Growth Lantern
Venture Builder — the venture foundry
Most ventures don't die from bad ideas. They die from untested assumptions, dressed up as strategy and funded like facts. We turn assumptions into evidence — before you spend fuel (funding) on them.
Start the free assessmentWho it's for
You're building something real — or you have an idea you're serious about — in one of fifteen sectors. These are the sectors our venture builder serves best:
The only thing we ask: you're willing to put your assumptions to the test.
The problem
"Fuel before evidence" is the big pitfall of most (starting) ventures. Founders raise capital and scale on assumptions they never tested. Accelerators hand out fuel (funding) and templates. Nobody stops to ask the uncomfortable question first: is this actually real? We ask it. Evidence first. Fuel second.
References (supporting the "fuel before evidence" claim):
- Lee, S. (R.), & Kim, J. D. (2024). "When Do Startups Scale? Large-Scale Evidence from Job Postings." Strategic Management Journal, 45(9), 1633–1669. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3596 — startups that scale within 6–12 months are 20–40% more likely to fail, with no exit benefit.
- Interimconsult (2026), "From Pilot to Scale: Crossing the Innovation Valley of Death" — across 45 Innovate UK grant-funded SMEs, £40.7m of funding produced £19.8m of balance-sheet growth (ROI ≈ 0.25 once matched funding is included); 23 of 45 stuck in a grant "funding loop" with no customers.
- Tobin, J. (2026), "What is the state of early-stage venture in Europe?", Brandon Capital — "a seed round that simply buys eighteen months of experiments without materially changing the risk profile is a liability."
What you get
The free assessment shows you exactly where your venture is weak. Not a score to flatter you. A clear, evidence-based read on the gaps that will kill you if you ignore them. Take it. See where you stand. Then decide.
Start the free assessmentHow it works
- 1
Take the free assessment.
Tell us about your venture — the problem, who it's for, how long you've been at it.
- 2
Get your assessment.
A clear picture of your strengths and the gaps that matter.
- 3
Enter your path.
A structured, evidence-driven route to close those gaps — guided by your AI co-pilot, with a human advisor or partner at the higher tiers.
Why trust us
The evidence-first method isn't theory. It's how ir. Raj Balesar, MBA builds his own companies.
Live ventures
Founder of Mantelhulp Nederland (a healthcare platform for informal caregivers) and De Zeeuwse Tori (a food brand). Both built test-first.
HZ University of Applied Sciences
Part-time lecturer and coordinator of the Student Startup programme, guiding 250+ students across eight disciplines through problem-first venture validation.
Tata Steel Europe
Helped and led the commercialisation of over a hundred new products across automotive, heavy-lifting and excavation, energy and power, construction and building systems — more than EUR 250 million in annual revenue — heading seven cross-functional teams. He doubled EBITDA uplift per tonne from EUR 35 to EUR 70 in four years — each new product earning twice as much, so the same revenue came from a leaner, better-focused portfolio. This is where the evidence-based thinking was shaped.
Education
MBA, University of Amsterdam. MSc in Biochemical Engineering, TU Delft.
The commitment
The assessment is free. No card. No obligation. The paths are a paid monthly subscription. See exactly what each tier offers — and what it costs — before you start.
See pricingFor incubators, accelerators & investors
You manage a portfolio of ventures, and you answer for their performance. We give you the evidence layer — a standardised assessment across your portfolio, and the discipline to de-risk before the next round.
Talk to us