Venture Partner for Startups

TALK IS
CHEAP,
WE PUT SKIN
IN THE GAME.

We don't advise from the sidelines, sell decks or chase billable hours. We build alongside you - investing execution, expertise, and real equity stakes into the Founders and companies we believe in based on very specific criteria.

Apply Our Approach
Services for Equity Battle-Tested Operators We Only Win If You Win Built From the Ground Up No Retainers. No Bullshit. Skin in the Game Services for Equity Battle-Tested Operators We Only Win If You Win Built From the Ground Up No Retainers. No Bullshit. Skin in the Game
Who We Are

NOT A FUND.
NOT AN AGENCY.
A PARTNER.

A venture services firm built by Founders, not Financiers.

Trench Ventures is built by entrepreneurs and operators who've lived it. Founders who've scaled companies from zero, navigated scaling, pivots and persevered to build the world's leading brands. We're not consultants who observe from a distance and chase billable hours.

We are extremely selective in partnering with founders and startups who meet our criteria, then we join forces in the trenches of the creative act and journey of entrepreneurship.

01
Radical Alignment
We take equity, not fees or retainers. Our success is measured in your outcomes- nothing else matters.
02
Operator-First
Every partner has bootstrapped, built, scaled, or exited companies from ground zero. We know what the trenches actually look like.
03
No Bullshit
We skip the decks and get to work. We do it right or not at all. World class execution and strategy backed by grit and experience.
04
Long-Term Stakes
We're not sprinters. We're in it for the duration, building durable companies on scalable foundations that last and breakthrough.
What We Do

SERVICES
FOR EQUITY

We bring a full stack of strategic and operator capabilities across business disciplines- deployed as your partner, not a vendor or consultancy. We invest our expertise in exchange for equity stakes.

01 / 06
Go-To-Market Strategy

From strategy, ICP definition to pipeline architecture, we build the revenue engines from the ground up.

StrategyPositioningCMO
02 / 06
Operations & Scaling

We craft systems and processes empowering scale and infrastructure built to grow as fast as you do.

ProcessSystemsScaleCOO
03 / 06
Product & Technology

Experienced guidance and execution on product strategy, tech stacks, and team building for high-growth startups.

ProductTechnologyCTO
04 / 06
Financial Strategy & Fundraising

Narrative crafting, fundraising support, and deal structuring. We've been on both sides of the table and know what investors actually want to see.

FundraisingCapitalCFO
05 / 06
Partnerships & Business Development

Leveraging our vast network of enterprise relationships, tech partners, and alliances to open doors for our ventures that take years to knock on alone.

EcosystemNetworkScaling-Up
06 / 06
Leadership & Organization

Organizational design and interim executive leadership. The right talent in the right seats at the right time is the single highest-leverage investment you can make. We help you navigate these critical waters.

PeopleTalentOrg DesignCulture
Venture Services → Equity

Our model is built on alignment. Instead of charging retainers or hourly fees, we invest our services in exchange for equity stakes. This means we're financially motivated to ensure your company succeeds in the long-term- not just to log billable hours. We're highly selective about who we work with because we put real skin in the game.

Portfolio

PORTFOLIO

We partner with extremely promising founders and startups building businesses and products that are truly unique, solve massive problems and are leveraged for success.

Wellness · Fitness

A next-generation self-massage device that lets you reach your own back, neck, and shoulders - bringing professional-grade relief to anyone, anywhere, without needing a second pair of hands.

Consumer Products · Outdoor

Innovative fishing hardware that eliminates knot-tying entirely - letting anglers swap lures, hooks, and rigs in seconds. Built cast by cast, by anglers who fish without the fuss.

PropTech · Marketplace

A modern land marketplace connecting buyers with rural, recreational, and investment properties - making the land ownership process modern, simple and accessible.

STEALTH
Confidential

An early-stage DTC eCommerce venture operating in stealth mode. We're deep in the build - more details coming when the time is right.

STEALTH
Confidential

A US-based manufacturing facility focused on domestic manufacturing and fulfillment including vertical integration of its own brands - stay tuned.

"
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!
- Goethe
Our Team

BATTLE-TESTED
OPERATORS

Principals
Jason Sharpe
Principal
Apostolos Barboutis
Principal
Alexander Villanueva
Principal
Operating Partners
Mow Sern Lim
Operating Partner
Bradford Embree
Operating Partner
Gopi Selvaratnam
Operating Partner
Bart Kuunders
Operating Partner
Work With Us

READY TO
BUILD?

We are extremely selective and work with a small number of hand-selected companies at any given time - by design. If you're a determined Founder building something compelling and want a partner with actual skin in the game, tell us about it.

You possess the unique characteristics of a Founder and we believe you have the high-potential of succeeding in the world of entrepreneurship and venture building.
You have an amazing idea, prototype or working product. You might already have early traction or revenue, but are facing challenges which require expertise outside of your competencies.
You're looking for more than capital, you need operators and capable, helping hands-on execution as well as strategic guidance.
You're open to an equity-for-services arrangement which aligns our mutual success and want a partner who will get in the trenches with you.