The First Echo for AI Entrepreneurs

Sixty years ago, two American radio astronomers discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation — the residual radiation left over from the early universe, a milestone in validating the Big Bang model. It was all deeply poetic. The Big Bang itself carries an epic grandeur; billions of years later, humans on this planet came to understand their origins through its lingering echo across the cosmos.

Much like that primordial explosion, we believe AI will bring transformative change and boundless possibility to the world. But the creators of this beginning, the authors of its poetry, won't be some future AI — they will be the people using AI today, and the products they build. This "technological Big Bang" is already reshaping, and will continue to reshape, every one of us — entrepreneurs included. And so we decided to launch Linear Bolt, our own "echo" of this explosion.

Beyond the poetry, "echo" carries personal weight for us. Every member of the Bolt team comes from a technical background, and most have founding experience. In this era of rapid change and abundant opportunity, we know intimately what AI founders need most right now: trusted companions who have each other's backs amid the noise and chaos. This is our vision — to be the first "echo" for AI founders.

What is Bolt:

• Bolt is Linear Capital's AI investment initiative, purpose-built for early-stage, globally-oriented AI applications
• It carries forward Linear Capital's philosophy and investment thesis, focusing on technology-driven transformation and helping founders find the shortest path to their goals
• While Linear focuses on hard tech and the intersection of frontier technology with industry, Bolt focuses on applications and the builders who create them
• In both pace and approach, Bolt promises to be lighter, faster, and more flexible

Bolt's Core Values:

• Audacious — prepared to break through limits
• Agile — fast and lightweight
• Authentic — unwavering in our beliefs, open and candid

The Bolt Founder Profile:

• A typical Bolt project is built by a small team of 3-4 founders. They are builders, not managers
• They might be seasoned industry veterans looking to start anew with AI and other frontier technologies, or young indie developers hoping to ride this wave to build something better
• They work in rapid sprints, typically moving from idea to prototype in two months and to public launch in four
• For them, an "office" is optional. They're often at home with their cats, or working from cafés
• They are global by nature, active on Instagram, X, Jike, and Xiaohongshu
• People love their products, though they may need help with business development and customer growth
• They insist on staying lean, with every team member amplified by AI. Tracking tech trends, building great products, and capturing market share are what matter most

Bolt's Investment Strategy: Bolt focuses on AI-driven applications. We believe AI will profoundly reshape every industry. So we take a deliberately "unbounded" approach:

• No market boundaries. We invest globally and are open to both B2B and B2C applications
• No hardware/software boundaries. Beyond software, we're interested in AI-enabled smart devices
• No geographic boundaries. We care more about whether a product excites us than where the team is based

What Bolt Offers:

• Fast decisions: Through 3-4 meetings with the founding team, we aim to decide within two weeks, with the full process completed in under a month
• Founder-friendly terms: We offer the cleanest, most straightforward terms possible, grounded in market standards
• Investor support and portfolio network: Linear Capital's tradition of regular communication between investors and founders continues with Bolt. Our portfolio's culture of mutual support carries forward too — and we'll double down on Bolt companies as they grow
• Community and post-investment support: Linear's ongoing support for recruiting key executives, follow-on fundraising, and publicity continues with Bolt. We'll also host regular community events, from barbecues and gatherings to training sessions, where you'll meet top experts in the field, fellow travelers, and outstanding founders from Linear's portfolio

Bolt's First Small Steps: Over the past month, we've completed four investments, with several more in progress.

What Else: This is a world where exciting change happens daily. Beyond investing, we're eager to share our perspectives and analysis on hot topics. We'll also continue hosting online and offline community events. We look forward to sparking new ideas with old and new friends alike. Founders especially — we'd love to hear from you. Here is how to reach the three Bolt team members:

Can Zheng

WeChat: Can_Zheng | Jike: datawhims

With excitement and trepidation for what lies ahead, we hope to embark on the next leg of the journey with you — to see what awaits at the end of the grand voyage.

Zeren Bai

WeChat: bluesbaiLcz | Jike: ZerenZero

One person may walk fast, but a group walks far. We hope those interested in us will join Bolt to walk both fast and far together.

Zoey Sun

WeChat: zoey_jingyi | Jike: ZoeyMiao

As fellow builders who once stood where you stand, we deeply understand your passion for product, your devotion to users, and the loneliness and fear that come with the unknown. Bolt aspires to be the best copilot on your entrepreneurial journey, with unwavering support to empower your success.

A Small Surprise: If you're working on an AI-related project, scan the QR code to fill out our questionnaire and tell us what you're building. Each month we'll select projects for offline Demo Days. And if Demo Days aren't your thing, we also offer an introvert-friendly option for one-on-one meetings.