Reach beyond your network
Most venture deals start with a warm introduction. The platform puts your round in front of eligible investors you would not otherwise meet.
For founders
One cheque.
One line.
Many champions.
Raise part of your round from a syndicate of engaged investors, pooled into one entity on your cap table and led by an investor you choose.
How raising with the syndicate works
- 01
Apply
Through your Founders Friend profile, or with the short form here.
- 02
The homework
We do diligence and write it up with you, risks included.
- 03
The lead
An experienced investor you choose commits first.
- 04
The round
Investors take seats; one entity signs.
- 05
The updates
Quarterly, through one simple template.
What we look for
A team that has shipped
Evidence you can build and sell, not just plan.
Early proof
Customers, contracts, pilots or usage that show real demand.
A clear round
Pre-seed to Series A, with a lead or a lead in mind.
Candour
Founders who tell us what scares them. We publish risks, so we need them.
Why raise here
Reach the investors your network doesn’t.
Great companies stall at the raise because the right investors never hear about them. The platform changes who gets to see your round, and Founders Friend makes sure you’re ready when they do.
One line on your cap table
Syndicate investors are pooled into one vehicle, so you manage one shareholder, one signature and one update.
A lead you choose
An experienced investor you pick commits first and on the same terms, which gives everyone else a reason to look.
Diligence once, not twenty times
We do the homework with you and share it with every eligible investor, instead of each one starting from scratch.
Champions, not just cheques
Investors choose your round seat by seat, often because they care about what you are building.
Ready through Founders Friend
Your model, evidence and documents organised through Founders Friend before the first investor asks.
The disconnect
Plenty of capital. Too few doors.
Money is flowing into startups, but it pools in a handful of big rounds and moves through private networks. Most founders never meet most investors who would back them. That gap is why the platform exists.
- 390
announced Australian startup deals in 2025, down 17% on the year before, even as total funding rose
State of Australian Startup Funding 2025 - 58%
of all 2025 capital went to just 20 deals
State of Australian Startup Funding 2025 - 2%
of capital went to all-women founding teams
State of Australian Startup Funding 2025 - 1 in 5
Australian households forecast to meet the wholesale investor test within a decade
PwC for the FSC, 2024
- ~60%
of global venture capital in 2025 went to 629 companies raising $100 million or more
Crunchbase, 2025 - 30%+
of venture deals come through investors’ professional networks. Only 10% start with a founder reaching out
Gompers et al., 2019 - 0.6%
of US firms started with venture capital
Kauffman Foundation - 50
companies screened, on average, for every one a venture firm backs
Gompers et al., 2019
Readiness check
How diligence-ready are you?
Tick what you already have. It’s a quick self-check for you, not an assessment by us, and nothing you tick is sent anywhere.
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Start ticking. Founders Friend can help with anything you don’t have yet.
How the platform bridges the gap
Better-prepared founders. Better-informed investors.
Founders Friend gets founders ready for diligence. Palo Alto Syndicate is the platform that puts them in front of investors who would otherwise never see them, with the homework already done. Neither of us tells anyone what to invest in.
FFFounders, through Founders Friend
- One model of the companyNumbers, plan and story kept in one place
- Structured guidanceFive stages, from first idea to first raise
- Diligence-ready packThe documents investors ask for, organised before they ask
Palo Alto Syndicate, the platform
- Screened twiceThrough Founders Friend, then by our team
- The homeworkWhy we said yes, what could go wrong, every fee
- A lead goes firstNamed, experienced, own money in, same terms
Eligible investors
- IndividualsEligible wholesale investors, seat by seat
- Family officesCurated early-stage flow without building a team
- VC firms and angel groupsCo-invest, or bring the syndicate in behind your round
Founder questions
Before you apply.
Palo Alto Syndicate is a platform, not an adviser. It does not provide investment advice or recommendations. Every investment decision is yours.
Do I need to be on Founders Friend?
It helps. Founders who come through Founders Friend arrive with their model and documents in order, which makes the homework faster. You can still apply with the form on this page.
What does it cost a founder?
Fees and how they are shared are set out before anything is agreed. [Founder fees to be confirmed.]
Do I need a lead investor?
Every round on the platform has a named lead who commits first. If you don’t have one yet, tell us who you have in mind and we can talk it through.
Who sees my company’s details?
Sector and stage can be shown publicly. Your lead, terms and the homework are shared only with eligible investors after an eligibility check, and only with your agreement.
How long does it take?
It depends on how ready you are. Founders with a complete model and data room move fastest. [Typical timeline to be confirmed.]
Does applying commit me to anything?
No. Applying starts a conversation. Nothing is agreed until you sign.