Documentation
Everything you need to know about raising funds and backing projects on Vibestarter.
Overview
Vibestarter is a crowdfunding platform built for AI-native founders. Unlike traditional crowdfunding, funds are held in smart contract escrow and released through verified milestones, protecting both founders and backers.
Protected Funding
Funds held in escrow until milestones are verified
Provenance
Origin capsules prove exactly how you built it
Fast Launch
Go from idea to funded in under 5 minutes
Raise Types
Choose the funding model that best fits your project. Each has different mechanics for how funds are collected and released.
Must reach goal to unlock funds
Raise must reach its funding goal by the deadline. If successful, funds are released through milestones.
Best for
Projects with clear funding targets and defined scope
Any amount raised counts
Keep whatever you raise regardless of hitting a specific goal. Optionally set a soft cap as a minimum threshold.
Best for
Flexible funding or ongoing projects without fixed requirements
Price increases as more ETH is raised
Token price follows a mathematical curve. Early backers get better prices, creating fair price discovery.
Best for
Fair token distribution with built-in price discovery
Milestones & Fund Release
Milestones are the building blocks of your raise. Each milestone represents a deliverable, and completing it unlocks a portion of the raised funds.
How Milestone Releases Work
Define Your Roadmap
Create 1-10 milestones with descriptions and release percentages that total 100%
Ship & Submit Proof
Complete the milestone and submit proof (AI transcript, code commit, or other verifiable artifact)
Verification
Milestone is verified on-chain, creating an immutable record of your progress
Funds Released
The milestone's percentage of escrowed funds is automatically released to your wallet
Milestone Statuses
- Pending - Not yet started
- In Progress - Currently being worked on
- Submitted - Proof submitted, awaiting verification
- Verified - Completed and funds released
- Failed - Did not meet requirements
Important Notes
- Release percentages must total exactly 100%
- Milestones are completed in order (sequential)
- Each milestone requires verifiable proof
- Failed milestones may trigger refund mechanisms
Escrow & Fund Safety
All raised funds are held in a dedicated smart contract escrow. This protects backers and ensures founders receive funds only when they deliver.
Funds Locked
- Deployed per-raise escrow contract
- Funds cannot be withdrawn arbitrarily
- On-chain transparency for all transactions
- No single point of failure
Funds Released When
- Milestone is verified on-chain
- Raise reaches funded status (for Fixed Goal)
- Deadline passes with sufficient funding (Open-Ended)
Refund Conditions
Fixed Goal
Full refund if goal not reached by deadline
Open-Ended
Refund only if soft cap set and not reached
Bonding Curve
No refunds - sell tokens back to curve instead
Tokens & Utility
When you launch a raise, you create a project token. Backers receive tokens proportional to their contribution, which can have various utilities.
Token Utility Types
Revenue Share
Token holders receive a share of project revenue
Governance
Vote on project decisions and direction
Early Access
Get features and updates before everyone else
Discounts
Reduced pricing on products or services
Airdrops
Receive future token distributions
Staking Rewards
Earn yield by staking your tokens
Token Claiming
Tokens are allocated when you contribute but claimed after the raise successfully funds. For Fixed Goal raises, tokens are only claimable if the goal is reached.
Origin Capsule
The Origin Capsule is an immutable record of how your project was built. It provides cryptographic proof of your development process, building trust with backers.
What's Stored in a Capsule
AI Transcript Hash
Hash of your Claude/ChatGPT conversation
Agent Tool
Claude Code, Cursor, Replit, etc.
Model Provider
Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.
Founder Identity
Verified wallet + X handle
Token Metadata
Name, symbol, supply
Timestamps
Immutable creation time
Supported Proof Types
- AI Transcript (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
- PRD Document Hash
- Git Repository Commit Hash
- Code Archive Hash
Why It Matters
- Proves you built what you claim
- Creates accountability and trust
- Immutable on-chain record
- Differentiates from vaporware
Ethos Reputation
Vibestarter integrates with Ethos Network to display founder reputation scores. Higher scores indicate more trustworthy founders based on their on-chain history.
Ethos Score Tiers
2600+
Renowned
2400+
Revered
2200+
Distinguished
2000+
Exemplary
1800+
Reputable
1600+
Established
1400+
Known
1200+
Neutral
800+
Questionable
<800
Untrusted
For Backers
Backing a project on Vibestarter is designed to be safe and transparent. Here's what you need to know.
Before You Back
- Review the founder's Ethos score and X profile
- Check the Origin Capsule to verify the project's provenance
- Understand the funding model and refund conditions
- Review milestones and their release percentages
After You Back
- Track milestone progress in your Portfolio
- Claim tokens once the raise successfully funds
- Request refund if conditions are met (e.g., goal not reached)
Ready to Launch?
Start your raise in under 5 minutes. Verify, prove, and ship.
Start a Raise