"Where startups and their partners connect and collaborate"

Event description

The FlexUp Startup Networking Workshops are small, curated sessions designed for early-stage to growing startups, project leaders, and ecosystem partners who actively work with startups. 

Each workshop combines focused presentations with open networking. The session starts with a brief introduction to FlexUp, followed by a series of short presentations from startup projects and ecosystem participants. Startup and project presentations are prioritised to keep discussions concrete and needs-driven.

Attendance is intentionally limited to ensure meaningful exchanges. Participants may opt in to share their contact details with other attendees after the event, enabling relevant follow-up conversations.

Please note that this workshop is an online event. 

The event was successfully conducted, please find the recording on youtube: 

Meeting Summary:

Meeting assets for FlexUp Startup Networking Workshop, Online, Thursday 29th Jan 2026:

Quick recap

The meeting focused on FlexUp, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses through a flexible economic model that simplifies collaboration agreements and equity distribution. Fabrizio, the creator of FlexUp, explained its three main pillars: a new economic model, a business app, and a network of partners. Lara shared her experience using FlexUp to raise funding and manage her startup, True Local Heroes, emphasizing its fairness and simplicity. Maria and Alessandro discussed their startup's early stages and sought clarification on FlexUp's governance and token system. Fabrizio provided detailed explanations on how FlexUp calculates risk factors, issues tokens, and handles payment terms. The conversation ended with participants expressing gratitude for the insights shared and the potential benefits of FlexUp for startups.

FlexUp: Entrepreneurial Platform Overview

The meeting introduced FlexUp, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs start and manage businesses through a new economic model, business app, and network of partners. Fabrizio explained FlexUp's features, including its contractual frameworks, transaction tracking, and equity-based remuneration system. He encouraged participants to explore the platform's resources, such as case studies and contract templates, and invited them to share their business challenges and ideas. The session aimed to provide an informal space for startups to exchange experiences and insights, with the recording intended for training purposes.

True Local Heroes Platform Launch

Lara, the CEO and founder of True Local Heroes, shared her journey of developing a neighborhood platform that connects people seeking help with service providers. She expressed gratitude for Fabrizio's contribution to simplifying her business operations through FlexUp, which helped her raise investment capital and manage her team fairly. Lara highlighted the challenges of raising funds in the US and the advantages of using FlexUp's economic model, which provided clarity and fairness in her funding rounds. She also mentioned the soft launch of True Local Heroes and the positive response from early paid subscribers.

Fair Equity Distribution in Startups

Fabrizio and Lara discussed FlexUp, a system for fair equity distribution in startups. They highlighted its features of non-discrimination among founders, employees, and investors, and its mechanism for early dilution through redeemable equity. Lara emphasized the importance of trusted team members in startups and the potential for FlexUp to build trust with both teams and investors.

FlexUp for HR Tech Startup

Maria and her team of five students, who are currently employed or freelancing, are considering converting their HR tech graduation project into a startup. They are exploring FlexUp as a potential solution to address challenges related to equity structure, administrative burden, and fairness among team members with varying contributions and career paths. Fabrizio shared a parallel story of another group of founders facing similar uncertainties and suggested using FlexUp to establish a transparent and flexible system for valuing contributions and distributing equity. The team plans to further study FlexUp's application and consider how it could simplify their administrative and organizational processes.

FlexUp Governance and Equity Model

Maria discussed challenges with different founders' roles and responsibilities in their startup, particularly regarding executive involvement and decision-making. Fabrizio explained FlexUp's governance model, which includes holders (the company/project), associates (those who earn equity through risk-taking), and a council elected by token holders for financial decisions. He clarified that while the FlexUp system determines equity and voting rights, operational management remains with the company's legal structure, allowing founders to maintain control even if diluted below 50%.

Token Conversion in FlexUp System

Maria asked about the mechanism behind token conversion in the FlexUp system, and Fabrizio explained that tokens are not real shares but can be converted into shares when a funding round occurs. He clarified that the system provides flexibility in adjusting parameters and that tokens are issued based on the value of contributions and the level of risk taken. Fabrizio also described how the token index affects the number of tokens received and emphasized that FlexUp allows for immediate token issuance and voting rights, distinguishing it from SAFE agreements.

FlexUp Risk Calculation Algorithm

Fabrizio explained the core algorithm in FlexUp, which associates a risk factor to given payment terms. He described how the system calculates risk based on payment structures, using parameters such as payment priority levels and interest rates. Fabrizio emphasized that while the exact risk percentage might not be perfectly accurate, the important thing is that the calculation method is simple and consistent for everyone. He also mentioned that users can tweak these parameters in the charter if needed, though the app currently doesn't support all possible adjustments.

FlexUp System Financial Parameters

The meeting focused on explaining the FlexUp system and its financial parameters. Fabrizio demonstrated how the app calculates risk factors and token values, explaining that the system allows for flexible payment terms including credits and interest rates. He addressed questions about risk factors and token indexation, explaining that companies can adjust these parameters based on their growth and financial stability. The discussion also covered how the system handles legal entities and invoicing, with Fabrizio explaining that founders have the option to either use an incubator company as the holder or create a sub-account under their own existing legal structure.

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