Venture Backed Tech Startups - SkilledUp Life

A global engine of Volunteer talent, extending runway for venture backed founders.

The challenge

Burn rate is the silent killer of venture backed startups.

You have raised capital, but hitting the milestones for your next round demands a bigger team. Hiring is expensive and slow, and every month of payroll shrinks your runway. Miss your targets and you risk a down round, or worse. SkilledUp Lifers change the maths.

📉

70% fail

of venture backed startups never raise a follow on round. Milestones, not motion, win the next cheque.

⏳

18 months

average runway before a startup needs to raise again. Every hire you avoid buys you more of it.

🧗

72% struggle

of venture backed startups struggle to recruit the talent they need fast enough to hit their targets.

The SkilledUp Life advantage

Scale your tech startup team without scaling your burn.

Access 69,000+ Volunteer professionals across engineering, product, design, marketing, sales and operations. Blend paid talent with SkilledUp Lifers to hit milestones without the extra burn.

🛡️

Protect your valuation

Hit the metrics investors reward, like MRR, user growth and product milestones, with a full team while keeping burn low.

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Build complete teams

From product managers and engineers to growth marketers and sales reps, build cross functional teams of skilled Volunteers fast.

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Extend your runway

Reduce cash burn by 40 to 60% on team costs. Put the capital you save back into product, customers and growth.

Use cases

Where SkilledUp Lifers accelerate your venture.

Build the teams that move your metrics, across the functions investors scrutinise before your next round.

💻

Product development

Ship your MVP or next version faster with Volunteer engineers, designers and product managers. Hit the product milestones investors want to see.

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Go to market

Build demand generation, content, SEO and sales teams to prove traction and product market fit before your next raise.

⚙️

Operations and growth

Add partnerships, operations and fundraising support to professionalise your tech startup and impress investors.

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Data and analytics

Build dashboards, track KPIs and create investor ready reports with Volunteer data analysts and BI professionals.

How it works

Three steps to a bigger tech startup team and a longer runway.

A short, repeatable loop to scale output without scaling spend.

  1. Subscribe and build your profile
    Choose a plan, set up your company profile and define the roles you need to hit your next milestone.

  2. Post and review applications
    Post Volunteer Opportunities from ready made templates and review applications from 69,000+ skilled professionals.

  3. Execute and scale
    Issue and sign Volunteer Agreements, onboard your team and start shipping. Scale to as many as 100 Volunteer team members as you grow.

Trusted by ambitious tech startups

"I've come to realise that my team of SkilledUp Life Volunteers is what will propel me to the next level. Those who extend their commitment are absolute gold."

Michael Livingston
Founder & CEO, DustID

"SkilledUp Life was a great way to punch above our weight by acting as a force multiplier, giving us access to talent that a fledgling startup like ours would never normally get access to."

Thomas Ballin
Co-Founder, Cytix

"So far we've partnered with some amazing people, with fantastic work ethics and ambition. I tell all the founders on my accelerator about SkilledUp Life."

Adam Botterill
CEO, Equal Employer

Included in every account

Built by SkilledUp Lifers, for the benefit of many.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Do I pay for Volunteers in addition to the subscription?
Absolutely not. Once subscribed, Volunteers are completely free. Your subscription covers publishing Volunteer Opportunities, dashboard access and support. You are not allowed to offer payments or benefits in kind to Volunteers, or make promises of future paid engagement during recruitment or volunteering.

Is there a free plan or free trial?
No. SkilledUp Life is a Human Capital Platform, not a standard software product, as we deal with humans. You need to select a pricing plan, subscribe and build your company profile before you can post Volunteer Opportunities.

Could any business sign up and subscribe?
No. Only tech companies building scalable digital products can benefit from SkilledUp Life. eCommerce companies and marketplaces are allowed. If a business is developing a scalable digital product it qualifies; a service business does not.

What businesses are excluded?
Service businesses including consultancies and agencies such as digital marketing, software development and digital transformation companies do not qualify. Manufacturing and engineering companies are excluded as well. If in doubt, please ask before signing up and subscribing.

Can SkilledUp Lifers volunteer alongside my paid team?
Yes. Blend Volunteers with your paid team to extend runway and hit milestones without the extra burn. Deploy up to 100 SkilledUp Lifers across engineering, product, design, marketing, sales and customer success.

Can I start without signing a Volunteer Agreement?
No. After successfully recruiting a Volunteer, no activity should take place before both parties sign a Volunteer Agreement covering terms of engagement, Intellectual Property and non-disclosure.

What is a Volunteer Term?
Up to a maximum of 3 hours per day, Monday to Friday, for 60 Volunteer Days over a 3 month Volunteer Agreement.

Can the subscription be cancelled any time?
Yes. After the end of the current subscription period (month or year, depending on the plan you chose), no further payments will be taken once you have cancelled.

Ready to avoid the down round?

Join venture-backed tech founders using 69,000+ SkilledUp Lifers to hit milestones, extend runway and raise on their terms.