What VESS - Venture Studio does

VESS is a venture studio operating under the legal entity MASTERMINDS STUDIO, S.L., headquartered in Seville, Spain, that co-creates companies with experienced entrepreneurs across Europe and Latin America. The studio runs a four-phase operating model — sourcing, build, boost, scale — and applies a "time-machine" sourcing thesis that leverages direct relationships inside the Chinese ecosystem to identify market patterns 3-7 years before they surface in EU/LATAM markets. As of the source data, VESS employs 8 people, was founded in 2024, and serves four stakeholder groups: experienced entrepreneurs applying through the Founders Hub Platform, corporate partners across energy, financial services, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure, investors (family offices, funds-of-funds, institutional investors, corporate VCs, and sophisticated angels), and ecosystem partners including universities, research centres, innovation hubs, and perk providers.

The studio's core technology is the Founders Hub Platform, a private invitation-only digital environment combining a proprietary scoring system for evaluating entrepreneur suitability and a matching algorithm that pairs validated venture opportunities with operator profiles based on background, ambitions, and fit. The company has no public API or SDK and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities beyond the automated scoring and matching functions. Products and services are organized around four engagement programs — Entrepreneur Engagement, Corporate Partnership, Investor Deal Flow, and Ecosystem & Perks — plus a Time-Machine Sourcing Intelligence offering, distributed through a relationship-based GTM motion using the website, LinkedIn, direct email and WhatsApp, and direct corporate and investor sales engagement.

VESS makes money through equity ownership in the portfolio companies it co-creates, rather than through subscription fees or service retainers; corporate partnerships, investor engagement, and ecosystem participation are structured through custom agreements with no publicly disclosed pricing. The studio retains meaningful equity stakes aligned with founder economics, funds ventures through studio resources and external co-investors, and spins companies out as independent entities once they reach the scale phase. No revenue, ARR, funding rounds, or external institutional investment are disclosed in the source material.

Name

VESS - Venture Studio

Legal name

MASTERMINDS STUDIO, S.L.

Website

https://vess.digital

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VESS is a Seville-based venture studio that co-creates companies end-to-end with experienced entrepreneurs, serving corporate partners, investors, and ecosystem players across energy, financial services, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure in Europe and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Studio Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

Keywords

• Venture studio services
• Startup co-creation
• Venture building platform
• Founder matching system
• Entrepreneur matching platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Seville

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equity Ownership in Portfolio Companies: VESS co-creates companies with entrepreneurs and retains equity stakes. As co-founders rather than service providers, VESS participates in company upside through meaningful ownership aligned with founder economics. Ventures are funded through studio resources and external co-investors before spinning out as independent entities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VESS - Venture Studio co-creates new companies with experienced entrepreneurs through a structured four-phase operating model (Inspire, Connect, Validate, Co-build). The studio sources ideas, validates them with capital, and assembles senior execution teams, retaining equity ownership in the resulting portfolio companies. It is supported by a digital Founders Hub platform and a Time-Machine sourcing intelligence capability.

Product overview

VESS is a venture studio that operates as a platform-plus-services model rather than a single SaaS product. The core offering is the Founders Hub Platform — a private digital environment for evaluating and matching experienced entrepreneurs with validated venture opportunities. Around this platform, VESS provides four engagement services: the Entrepreneur Engagement Program for experienced builders, the Corporate Partnership Program for enterprise innovation, Investor Deal Flow Access for venture capital, and the Ecosystem & Perks Network for universities and technology partners. The operating model follows four phases (sourcing, build, boost, scale) that provide a structured path from validated idea to independent company. The Time-Machine Sourcing Intelligence differentiates the studio by importing market patterns from China to anticipate opportunities in EU/LATAM markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Founders Hub Platform Digital platform that supports entrepreneur matching, scoring, and ongoing portfolio company engagement across the studio's four-phase operating model. It is the operational backbone for the Inspire → Connect → Validate → Co-build workflow.
• Venture Studio Operating Model Structured four-phase venture creation methodology (Inspire, Connect, Validate, Co-build) used by the studio to systematically source, validate, and launch portfolio companies alongside experienced entrepreneurs.
• Entrepreneur Engagement Program Structured program through which experienced entrepreneurs are recruited, scored, and matched with venture ideas to co-build companies inside the studio.
• Corporate Partnership Program B2B engagement program for corporates that want curated venture co-creation exposure, deal flow, and collaboration with the studio's portfolio of ventures.
• Investor Deal Flow Access Service through which the studio provides investors access to a curated pipeline of co-built ventures and validated startup deal flow.
• Ecosystem & Perks Network Network of ecosystem partners (SaaS tools, talent, service providers, perks) that offer in-kind support to portfolio founders in exchange for distribution into the studio community.
• Time-Machine Sourcing Intelligence Proprietary sourcing intelligence capability used by the studio to systematically source venture ideas and entrepreneur talent, underpinning the Inspire and Connect phases of the operating model.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2x faster path to seed (10-11 months vs ~31 months traditional)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Corporate Partners (Energy Sector)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep structural partnerships with corporate innovation leaders across energy sector. Partners bring real unsolved problems and receive access to entrepreneurial teams, senior execution layer, and equity upside in ventures created to address their industry challenges.
• Corporate Partners (Financial Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with financial services corporates for fintech and financial infrastructure ventures. Corporate partners gain proprietary deal flow and strategic optionality while providing distribution channels for portfolio companies.
• Corporate Partners (Advanced Manufacturing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngagement with advanced manufacturing corporates to identify Industry 5.0 opportunities. Partners access venture creation capabilities while providing industrial expertise and customer access for portfolio companies.
• Corporate Partners (Healthcare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare sector partnerships focused on life sciences ventures. Corporate partners gain faster access to validated solutions while providing clinical and regulatory domain expertise.
• Corporate Partners (Infrastructure)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart infrastructure sector partnerships for ventures addressing urban and industrial infrastructure challenges. Partners contribute market intelligence and gain early access to emerging solutions.
• Universities and Research CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem partnerships with universities and research centres providing access to IP, talent, and research outputs. Partners gain business design and validation work, founder matching, funding from day one, and path to corporate customers through VESS network.
• Innovation HubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with innovation hubs providing startup ecosystem infrastructure and domain expertise. Hubs gain distribution into pipeline of well-resourced portfolio companies and shared upside in enabled ventures.
• Service and Expertise PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnerships with lawyers, accountants, recruiters, brand and design studios, growth specialists, and regulatory advisors serving as default options for fast-growing portfolio companies.
• Chinese Ecosystem RelationshipscoreOthersDeep working relationships inside Chinese ecosystem with operators, founders, corporate innovation teams, and investors who built the original technology wave. Enables time-machine sourcing thesis by providing direct insight into what solutions worked, failed, and why.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Entrepreneur First: Talent-first venture studio that assembles technical founders into teams to build companies from scratch. Comparable to VESS through its structured founder-matching methodology and venture creation approach across multiple geographies.
• High Alpha: US-based venture studio that conceives, launches, and invests in B2B SaaS companies. Directly comparable to VESS due to its studio model of co-creating companies with operators, providing shared services, and equity-based economics.
• Idealab: Pioneer of the venture studio model, founding and operating multiple internet technology companies over two decades. Comparable to VESS as an established venture studio creating companies through internal ideation, validation, and launch processes.
• Atomic: US-based venture studio that launches companies in partnership with founders, providing capital, talent, and operational support from day one. Comparable to VESS through its structured studio approach and full senior team assembly for each venture.
• Kamet Ventures: Paris-based venture studio focused on insurtech and health-tech verticals with corporate insurer partnerships. Comparable to VESS through its European base, venture studio model, and deep corporate partnership structure providing distribution for portfolio companies.
• Antler: Global venture studio that co-creates companies with experienced founders across multiple geographies. Directly comparable to VESS due to its founder-matching methodology, structured venture creation model, and global footprint spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform and venture builder that connects startups with corporate partners across multiple verticals. Comparable to VESS through its corporate-startup matching model, vertical-specific programs, and equity-based engagement structures.
• Hexa: European venture studio (formerly eFounders) that co-builds B2B SaaS companies with founders. Closely comparable to VESS given its European base, venture studio model, full-stack support from ideation through scale, and focus on software-enabled businesses.

Regional players

• Beta-i: Portuguese innovation hub and venture builder operating in the Iberian market, running acceleration programs and corporate innovation projects. Comparable to VESS as a regional venture builder with a similar European focus, though smaller in scale and operating primarily from Lisbon rather than Spain.

Broad incumbents

• Wayra (Telefónica): Corporate innovation arm and venture builder of Telefónica, operating startup hubs and investing in early-stage ventures across multiple geographies. Comparable to VESS as a corporate-backed venture creation platform with structured founder engagement and ecosystem partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vess-venture-studio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VESS - Venture Studio