Making Merit Matter More Than Network
Access to capital shouldn't depend on your last tech job, your alma mater, or your network. It should depend on what you're building and why it matters.
Our Mission
Now: Democratize access to venture capital.
Later: Democratize access to the private markets.
Startup Intros exists to make the most relationship-driven market in the world finally work for merit, not pedigree. We're building the intelligence layer and relationship graph for the venture ecosystem - starting with the Bay Area, then expanding nationwide, and eventually becoming the operating system for the private markets.
How We Started
In February 2025, a chance meeting at the Military Veteran Startup Conference in San Francisco sparked what would become Startup Intros. Dev Chandra pitched his vision of streamlining introductions for early-stage founders. Tim Hsia, veteran VC and conference host, immediately saw the potential.
Six weeks later, Dev relocated to SF. Together they launched a company with a clear mission: help first-time founders access the right pre-seed and seed investors - not through guesswork or cold outreach, but through intelligence, community, and earned trust.
Dev Chandra: Visionary Founder
EIR at Context Ventures
Leading initiatives to connect founders with investors through innovative tools and community building.
Navy Reserve Officer
Engineering Duty Officer supporting critical ship maintenance programs like the USS George Washington.
Founder & Systems Thinker
Helped scale B2B service providers through AI and automation previously at The Process Hacker.
Well-Rounded Professional
Carnegie Mellon MBA grad, published blogger, and avid traveler to 38+ countries.
Tim Hsia: Venture Co-Founder
Distinguished Service
West Point graduate who deployed twice to Iraq. Bronze Star recipient with infantry and logistics leadership experience.
Elite Education
Dual Stanford graduate with degrees from both Business School and Law School. Taught ROTC while studying.
Venture Capitalist
Founded Context Ventures focusing on veteran founders. Early investor in successful startups including Workflow and Thredup.
Dedicated Mentor
Co-founded Service to School. Board member for multiple veteran support organizations. Published writer in major publications.
Context Ventures
Where military leadership meets startup innovation. Context Ventures finds and develops veteran founders building tomorrow's breakthrough companies.
Context Ventures hosts the annual Military Veteran Startups Conference, connecting founders with resources and investors across fintech, consumer products, and software.
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