Right Place, Right Time
Today’s featured startup is proving that part-time experts can deliver full-time impact.
Project Overview
“Imagine Warren Buffett dropping by your office once a week to point out the mistakes you made. Or Jony Ive giving you an hour’s feedback on your latest product rollout.”
That’s how the founder of today’s startup pitches the value of his platform. Intriguing, right?
In simple terms, Connectd links startups with seasoned experts who can help them grow more effectively.
The key detail? These experts don’t need to join the startup full-time. The idea is part-time involvement — recurring or on-demand — in meaningful roles: fractional executives, founder advisors, or non-executive board members.
Experts benefit too. They earn extra income, explore new domains to stay sharp in a fast-moving world, and open up fresh career paths — not necessarily in the startup itself, but in the fields they engage with.
And there’s another underrated perk: soaking up the energy of early-stage startups. That buzz can be hard to find in big, mature companies — and it keeps things interesting.
The platform was built with a global mindset from the start, allowing both startups and experts to grow internationally.
Today, there are over 6,000 users on Connectd — split evenly between startups and experts.
Roughly 150 new startups join each month, and their appetite for fractional talent has grown 220% over the past year. That’s helped boost Connectd’s revenue by 80%, pushing projected annual revenue past $10 million.
On the back of that momentum, the UK-based Connectd recently raised £5.5 million (around $7.4M), bringing its total funding to $14 million.
What’s the Gist?
Connectd’s core business model is refreshingly straightforward: it takes a cut from the payments startups make to experts via the platform.
But it doesn’t stop there. Connectd also trains experts on how to succeed in fractional roles — covering legal, operational, and personal topics (like how to avoid burnout).
This training has become a revenue stream of its own. The annual fee is £2,400, or £6,200 for three years. For that, experts get onboarding, access to monthly expert meetups, personal mentorship, and a few commission-free placements — three, if you pay upfront for the three-year plan — plus 540 minutes of 1-on-1 mentoring.
Interestingly, a few years ago, most startups joined Connectd just to find investors among the platform’s expert pool.
But things have changed. Now, more and more startups are genuinely looking for fractional hires — and they’re fine with part-time. Why? Because what they really need is experienced people to point them in the right direction… and then AI can execute the plan.
Another mindset shift: startups have realized their edge isn’t purely technical. A product that’s just 10% better than the competition? Not exactly a moat.
Real competitive advantage comes from distribution — and distribution depends heavily on relationships. Connectd helps startups tap into the networks of well-connected experts in their target markets.
Shameless plug alert: the idea of leaning on relationships and expertise as a way to unlock leverage is the main inspiration behind INFINITI, a platform I’m building that connects early-stage founders with experienced investors and operators. While the model is different, the goal is similar: give startups access to people who’ve seen the movie before. Not to replace execution, but to raise the quality of thinking behind it. As more startups run leaner and faster, surrounding them with high-quality, part-time input can make all the difference.
The expert pool is evolving too. Previously, people joined Connectd as a safety net — just in case they lost their main job and needed a soft landing in a startup.
Now, the main motivation is flexibility — the chance to shape your own career path by gaining diverse, hands-on experience in new sectors and markets.
That shift is driving up demand for platforms like Connectd. Back in 2022, a typical startup on the platform hired 1.7 experts. By late 2024, that number had jumped to 4.4 per startup — all in fractional roles.
One earlier player in the space — Bolster — is also focused on part-time placements for execs and board members. But the market wasn’t quite ready back then. In fact, when Bolster raised $8M last year, it was to support full-time executive hiring — though the option for fractional roles still remains.
Key Takeaways
The biggest predictor of startup success? Timing.
It’s not just about being first — it’s about showing up when the market is ready to care.
That’s the tricky part. Many great ideas appear too early. Founders see the future clearly, but the world isn’t there yet. That might have been the case with expert fractional hiring. A few years ago, platforms like Connectd and Bolster were ahead of the curve, pushing a model the broader startup world wasn’t quite ready for.
Now, the signs are pointing to a shift.
Startups aren’t just curious about fractional experts anymore — they’re actively building around them. They understand the value of guidance from experienced operators, even if that guidance comes just a few hours a week. In many cases, that’s all they need. As tools like AI begin to take on more execution work, the premium on strategic input is growing — and fractional experts are an efficient way to access it.
On the other side, experts themselves are embracing the model for very different reasons than before. What started as a safety net has evolved into a career strategy. They’re not just hedging against layoffs; they’re seeking out new experiences, more autonomy, and the ability to shape their careers on their own terms. Working across multiple startups allows them to stay sharp, stay relevant, and stay connected to emerging trends — often in a way that traditional corporate roles can’t match.
These dual shifts — in both startup demand and expert motivation — are converging at just the right time. The data backs it up: the number of fractional roles per startup is rising fast, and revenue for platforms like Connectd is accelerating as a result.
In short, the market is finally catching up to the model.
That makes now an opportune moment to enter the space — whether as a founder building infrastructure around fractional work, as an expert looking to reshape your career, or as an investor searching for platforms that capture this momentum.
There’s proof that the model works.
There are startups scaling with it.
And there’s a growing appetite on both sides of the table.
The timing — for once — feels just right.
Company info
Connectd
Website: https://www.connectd.com/
Last funding round: £5.5 million, 22.07.2025
Total funds raised: €13.6 million over 6 round