A founder-backed fund with big ambitions

Storytime Capital is a founder-led VC fund investing at the pre-seed and seed stages. After years building and exiting startups, Neil Grunberg launched Storytime to back early-stage companies with real operational support. The fund is backed by a network of high-quality operators — from CMOs and CFOs to exited founders — who act as both LPs and contributors to diligence and portfolio support.

With 78 LPs in Fund I and over 30 already committed to Fund II, Storytime needed to run lean but look institutional. Transparency, trust, and clarity weren’t just nice-to-haves — they were the foundation of the firm’s operating model.

Use case 1: projecting professionalism with a small team

Problem

Storytime had no IR headcount and limited operational bandwidth. LP documents were managed by email. One early capital call was mistakenly sent to the wrong LP.

Solution

Vessel centralized capital calls, tax documents, and fund materials in a secure, branded LP portal.

Impact

• Faster execution and fewer errors

• A branded experience that reflects the fund's ambition

• Fewer inbound LP questions and stronger trust from early-stage investors

“We look like a firm, not just a first-time fund. That’s what helps LPs come back for Fund II.”

Use case 2: turning LP updates into conversations

Problem

Co-investment opportunities were being shared via email and Slack. The info was static, often outdated, and lacked visibility.

Solution

Vessel allowed Storytime to create dynamic, living deal pages for co-investments — updated in real time, and tracked for interest.

Impact

• LPs now explore co-investments through a 3D-like experience

• Neil tracks who views what, how much they want to invest, and how they respond

• Conversations now happen in context, not across inboxes

“Vessel turned co-investment emails into conversations. The platform itself helps us build trust and close faster.”

Use case 3: raising the bar for LP experience

Problem

With a mix of seasoned and first-time LPs, Storytime needed to deliver an experience that felt clear and intuitive across investor types.

Solution

Vessel gave LPs access to everything — fund docs, capital account info, tax slips, co-investments — through a clean, passwordless interface.

Impact

• 10+ LPs personally thanked Neil for how easy tax season wa

• Self-serve access eliminated one-off document requests

• Storytime now gets more re-ups and word-of-mouth referrals

“LPs don’t just want updates — they want clarity, consistency, and trust. Vessel helps us deliver all three.”

Why Storytime recommends Vessel

“Vessel makes a small team feel like a big team. It’s how we show up like pros, without needing a 15-person back office.”

“Every other fund should be using this. It’s not a nice-to-have — it’s infrastructure.”