Startup Advisors

What Is a Startup Advisor (and How to Find the Right One)

A startup advisor is an experienced operator who works with your company part-time on growth, market entry, fundraising, or go-to-market. Boardio Turnkey matches you with vetted advisors from a network of 12,000+ people across 120 countries. Pay only if you start working with an advisor we found.

Start free search How Turnkey works
12k+Advisors worldwide
120Countries covered
1,000+Searches completed
100%Growth guarantee
What they do

What is a startup advisor?

A startup advisor is an experienced operator or executive who works with your company part-time, typically for equity, a retainer, or both. They bring a relevant network, hard-won judgment, and credibility with customers, partners, and investors. Unlike a consultant who mainly delivers a report, an advisor stays involved, makes introductions, and usually has skin closer to the outcome.

Typical commitment is a few hours a month over a defined period (often around 90 days for a first engagement), not a full-time role. A startup advisor is not a fiduciary board director by default. If you need formal governance, that is a separate board-member search. See Advisory board.

About 90% of companies using Boardio look for expertise outside their home market, so cross-border advisor searches are the most common use case.

Want the fuller picture of what an advisor is and is not, cadence, and compensation? Read What is an advisor?

Common focus areas
Market entryLocal experts who open doors to buyers, distributors, and partners.
FundraisingOperators and investors who help you prepare and open the right conversations.
Go-to-marketCommercial operators who help build pipeline, close deals, and scale revenue.
Industry or domain depthSpecialists who already know your buyers and sector norms.
Advisory board membersA separate board-member search when you need formal governance, not a default part of an advisor engagement.
When you need one

When does a startup need an advisor?

Engage a startup advisor when a specific growth job needs operator experience you do not have full-time, and a report alone will not move it.

You work with or engage an advisor. Boardio matchmakes. We do not employ advisors or place them as employees.

  • Entering a new country or region and needing warm intros, not only desk research.
  • Preparing a fundraise and wanting operators who have sat on both sides of the table.
  • GTM stalled: pipeline, pricing, or channel choices need someone who has done it in your space.
  • A domain gap (sector, regulation-adjacent practice, enterprise sales motion) that does not justify a full-time hire yet.
  • Building a small working advisory group around a clear 90-day outcome.
How it works

How Boardio Turnkey works

Boardio's current company offering for finding advisors is Turnkey. There is no Connect package and no Managed product as a current offering. You can also browse and post a search on the platform. The pay-only-on-success Turnkey path is the curated end-to-end option. How Turnkey works.

01
Tell us what you need

Company, target market or industry, and the outcome you want in the next 90 days. Define the profile that can move it. Free to start.

02
We search 12,000+ advisors in 120 countries

Relevant advisors apply to your brief. You see real profiles and track records, not a cold directory dump.

03
You get a curated shortlist

Boardio curates. You review and decide who to meet, at your pace. Agree the engagement (equity, retainer, or both) directly with the advisor. The Turnkey success fee is charged only if you start working with an advisor Boardio found.

Pricing

Costs and engagement model

Turnkey success fee from €1,900 + VAT for startups. Charged only if you start working with an advisor Boardio found. No upfront search retainer for Turnkey. No monthly Boardio platform fee as a current product.

Equity, cash retainer, revenue share, or a mix is agreed directly between you and the advisor. Boardio takes no cut of advisor pay. For benchmarks, see How to compensate advisors.

Boardio does not currently offer Connect or Managed as products. Matching for companies runs through Turnkey.

Startups
From€1,900$2,200

success fee + VAT · for pre-revenue and early-stage companies

  • Curated shortlist, not raw applicants
  • You only pay if you start working with someone we found
  • 100% Growth Guarantee included
Start free search
ScaleupsMost common
From€3,900$4,500

success fee + VAT · for revenue-generating companies scaling their advisory team

  • Curated shortlist, not raw applicants
  • You only pay if you start working with someone we found
  • 100% Growth Guarantee included
Start free search
Established
From€5,900$6,900

success fee + VAT · for established companies and larger, more complex searches

  • Curated shortlist, not raw applicants
  • You only pay if you start working with someone we found
  • 100% Growth Guarantee included
Start free search

100% Growth Guarantee

If your advisor underdelivers on the agreed, measurable outcomes on a qualifying Turnkey search at full list price, we run a new search at no extra cost. You pay once; we stand behind the match.

Further reading

Guides on finding and working with startup advisors

Practical Boardio guides on compensation, advisory boards, and working with advisors. For the buyer hub on what a startup advisor is and how to find one, stay on this page.

Companies · Market entry How to Find a Market Entry Advisor (And What to Look For) Compensation How to Compensate Startup Advisors: Real Figures & Global Benchmarks Handbook Handbook on Advisors: a practical guide to finding and working with advisors
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a startup advisor?

A startup advisor is an experienced operator or executive who works with your company part-time, typically for equity (often in the 0.1-1% range for early startups) or a small retainer. They bring networks, judgment, and credibility that help the company grow faster. They are not an employee and not a board director unless you appoint them separately.

How much does it cost to find a startup advisor?

Boardio Turnkey costs from €1,900 ($2,200) for startups, from €3,900 ($4,500) for scaleups, and from €5,900 ($6,900) for established companies, paid only if you start working with someone Boardio found. The advisor's own compensation is agreed directly between you and the advisor. Boardio does not currently offer Connect or Managed as products.

How do I find a startup advisor outside my home country?

Boardio specialises in cross-border advisor searches. With 12,000+ advisors across 120 countries, about 90% of companies on the platform look for advisors outside their home market. Start a Turnkey search.

How is a startup advisor different from a consultant?

Consultants usually charge by the hour or project and deliver analysis or reports. Startup advisors work part-time on an ongoing brief, are often compensated with equity or retainers, and are expected to open doors and help you act, not only recommend from a distance.

Does Boardio hire advisors for my startup?

No. Boardio is a matchmaking platform. We help you find and engage advisors. Advisors are independent; they are not Boardio employees, and we do not place them as hires on your payroll through Turnkey.

What is the Growth Guarantee?

On qualifying Turnkey searches at full list price, if the advisor underdelivers on the agreed, measurable outcomes, Boardio runs a new search at no extra cost.

Explore by sector

Startup advisors by industry

Browse advisors with deep expertise in your sector.

SaaS advisors → CROs, GTM builders and fractional operators who have scaled B2B SaaS companies. FinTech advisors → Payments, digital banking and RegTech operators with enterprise bank relationships. HealthTech advisors → MedTech commercial leaders and digital health founders from J&J, Philips and GSK.
Explore by location

Find startup advisors by country

Browse advisors with local networks in your target market.

Germany 1,000+ United Kingdom 1,000+ United States 1,000+ Nordics 4,000+ France 400+ Spain 600+ Benelux 1,000+ All locations 120

Ready to find your startup advisor?

Tell us the outcome. Free to start. Pay only if you start working with an advisor Boardio found. 12k+ advisors · 120 countries · Turnkey from €1,900.

Start free search