TinySeed raises $25M to back more bootstrapped startups
Published in 2021, this chronicle by @einarvollset details the mechanics of building a profitable, self-funded business without venture backing. Key verified financial milestone: $25M.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Charging customers from day one acts as the ultimate filter for building software that solves genuine, high-urgency problems.
Keeping fixed overhead low and leveraging lean infrastructure allows founders to stay alive until market tailwinds kick in.
Small, repetitive improvements in customer retention and conversion rates yield massive returns over multi-year horizons.
Community Debate Themes:
The community focused on B2B customer acquisition channels, cold email vs SEO distribution, and balancing full-time employment with side-project development.
CATEGORY Bootstrapping & MRR →
HISTORICAL ERA Pandemic Bubble (2020–2022)
COMMUNITY SCORE ★ 63 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 15 comments
Great job. I have been following TinySeed for a while and I am really glad to read up on their investment thesis and terms. Hopefully, once my project gets sustainable revenue, I’ll definitely apply and love to be a part of the group.
We're a Batch 1 company and I can attest to the quality of the program. The cash is nice, but the real value is in the community and extensive mentorship network! Stoked to see TinySeed becoming a compelling investment vehicle.
We joined TinySeed last year as part of batch 2 and it was easily the best decision we've made regarding the business.
The money, advice, community and mentorship we got those last 10 months were definitely worth it.
Program Director here — we're over the moon about the raise and excited about backing 100+ startups over the next three years. Happy to answer any questions folks have about the program.
A bit funny that if they back a startup the startup isn't bootstrapped anymore.