NET-0 Flagship Technology
Psychometric evaluations are Net-0’s flagship tool for eliminating bias in founder-investor matching. Grounded in validated personality science and cognitive research, they replace gut-feel with evidence.
Peer-reviewed methodology · 5 dimensions · applied globally
The problem
When a VC meets a founder, the decision to invest is made — on average — within the first four minutes. That decision is driven by pattern recognition: Ivy League school, warm introduction, familiar accent, known network. It has almost nothing to do with the quality of the idea or the capability of the person behind it.
Average time before a VC makes an unconscious invest / pass decision based on first impressions alone
Of VC-backed startups in the US are founded by white men from top-10 universities — despite representing less than 3% of the population
Of successful entrepreneurs self-identify as dyslexic or ADHD — yet these same traits trigger rejection from traditional investors relying on gut-feel
What we measure
01
Pattern recognition, abstract reasoning, and capacity for rapid learning. Founders with high cognitive agility adapt faster to market changes, synthesise complex information, and spot non-obvious opportunities — regardless of academic background.
02
Tolerance for uncertainty, comfort with asymmetric risk, and ability to make decisions under ambiguity. Great founders don’t avoid risk — they understand it, size it correctly, and move forward when others freeze. This dimension maps directly to long-term investor alignment.
03
Recovery speed from setbacks, sustained effort under pressure, and growth mindset orientation. Research consistently identifies grit as the single strongest predictor of entrepreneurial persistence beyond the early stage — more predictive than IQ, network size, or funding raised.
04
Capacity to inspire, communicate vision, resolve conflict, and build deep trust. This is often the most under-measured dimension in traditional due diligence — and the one most predictive of whether a founder can recruit a team, retain talent, and close partnerships under pressure.
05
Action-orientation, implementation bias, and follow-through under competing demands. The gap between ideation and execution is where most startups fail. This dimension isolates founders who finish things — not just those who start them boldly.
The research
Founders matched via structured psychometric profiles show 2.4× higher 5-year survival rates vs. those selected by traditional VC pattern-matching alone (Kauffman Foundation, 2022)
Of investor bias originates from affinity heuristics — backing founders who look and sound like past successes — not from evaluation of capability (Harvard Business Review, 2021)
Predictive accuracy of structured psychological assessments for identifying high-growth entrepreneurial potential, vs. 34% predictive accuracy for unstructured interviews (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2019)
Neurodivergent founders are 3× more likely to build breakthrough companies than neurotypical peers — yet face rejection rates 4× higher from traditional accelerators and angel investors (Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 2023)
Old model vs. NET-0 model
The old model
School prestige as a proxy for intelligence
Warm introductions over cold applications
Pattern-matched appearance and communication style
Geography as a filter — Silicon Valley or nowhere
Gut feeling, undefined and unaccountable
The Net-0 model
Validated cognitive ability across 5 measured dimensions
Open applications — no warm introductions required
Objective psychometric profiling, blind to demographics
Global-first — 27 countries, no postcode advantage
Evidence-based decisions, documented and reproducible
How the evaluation works
Step 01
Apply online
Submit a short application describing what you’re building. No pitch deck, no financial projections — just your story and why you’re the right person to build it.
Step 02
Complete the psychometric evaluation
A rigorous 45-minute validated assessment measuring all five founder dimensions. No right or wrong answers — only an honest picture of how you think, decide, and lead.
Step 03
Receive your Founder Profile
A detailed personal report across the five dimensions, including strengths, growth areas, and investor-alignment indicators. Yours to keep, explore, and understand.
Step 04
Get matched with aligned investors / peers
Your profile is used to match you against Net-0’s investor and mentor network — surfacing the people most aligned to your stage, sector, and psychology. No cold outreach. No gatekeeping.
Take the Net-0 psychometric evaluation. 45 minutes that could change who backs you — and how you understand your own potential.
Start the evaluation →
Free to apply. Results shared only with your consent.