Henrik Werdelin, best known for co-founding Barkbox and running startup studio Prehype, has launched Audos, a New York–based venture that aims to radically scale company creation. Rather than producing a handful of startups each year, Audos promises to launch “hundreds of thousands” by giving aspiring founders access to AI-powered tools that handle business design, product testing, and customer acquisition. The pitch is simple: remove technical barriers and let anyone with an idea test it quickly in the market. Since its beta, Audos has already spun up hundreds of small ventures — from AI nutritionists to virtual golf swing coaches — through a process that starts with a social media ad and ends with real customer feedback.
Unlike accelerators or VC firms that take equity stakes, Audos operates on a revenue-share model. Founders keep ownership while giving up 15% of their earnings in exchange for up to $25,000 in funding, AI-driven development tools, and paid distribution strategies. Werdelin calls the resulting one- and two-person ventures “donkeycorns,” businesses that may never exit for billions but can generate life-changing income. The model highlights a shift in entrepreneurship: scaling opportunity to workers displaced by layoffs or seeking independence, even if it means questioning whether a perpetual revenue cut is worth the trade. As Werdelin frames it, “We believe that the world is better with more entrepreneurship.”
