"The RUV was the perfect way to bring the right people into the round without the administrative nightmare."
Highlights
- Stage: Pre-seed | Market: AI Security | Description: AI training that defends against emerging AI threats.
- Cimento AI raised ~$150k through an RUV from 20+ angels as part of its pre-seed round.
- First-time RUV user with extensive experience in VC and angel investing
- Impact: All the leverage of a deep network of security experts as investors, without the friction and cost.
Background
Cimento AI is reimagining security training for the AI era. Their "Human Firewall" platform creates adaptive defenses that evolve alongside emerging threats.
Co-founder Zain Rizavi brings a unique perspective. He served as Principal at Ridge Ventures and worked on Cloudflare's Special Projects Team. His experience spans both sides of the table—evaluating security startups as an investor and tackling security challenges as an operator.
When building Cimento AI, Zain knew the company's foundation needed to be as strong as its technology.
The Problem: Too Many Valuable Connections, Too Much Potential Friction
Zain had access to an extensive network of security and AI experts who could provide value beyond capital. But bringing them in as investors seemed impossible.
"Having been on the investing side, I knew exactly how messy cap tables can get," said Zain. "I wanted to bring in people who could genuinely help us build, but managing 20+ individual investments would have been a massive distraction."
The traditional approach would have been a nightmare. Negotiating terms, collecting signatures, and tracking wires from each investor individually — would create administrative overhead when the team needed to focus on building product. And with each additional investor, future fundraising rounds would become increasingly complex.
The Solution: One Link, One Line, Done
Having managed SPVs for his angel network before, Zain was familiar with investment vehicles. But for Cimento AI, he wanted something more founder-friendly.
Using a Rollups Roll Up Vehicle, Zain consolidated investments from more than 20 angels into a single line on the cap table. These weren't just any angels — they were operators from Cloudflare, Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, Opendoor, Tenable, Snyk, Fastly, Groq, Okta, Mandiant, and others.
"The setup was incredibly fast," said Zain. "Within 5 mins I had a link to send investors."
Rollups & AngelList handled all the logistics — accreditation, KYC, signatures, fund collection. This let Zain focus on relationships instead of paperwork.
"Everything just worked," Zain noted. "Our investors loved the simplicity, and I loved that I could bring in the right people without creating a cap table nightmare."
The $150k allocation closed efficiently. Without the RUV, including this many strategic angels would have been completely impractical, if not impossible.
"Having been both an investor and now a founder, I can say with confidence that RUVs are how early-stage rounds should work," Zain added. "It's a win for everyone involved."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Roll Up Vehicle (RUV)?
A Roll Up Vehicle is an investment structure that consolidates multiple angel investors into a single line item on your cap table. Instead of managing many individual investor relationships, startups deal with one entity while still accessing the strategic value of all investors.
How long does it take to set up an RUV?
According to Zain, the setup was incredibly fast - within 5 minutes he had a shareable link to send investors. The entire process from setup to close was streamlined compared to traditional individual investor management.
What are the main benefits of using an RUV for fundraising?
RUVs eliminate administrative overhead, simplify cap table management, reduce legal complexity, and allow founders to focus on building relationships rather than paperwork. They're particularly valuable when you want to include many strategic investors who can provide expertise beyond capital.
Can I start an RUV for free?
Yes, companies can setup and launch an RUV for free. Payment is made later, when the RUV closes. There is no payment obligation to get started, and there is no cost for cancelling the RUV before closing.
I want to start my RUV right now. Where do I go?
Type ruv.new into your browser, or click Get Started above.
