Where unused startup ideas find capital
Idea Exchange is the marketplace for early-stage IP — founders sell full ownership or equity/royalty stakes in ideas they won't build, and buyers of every kind — from first-time builders to VC firms and angel investors — vet, negotiate, and acquire them under a structured deal process.
Browse
Curated ideas, sorted by category
Public teasers for every listing — no sign-up required to start browsing.
For Sellers
Turn a shelved idea into capital. List a structured brief, keep the full thesis under NDA, and negotiate a fixed-price sale, an auction, or an equity/royalty deal — without giving away the details for free.
List an ideaFor Buyers
No accreditation required to browse or buy — anyone can source proprietary ideas before they become companies. Filter by category, stage, and price, accept an NDA to see full diligence materials, and move from offer to signed IP assignment in one flow.
Browse listingsYour idea could catch a VC's eye
Buyers here range from individual builders to VC firms and angel investors like the ones below — anyone can make an offer, but list once and your idea is visible to all of them.
Sam Okafor
Angel Investor · Independent Angel
Ex-Stripe PM writing angel checks into fintech and developer tools.
AccreditedLena Whitfield
General Partner · Meridian Ventures
Meridian backs pre-seed B2B SaaS and healthtech founders across the US.
AccreditedAiko Tanaka
Principal · Catalyst Climate Partners
Climate and energy infrastructure investing, from raw concept through Series A.
AccreditedJordan Reyes
Partner · Northbeam Capital
Seed-stage checks into vertical SaaS and workflow automation, $25k-$250k.
AccreditedA structured path from idea to deal
1. List & review
Sellers submit a structured brief. Listings clear a moderation queue before going public.
2. NDA-gated diligence
Buyers see a public teaser, then click-through an NDA to unlock the full listing.
3. Offer & negotiate
Buy It Now, bid in an auction, or propose an equity/royalty deal — negotiate in-app.
4. Escrow & transfer
Funds are held in simulated escrow, an IP assignment doc is generated, and ownership transfers.
See it in action
A completed deal, start to finish
Warehouse slotting optimizer
Sold by Weekend Prototypes to Northbeam Capital
$250,000
Full ownership transferred · IP assignment signed · escrow released
“Clean process end to end — funds moved fast once we agreed on price.”
Marcus Lee · 5/5
“Exactly as described in diligence. Would work with Marcus again.”
Jordan Reyes · 5/5
Recently listed
View allBuilt-in trust and safety
Self-attested accreditation
Buyers who qualify as accredited investors can flag that status — a signal for sellers, not a requirement to make an offer.
Escrow-style holds
Deal funds move through Stripe Connect in test mode, structured as a hold-and-release rather than instant capture.
Two-sided ratings
Sellers and buyers rate each other after every completed deal, building a track record over time.