Forge the
right team,
not just a team
AI‑guided matching across personality, values, working style, and skills, so you don’t spend months with the wrong partner (or the wrong investor).
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Forging Ahead
The problem with traditional networking for early-stage startups is that it’s time consuming and inconsistent, limited by location, high costs, lack of optimization, and not built for co-founder fit.
With Forge, we’re creating an investor-ready, founder-first platform that’s efficient and secure, with deep personality and skills-matching that values community over credentials. Unlike traditional platforms like LinkedIn, AngelList/Wellfound, or niche co-founder apps, Forge is purpose-built for early-stage founders and investors at the very beginning of the startup journey, where chemistry, resilience, and trust matter more than resumes.
%
of startup failures link to co-founder and team misalignment.
%
of early-stage founders are still looking for the right partner.
raised in U.S. seed funding in 2023; team quality is the #1 investor filter.
new U.S. businesses in 2023. Great teams are location-independent.
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A Letter from the Founder
Most startups don’t fail because the idea is wrong.
They fail because the people were misaligned.
I’ve seen how easily momentum can be mistaken for progress-partnerships formed quickly, decisions made under pressure, and foundations laid without enough intention. When things break later, it’s rarely because of talent or effort. It’s because alignment was never truly established.
Forge was built to change that.
From the beginning, I believed early entrepreneurship deserved better starting conditions. Not more speed. Not more noise. But clearer signals, stronger trust, and deliberate choice, before the stakes become too high.
Forge exists to help founders and early-stage investors choose each other intentionally. To create partnerships grounded in shared values, mutual respect, and a clear understanding of what they are building together.
How you start shapes everything that follows.
Alignment isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation.
Great companies aren’t built by chance. They’re built by people who choose alignment first.
~ Eilbra Youkhaneh
Founder & CEO, Forge
The Forge Match Engine
What we look at (simple, not spooky)
Personality Snapshot
Take our quick test or import yours. Your snapshot will be kept private unless you choose to share.
Workstyle & availability
Hours, async vs. sync, or decision style will be matched better with someone who shares the same.
Role expectations & equity
Who does what? How is equity distributed? Clear expectations from day one so you don’t have to worry.
Skills & product focus
We’ll partner you with someone who matches your strengths, improve your weaknesses, and help you build.
Values & deal‑breakers
You won’t have to worry about being matched with people who don’t believe in the same values you do.
Finding the right people is the hardest part.
- PCo-founder conflict sinks teams
- PSolo founders get stuck waiting or guessing
- PMost platforms reward resumes, not chemistry
- PInvestor discovery is slow and luck-based
For founders, co-founders, and investors!
Forge is built for pre-seed and seed-stage founders who want to go beyond job titles, resumes, and polished bios to find their co-founders. Using a smart matching algorithm, founders have a more open road to being matched with their perfect co-founder while increasing their visibility to be discovered by VCs and investors.
Who is this ideal for?
Solo entrepreneurs looking for technical/business counterparts, idea-stage builders, or founders with traction but no team.
Co-founders looking for their founders don’t have to look hard for the perfect fit. Whether they’re searching for values-based compatibility, skill set-focused complement or other compatible alignment, Forge helps founders and co-founders get matched, with smart algorithms, intuitive AI, and more.
Who is this ideal for?
Solo entrepreneurs looking for technical/business counterparts, idea-stage builders, or founders with traction but no team.
VCs and angels increasingly want to get in early-stage deals earlier, when valuations are lower and impact is higher.
Forge makes it easy so that founding teams and investors are no longer geographically bound, and startup founders can be seen easier in a remote-based borderless era.
Who is this ideal for?
Angel investors & micro VCs that are always hunting for early signals, deal flow, and strong founder teams before Series A or Y Combinator.
Startup accelerators & incubators can use the app to source stronger founding teams or even scout talent before program entry.
Trust by design
Private by default, easy DNA, delete anytime.
Compatibility First
Personality, workstyle, roles, values—not just titles.
Momentum Built In
Move from “nice chat” to “first shipped task” without leaving the app
Your Own Ideas
We don’t share your private content without your consent.
Staged Disclosure
Start light; reveal more as trust grows.
Simple Agreements
US-valid templates when you’re ready to formalize.