A single builder, a working prototype, and a clear wedge.
CalmSource has no prior investors, no revenue, and one person on the team. What it has is a working runtime, a small closed beta, and a specific plan to turn a technical wedge into a shippable product.
Honest snapshot
Round outline
- Stage
- Pre-seedFirst outside capital into the project.
- Target
- To be scoped with leadRight-sized once the first serious conversation is underway. Not a fixed ask.
- Instrument
- SAFE — post-moneyStandard YC-style SAFE. Terms open to lead's preference.
- Use case
- Fund 12 months of solo runway + first two hiresSee allocation below.
Why this, why now
Fragmentation is the norm
The connected-media stack is splintered across dozens of catalogs, providers, and codecs. Every OEM and operator rebuilds the same aggregation glue, badly.
Constrained hardware dominates
Most of the installed base is not flagship phones — it is 1 GB Android sticks, budget Smart TVs, and legacy set-top boxes. Software has to earn every megabyte.
Local-first is the trust model
Regulators and platforms are converging on on-device processing. A runtime that never creates a server-side session is a durable position.
Where the value pool sits
- TAM · Connected TV runtime
- Large & growingAnalyst consensus places CTV middleware and aggregation in the multi-billion range by end of decade. Bottom-up model shared on request.
- Wedge · Low-RAM Android hardware
- Under-served tierThe device class every incumbent under-serves; a natural beachhead with limited direct competition.
- First customer profile
- Independent IPTV operators & small OEMsSmall enough to move without a procurement cycle; painful enough to pay for a working runtime.
Where the first check goes
Allocation is directional. Split gets locked once the round size is scoped with the lead.
What we're honest about
- Key-person risk
- One founder todayMitigation: first hire is an Android runtime engineer, funded directly by the round. Codebase, docs, and CI are set up for a second person from day one.
- No commercial traction yet
- Zero paying customersMitigation: the plan converts existing operator conversations into a first paid pilot within two quarters of funding.
- Platform policy shift
- Google TV certification path changesMitigation: the wedge is deliberately outside Google TV certification — the non-certified OEM channel is the beachhead either way.
Have a first conversation
No data room, no polished deck. What you get instead: a live demo of the runtime on real hardware, an honest walk through the code, and a direct conversation with the founder.