ACTS VentureLabs
Bring us an idea. If we believe in it, we back it.
VentureLabs is how new bets enter the circle. Not a grant programme, not an accelerator — a way for the founders we believe in to get capital and operating partnership for the long haul.
How it works
01
Submit your idea
Share your pitch — a deck or written summary. It goes through The Pitch Desk, our structured review.
02
We review it honestly
Scored against the same rubric we use on our own ventures: nine dimensions, three hard filters, and the five questions an investor will actually ask.
03
Winners get capital + time
The ideas we believe in don't just get a cheque — they get operating partnership, distribution, and a long-term backer.
Founder feedback
“Alternative Circle gave me a broad understanding of what pitching to investors really entails. For someone in sub-Saharan Africa, the platform shows you how to navigate and answer the critical, hard questions investors will actually ask. As the founder of an upcoming new-age media company, I learnt a lot — lessons I wouldn’t have learnt otherwise: restructuring our approach to align with emerging technology, and moving from a news company to an Audience Intelligence company that keeps evolving.”
— Dennis, Founder, HourlyNewsWave