How Laplace works.
A clear path from a stuck startup toward a cash-flow positive business, run by operators and structured to align founders, investors, and team.
The Deadlock.
Venture funding is built for one outcome: hypergrowth. When the growth arrives real but short of venture-scale, two doors close at the same time.
Laplace calls this the “Deadlock”. Many startups face this today.
We are intentionally built for this.
Acquire. Reset. Operate. Compound.
What we look for.
What we look for
A profile, not a checklist
What we don’t touch
Out of scope, by design
Operator who has been there.
Krishan Patel is an operator-investor who has spent the past six years on both sides of the table, scaling startups by hand and underwriting them as a venture investor. Laplace is built on what that blend taught him: that most good companies do not die from a bad product, but from a structure no one had the time or the control to fix.
Our Ethos.
Because Laplace’s bench goes into the business with the mandate to fix what is broken in distressed venture contexts. We built our team specifically to drive the functions of Seed to Series A turnarounds.
Operators, not advisors
The custom integration playbook allows operators to fully drive their roles to complete special projects and manage workflows with full accountability.
Stage-matched operators
People who have run this exact function at Seed to Series A, wired for the messy stage these companies are in, not enterprise playbooks that do not fit.
Player-coaches
They have built departments from 0-1, work with first principles, and have scaled startups in their own careers.
A standing bench
Whatever the startup needs, Laplace can pull from any operator from its bench to drive execution.
We do the hard part, then let the team run it.
Laplace operates hands-on through the turnaround. Once the company holds, the team takes the day to day and drives the growth, while Laplace steps back from operating but stays behind it, with strategy, hands-on help, and capital when it’s needed.
Common questions.
How much equity control does Laplace usually take?+
As a holding company, we take a controlling stake in the business, generally up to 80 percent. We take control because we take on the risk of the turnaround.
What makes a company a "hidden winner"?+
A solid team, real product-market fit, and a sound business model with room to grow. A company that was steered in the wrong direction by investors after being judged not venture-scalable, rather than one with a broken product.
How fast can you issue an LOI after first contact?+
It depends on the complexity of the deal and the assessment. Cleaner, more competitive deals will typically receive an LOI within 30 days.
How are founders and key employees compensated post-acquisition?+
Laplace purchases the asset in cash. Compensation for the team depends entirely on the terms and circumstances agreed with the founders and the selling entity.
Do founders have to stay on after the sale?+
We prefer to retain as much of the company as possible after acquisition. We are also flexible, and can put together a founder exit strategy where that is the better path.
What deal sizes and revenue ranges fit your model?+
$500K - $3M in ARR (Gross), deal size dependent on diligence underwriting and level of distress.
Which industries or business models are out of scope?+
Deep tech, heavily regulated industries, and companies that need intensive capital and long timelines to deliver.
What role does the operator bench play day-to-day?+
As part of the integration playbook, the bench runs strategic and tactical support in the areas of the business that need it most.
What determines success in the first year post-close?+
Our north star is net profit. The goal is to reach cash-flow even or positive by the eighteenth month.
How should founders or advisors start a conversation?+
Fill out our form, or reach out directly to our GP, Krishan Patel.
Two doors from here.
Whether you are the founder or the investor, the next step is the same: a conversation.