Aclarys is a Fund of Founders that provides personal liquidity to venture-backed startup founders by issuing pooled, tokenized credit secured against their unrealized equity. The platform structures senior debt for traditional finance institutions and junior debt for DeFi allocators, allowing founders to borrow without selling shares or transferring ownership. Each pool includes 10+ founders, diversified by stage, sector, and exit horizon, with pricing based on an auditable, repeatable methodology.
- Artificial Intelligence
- Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
- Financial Technology
- Software Only
- Web3 & NFTs
Funding
Founders
Product
Problem
Venture-backed founders often remain paper-rich and cash-poor for a decade or more, with median Series B founder ownership at 21.8% and dropping to 10.4% by Series D. Structural dilution and the 8-year median timeline from Seed to Series D mean many founders never receive personal liquidity from their startup, creating a long-term financial strain that outlasts their team tenure.
Solution
Aclarys operates as a Fund of Founders, pooling tokenized credit issued against unrealized founder equity without requiring share sales or cap table changes. The platform structures each pool with 10+ founders curated by stage, sector, and exit horizon, then distributes two tranches: senior debt to traditional finance institutions and junior debt to DeFi platforms. Founders pay interest on part of the advance and cover the remainder with a small, capped share of exit proceeds, with cash settling within weeks of pool close. The entire process runs through regulated infrastructure, and independent pricing models each company's cap table, peer set, and exit-horizon distribution.
Target Audience
Primary users are founders of venture-backed private companies at Series A or later with material personal equity exposure, while buyers comprise institutional credit allocators such as family offices and private credit funds, plus DeFi operators, post-exit founders, and accredited investors.
Features
- Pooled credit structure with 10+ founders per pool, diversified by stage, sector, and exit horizon, with composition locked at issuance
- Dual-tranche distribution model: senior debt for TradFi credit allocators and junior debt for DeFi-native distribution venues
- Founders contract with an SPV rather than buyers, keeping identity private through origination, issuance, and reporting
- Borrowing against equity without sale, share transfer, or cap table change, with draw structured so it is not itself a disposal event
- Methodology-led pricing that runs each company through a full model based on its own cap table, peer set, and exit-horizon distribution, with no flat discounts or third-party valuation pass-throughs
- Screening process that disqualifies companies where preferred holders would consume exit proceeds, regardless of founder strength