QAI Ventures is a global accelerator and VC fund supporting early-stage startups in quantum and AI. Their mission: to find and back the best founders at the frontier of innovation. For James Sanders, Global Accelerator Manager & Fund Manager, that meant sourcing high-quality applicants efficiently — across geographies and industries.
More accelerator applications from qualified startups
Startup joined via Leadspicker and received investment
Saved hours weekly on research and qualification
Before using Leadspicker, James and his team relied heavily on manual research, conferences, and events to find startups. While effective at times, it was slow, unpredictable, and often missed founders operating outside traditional networks.
“Before Leadspicker, we did a lot of the activity all ourselves — online research, going to conferences, going to events.” James Sanders, Accelerator & Fund Manager at QAI Ventures
The process wasn’t scalable — and it limited their ability to consistently discover the most promising early-stage companies globally.
With Leadspicker, QAI Ventures gained access to thousands of early-stage startups — curated based on vertical, geography, and growth signals. Instead of manually chasing leads, the team received pre-qualified startup lists aligned with their accelerator criteria.
Leadspicker surfaced founders that weren’t visible through traditional scouting — enabling QAI Ventures to reach companies they otherwise would’ve missed.
“Using Leadspicker actually helped us find companies that we otherwise wouldn’t find online.” James Sanders, Accelerator & Fund Manager at QAI Ventures
Just as importantly, the quality of applicants improved. One startup sourced through Leadspicker not only joined the accelerator — but received investment and became part of their growing portfolio.
Since implementing Leadspicker, QAI Ventures increased startup applications by 40%, with a clear lift in quality and relevance. The pipeline became stronger, and the team could spend more time evaluating fit — not chasing leads.
“Our application rate increased 40%. And it wasn’t just 40% — it was actually quality leads as well.” James Sanders, Accelerator & Fund Manager at QAI Ventures
Leadspicker helped QAI Ventures transform startup scouting into a scalable, data-driven process that delivers real results.
For accelerators and funds, startup discovery is mission-critical. Leadspicker gave QAI Ventures the edge — improving both reach and results. Beyond the platform, the team’s responsiveness and willingness to adapt messaging made the partnership even more valuable.
“If you are an accelerator or if you’re looking for startups — globally or even in your markets — I would highly recommend working with Leadspicker.” James Sanders, Accelerator & Fund Manager at QAI Ventures