StartUp Connect
Collaborate. Validate. Grow – Smarter, Together.
A collaborative service exchange for early-stage founders to access skills, gain first customers, and validate their market — without heavy upfront costs.
The Challenge
The Customer Gap
Your idea might be great, but without those first paying customers, proving its value can feel like chasing a mirage. Many early-stage startups stall here.
Financial Limitations
Outsourcing marketing, development, or design is expensive. Hiring employees is even more so. Limited funds force founders to wear too many hats, slowing down growth.
Investor Reluctance
Investors want traction before they commit funds. But how do you build traction without resources? This “chicken-and-egg” dilemma keeps countless promising ideas from reaching their potential
All Services.
Validate on a Budget – Instead of spending cash you don’t have, you can trade services with other founders. Offer your skills in exchange for the expertise you need.
Tap into Expertise – Our network includes specialists in marketing, development, branding, legal, and more — all available through collaboration, not just contracts.
Accelerate to Market Fit – Run real-world pilot projects, gather feedback from real users, and adapt quickly.
Build Credibility – Successful collaborations are showcased on your profile, making it easier to attract both customers and investors.
What We Do
Clients.
About Us.
Curious About Our Culture?
3,000+ members in our Telegram founder community
500+ international founders in our WhatsApp network
21 networking events hosted in The Hague and online
15 early-st1age startups actively collaborating through our network
CEO
Bita Kariminia
6+ years of experience as operations principal in Mashahir Ayande Educational Institute. Founded and led a national NGO and community for teachers and instructors.
CTO
Moein Azizi
15+ years of experience as an IT specialist and tech lead Previously at Databricks and NOKIA-SIEMENS.
CoO
Laila Karimi Pirmoosaei
12+ years of experience in executive operations, and board-level leadership.
+6 years of success as a sales manager
CiO
Soheila Amirzade
4+ years as a Software Engineer with a focus on backend systems and data processing. Experience building scalable data pipelines for video analysis in a commercial environment. Proficient with PyTorch, YOLO and deploying machine learning models on AWS. Bachelor of Computer Engineering
