Product Introduction

1. FoundersAround is a global platform that maps and connects startup founders, enabling them to showcase their projects and locations while discovering peers building in specific regions. It combines geolocation data with founder profiles to create a searchable, interactive map powered by Mapbox and OpenStreetMap. Users can join as free members, upgrade to Premium for enhanced visibility, or compete for exclusive "Mayor" status in their city. The platform currently lists 53 founders across 21 countries, with tiered membership options for individuals and businesses.

2. The core value lies in its ability to bridge geographical gaps in the startup ecosystem by providing real-time visibility into founder activity worldwide. It prioritizes networking and self-promotion through location-based discovery, allowing users to identify collaborators, competitors, or mentors in specific cities or countries. The monetization model incentivizes active participation through Premium features and Mayor status, which grants dominant visibility in specific regions.

Main Features

1. The interactive global map displays founder locations with pins that expand into detailed profiles when clicked, showing names, companies (e.g., PDF.ai, ResolveAI), cities, and membership tiers. Technical implementation uses Mapbox GL JS for vector map rendering and OpenStreetMap for base layer data, ensuring low-latency zooming and panning across 21 countries. Premium members receive gold pins, while Mayors get crown icons and priority placement in their city’s map view.

2. The Mayor program allows one founder per city to pay $40/month for exclusive map highlighting, a dedicated profile panel, and placement above other local founders. This system uses geofencing to enforce single-mayor territories, with examples like Leo Nagano in Cotia, Brazil, holding permanent visibility until outbid. Mayor status also includes API integration for displaying tenure duration and special badges on profile cards.

3. Tiered membership includes Free (basic map pin, country listing), Premium ($10/month for multiple project links, custom profile images, and country panel highlights), and Mayor tiers. Premium features technically enable users to upload custom 120x120px profile avatars, list up to 3 active projects with deep links, and appear in the "Latest Updates" feed with purple badges, as seen with Jaisal Rathee (TinyStartups.com) and Damon Chen (PDF.ai).

Problems Solved

1. The platform addresses the lack of centralized, location-specific founder directories, which forces entrepreneurs to rely on fragmented social media or generic business listings. By geotagging founders and their ventures, it reduces the time spent identifying local tech ecosystems or verifying a founder’s operational base. For remote-first startups, this solves the challenge of establishing geographical credibility without physical offices.

2. Target users include early-stage startup founders seeking visibility (like Sam Cox of ResolveAI), investors scouting regional trends, and remote workers identifying innovation hubs. Secondary users are city-based tech communities aiming to attract talent, as demonstrated by mayors like Leo Nagano promoting Cotia’s ecosystem.

3. Typical use cases involve founders like Shaan Puri (San Francisco) using the map to find nearby SaaS developers, or investors filtering the United Kingdom panel to analyze 10 London-based startups. Entrepreneurs in emerging hubs like Tbilisi (Farid) or Skopje (Mighty Alex) leverage the platform to put their regions on the global startup radar.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike LinkedIn or Crunchbase, FoundersAround enforces location verification through its map interface and Mayor system, preventing vague "Silicon Valley" claims without operational presence. The platform uniquely combines individual founder profiles with city-level leaderboards, as seen in the UK’s 10-founder listing versus Spain’s 2-founder panel.

2. Technical innovations include real-time mayor bidding wars using geolocked Stripe payments and dynamic profile updates via a headless CMS. The map implements custom GL JS layers to cluster pins at higher zoom levels, avoiding overlap in dense areas like London’s 10-founder cluster.

3. Competitive advantages include exclusive partnerships with Mapbox for high-performance map rendering and a pay-to-dominate model for local visibility. No competitors offer tiered geographical ownership similar to the Mayor system, which has driven 4 premium upgrades in the latest update cycle (e.g., Sam Cox, Damon Chen).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How do I become a Mayor of my city? Mayorship requires a $40/month subscription and proof of operational presence in the city through website/IP verification. Once confirmed, your profile receives a crown icon, priority map placement, and a dedicated Mayor panel, as seen with Leo Nagano in Cotia.

2. What benefits does Premium membership provide over the free tier? For $10/month, Premium unlocks multiple project listings (e.g., PDF.ai + TinyStartups), custom profile images (120x120px PNG/JPG), and highlighted entries in country panels (gold background) and the Latest Updates feed (purple badge).

3. How do I add my profile to the map? Submit your full name, website URL, city, country, and Twitter handle via the "Add Me" form. Free accounts appear in 48 hours after manual verification, while Premium/Mayor tiers get instant API-driven placement, as demonstrated by Kevin Espiritu (San Diego) and Syed Balkhi (West Palm Beach).