights for contact centers, Sid led the company to a successful acquisition by PartnerHero in 2023.