Portfolio founders are one of the most underused assets in a VC firm's network. They've built relationships in their industries, have operational credibility, and are often willing to help each other — they just need to know who to reach and an easy way to make the introduction. CTD makes both possible.
Connecting portfolio founders with each other
When a portfolio founder needs a customer intro, a hire, or a strategic partnership, search CTD for warm paths across your entire firm — including other portfolio founders who are external members. A founder in your B2B SaaS portfolio might have worked alongside the exact enterprise buyer another portfolio company is trying to reach.
Search at app.ctd.ai/search/all for the target company or person. If a portfolio founder has a strong path, they'll appear as the best connector.
Adding portfolio founders as external members
The more founders you add as external members, the more valuable the network becomes for all of them. When a founder joins as an external member and connects their accounts, their relationships become searchable across your firm — and they benefit in return from seeing warm paths through your firm's network.
Founders choose what to share — email connections, LinkedIn connections, or both. CTD never accesses message content, only metadata about who they know and how well.
Diligence references through portfolio founders
Before you invest in a new company, check whether any of your portfolio founders know the target's founders, key employees, or investors. A reference call arranged through a trusted mutual connection surfaces information that official references rarely do.
Making the introduction easy
Use ghost email to draft the introduction request for your connector. They receive a pre-written email they can review and send with one click — reducing friction and making it much more likely the intro actually happens. The recipient is CC'd on the reply, so the connection goes directly to them.