How an Early Scale AI Investor Picks Founders

How do early-stage venture capitalists pick which unproven founders to back? Most don’t overcomplicate things. Backing a Stanford University computer science grad or an early OpenAI employee often seems like a good bet. Some VCs even use AI to score early startups based on their technical expertise or past successes.

Paige and Leura Craig, the husband-wife duo that runs Outlander VC, with $486 million assets under management, has a more unusual approach. Their New York-based investment firm developed an intricate scoring system based on a potential founder’s resilience, character and risk-taking potential that partners use before cutting a check.