LUME

Early access · opening soon

Get seen. Get backed. Get building.

LUME is where the earliest ideas get seen, backed, and joined. Idea-makers publish a one-card pitch. Investors and co-founders apply with a short note. Every application is ranked by fit, and idea-makers just pick who to talk to. No introductions, no gatekeepers.

I'm joining as (optional)

Free during early access · No spam, launch updates only.

Mobile Connection Engine

Discover ranked profiles. Skip, connect, or bookmark with a swipe, arrow keys, or buttons. Use the bookmark icon to save profiles. Build your founding team or invest with confidence, instantly.

Idea Feed

Chloe Kim

Idea-Maker · Robotics

89 fit

Roboticist with PhD, searching for a product visionary for an agricultural robotics startup. Active in R&D network.

← or → to decide

Mobile app concept UI with swiping, connection, and bookmark systems.

The problem

Invisible by default

If you have an idea, a skill, or capital, but no network, the current tools don't see you.

  • AngelList wants traction.

    Built for startups that already exist. Not for the idea on your phone.

  • LinkedIn isn't built for this.

    Networking by volume. Matchmaking by accident.

  • Accelerators are a lottery.

    Highly selective, application-heavy, months per shot.

LUME is for everything before “ready.”

How it works

From idea to a picked conversation in three steps

  1. VideoPDFBullets
    ClimateMVP

    Make your card.

    60-second video, one-page PDF, or five bullets. Add title, category, stage, and what you're seeking. Ten minutes, no deck required.

  2. PPriya Nair81 fit

    Climate ops, 40 cities

    MMarcus Lo64 fit

    Angel, Portugal intros

    Get applications, ranked.

    Your card goes live in the feed. Investors and co-founders apply with a short note. LUME ranks every application by fit, best first.

  3. Priya NairAccepted, chat opened
    Thanks for accepting! Excited to share the pilot plan.

    Pick and talk.

    Accept the people you want. Accepting opens chat. Everyone already answered your prompt, so the first message writes itself.

For you

Built for three roles

Woman with glasses writing notes beside her laptop at a bright home desk, coffee in hand

You have the idea. LUME gets it seen.

For anyone sitting on an idea and zero warm intros.

Goal
A real investor or co-founder conversation in week one.
Frustration today
Invisible without warm intros.
What changes on LUME
A pitch card live in minutes, and a ranked inbox of everyone who applied, fit scores and summaries included.

Features

Small surface, sharp tool

Everything on LUME exists to move one idea one step closer to a real conversation. Nothing else.

Three formats, one truth

Video, one-pager, or bullets. Every card shows Title · Category · Stage · Seeking at a glance.

A feed that respects your time

One card at a time, or the full grid. Filters for category, stage, and seeking type. Apply with a note when it clicks.

Accept, and the chat opens

No small talk required. Applicants answer your prompt up front, so the first message already has substance.

Reviewed before it goes live

Automated moderation, human review for edge cases. No spam, no scams.

AI + human review

You keep your idea

LUME never claims ownership of your pitch. Ever.

Ownership stays with you

Built for the first week

Value before traction: signup → card → applications → accepted.

Why LUME

The gap between raw idea and YC-ready

LUME fills it. No traction required, no network required.

Raw ideaLUMEYC-ready
  • AngelListFor startups with existing tractionRequires Traction
  • LinkedInNetworking and noise, not matchmakingHigh Noise
  • AcceleratorsSelective, 3-month application heavyLow Acceptance
  • KickstarterPublic crowdfunding, not matchmakingConsumer Focus
  • LUMEBrowse, apply, get picked. Applications ranked by fit.Day-0 ReadyInstant Match

FAQ

Questions, answered

Something else on your mind? Email hello@lume.app.

What exactly is LUME?

A platform that connects idea-makers with investors and co-founders. Idea-makers publish a pitch card; people browse and apply with a short note; idea-makers review ranked applications and accept who to talk to.

Do I need traction, revenue, or a pitch deck?

No. A card can be a 60-second video, a one-page PDF, or five bullets. If you can explain it, you can pitch it.

Who can join?

Three roles at once: idea-makers, investors (angels, first-time backers, student funds, anyone with intent), and co-founders or partners with skills to offer.

How much does it cost?

Nothing during early access. Browsing and applying stay free.

How do you keep the feed high-quality?

Every card passes automated review before going live, with human review for edge cases. Community reports are queued within 24 hours.

Who owns my idea?

You do. LUME never claims ownership of your card or its content.

When does it launch?

Early access opens soon, English-first. Join the waitlist and your invite arrives by email.

Pick your seat.

Tell us what you bring: an idea, capital, or skills. We'll open the right door.

Free during early access · Browsing and applying always free · No cookies, no tracking.

I'm joining as (optional)

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-09-30

LUME is a pre-launch platform that connects idea-makers with investors and co-founders. This policy covers the early-access waitlist on this site.

What we collect

  • Your email address, submitted voluntarily through the waitlist form.
  • Your self-selected role (idea-maker, investor, or co-founder), if you choose to share it.
  • The timestamp of your consent, kept as proof that you opted in.
  • If you followed an invite link, the short channel tag it carried (for example ref:newsletter), so we know which community sent you. Nothing else about your visit is recorded.

We set no cookies and run no trackers by default. Nothing about your visit is profiled.

Why we collect it

To send you launch updates and an early-access invite. That is the only use today.

Lawful basis

Consent. You give it explicitly at signup and you can withdraw it at any time.

Your rights

Under the GDPR and the Hong Kong Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, you can request access, correction, or deletion of your data, and withdraw consent for future emails. Email us and we will act on your request.

Retention

We keep waitlist data until launch plus a reasonable follow-up period, or until you ask us to delete it, whichever comes first.

Contact

hello@lume.app

Terms of Service

Last updated: 2026-09-30

The service

LUME is a pre-launch networking platform for the earliest stage of a startup. This site collects early-access waitlist signups. The product is under active development and details may change before launch.

No fees

Early access is free. Browsing and applying will stay free. There are no paid tiers today.

Not investment advice

LUME is a networking platform. Nothing on LUME is investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to sell securities. Users are responsible for their own diligence.

Your content

You keep full ownership of your pitch cards and everything you publish. LUME never claims ownership of your idea.

Acceptable use

Don't publish illegal, spammy, or fraudulent cards. Don't impersonate people or companies. Cards that break these rules are removed.

Disclaimers and liability

The service is provided “as is” during pre-launch, without warranties. To the maximum extent permitted by law, LUME is not liable for indirect or consequential damages arising from use of the site or interactions between users.

Governing law

Hong Kong. Final venue will be confirmed before public launch.