About Founders Factory:
Founders Factory builds and funds startups alongside exceptional entrepreneurs and the world’s leading companies. Created by IPO-exited founders, we offer entrepreneurs capital, hands-on operational support from a team of experts, and unparalleled access to a network of industry-leading corporate partners. Since 2015, our 300+ portfolio companies have raised $1bn+ in follow-on funding from a roster of notable investors.
Our Studio partners with entrepreneurs from the very beginning, developing innovative ideas, technologies, and business models into high-growth companies. In collaboration with global brand activation agency Pico, we’re now seeking an experienced operator with entrepreneurial ambitions to take a new concept, created and validated by our Venture Design team, into the build phase. You will lead this venture as Founder & CEO with our investment and the full backing of Founders Factory.
The Concept:
In today’s evolving digital landscape, the intersection of generative AI and social media is ripe for innovation. Users and brands alike are navigating new territory, seeking authentic, safe, and engaging interactions with AI-driven virtual characters and influencers. Virtuals is poised to redefine this space by merging the virtual and real worlds, offering a platform where users and brands can create, nurture, and interact with virtual characters in a socially meaningful way.
Virtuals will revolutionize the social media experience by:
- Leveraging generative AI to create new forms of creative expression and social interaction.
- Enabling brand-safe activations and deep audience engagement through AI-driven content.
- Disrupting traditional social media models by giving users more control and ownership of the content they create and consume
With a multi-billion dollar social media industry and a growing demand for immersive, AI-powered experiences, the time is perfect to reshape how users and brands engage online. Our goal is to make every interaction more personalized, gamified, and socially relevant.
Feel free to give it a further read here.
What we’re offering:
- A unique opportunity to build a business that will scale and make an impact with you as majority equity owner
- £500k total investment in cash and services to help you build your venture - including the founder stipend, specialist resource and infrastructure budget of £89,000
- A validated concept and intellectual property
- A 6 month studio programme which includes:
- A studio squad lead and
- A full time venture builder,
- Wider FF team support, including leadership, mentorship, and network access
- Experienced fundraisers supporting you in shaping your narrative and helping you unlock access to future sources of capital
- Unparalleled access to our corporate partners and wider network (for life!):
- Senior access to Pico, the global brand activation agency helping to shape the market environment Virtuals will operate in. This partnership will deliver a significant unfair advantage to Virtuals.
- Access to Founder Factory’s corporate partners avoiding the “cold start” problem.
- Access to the Founders Forum network and community, where Gen.ai is a growing topic of interest
- Office space, co-located with other companies and our team
- A 6-month accelerator program and ongoing alumni community access
What you’ll bring:
- Proven expertise in developing products around social media - your skillset is technical.
- Experience building AI tools, AI characters/chatbots, and AI models.
- Deep understanding and interest in human psychology, social dynamics, storytelling, branding, and consumer psychology.
- You can develop a clear vision for the opportunity (including product direction) with the drive and expertise to execute it.
- A hands-on product mentality and the ability to empathize with users.
- You’re an experienced founder, builder, or operator capable of developing a venture from scratch.
- Proven ability to assemble a world-class team, attract customers, and secure investors.
- Evidence of thriving in ambiguous environments and a high aptitude for calculated risks.
- Nice to have: Experience with, and an understanding of new content ownership models and distribution such as blockchain and the fediverse.
