Our year in review is available now.

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Learn more about how we spent 2023 finding, building and funding more ideas in more places with more people.

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Three years ago, the Builders + Backers founding team set out to do something that many people told us wouldn't work -- find people (from all backgrounds and walks of life) in all corners of the country who had ideas but were not taking action on them, teach them our frameworks for testing those ideas, help them to bring new ventures to life, and then invest in their future growth. Today, we stand before you with over 1,000 Builders equipped, close to 500 new ventures launched, $1.8M in Pebble Funds distributed, and an impressive portfolio of investments made. Against all odds, what we set out to do is not only working but working at an extraordinary scale.

Our impact stretches across a diverse range of ventures, from high-tech global-scale startups to impact-driven enterprises, local main street businesses, and nonprofits. We pride ourselves on not only breathing life into ideas but also on driving economic growth through entrepreneurship. As we reflect on the past year, the statistics speak for themselves:

• Over 4,000 applications to our programs, indicating the widespread interest and demand for our initiatives.
• More than 1,000 Builders equipped with the knowledge and tools to pursue their entrepreneurial endeavors.
• Nearly $2 million in non-dilutive funding provided to fuel the growth and sustainability of those ventures.
• Over 2,300 hours of personalized mentorship, demonstrating our commitment to supporting the individual journeys of our Builders.
• The launch of our first National Vertical Cohort, marking a significant milestone towards building a collaborative community.
• The introduction of our Full-Service Venture Studio, a groundbreaking initiative that complements our existing programs.

As we share the inspiring stories and achievements within this report, we invite you to join us in seeing the impact that is possible when together we support and equip the full funnel of entrepreneurial activity - from dream to exploration to building. 

Read the full report here.