About FutureSight’s Venture Studio
Q1: What is FutureSight?
A: FutureSight is a venture studio that co-founds and funds vertical B2B AI companies. We bring the ideas, early validation, capital, and an embedded team to the company creation process. We partner with repeat, proven entrepreneurs to launch scalable startups.
Q2: What is a Venture Studio?
A: A venture studio is a company that builds startups from zero-to-one. Unlike accelerators or incubators, a studio generates ideas, validates them, invests capital, and provides operational teams. A venture studio is a true co-founder, not just an advisor.
Q3: When was FutureSight founded?
A: FutureSight was founded in 2021.
Q4: Who is the founder of FutureSight?
A: FutureSight was founded by John Carbrey, a seasoned founder, entrepreneur, operator, and investor.
Q5: What is FutureSight’s investment thesis?
A: We invest in vertical B2B AI opportunities at the earliest stage.
Q6: Who are FutureSight’s portfolio companies?
A: We’ve co-founded and supported companies including: CrewScope, Medivox Health, Addie, CaringAI, Mercata Intel.
Q7: What stage does FutureSight invest at?
A: FutureSight invests at day zero, the pre-seed stage, before a company is formed.
Q8: Is FutureSight an Accelerator?
A: No. Accelerators help existing startups scale. We create startups from the ground up with founders.
Q9: Is FutureSight an Incubator?
A: No. Incubators usually provide space and light mentorship. We provide capital, operational teams, and co-found companies with our Entrepreneurs In Residence (EIRs).
Q10: Where is FutureSight Ventures located?
A: We’re headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco, but we work throughout North America with founders and investors. Our model is hybrid-remote.
The EIR Partnership
How the Entrepreneur-in-Residence role works and what it means to co-found a company with FutureSight.
Q11: What is the role of an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at FutureSight?
A: An Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) is a co-founding partner who works “shoulder-to-shoulder” with FutureSight’s venture building team to identify, validate, and build a new venture from day zero. EIRs lead customer discovery, shape the product and go-to-market, and once an opportunity is validated, step into the founding CEO (or equivalent founding executive) role and own the venture’s outcomes.
Q12: Does FutureSight invest in companies that have not been built in the studio?
A: No.
Q13: Does FutureSight partner with entrepreneurs globally?
A: FutureSight is headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco and operates with a hybrid-remote model, partnering with founders and investors across North America.
Q14: Does FutureSight sponsor work authorization or visas for entrepreneurs?
A: No, FutureSight does not provide visa or work authorization sponsorship as part of the EIR program. EIRs should have (or independently secured) the appropriate work authorization for where they plan to live and operate their venture (USA or Canada).
Commitment, Compensation & Economics
What FutureSight expects from EIRs and how time, compensation, equity, and capital are structured.
Q15: Are Entrepreneurs-in-Residence compensated as soon as they start in the studio?
A: FutureSight positions the EIR role as a co-founding journey with meaningful long-term ownership. EIRs have the option to draw a stipend during the venture-building (formation) phase, and this is discussed transparently during the hiring process and structured to align incentives with venture outcomes rather than traditional employment-style pay.
Q16: What level of time commitment is expected from an EIR?
A: The EIR role is designed to be full-time and highly engaged, with FutureSight expecting consistent, hands-on involvement throughout the validation and formation phases. In select cases, entrepreneurs who are in the process of winding down prior commitments may begin with a short-term, fractional engagement, transitioning to full-time commitment once those obligations conclude and the venture reaches key validation milestones.
Q17: Can EIRs work on boards or in advisory roles while in the program?
A: Yes. EIRs may continue to hold advisory or board roles, provided these commitments are disclosed upfront and do not create conflicts of interest or materially impact the EIR’s ability to operate at a founder pace and meet the expectations of the EIR Program.
Q18: How is founder equity allocated between EIRs and FutureSight?
A: Equity is structured to reflect FutureSight as a true co-founder generating ideas, validating, investing, and contributing as an embedded operating team member. The EIR receives a significant equity stake of the new entity. Equity details are finalized once there is alignment on the opportunity, roles, and formation plan.
Q19: How much capital does FutureSight invest in the ventures it co-founds?
A: FutureSight invests at day zero building alongside you. When a venture is launched from the studio (Spin Out stage), a pre-seed capital investment is completed. This is further discussed in the recruitment process with the FutureSight team.
Focus Areas & Opportunities
The industries, problem spaces, and types of ventures FutureSight actively builds and those it does not.
Q20: What industries and sectors does FutureSight focus on?
A: FutureSight focuses on vertical B2B AI-native SaaS companies with venture scale potential. To date, we have built and partnered on ventures in sectors including: EdTech, ConstructionTech, WealthTech, MedTech, and HealthTech, and we continue to actively explore additional verticals including Supply Chain and Procurement, Logistics, Loan Operations, Wealthtech and other industries where AI can drive meaningful operational and business impact.
Q21: Are there any industries that FutureSight does not build in?
A: Yes. FutureSight generally does not pursue ventures in certain categories. These include cybersecurity, highly-regulated industries (banking and insurance), B2C, marketplaces, crypto currencies, online gaming or sports betting, biotech, cleantech, deep tech, and cannabis-related sectors.
Q22: What types of opportunities is FutureSight currently exploring?
A: You can find more information about our current opportunities here.
Studio Support & Venture Building
The hands-on support, resources, and team that help EIRs go from idea to venture-scale company.
Q23: Beyond capital, what additional support and resources does FutureSight provide?
A: FutureSight provides a full-stack co-founding team and an end-to-end venture-building playbook across:
- Strategy, validation, and business design
- Product and technical feasibility support
- Marketing and go-to-market development
- Recruiting, operations, finance/accounting, and legal support
- Fundraising readiness and investor network access
- Executive coaching and founder development
This support spans from ideation through to growth.
Q24: Does FutureSight provide access to shared engineering or product resources?
A: Yes. FutureSight provides an engaged bench of technologists and product support, including technical feasibility and product roadmap support, to accelerate validation and early build during the Formation Stage.
Q25: Which FutureSight team members do entrepreneurs partner closely with and what are their roles in the venture-building process?
A: EIRs partner closely with FutureSight’s internal operators and leaders across product, validation, GTM, fundraising, and company building. You find more information about the FutureSight Studio team here.
Founder Selection & Venture Journey
How FutureSight evaluates founders, what it looks for in EIRs, and what the journey looks like after partnering.
Q26: What is the process for becoming an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with FutureSight?
A: FutureSight runs a structured founder selection process designed to evaluate mutual fit and the attributes required for zero-to-one building. The process typically includes founder conversations, deeper interviews, practical exploration of founder advantage, and references ending with alignment on how we will build together. You can find more information here about our Founder Recruitment Process.
Q27: What does FutureSight look for in its co-founder Entrepreneurs-in-Residence?
A: FutureSight looks for Entrepreneurs-in-Residence who demonstrate a well-balanced set of qualities that together reflect a seasoned, well-rounded repeat entrepreneur, someone capable of navigating ambiguity, leading from the front, and building venture-scale businesses. Specifically, we partner with founders who bring:
- Demonstrated zero-to-one company-building experience
- Deep domain expertise and a clear founder advantage
- Strong leadership, ownership mindset, and team-building capability
- Sound product judgment with an iterative, customer-led approach
- Resilience, intellectual honesty, and a collaborative mindset with openness to feedback
Watch What we look for in an Entrepreneur-in-Residence.
Q28: Once an EIR is successfully recruited, what does the venture journey look like?
A: The venture journey is structured in stages:
- Ideation (~4 weeks): sourcing and screening ideas, early business design, risk mapping
- Validation (~9–10 weeks): problem discovery, solution validation, early investor validation
- Formation (~24 weeks): venture formation, pre-seed capital, early team, product demo, traction, incorporation, fundraising prep
- Growth/Spin Out: scaling customers/revenue and continuing studio support
More details about the journey can be found here. Also watch Inside FutureSight: Fireside Chat for Future Founders & Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
Q29: How many co-founders does a typical FutureSight venture have?
A: FutureSight ventures are built with one founding CEO, complemented by an additional Technical co-founder (CTO) optimizing for founder-market fit, co-founder partnership and venture needs.