FAQ
Questions founders actually ask
Straight answers, the same ones Terry gives over coffee. If yours is not here, ask it directly: first contact is a real conversation, not a form into a void.
What is a venture studio?
A venture studio builds companies alongside founders. Instead of writing a check and watching from a distance, our team of about ten C-suite operators takes an active operating role: formation, branding, fiscal management, customer discovery, software development, fundraising and go to market.
How is Start Up Partners different from an accelerator or a VC fund?
An accelerator runs a fixed cohort program and a VC fund invests money. We are neither. We work founder by founder, with no demo day clock, and we stay in the operating work with you for as long as the company needs it.
Who does SUP work with?
Early founders, from the first idea through first revenue. Our founders have built companies in medical imaging and radiology, data analytics, medical devices, mobile marketplaces, professional services, and financial and retail.
Do I need to be in Birmingham or Alabama?
We are based in Birmingham and most of our founders are in Alabama. We work alongside programs like the Alabama SBDC and university accelerators across the state. If you are nearby, the first meeting is usually a coffee.
What does it cost to work with Start Up Partners?
There is no fee to talk, and no standard package. Every engagement is shaped around what the company actually needs next. That conversation is exactly what the first coffee is for.
Is Start Up Partners an investor?
We are not a fund. Our value is the operating team and the network. When a company is ready to raise, we help prepare the raise and open doors to funding and the right people.
What is the Startup Commercialization Checklist?
It is our Concept to Company framework: twenty steps in four stages, from problem identification to scaling and growth. We run each step with the founder, so nothing gets skipped and nothing gets done twice.
How do I get started?
Email terry.chapman@sup.ventures or call (205) 835-7212 and tell us what you are building. First contact is a real conversation, a coffee or a phone call. No forms into a void.
Want the longer answers?
Read about the studio, walk through how we help step by step, or see the founder stories. Our explainer on what a venture studio is covers the accelerator and VC comparison in depth.
Grab a coffee with Terry