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 partners with SmartMatch Systems to provide strategic advisory, product development, and go-to-market expertise in exchange for equity partnership.
Denominator Ventures
Strategic advisory and growth partner. Takes equity stake in exchange for hands-on partnership in fundraising, sales execution, and orchestration of all growth initiatives.
- •Jon Bradford & Eric Johnson provide strategic advisory
- •Direct execution of fundraising and sales
- •Network access and partnership development
Fractional Venture Partners
Execution arm providing consultants, vendors, and specialists for delivering all investor-ready materials and growth collateral.
- •Brand, positioning, and marketing execution
- •Product roadmap and technical specialists
- •Financial modeling and data room preparation
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
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
- •Marketing and creative 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, and FVP teams
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
Brand architecture, positioning, landing pages, and marketing campaigns delivered through FVP's network of specialists 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
Next Steps
To discuss this partnership opportunity, please reach out to: