Onfound Startup Programme
Grow your startup.
with Onfound Experts.
Access senior leaders and mentors through the Onfound Startup Programme. Put their experience to work on winning customers, building your product and preparing your business to grow.
Free for startups.Vetted experts, trained for fractional and advisory work.
For early- and mid-stage startups that have already launched.
Explore the programme01 / Senior expertise, within reach
Bring senior expertise
into your startup.
You’ve launched. Now there are customers to win, decisions to make and a business to grow. Onfound connects you with senior expertise for the work ahead, even before a full-time executive hire makes sense.
Bring experience
to big decisions.
Work through pricing, product priorities or your next hire with someone who brings relevant experience. Understand your options before committing time and money.
Turn priorities
into action.
Bring a senior leader into the team to own agreed work, from improving your sales process to getting delivery less dependent on you.
Keep cash
in the business.
The programme is free for startups, including the initial placement. Access experienced people without adding a full-time salary or an obligation to pay for future work.
02 / Choose how you work together
Work with a
Fractional Executive
or Startup Advisor.
From go-to-market and finance to product, technology and people: find the expertise you need, with the level of involvement that fits the work.
Fractional Executive
A senior leader.
Part of your team.
A Fractional Executive takes a part-time leadership role in your startup. They lead an agreed area, work with your team and take responsibility for moving the work forward.
- Lead an area such as sales, finance or operations
- Turn business priorities into a plan and own delivery
- Build the processes and capability your team needs
Startup Advisor
An experienced voice.
In your corner.
A Startup Advisor brings specialist experience to the decisions you’re making. They help you explore options, question assumptions and work out your next move while you lead the business.
- Work through decisions on growth, pricing or expansion
- Test your plans before you commit resources
- Get specialist guidance you can put into practice
03 / Why Onfound
Why startups
choose Onfound
Get senior expertise into your business through a free programme, with a team that helps you find the right fit.
Swipe to compare your options
| Startup ProgrammeOnfoundFree to join | Traditional Recruiters | DIY / Your Network | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of finding expertise | Free | Recruitment fees | Your time and outreach |
| Dedicated programme lead | Yes | No | No |
| Matching based on your company’s needs | Yes | Recruiter shortlist | Your own search |
| Fractional Executives | Yes | Varies by recruiter | Depends on your network |
| Startup Advisors | Yes | Varies by recruiter | Depends on your network |
| Pro bono placement included | Yes | No | No |
Onfound vets participating experts and trains them for fractional and advisory work. Your programme-lead call comes before matching, so you can work out what your business needs together.
See how it works04 / From application to placement
How the programme works.
Join the waitlist now. When applications open, the process starts with your application and a call with our programme lead. We’ll explore your priorities before matching you with the expertise your startup needs.
Tell us what you need.
Tell us about your company, what you’ve launched and what you want to achieve. You don’t need to know which expert or role you need yet.
Speak with our programme lead.
Talk through your company’s needs, challenges and priorities. Our programme lead helps you work out where experienced input could make the biggest difference.
Meet your expert.
Based on your conversation, we match you with expertise suited to your company’s needs. Meet the expert to discuss your goals and how you could work together.
Agree the work. Get started.
Set your priorities, responsibilities, expected hours and working rhythm together. Start your pro bono placement with a clear plan for the work ahead.
The programme is free. Any paid work afterwards is optional and agreed directly with the expert. Introductions depend on fit and availability.
05 / Find your expertise
What does your startup need?
More customers? A stronger product? A clearer view of cash? Answer four short questions to explore the expertise that fits your next stage.
Enable JavaScript to explore suggested expertise, or read about Fractional Executives and Startup Advisors above.
Explore a suggested role and practical priorities. After you apply, our programme lead will help you work out the best fit for your company before matching you with an expert.
06 / Before you apply
Your questions, answered.
Who can join, why the programme is free and what working with an expert involves.
Is the programme really free?
Yes. The Onfound Startup Programme is free for startups, including your initial pro bono placement. That means you don’t pay the expert for the agreed placement work. Any paid work after the placement is a separate arrangement you can discuss together, with no obligation to continue.
Who can join?
Early- and mid-stage startups that have already launched and have a business challenge suited to senior expertise. You should be ready to share context, make time to collaborate and put the agreed work into practice. Pre-launch ideas are not eligible for this programme.
Who are the experts?
Experienced leaders and specialists building fractional and advisory careers. Onfound vets participating experts and provides training for this kind of work. The programme covers specialisms including go-to-market, sales, finance, product, technology, operations and people. The right placement depends on your needs, the expert’s experience and availability.
Why do experts work pro bono?
The placement is part of their move into fractional or advisory work. It gives them the chance to apply their existing expertise in a startup, build their portfolio and establish a working relationship. Your startup gets access to that experience through a defined placement.
How long is the placement?
Three months for a Fractional Executive or six months for a Startup Advisor. Before starting, you agree the work, responsibilities, expected hours and how you’ll stay in touch. A fractional role is part-time; an advisory role centres on guidance and decisions.
How much time will I need to commit?
Make time to brief your expert, share relevant business information, attend agreed check-ins and follow through on decisions. A fractional executive also needs access to the team and work they will lead; an advisor needs context and preparation for your conversations. Agree the expected hours and meeting rhythm together before the placement starts.
What happens after I join the waitlist?
We’ll email you when applications open. Joining the waitlist doesn’t confirm a place or an expert match. Once applications open, your first step after applying is a call with our programme lead to explore your company’s needs. Matching follows that conversation, and you’ll meet the expert before agreeing a placement.
What if the placement isn’t working?
Raise concerns about the work or expectations with your expert. You can also contact Onfound about scope or fit so we can discuss the situation and next steps with you both.
Do I have to pay or keep working together afterwards?
No. There is no obligation to continue after the pro bono placement. If you and the expert want to keep working together, you can discuss the role, time and payment directly. Any paid engagement is separate from the free programme.
07 / Onfound Startup Programme
Bring senior experience
into your next stage of growth.
The programme is launching soon. Join the waitlist and tell us what you’re building. We’ll email you when applications open. The programme is free, with no obligation to continue into paid work.