Brickyard

Lay brick. Build revenue. Burn the Ship.

Chattanooga, TN, USA

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Description

Brickyard is a unique "insulator" and venture capital firm based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, designed for founders who want a zero-distraction environment to achieve product-market fit. Brickyard primarily focuses on pre-seed and early-stage technology startups. It targets "builders" at the very beginning of their journey, specifically those looking to break $1 million in ARR. Brickyard rejects the traditional cohort model. Instead, it operates as a continuous, high-intensity "founder outpost".

Rolling Basis: There are no application deadlines or fixed cohorts; they invest in new teams year-round.
In-Person Dedication: Founders must relocate to Chattanooga and work out of the Brickyard "black site" until they hit a specific revenue milestone (typically $1M) or shut down.
Application: Interested founders apply via the official portal by submitting a pitch deck and business plan.
Selection: The process is extremely selective; they reportedly review over 7,000 decks annually to make only 10–12 investments.

Eligibility

Sector: Primarily technology-driven startups, including fintech, healthtech, and edtech.
Willingness to Relocate: Founders must be willing to uproot their lives and move to Chattanooga for roughly 18–24 months on average.
Commitment: The firm filters for "un-killable" founders with a "burn the ships" mentality—leaving everything else behind to focus entirely on their company.

What an Applicant can Obtain

Capital: Standardized funding to support early development.
Amenities: Access to a state-of-the-art facility including 10-Gig internet, a fully-equipped gym, sauna, and cold plunge tub.
Community: Daily access to seasoned operators and a high-density "founder village" of roughly 20 portfolio companies at a time.
Upside: Uniquely, every founder they back receives 10% of the GP's carried interest, meaning founders have a monetary incentive to help each other succeed.