As you can read in the Venture agreement, proto-ventures are entities considering becoming Enspiral Ventures in the future. They are likely to be:
Early-stage initiatives connected to people in the network, but are not yet ready to define their team, structure, or model enough to become a full-fledged venture, or
Established external companies exploring the possibility of joining as Enspiral Ventures
Here’s the process for someone considering starting a proto-venture:
1.
At least one of your people need to be Enspiral contributors (see the People agreement)
Your stewards will start a Loomio thread to introduce the proto-venture to the network
You’re expected to keep the network updated with progress. As a bare minimum you should meet with your stewards once per quarter and fill in the venture update form, which all the ventures use as a lightweight quarterly reporting system.
As your proto-venture matures, at some stage you’ll either want to go all-in and become a full venture, or cancel the relationship with Enspiral. Either way, the process is laid out in the Joining and Leaving sections in the Venture agreement.
Discussion & Changes
Enspiral contributors are welcome to use this Loomio thread to discuss proto-ventures and propose changes to this guide.