"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
Tech Startups › Tracks › Venture Backed
For venture backed founders · extend your runway
Avoid the down round. Reach your next milestone faster.
Extend your runway and hit key metrics by leveraging 66,000+ SkilledUp Lifers. Ship faster, spend less and raise your next round on your terms.
You only pay a subscription. Volunteers are never paid, so there are no other fees.
Your scale teamLow burn
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lower team burn
lower team burn
A global engine of Volunteer talent, extending runway for venture backed founders.
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In operation
The challenge
Burn rate is the silent killer of venture backed startups.
You've 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 team without scaling your burn.
Access 66,000+ Volunteer professionals across engineering, product, design, marketing, sales and operations. Blend paid talent with SkilledUp Lifers to hit milestones without the extra burn.
🛡️
Protect
Protect your valuation
Hit the metrics investors reward, like MRR, user growth and product milestones, with a full team while keeping burn low.
Validation team →🧩
Build
Build complete teams
From product managers and engineers to growth marketers and sales reps, build cross functional teams of skilled Volunteers fast.
Product team →⏳
Extend
Extend your runway
Reduce cash burn by 40 to 60% on team costs. Put the capital you save back into product, customers and growth.
GTM team →
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.
📣
Go to market
Build demand generation, content, SEO and sales teams to prove traction and product market fit before your next raise.
⚙️
Operations & growth
Add partnerships, operations and fundraising support to professionalise your startup and impress investors.
📊
Data & 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 team and a longer runway.
A short, repeatable loop to scale output without scaling spend.
1
Subscribe & build your profile
Choose a plan, set up your company profile and define the roles you need to hit your next milestone.
2
Post & review applications
Post Volunteer Opportunities from ready made templates and review applications from 66,000+ skilled professionals.
3
Execute & 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
"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.
Giving every tech entrepreneur an equal footing to start, grow and scale.
No restrictions
Reach any of the 66,000+ SkilledUp Lifers by direct message and invite them to apply. Filter by category and skills.
No extra costs
You only subscribe to use the service. Volunteers are never paid, there are absolutely no other fees involved.
Volunteer Agreement
No volunteering starts without both parties signing an agreement covering IP, non disclosure and terms of engagement.
Platform dashboard
Keep your company profile updated, find the best fit Volunteers and manage Opportunities and applicants in one place.
Knowledge base
Comprehensive guides and best practices so you get the maximum value from your subscription.
Support
Dedicated support to help you maximise value and build your team fast.
Ready to avoid the down round?
Join hundreds of venture backed founders using 66,000+ SkilledUp Lifers to hit milestones, extend runway and raise on their terms.