For founders

Some of the best businesses haven't been started yet.

Maybe one of them is yours. We're looking for founders with an idea, a skill, or a side hustle they're ready to turn into something real. It doesn't have to be technology. If it solves a real problem where you live, we want to hear about it.

Tell us your idea How it works

Who we're looking for

Builders, not résumés.

We're not looking for perfect résumés, impressive titles, or people who have followed the traditional path to entrepreneurship.

We're looking for builders.

People who see a problem and think, "There has to be a better way."
People who have an idea and are willing to do something about it.
People who can start with very little and figure out what comes next.

You might already be a founder.
You might be an entrepreneur looking for your next opportunity.
You might have never started a business before.

What matters is that you're willing to build.

We look for

Vision

You see an opportunity others may not see yet.

Curiosity

You ask better questions, learn quickly, and aren't afraid to enter unfamiliar territory.

Resourcefulness

You can make something happen with what you have instead of waiting for perfect conditions.

Persistence

You keep going when the idea gets harder than you expected.

Ownership

You take responsibility for the outcome, not just your part of the work.

Ambition

You want to build something that can become bigger than yourself.

Any industry

Food. Retail. Trades. Services. Logistics. Media. Technology. Manufacturing. And everything in between.

We don't believe great small businesses only come from one industry.

Good ideas can come from anywhere.

Any stage

A napkin sketch.
A rough prototype.
A weekend side hustle.
A small business already generating revenue.
Or an established small business that has hit a ceiling and needs the right infrastructure to grow.

You don't have to have it all figured out.

You just have to be far enough along to know there's something worth building.

Rooted in real problems

We're especially interested in builders who understand the problem personally.

People who live in the communities they want to serve.
People who have experienced the problem firsthand.
People who understand their customers because they are their customers.

Because some of the best small businesses aren't born from a boardroom.

They're born from experience.

What Aphelion brings

You bring the vision. Aphelion helps bring the infrastructure to build it.

We help promising builders turn ideas into small businesses, and help existing small businesses become stronger, more efficient, and ready to grow through technology, strategy, resources, operational support, and the infrastructure required to move from idea → business → growth.

Technology

Your website, app, software or AI from Aphelion Studio, the same team that builds our own ventures.

Media & marketing

Branding, video, social and launch support through Grizzly Media to get your name out.

Business intelligence

AI-powered insight into your numbers, customers and operations through ORIK, so you can make better decisions faster.

Operating experience

A decade of running businesses in Alaska: contracts, operations, hiring, and what it takes to keep the doors open.

You don't have to know exactly how to build the entire thing.

That's what we're here for.

We're not looking for people who already have everything.

We're looking for people who have something worth building.

Because a great idea can lay golden eggs. But only a builder can bring it to life.

If you believe something should exist, and you're willing to build it even before the world understands it, we want to hear from you.

Tell us your idea

How it works

From first conversation to launch.

Talk

Tell us what you want to build. No pitch deck, just a conversation about the idea and why it matters.

Shape

We work through the plan together: what to build first, what it needs, and how we'll partner.

Build

We put our technology, media and experience behind it while you lead the business.

Grow

We stay in it with you, helping you reach more customers and expand.

Questions

Founder FAQ

Does my idea have to be technology?

No. We partner on businesses in any industry. Technology is one of the ways we help, not a requirement.

What if I only have an idea?

That's a great place to start. Many of the best businesses begin as a rough idea and a person who won't let it go.

What does Aphelion get out of it?

A 20% share. Either your business becomes an Aphelion subsidiary and you keep 80% of the net profit, or we help you form your own LLC and Aphelion owns 20%. You keep 80% either way.

How does a partnership work?

We start with a conversation, choose the structure that fits, and put everything in a written agreement we both sign before any work starts.

Which option should I choose?

If you want to focus on building and skip the paperwork, joining the Aphelion family is simpler. If you want to own your own company from day one, form your own LLC with us as a 20% partner.

Do I have to live in Alaska?

We're rooted in rural Alaska and focus here first, but if you're building for an overlooked place anywhere, reach out.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes. What you tell us stays between us, and we're happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before you share the details of your idea, so your information stays confidential.

Start here

Tell us what you want to build.

No pitch deck needed. A few sentences is enough to start the conversation. We read every one and reply personally.