Why We Built Nexus

When Jon and I decided to start Talcott Forge, I had a capital problem.

Earlier this year, we decided to pull the trigger on a plan 15+ years in the making: team up and build something enduring. We looked at every entrepreneurial path under the sun, but felt pulled toward building a firm that could serve founders like us.

A software + services company for founders building with their own capital.

We were off to the races! Step one: deploy our founder capital into Talcott Forge.

One problem…I didn’t have much to deploy.

I contributed a significant portion of my net worth into building Room40 and our venture and hedge funds. Living in New York as a family of four also doesn’t help (but is worth every penny). And despite my wife’s unwavering support, shortening our limited cash runway was a tough proposition.

So I went back to my balance sheet. That’s when I remembered what I learned about ROBS.

A ROBS 401(k) lets qualified founders use retirement savings to capitalize a C-Corp without a taxable distribution. I looked at it before, but it had been a dead end because I was capitalizing an LLC. This time, it fit perfectly.

In plain English: a new C-Corp sponsors a new 401(k), eligible retirement funds roll into that plan, the plan buys stock in the C-Corp, and the business receives working capital. When structured and operated properly, the rollover preserves tax-deferred treatment.

Great! Step one, amended: deploy our founder capital into Talcott Forge through cash and ROBS.

Next problem…the legacy ROBS process, which proved painful from the beginning.

Working with an incumbent provider felt like a process from another era. Onboarding was sales-heavy and phone-only, with sparse attention paid to our actual business context. The workflow lived in zipped PDF folders, email threads, uncoordinated handoffs, and scattered instructions. We also felt pushed toward in-house services that were far below the leading products in the market. And once setup was done, we were largely on our own to navigate the real work: operating a C-Corp with a 401(k) plan attached.

It became obvious to both Jon and me that there was a wide gap between our ROBS experience and the modern fintech products founders deserve.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In this gap, we found Talcott Forge’s first product opportunity. And we’ve been obsessively building a better version ever since.

Nexus 401(k)

We couldn't be more excited to launch Nexus 401(k), Talcott Forge's first product.

Nexus helps qualified founders evaluate and use eligible retirement assets to start or buy a business through a ROBS 401(k) structure. It is built for people who are serious about ownership: mid-career operators leaving corporate roles, franchise buyers, small-business acquirers, and independent founders who want to deploy their own balance sheet into a business they will operate.

Nexus is more than just an online application form.

It guides the client through the entire setup process from eligibility through funding: eligibility review, C-Corp formation, 401(k) plan trust setup, rollover coordination, funding, stock issuance to the plan, first-year ERISA bond, and document execution.

We partnered with or curated what we believe are best-in-class options across incorporation, banking, payroll, recordkeeping, and investment plans so Nexus customers can start with a complete financial operating stack.

Post-funding, Nexus helps founders manage the C-Corp and 401(k) plan responsibilities that make ROBS work. Ongoing administration - all managed from the Nexus dashboard - includes not just required 401(k) form filing and testing, but also ERISA bond renewal, cap table and valuation recordkeeping, registered-agent annual renewal, filing service fees, and standard plan and entity support.

The Nexus Standard

Nexus exists because retirement capital can be a powerful funding source, but only if the product matches the stakes.

You should be able to see the steps. You should have software and proactive support that make the structure easier to operate.

At Talcott Forge, we are building financial infrastructure for sovereign founders: people leaving default paths to build, buy, and operate on their own terms.

Nexus is the first product in that mission, and we are the first customer.

If you’re considering using retirement capital to start or buy a business, please request early access to Nexus. We’d be thrilled to support you.