How RUV Labs works
The verified network for founders, builders and investors
Find a co-founder, hire your first engineers, get freelance work or meet investors in one place. Everyone who posts or sends messages has verified their identity, and contact happens only after the other person accepts.
Free to join. Identity verification is free too.
The feed
Six feeds, each with one job
Posts go into one category, so you only read what you came for. Startups raising money list in the Deal Room instead of the feed.
All
Every category in one place, with the most recently posted or bumped first.Open the feedCo-founders
Looking for a co-founder, or to join a founding team.See co-founder postsHiring
Hiring team members or freelancers.See who's hiringOpen to Work
Available for freelance or full-time work.See who's availableInvesting
Investors sharing what they invest in.See investor postsInsights
Market notes, data and lessons learned.Read Insights
Posting rules
Built to keep the feed worth reading
Most networks for founders drown in the same post repeated all day. RUV Labs limits how often anyone can post and stops copies before they are published. Blocks come with an explanation, not a penalty.
One posting action a day
On the free plan you get one posting action per rolling 24 hours: a new post or a Bump. RUV Labs Pro members get 10, at least an hour apart.Bump instead of reposting
Bump moves your existing post back to the top of its feed. The content stays the same and no copy is created.Duplicates are blocked
Exact copies of your earlier posts, or of another member's post from the last 90 days, are stopped before they go live. So are close rewrites of your own posts from the last 30 days.No contact details in public
Phone numbers, emails and messenger handles are blocked in posts, profiles, portfolios, Deal Room listings and first messages.
Messaging
Contact happens only through accepted messages
Verified members start with a short message request. The other person decides whether to accept, decline or block. Declines are silent, and unanswered requests expire after 14 days.
- Message requests are up to 500 characters, without links or contact details.
- After acceptance you can share contact details, images and files freely.
- Accepted conversations are private and are not scanned automatically.
- Connect with people you know: connections can message each other directly.
RUV Labs Verified
See who is real before you reply
Identity verification is free and required to post, message or list a startup. Members can add badges for their company, job, education, investor status, revenue and funding. A person on our team reviews the documents, and badges expire after a year.
Badges members can earn
- ID checked by our partner Didit; we store the result, not your ID.
- Documents deleted after review, always within 14 days.
Beyond the feed
More ways to move faster
Optional tools for founders raising money and for members who use RUV Labs every day.
RUV Labs Deal Room
Verified founders list startups that are raising. Investors browse listings, open details and request introductions.About the Deal RoomRUV Labs Expert Review
Verified venture professionals review your pitch deck. Basic $149 for a written review, Deep $399 with a video call.About Expert ReviewRUV Labs Pro
$25/month or $240/year. Ten posting actions a day, 50 message requests, unlimited Deal Room access and Request Intro.Compare plans
What we believe
Principles we build by
- Trust is the product.
- Verification is free, and what was verified is visible on every profile.
- Contact through messages only.
- Contact details are shared inside a conversation the other person accepted.
- No spam.
- One posting action a day on the free plan, Bump instead of reposting, duplicates blocked.
- Browse freely, act verified.
- Anyone can read the feed, profiles and Insights. Posting and messaging need ID verification.
- One simple paid plan.
- Free, or RUV Labs Pro for $25/month or $240/year. Nothing else to compare.
- Collect less, delete quickly.
- Badge documents are deleted after review, within 14 days at most.
Company
Who runs RUV Labs
- Operator
- ISCT LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (USA)
- Identity checks
- Didit (KYC partner)
- Payments
- Stripe
- Support
- support@ruvlabs.com
- All contacts
- Contact page
RUV Labs is not a broker-dealer, funding portal or investment adviser and does not take part in investment transactions.
What is RUV Labs?
RUV Labs is a global network where founders, engineers, designers and investors find each other: co-founders, first hires, freelance work and investment. Members verify their identity, can add document-verified badges, and contact each other only through message requests that the other person accepts.
Who can join RUV Labs?
Anyone 18 or older can create an account with Google. You can browse the feed, profiles and Insights without an account. Posting, sending messages and listing a startup require identity verification and a complete profile.
Do I have to verify my identity?
Only to post, send message requests, list a startup in the Deal Room or request badges. Verification is free and handled by our partner Didit. RUV Labs never receives your ID images. How verification works
Why can I only post once a day?
So the feed stays readable. The free plan includes one posting action per rolling 24 hours, either a new post or a Bump of an existing one. That keeps people from flooding the feed with the same message.
How do I contact someone on RUV Labs?
Send a message request from their profile or post (up to 500 characters, no contact details). If they accept, you can talk freely and share contact details. Free members can send 5 requests a day; Pro members 50.
Is RUV Labs free?
Yes. Browsing, posting, messaging, verification and badges are free. RUV Labs Pro ($25/month or $240/year) adds higher limits, unlimited Deal Room access, Request Intro and more. Compare plans
Does RUV Labs take a fee when I raise money or hire?
No. RUV Labs does not take part in investment transactions or hiring, and does not charge success fees. We make money from RUV Labs Pro and optional one-time purchases such as Expert Review.
Who operates RUV Labs?
RUV Labs is operated by ISCT LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company in the United States. You can reach us at support@ruvlabs.com or through the contact page.
Build with people who are who they say they are
Join for free, verify your identity in a few minutes, and start the conversations that matter.