CoFoundersLabs Looks To Become An OKCupid For Founders Following Acquisition Of Stealth Mode Competitor, Wonpy

January 30, 2014 at 11:10 AM EST

CoFoundersLab, a matchmaking service for startup founders similar to FounderDating, Founder2b and a host of others has acquired the IP, product and a few relationships from New York-based Wonpy, which was still effectively operating stealth mode. Wonpy’s founder, Erick Brimen, will now join CoFoundersLab as COO and VP of Finance, following the deal. Financial terms were not disclosed, but it was a deal for equity, some of which is immediately vested, and another part that vests based on various milestones, we’re told. Wonpy’s other co-founder, Luis Pallares, will not be joining, but has moved on to another startup. Wonpy had only this month launched into beta, just before reaching out to CoFoundersLab to discuss a co-marketing agreement. “But it was obvious very quickly that there was a great match,” says Brimen, “and that as co-founders, Shahab [Kaviani, CEO of CoFoundersLab] and I would be a great team.” Brimen explains that the tech he had been developing was related to better matching two potential partners, before they had a chance to meet in person. Yes, sort of like dating sites do. He claims that during the private beta, Wonpy had generated statistically relevant data that correctly anticipated that personal “click” between two founders – something which is still somewhat difficult to do online. In addition, the service worked to bring to the forefront any potential “deal breakers,” which would normally take weeks or months to address. These tools and techniques will now make their way to CoFoundersLab to improve the matchmaking process. “Think OKCupid meets co-founder matching,” Brimen quips. Today, CoFoundersLab has become one of the largest co-founder “dating” sites online with over 25,000 members. The company hosts Matchup events in over 35 cities across the U.S., and in two years has matched hundreds. And it’s now matching advisors, too, working on international expansion, and has a mobile application that Kaviani describes as a “Tinder for founders.” The company was also recently profiled in The Wall St. Journal for its efforts related to its raising equity investment via crowdfunding. (It has raised $680,000 by soliciting via RockThePost). This is not the first acquisition for CoFoundersLab. In 2012, the company acquired the West Coast-based TechCofounder.com as well as the East Coast-based FounderMatchup.com.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but it was a deal for equity, some of which is immediately vested, and another part that vests based on various milestones, we’re told.

Wonpy’s other co-founder, Luis Pallares, will not be joining, but has moved on to another startup.

Wonpy had only this month launched into beta, just before reaching out to CoFoundersLab to discuss a co-marketing agreement. “But it was obvious very quickly that there was a great match,” says Brimen, “and that as co-founders, Shahab [Kaviani, CEO of CoFoundersLab] and I would be a great team.”

Brimen explains that the tech he had been developing was related to better matching two potential partners, before they had a chance to meet in person. Yes, sort of like dating sites do. He claims that during the private beta, Wonpy had generated statistically relevant data that correctly anticipated that personal “click” between two founders – something which is still somewhat difficult to do online.

In addition, the service worked to bring to the forefront any potential “deal breakers,” which would normally take weeks or months to address.

These tools and techniques will now make their way to CoFoundersLab to improve the matchmaking process. “Think OKCupid meets co-founder matching,” Brimen quips.

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 11.08.24 AM

Today, CoFoundersLab has become one of the largest co-founder “dating” sites online with over 25,000 members.

The company hosts Matchup events in over 35 cities across the U.S., and in two years has matched hundreds. And it’s now matching advisors, too, working on international expansion, and has a mobile application that Kaviani describes as a “Tinder for founders.” The company was also recently profiled in The Wall St. Journal for its efforts related to its raising equity investment via crowdfunding. (It has raised $680,000 by soliciting via RockThePost).

This is not the first acquisition for CoFoundersLab. In 2012, the company acquired the West Coast-based TechCofounder.com as well as the East Coast-based FounderMatchup.com.