Indie.vc Scout Program
Scout Program
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Indie.vc Scout Program
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Scout Program
Indie .vc unveiled its Scout Program in late 2019 as a way to widen both its sourcing funnel and access to venture practice. The initiative recruited more than 200 “pilot” scouts from a 3 000‑person wait‑list and asked only that they introduce founders whose businesses fit Indie .vc’s revenue‑first thesis. When a referral resulted in an Indie .vc investment, the scout earned a USD 10 000 cash success fee immediately—no carried‑interest vesting, no capital at risk and no long‑term obligations.
Scouts operated entirely online. After a one‑hour onboarding webinar that reviewed Indie .vc’s funding model and submission form, they were free to work from any geography, meeting founders, sharing decks and completing a lightweight Google form that fed directly into the fund’s pipeline. Quarterly video calls with Indie .vc’s partners provided portfolio updates, sourcing tips and open Q&A, while a private Slack channel let scouts trade notes on markets, tools and talent.
Although Indie .vc sunset its fund operations in March 2021, the Scout Program demonstrated that straightforward cash incentives, paired with generous knowledge‑sharing, could mobilise a diverse, global community of operators and angels to surface capital‑efficient startups that might otherwise be missed by traditional VC networks. Over its brief life the scout network delivered dozens of qualified leads and helped Indie .vc back founders in verticals ranging from creative‑tools SaaS to direct‑to‑consumer health.
Join the Superscout community!
🌍 Meet other scouts globally.
👀 Get first dibs on new scout programs and VC openings.
✨ Get feedback and investor recommendations for your deal memos.
✌️ Learn and grow together as a community!
Indie.vc is a venture capital organization that invests in companies and offers risk capital. Customers, revenue, and profitability are more important to them than investors, valuations, and the next fundable milestone. Real companies put their customers' requirements ahead of their customers' eyes.
Prospective scouts filled out a simple interest form describing their founder network and sector focus. Indie .vc admitted scouts in small batches on a rolling basis until the pilot cohort hit roughly 200 participants.
Indie .vc charged no fees and required no membership dues. All tools, templates and community events were provided at no cost; scouts covered only incidental personal expenses such as coffee meetings.
The programme ran continuously from its 2019 launch until Indie .vc ceased new investments in March 2021. Onboarding occurred within two weeks of acceptance; success fees were wired within 30 days of a qualifying investment close.
The programme imposed no weekly hour minimum. Most scouts spent 2–4 hours a month meeting founders and completing the referral form, plus an optional 60‑minute quarterly update call.
All onboarding, deal submissions and community events took place via Zoom, Google Forms and a private Slack workspace; there was no residency requirement or set location.
How much money could a scout earn?
USD 10 000 per investment Indie .vc closed from that scout’s referral; there was no cap on the number of referrals.
Did scouts receive carry?
No. Compensation was a flat cash bonus; personal co‑investment was optional.
Were there quotas?
None. Scouts could be as active or inactive as their schedules and networks allowed.
Could scouts disclose their role?
Yes—Indie .vc placed no restrictions on public mention of scout status.
Was prior VC experience required?
No. Indie .vc valued authentic community access over investing background.
Did Indie .vc provide legal docs?
Yes—standard SAFE templates and intro language were included in the onboarding pack.
Was the programme limited to the U.S.?
No. Scouts participated from more than a dozen countries.
How were referrals submitted?
Via a brief Google form capturing company basics, traction metrics and founder deck.
Were conflicts with other funds allowed?
Scouts could work with other programmes provided introductions were transparent to founders.
What happened after Indie .vc shut down?
No new referrals were accepted after March 2021; outstanding bonuses were honoured on deals already in process.
Is the scout network still active elsewhere?
Some alumni have since joined other scout programmes or launched their own funds, but Indie .vc itself no longer operates.
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