Transform SmartMatch into the Salesforce of Matchmaking
A strategic partnership between Denominator Ventures and SmartMatch Systems to scale from bootstrapped software business to venture-scale platform company.
Partnership Structure
Strategic Alignment
Denominator Ventures brings together Ranchonati and Ignited to provide strategic advisory, product development, and go-to-market expertise in exchange for equity partnership.
Denominator Ventures
Joint venture of Ranchonati and Ignited (Eric Johnson). Takes equity stake in exchange for strategic advisory and orchestration of all growth initiatives.
Fractional Venture Partners
Fully owned by Denominator. Supplies consultants, vendors, and specialists for execution across product, marketing, finance, and operations.
Ignited Agency
Eric Johnson's marketing agency. Primary vendor for all brand, positioning, website, and marketing campaign work through FVP.
Transformation Vision
From: Bootstrapped Software Business
- •Focused primarily on dating use case
- •Limited market positioning and brand architecture
- •No systematic GTM for non-dating verticals
- •Not investor-ready (data room, financial model)
To: Venture-Scale Platform Company
- •Multi-vertical platform: Associations, communities, events, B2B, peer support
- •Clear positioning: "Salesforce of matchmaking and connections"
- •Repeatable GTM: Proven playbooks for each vertical
- •Capital-ready: Complete data room, financial model, pitch deck
Strategic Vision
Primary Outcomes
Immediate Focus: 90-150 Day Sprint
Raise $2-5M in capital while securing lighthouse customers to demonstrate traction in new verticals
Raise Capital
Execute a focused 90-150 day fundraising sprint to secure $2-5M, enabling accelerated growth and market expansion.
- •Complete investor data room within 30 days
- •Robust financial model and 3-year projections
- •Compelling pitch deck and growth narrative
- •Active investor outreach and deal execution
Acquire Customers
Launch systematic go-to-market initiatives targeting associations, communities, and events to prove traction during fundraise.
- •3-5 lighthouse clients from Jon and Eric's networks
- •Proven GTM playbooks for target verticals
- •Case studies and success metrics for investors
- •Repeatable sales and onboarding processes
3-5 Year Vision
Establish SmartMatch as the definitive platform for AI-powered matchmaking and connections across multiple high-value verticals.
10,000 customers at $5,000/year average
1,000 enterprise customers at $20,000/year
Specialized offerings with significant upside
Scope of Work
Six Core Workstreams
A comprehensive engagement covering strategy, product, brand, go-to-market, fundraising, and operations—clearly separating cash-based deliverables from equity-compensated advisory.
Strategic Foundations & Vision
Advisory (Equity)Translate growth thesis into investor-ready narrative, define 3-5 year vision, align on north-star KPIs.
- •Strategic Vision & Positioning Memo
- •Investment & Partnership Narrative
- •North-star KPIs framework
Product & Agentic Layer Roadmap
FVP Deliverable (Cash)Design agentic AI layer with Paia, clarify core product roadmap, define matchmaking ops agent capabilities.
- •Product & Agentic Roadmap Deck
- •Agentic Value Proposition
- •SmartMatch x Paia integration plan
Brand Architecture, Positioning & Pricing
FVP Deliverable (Cash)Clarify brand structure, develop segment-specific positioning, reassess pricing and packaging strategy.
- •Brand & Positioning Framework
- •Pricing & Packaging Recommendations
- •New landing pages and marketing site (Ignited)
Go-To-Market Strategy & Execution
Hybrid: Playbooks (Cash) + Sales Execution (Equity)Develop GTM playbooks (FVP), while Jon & Eric execute direct sales to lighthouse customers from their networks.
- •GTM Plan with segments, offers, channels
- •Sales collateral and enablement materials
- •3-5 lighthouse customer deals closed
Data Room, Financial Model & Fundraising
Hybrid: Materials (Cash) + Fundraising (Equity)FVP delivers investor-ready materials, while Jon & Eric execute investor outreach and fundraising.
- •Investor Data Room (complete & organized)
- •Financial Model with 3-year scenarios
- •Pitch Deck + Appendices + investor meetings
Operations, Cadence & Governance
Advisory (Equity)Establish strong operating cadence, define clear accountability, ensure cross-functional alignment.
- •RACI / Responsibilities Map
- •Shared project plan with milestones
- •Weekly steering and progress reviews
Execution Roadmap
90-150 Day Sprint to $2-5M
A focused, time-bound roadmap designed to prepare SmartMatch for fundraising success while securing lighthouse customers and proving traction.
Sprint Setup & Foundation
Investor-Ready Collateral
Brand, GTM & Traction
Active Fundraising
Close & Scale
Team & Structure
Your Denominator Team
A dedicated team with clear roles and regular cadence to ensure seamless execution across all workstreams.
Jon Bradford
- •Overall orchestration and strategic direction
- •Senior counterpart to Tim
- •Tactical unblockers and prioritization
- •Network activation for customer acquisition
Eric Johnson
- •GTM strategy and marketing execution
- •Brand architecture and positioning
- •Ignited agency coordination
- •Network activation for customer acquisition
Alvaro Garibay
- •Workstream coordination and progress tracking
- •Milestone management
- •Cross-functional dependency resolution
- •Deliverable quality assurance
Whitney Stephenson
- •Coordination across consultants and vendors
- •SmartMatch internal team liaison
- •Resource allocation and scheduling
- •Communication flow management
Operating Cadence
Jon ↔ Tim tactical sessions for rapid decision-making and unblocking
Jon + Eric ↔ Tim strategic session for GTM and product alignment
Full team sync across SmartMatch, Denominator, FVP, and Ignited
Partnership Model
Engagement Structure
A dual-component partnership combining equity alignment with cash-based execution, ensuring committed support across all growth initiatives.
Denominator Ventures Equity Terms
Long-term alignment through equity partnership with acceleration tied to fundraising success.
Denominator Ventures equity position in SmartMatch Systems
Standard vesting schedule with continued engagement and value creation
One-third vesting acceleration upon closing first Series round
Advisory Services (Equity)
Jon Bradford and Eric Johnson provide strategic advisory, investor introductions, and direct execution of sales and fundraising efforts.
- •Investor outreach and fundraising execution
- •Direct sales to lighthouse customers from networks
- •Strategic guidance and executive coaching
- •Network access and partnership development
Execution Deliverables (Cash)
FVP consultants and vendors deliver specific collateral and exercises necessary to enable sales and fundraising success.
- •Pitch deck, data room, and financial models
- •Brand architecture, positioning, and landing pages
- •Product roadmap and agentic layer design
- •Sales collateral, GTM playbooks, and campaigns
How the Partnership Works
FVP Prepares the Business
Consultants and vendors within the FVP network deliver investor-ready collateral, brand assets, financial models, and sales enablement materials on a cash basis.
Denominator Executes Sales & Fundraising
Jon and Eric leverage prepared materials to conduct investor meetings, close lighthouse customers, and drive revenue growth—compensated through equity partnership.
Ongoing Engagement & Value Creation
This is not a fixed engagement—it's an ongoing partnership where Denominator and FVP continue to drive growth and scale SmartMatch beyond the initial fundraise.
FVP Resource Orchestration
Marketing & Brand (Ignited)
Eric's agency handles all brand architecture, positioning, landing pages, and marketing campaigns through FVP on a cash basis.
Product & Technical Specialists
Product advisors and technical specialists for agentic layer design, Paia integration, and roadmap definition.
Finance & Modeling
FP&A consultants to build robust financial models, metrics frameworks, and investor-ready data rooms.
Domain Specialists
Additional experts as needed for GTM playbooks, sales enablement, and strategic initiatives.
Market Opportunity
Massive Addressable Market
Beyond dating, SmartMatch targets a vast ecosystem of organizations that need intelligent matchmaking and connection technology.
Target Verticals Beyond Dating
Primary Focus
- Associations & Trade GroupsMember networking, mentorship, business matchmaking
- Communities & NetworksCreator communities, alumni networks, professional groups
- Events & ConferencesSpeed networking, business matchmaking, attendee connections
Additional Opportunities
- Corporate & B2BInternal mentorship, cross-functional networking, partner matching
- Peer Support & HealthcarePatient-to-patient connections, support group matching
- Social ImpactVolunteer matching, mentor programs, community building
Ready to Accelerate?
Let's begin the journey to transform SmartMatch into the definitive platform for AI-powered matchmaking and connections.
Schedule Initial Call
Meet with Jon and Eric to discuss the partnership in detail and align on immediate next steps.
Review Detailed Scope
Dive deeper into each workstream, deliverables, timeline, and resource requirements.
Finalize Partnership Terms
Define equity structure, roles, responsibilities, and cadence to kick off the engagement.
Partnership Contact
For questions about this proposal or to discuss the partnership opportunity: