The Co-Founder Program. The technical co-founder you could not find.
You have a registered company, a real market and nobody to build the product. We build it with you, carry most of the build cost, and take a minority stake instead of an invoice.
One product. One dedicated senior team. Four months to launch.
- Build window
- January to April 2027
- Places
- 1 product this cycle, 3 a year
- Apply by
- December 31, 2026, or sooner if the place is filled
- First reply
- Within five business days
We co-found three products a year. One every four months.
You bring a registered company, a real idea, 30 to 50 percent of the build cost, and a marketing budget of at least half the build cost, held in a separate account before we start. We bring an engineering team and sixteen years of shipping, we cover the rest of the build cost, and we take 10 to 15 percent equity. We are not a fund. We are not an accelerator. We are the technical co-founder you do not have, with a track record to show we can build.
Why only three a year? Because co-founding is a commitment, not a service tier. Each product gets a dedicated team for a full build cycle, then ongoing technical support from us as a shareholder. Three places keep us honest. We cannot afford to build things that fail, because we own part of them.
Applications are open for the January 2027 cycle.
One new product starts every four months. Here is exactly where the next one stands, and what happens between your application and launch day.
Kickoff in January, launch by the end of April. Apply by December 31, 2026.
Apply now to be considered early. If we are a fit, you hear where you stand within five business days.
Apply now to be considered early. If we are a fit, you hear where you stand within five business days.
Key dates for the January 2027 cycle
Apply now- Applications
- Open now
- First reply
- Within five business days of applying, with reasons either way
- If shortlisted
- A one-hour evaluation call under a mutual NDA
- Before kickoff
- Feasibility review, term sheet and company checks
- Apply by
- December 31, 2026, or sooner if the place is filled
- Kickoff
- January 2027
- Launch
- April 2027
- After launch
- Quarterly roadmap reviews, with us as shareholders
What you bring. What we bring.
Four months, kickoff to launch.
If you are selected for the January 2027 cycle, this is your calendar.
Selection and terms.
Your application, an evaluation call, a feasibility review, the term sheet, and company registration checks.
Read the standard term sheetFoundation, approved first.
Product definition, a signed scope, design of the main screens, and the architecture. You approve all of it before any code is written.
Build, in weekly slices.
A demo of working software every week. The product takes shape slice by slice: real features, real data, real billing.
Launch, and first customers.
Hardening, a security review, analytics, and the store or web launch. Your marketing plan goes live the same week, funded from your ring-fenced budget and run by your team or your agency.
Support, as shareholders.
Quarterly roadmap reviews, technical support, and priority access to further development at partner rates.
What you are signing up for. No surprises later.
Co-founding only works when both sides do their part. These are the commitments that matter most. The term sheet sets out every one of them in full.
One product gets built next. It could be yours.
Applications close on December 31, 2026, or sooner if the place is filled. We read every application and reply within five business days.
How we choose the three.
Five criteria, equally weighted. We decline far more than we accept, and we tell you why either way.
The term sheet, published.
Frequently asked questions.
When does the next cycle start, and when do applications close?
The next cycle starts in January 2027 and launches in April 2027. Applications for it close on December 31, 2026, or sooner if the place is filled, because selection, terms and your marketing deposit all have to be settled before kickoff.
What if the place is filled before I apply?
Apply anyway. Strong applications are considered for the next open place, which is the May 2027 cycle, and we tell you exactly where you stand within five business days. An early application also gives you more time to register the company and set aside the marketing capital.
How many products does Digitechnique co-found each year?
Three. One new build starts every four months, so each product gets a dedicated team for its whole cycle. We would rather build three products properly than ten badly, and as shareholders we stay involved with each one long after launch.
How much equity does Digitechnique take?
10 to 15 percent of the fully diluted shares, set in the final agreement based on scope, risk and our share of the build cost. You remain the controlling founder. Our stake rises only if the marketing commitment is not kept, as the term sheet explains.
How much do I pay for the build, and when?
Your company pays 30 to 50 percent of the build cost, in milestones. The first is due when the scope is signed, before kickoff, and each later one when the work it covers is shown working. We carry the rest as our investment.
How much marketing budget do I need?
At least half the build cost, or more if the scope calls for it. It sits in a separate company account before kickoff, is used only for customer acquisition, and is spent on an agreed plan: a quarter within 60 days of launch and all of it within 180 days.
Who runs the marketing?
You do, with your own team or any agency you choose. We build in analytics, tracking and search-ready structure, review your marketing plan with you, and watch the numbers as fellow shareholders. We do not run campaigns ourselves.
What happens if the marketing budget is not spent?
We send written notice and you have 30 days to put it right. If it is not fixed, we can pause our support and either raise our stake by 5 points per default, to a maximum of 25 percent, or have the company buy our shares back at the build value we funded.
What happens if you fail to deliver?
If we miss the delivery deadline, plus a 30-day grace period, we forfeit half our shares and finish the product at no extra cash cost to your company. Delays you cause, and changes you ask for, extend the deadline fairly.
What other costs should I plan for?
Hosting, domains, software licences, paid services and app store fees, which the company pays from day one. Your own legal advice, which we insist on, and your company registration and filing costs. None of these are part of the build cost.
How much of my time does it take?
A weekly product session during the four-month build, and answers and approvals within three business days. After launch, you run the company and its marketing. Founders who cannot give this time should wait for a later cycle.
Do you take ideas without a registered company?
No. Register the company first. It shows commitment and keeps the equity structure clean. If registration is in progress, say so on the application with the expected date, and ask about it on the evaluation call.
Can I raise investment later?
Yes, and we hope you do. Our stake dilutes in line with every other shareholder, with no special protection. We may take part in new rounds in proportion to our holding, but we are never obliged to invest more.
What happens if I want to leave the company?
Your shares vest over four years with a one-year cliff. If you leave early, the company can buy back the shares that have not vested: at fair value if you are a good leaver, such as through ill health, and at nominal value otherwise.
What happens if the product still fails?
If both sides did their part and the market said no, we share the loss: you lose your contribution, we lose the build cost we carried and our time. That is what having our own money at stake means, and why we choose carefully.
Do you sign an NDA before hearing my idea?
We sign a mutual NDA before any detailed session. Your application should describe the problem and the market without the secret parts. Confidentiality in the term sheet then binds both sides for five years.
Can founders anywhere apply?
Yes. We work with founders worldwide, as we have with clients for sixteen years. The company must be registered in a recognised jurisdiction, and the final agreements follow the law of that jurisdiction unless we agree otherwise.
Who owns the intellectual property?
The company does. Ownership passes to it as each build milestone is paid, and the code lives in accounts held in the company's name from kickoff. Our own pre-existing tools are licensed to the company permanently and royalty-free.