Ever Buy a "Lifetime Deal" That Died?
The Deal Flow Problem
You know this:
- You get 50 cold LinkedIn messages per week from “founders” with PowerPoint prototypes
- Half the pitch decks you read are ideas, not businesses
- The other half are drowning in debt from extractive marketplaces
- Finding companies with actual traction, sustainable unit economics, and competent founders is like finding a needle in a haystack
Meanwhile, on ToolSalsa:
- Every product listed is live and generating revenue
- Founders paid $20-100 to list (shows commitment, filters tire-kickers)
- They’re running campaigns (proof they understand marketing)
- We’ve researched them (reviews, market fit, founder reputation)
- No one’s trapped in lifetime deal death spirals (sustainable economics)
This is pre-qualified deal flow.
What You Get Access To
Not ideas. Not MVPs gathering dust. Real products with real users, actively marketing themselves on our platform.
If they built a product good enough for us to feature AND have the marketing chops to run a campaign, they’re not first-time dreamers. They’re builders.
Because we don’t take transaction fees, founders on ToolSalsa aren’t forced into unsustainable lifetime deals. They’re building businesses with healthy unit economics. That means they’re investable.
We’ve already Googled them. Read the reviews. Checked their reputation. Looked at their tech stack. We’ll share what we found.
No gatekeepers. No pitch deck requests. Just browse, find something interesting, reach out directly.
How It Works
Check out our directory. Every product you see is actively running a marketing campaign right now. That’s traction.
Looking for WordPress tools? AI platforms? Productivity SaaS? Use our filters. We’ve categorized everything.
Each product page shows: company name, location, founding stage, our badges (Salsa Pick = we’re highly confident), and the product’s market positioning.
See something interesting? Contact us. We’ll intro you to the founder. Or just reach out to them directly (their website is linked).
You’re the investor. You do the real due diligence. We’re just surfacing companies you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
What We're NOT
Let’s be clear about what ToolSalsa isn’t:
- We’re not a fundraising platform. We don’t handle term sheets, cap tables, or equity. We’re a discovery engine.
- We’re not doing due diligence for you. We research products for curation, not investment. You still need to do your homework.
- We’re not taking equity or fees. If you invest in a company you found here, that’s between you and them. We don’t get a cut.
- We’re not promising unicorns. These are mostly bootstrapped, indie SaaS products. Think $1M-$10M ARR potential, not $1B exits.
What we ARE: a curated directory of real products, run by competent founders, with sustainable business models, that you can connect with directly.
The Opportunity for Early Investors
Here’s what most VCs miss:
The best bootstrapped SaaS companies never raise traditional VC. They’re profitable, growing steadily, and the founders like owning 100%.
But some of them WOULD take smart money if:
- The terms were founder-friendly
- The investor actually understood their market
- It was growth capital, not “we’re desperate” capital
- They didn’t have to waste 6 months fundraising
ToolSalsa gives you access to these founders BEFORE they’re on the typical VC radar. Before they’re on TechCrunch. Before they’re overvalued.
Early entry. Better terms. Healthier businesses.
Specifically for Angel Investors
You’re not looking to deploy $10M. You want to write $25K-$100K checks into promising companies where you can actually help.
ToolSalsa is perfect for you because:
- These companies are small enough that your check matters
- Founders are accessible (not surrounded by associates and lawyers)
- You can add real value (marketing, product, connections)
- Valuations are reasonable (pre-hype, pre-Series A inflation)
Want to be the angel investor who actually helps vs. just writes checks? Start here.
What's On ToolSalsa Right Now
- Weekly added Active Products
- Over a dozen Product Categories
- 100% Manually Curated
- $0 Access Fee for Investors
Founder Success Stories
We’re too new to have “Investor X funded Company Y through ToolSalsa” stories yet. But we will.
What we DO have: founders building real businesses, with real revenue, solving real problems. The kind of companies you wish you’d found earlier.
If you invest in a company you found on ToolSalsa, let us know. We’d love to feature the story (with your permission).
Is This For You?
- You're a good fit if you:
- Invest in SaaS, software tools, or digital products
- Like bootstrapped, capital-efficient companies
- Prefer revenue-generating businesses over pre-revenue startups
- Want to find companies before they’re on every cap table in town
- Appreciate sustainable business models over “grow at all costs”
- Can move fast (these founders don’t need 6-month diligence cycles)
- You're a good fit if you:
- Only invest in Silicon Valley, venture-scale moonshots
- Need $100M+ TAM to get interested
- Require warm intros from other VCs
- Don’t understand or respect bootstrapped founders
- Want us to do your due diligence for you
Who We Are
We’re bootstrappers. Based in Sheridan, WY. Building this thing with our own money.
We know what it’s like to:
- Code until 3am because that’s the only quiet time you have
- Refresh Stripe hoping to see revenue
- Calculate if you can afford another month of hosting
- Watch your ad spend disappear into nothing
- Feel that gut punch when you see AppSumo’s commission structure
We built ToolSalsa for us. And for you.
What We Believe
Founders deserve to keep their revenue.
Buyers deserve products that survive.
Nobody should get rich by extracting value from other people’s hard work.
Simple as that.
Why Founders on ToolSalsa Might Want Your Money
Not all of them do. Many are happily bootstrapped and staying that way.
But some founders ARE open to investment if:
- You bring more than money. Domain expertise. Distribution. Strategic intros. Actual help.
- The terms are fair. They’re not desperate. They’re doing fine. So lowball offers won’t work.
- You move fast. They’re building, not fundraising. If you’re interested, be direct.
- You respect their vision. They built this without you. They know their customers. Listen before advising.
The founders on ToolSalsa aren’t pitching you. You’re pitching them on why taking your money makes sense. It’s a different dynamic than typical VC.
If that sounds backward to you, this isn’t your platform.
How ToolSalsa Makes Money (And Why It Matters)
Transparency: we charge founders $20-$100 to list their products for 1-6 months.
That’s it. We don’t:
- Take commission on their sales
- Take equity in their companies
- Charge investors to access the directory
- Take fees on any investments you make
Why this matters for you:
Because we don’t extract from transactions, the founders here aren’t trapped in unsustainable business models. They’re healthier investment targets.
And because we don’t take fees from you, we’re not incentivized to push bad deals. We succeed when we curate well, period.
Ready to Find Your Next Investment?
Option 1: Just Browse
Check out our directory. It’s free. No signup required. Filter by category, see what founders are building.
If you see something interesting, reach out to the founder directly (their site is linked on every product page).
Option 2: Partner With Us
Want us to send you monthly digests of new products in your investment thesis? Interested in co-promoting to founders?
We’re open to partnerships with angels and micro-VCs who share our founder-first philosophy.
Questions Investors Ask
Do you vet these companies for investment quality?
We vet for product quality and founder credibility (is it real? is it good? is the founder legit?). We do NOT do financial due diligence, check cap tables, or validate ARR claims. You need to do that.
Are these companies actively fundraising?
Most are not. They’re here to sell their products, not raise capital. But many would be open to smart money at the right terms. You’ll need to ask.
What stage are these companies?
Mostly early to growth stage. Bootstrapped SaaS doing $50K-$2M ARR. Some are earlier (launching), some are later (mature, profitable). Check the “Company Stage” field on each product page.
Do you take a fee if I invest?
No. Zero. If you invest in a company you found on ToolSalsa, that’s between you and them. We don’t get involved.
Can I post that I'm looking to invest?
Not yet, but we’re considering adding an “Investor Profiles” section where founders can see who’s active on the platform. Contact us if you’re interested.
How do I reach a founder?
Every product page has a “Get The Deal” link to their website. From there, find their contact/about page. Or contact us and we’ll intro you (if we know them personally).
What if a founder isn't interested in investment?
Respect that. Many are bootstrapped by choice and want to stay that way. Don’t be the VC who ignores “not fundraising” and pitches anyway. It’s annoying.
Can I get early access to new listings?
We’re working on this. For now, contact us and let us know your investment thesis. We’ll flag relevant new products as they list.
The Bigger Vision
We’re building a sustainable ecosystem where founders can grow without selling their souls to extractive marketplaces.
Where buyers get tools from companies that will actually survive.
And where investors can find real businesses with healthy economics, run by founders who know how to build and ship.
It’s early. We’re figuring this out as we go. But if you believe there’s a better way than the AppSumo model and the typical VC circus, you’re in the right place.
Let’s build this together.
Start Looking
Browse our directory. See what founders are building. Reach out if something clicks.
And if you invest in a company you found here, let us know. We’d love to hear the story.