Henrik Werdelin, founder of Barkbox’s startup studio Prehype, has launched Audos, a new AI-powered venture factory aimed at mass-producing small businesses like fast food chains—except with algorithms.
The New York-based company claims it can help non-techies start “million-dollar” businesses using AI tools that translate everyday ideas into functioning products, all while leveraging social media ads for customer discovery.
The platform has already churned out hundreds of “donkeycorns”—Werdelin’s eye-roll-worthy term for micro-startups—ranging from AI golf coaches to digital death planners.
Instead of demanding equity like old-school VCs, Audos takes a 15% revenue cut from its users—forever—effectively turning your side hustle into a recurring ATM for the platform.
In exchange, Audos offers up to $25,000 in funding, AI business tools, and paid distribution support, mostly via Instagram ads preying on your post-layoff existential dread.
Backed by True Ventures, Offline Ventures, and a handful of startup celebs, Audos raised $11.5 million to fuel its grand vision of enabling “millions” to build micro-empires with zero coding skills and a willingness to surrender a slice of their future income.
Audos currently runs with a lean team of five, proving that extracting perpetual revenue from hopeful entrepreneurs is more scalable than building a traditional unicorn.
The company pitches itself as a savior of mom-and-pop shop dreams in an era of job insecurity and AI hype—though skeptics may wonder how sustainable that dream is once the free market gets flooded with identical chatbot-built businesses.
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