CoFoundersLab
CoFoundersLab is a Los Angeles-based SaaS platform connecting 700,000+ entrepreneurs globally with co-founders, advisors, and investors through a freemium membership model at $29/month.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What CoFoundersLab does
CoFoundersLab, operated by CFLAB LLC and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a web-based SaaS platform that connects entrepreneurs with potential co-founders, advisors, mentors, and investors. Founded in 2011, the company claims a community of more than 700,000 entrepreneurs across 200+ cities and six continents, supported by over 200 expert advisors. Its core offering is a membership platform with a proprietary matching algorithm that recommends co-founder candidates based on interests, skills, and location, complemented by built-in video chat, weekly live events, and a 15-module learning center covering startup fundamentals.
The platform operates on a freemium model. Basic membership is free with limited search and messaging, while premium membership is priced at $29 per month (with an annual option) and unlocks unlimited co-founder search, video chat, member spotlight exposure, learning center access, and partner perks. The premium tier bundles discounts and free-trial access with a curated ecosystem of partners including HubSpot, Slidebean, Unbounce, Soona, Customerly, Pipe, Undock, Pepperdine, Founders Institute, and SCORE. Distribution is entirely self-serve through the company's website, with marketing driven by organic social, email, SEO, and community word-of-mouth.
CoFoundersLab has raised approximately $1.38 million across five funding rounds between 2012 and 2014, with Maryland Venture Fund, Fortify Ventures, and SOL Ventures as notable investors. The company executed four acquisitions during 2012-2014 (Techcofounder, FounderMatchup, Wonpy, and Bizpora) to consolidate competing startup-matching platforms. Leadership comprises CEO Stephen Lehman, CFO Barry Shereck, and product lead Ethan Halfhide. The company operates with 11-50 employees and shows no disclosed AI/ML capabilities beyond its basic matching algorithm.
CoFoundersLab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CoFoundersLab
- Legal name
- CFLAB LLC
- Website
- https://cofounderslab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CoFoundersLab is a Los Angeles-based SaaS platform connecting 700,000+ entrepreneurs globally with co-founders, advisors, and investors through a freemium membership model at $29/month.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CoFoundersLab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Networking & Startup Matching Platform
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator-Led Course Hosting & Monetization Platforms (EDAFAIAC)
Keywords
Where CoFoundersLab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CoFoundersLab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Subscription Membership: Monthly and annual subscription tiers providing premium features including unlimited co-founder search, video chat access, weekly live events, member spotlight exposure, partner perks, and learning center access. Revenue is recurring and predictable from subscription fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic membership with core features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium membership at $29/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual premium subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
CoFoundersLab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CoFoundersLab operates a web-based platform that helps entrepreneurs find co-founders, advisors, mentors, and investors using a matching algorithm. It runs on a freemium model with a paid premium subscription that unlocks advanced search, messaging, and community features.
Product overview
CoFoundersLab operates as a single unified platform for startup co-founder matching with a tiered subscription model. The core CoFoundersLab Platform enables entrepreneurs to connect with co-founders, advisors, and investors through search, messaging, and video chat features. Premium Membership ($29/month) serves as a subscription add-on that unlocks unlimited search, exclusive partner discounts, weekly live events, a learning center with 15 modules, member spotlight features, and proprietary matching algorithms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CoFoundersLab Matching Platform Web-based platform that connects entrepreneurs with potential co-founders, advisors, mentors, and investors via a matching algorithm and searchable member profiles. Aimed at startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking team members or capital.
- Premium Subscription Paid membership tier priced at approximately $29/month that unlocks advanced features such as expanded search, unlimited messaging, and additional community and learning resources for entrepreneurs.
- Learning Center Educational resources and live weekly events providing entrepreneurs with startup knowledge, training, and community engagement.
Companies that use CoFoundersLab
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CoFoundersLab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
CoFoundersLab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HubSpotcoreHubSpot partnership provides CoFoundersLab premium members with free access to HubSpot's inbound marketing and sales platform for the first 3 months. HubSpot helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers.
- SlidebeancoreSlidebean partnership offers 50% off on Starter and Premium Plans. Slidebean provides pitch deck templates and professional presentation design tools for startup founders.
- SoonaminorSoona partnership provides first photo free (value $39) and first headshot free (value $39) for CoFoundersLab members. Soona specializes in product and people content, particularly for DTC and E-commerce businesses.
- PipeminorPipe partnership offers 12 months of waived trade fees. Pipe is a trading platform where companies can trade recurring revenue streams for upfront capital without debt or dilution.
- UnbounceminorUnbounce partnership provides 14-day free trial plus 20% off for a whole year or 20% off for 3 months on packages. Unbounce offers drag-and-drop landing page building tools.
- CustomerlyminorCustomerly partnership offers $250 OFF on Startup or Pro plans. Customerly provides CRM and customer service automation as an all-in-one platform bridging companies and customers.
- UndockcoreUndock partnership provides Forever Free Offer for scheduling. Undock is a calendar with scheduling that works like autocomplete, offering the fastest way to find time to meet with anyone.
- PepperdineminorPepperdine University partnership provides educational resources and network access for startup founders through CoFoundersLab platform.
- Founders InstituteminorFounders Institute partnership offers exclusive startup program access and discounts for CoFoundersLab members seeking structured accelerator support.
- SCOREminorSCORE mentoring provides business mentorship support for entrepreneurs launching startups through CoFoundersLab platform. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CoFoundersLab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FounderDating: A niche online community explicitly built for entrepreneurs to find co-founders. It overlaps directly with CoFoundersLab on target customer (early-stage founders) and core offering (co-founder matching).
- Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent): A startup-focused talent marketplace connecting candidates with venture-backed startups. It directly competes for early-stage founder and team-member attention and now includes venture/product/engineering roles at startups.
- Founder Institute: A global pre-seed accelerator program that helps aspiring founders form companies, often by facilitating co-founder matching. Direct functional overlap with CoFoundersLab's team-formation focus (and a listed commercial partner of CoFoundersLab).
- Founders Network: A vetted community of tech founders providing peer mentorship, networking, and resources. Comparable in offering private founder-to-founder mentorship and learning to CoFoundersLab's premium tier.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: Operates a free co-founder matching tool as part of its broader accelerator platform. As the most influential startup accelerator globally, it competes for the same founder-matching use case while offering the additional pull of entry into YC.
- LinkedIn: The dominant professional network, with implicit co-founder discovery through profile search, alumni tools, and groups. As a broad incumbent, it does not specialize in co-founder matching but can substitute for it at zero subscription cost.
- Techstars: A global accelerator network that, through its programs and Startup Weekend events, actively matches entrepreneurs with co-founders. Operates much more broadly than CoFoundersLab but overlaps on the same team-formation pain point.
Emerging players
- Indie Hackers: A community and content platform for independent founders building online businesses. Comparable in serving solo/early-stage founders and providing educational content, though without a co-founder matching product.
- MicroConf: A community and conference series for self-funded SaaS and 'micro' founders. Overlaps with CoFoundersLab's premium learning/events positioning and targets the same early-stage founder persona.
Others
- SCORE: A nonprofit small-business mentoring network and partner of CoFoundersLab. Functionally adjacent — it provides the kind of free mentorship and advisor matching that CoFoundersLab layers into its premium member experience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CoFoundersLab social profiles
Digital presenceCoFoundersLab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CoFoundersLab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CoFoundersLab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CoFoundersLab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CoFoundersLab
What does CoFoundersLab do?
CoFoundersLab operates a web-based platform that helps entrepreneurs find co-founders, advisors, mentors, and investors using a matching algorithm. It runs on a freemium model with a paid premium subscription that unlocks advanced search, messaging, and community features.
Is CoFoundersLab a public or private company?
CoFoundersLab is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CoFoundersLab founded?
CoFoundersLab was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CoFoundersLab based?
CoFoundersLab is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does CoFoundersLab make money?
One revenue line is on record: premium Subscription Membership.
Who are CoFoundersLab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FounderDating, Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent), Founder Institute and Founders Network. Broad incumbents are Y Combinator, LinkedIn and Techstars. Emerging players are Indie Hackers and MicroConf. SCORE is listed as an others.
Does CoFoundersLab have an API?
No public API is recorded for CoFoundersLab.
What industry is CoFoundersLab in?
CoFoundersLab's product category is Professional Networking & Startup Matching Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAMAN, Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAC, Creator-Led Course Hosting & Monetization Platforms. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 8600.