Today, we are officially opening the waitlist for Maple. In an industry that treats venture capital backing as the default indicator of progress, we chose to bootstrap Maple independently. This isn't just a business model choice; it is a product choice that directly impacts the privacy of your work.
"If you build an AI company using venture money, you are forced to capture as much telemetry as possible. Bootstrapping lets us build software that respects your data."
Our choice to remain self-funded ensures that we are answerable solely to our users. We don't have to chase monthly active user metrics, we don't have to sell premium corporate subscriptions that quietly bypass internal privacy reviews, and we don't have to build remote databases. We prioritize craft and utility.
VC-Backed Hypergrowth vs. Independent Bootstrapping
| Attribute | VC-Backed AI Companies | Maple Independence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary metric | Adoption curves & growth rates | Product excellence & user support |
| Data Policy | Unspecified telemetry processing | Zero remote telemetry collections |
| Longevity profile | Acquisition or wind-down pressure | Built to last for decades |