Before you take their money —
know how they actually
You have a curated reference list and a LinkedIn profile. Bernbook is where verified founders report what actually happens after the term sheet. Board dynamics. Downside behavior. The moments no reference call will ever surface.
“Promised to lead, then ghosted us for 6 weeks post-term sheet. Only closed because we had competing offers.”
✓ VERIFIED FOUNDER“Actually helpful with intros. Didn't try to control the board. Would take their money again.”
✓ VERIFIED FOUNDER“Standard terms, no surprises. Clean deal. Process was fast.”
✓ VERIFIED FOUNDERThe information asymmetry is by design.
check Bernbook.
How it works.
Apply & Get Verified
Submit your founder profile. We verify you're an active founder — not an investor, scout, or LP. LinkedIn, company, and social signals checked.
Share What You Know
Submit truth cards on funds you've worked with. Structured intelligence — behavioral, not anecdotal — on partner conduct, term fairness, and follow-through. Minimum 2 truth cards unlocks full network access.
Access the Network
Research any fund before you take the meeting. Ask Bernie specific diligence questions — he routes to matched verified founders, collects structured responses, and returns an intelligence digest.
“How does Benchmark behave in a down round at Series B?”
Based on verified founder accounts and AI-generated fund intelligence: Benchmark's partners show high variance. Some founders report strong downside support with proactive bridge introductions. Others report a shift to ownership-protection mode within 30 days of a missed quarter. One reported board-level pressure to replace CEO.
Bernie is not a chatbot. It is a structured intelligence routing system built on a verified human network. 25 advisory heuristics. All five test suites passing.
What you get.
Anonymous, verified accounts from founders who've taken money from a firm or partner. Rated across consistency, follow-through, value-add, and alignment.
Individual partner behavioral profiles. Board involvement, downside responsiveness, follow-on track record. Know the specific partner, not just the firm.
Warm introductions to founders who've worked with the firm you're diligencing. Real conversations, not curated references.
Bernie AI DiligenceAsk our AI anything about a fund or partner. Bernie synthesizes thousands of truth cards into instant intelligence.
Bernbook follows you to wherever you already research investors. When you visit any VC fund's website, the Bernbook sidebar automatically appears with fund intel, Bernie's Takeaways, and a direct line to Ask Bernie — without leaving the page.
→ Available for Chrome. Install from your profile.Q: Is my identity protected?
A: Always. Truth cards default to pseudonymous and verified. Your name is never shared with the fund you’re reviewing. You choose your attribution level: named, pseudonymous, or anonymous.
Q: Can investors see what founders write about them?
A: No. Bernbook has zero investor access. No VC, LP, or analyst can view the platform. This is structural, not a setting.
Q: How do you verify founders?
A: Every contributor must have raised an institutional venture round. Verification is manual — confirmed against public filings, company records, and proprietary data. No spectators.
Q: What if a fund disputes a truth card?
A: Disputes go through our Editorial Integrity process. A fund disliking a truth card is not grounds for removal. Only verifiable factual errors or policy violations trigger corrections.
Request founder access.
Submit a verified truth card about a fund you've worked with. Jump the waitlist. Earn your Founding Contributor badge — a permanent status signal in the network.
Your experience is worth more than an email address.
Know a founder who raised institutional capital? Send them here. When they verify and submit their first truth card, you get one free month when subscriptions launch — and we drop a Bernbook hat on your doorstep. Your network is the product. Theirs might be too.
No investors. No scouts. No exceptions.
You know who to take money from.
Now find the right capital to take.
Venture debt, revenue-based financing, and compute credit — prequalified by Bernie in minutes.
Two minutes. Bernie pre-fills what he already knows about you from your Bernbook profile.
Not a form — a conversation. Bernie asks the questions a lender would ask before you're in the room. You find out exactly what you qualify for.
Lenders matched to your profile. You approve every intro before anyone sees your data.
Most founders shop debt without knowing what they qualify for. Bernie runs the coverage ratios, checks the burn multiple, and tells you which instrument fits your stage — before a lender ever sees your name.