Pioneer Square Labs Launches “Lev,” an AI Co-Founder for Entrepreneurs

In an innovative move that could reshape how startups are created, Seattle-based Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) has unveiled Lev, an AI-powered platform designed to serve as a virtual co-founder for early-stage entrepreneurs. After a decade of launching more than 40 tech startups and evaluating over 500 ideas, PSL has transformed its internal knowledge and startup-building methodology into an accessible tool powered by advanced AI. What began as an in-house system for scoring startup concepts has evolved into a comprehensive platform that guides founders through the entire company-building process, from initial idea validation to product development. The tool represents not just a new product offering but potentially a significant shift in how startup studios operate in the AI era—raising questions about whether PSL is effectively “automating itself” while simultaneously expanding its reach and influence beyond the Pacific Northwest.

At its core, Lev functions like an experienced startup partner, offering structured guidance through each critical milestone of company development. Users begin by inputting their idea along with relevant background information and selecting whether they’re pursuing a venture-backed or bootstrapped approach. From there, Lev walks founders through a methodical journey from solution development to customer discovery, go-to-market strategy, and product creation. What distinguishes Lev from generic AI chatbots is its highly structured workflow based on PSL’s proven methodology. The platform generates essential business assets including interview scripts, competitive analyses, pricing models, customer personas, landing pages, potential customer leads, and even detailed product specifications. “We’re mapping a lot of the PSL process into it,” explains T.A. McCann, Managing Director at PSL. This sequential approach delivers value that goes well beyond what general-purpose AI tools can offer, with Principal Shilpa Kannan noting: “The sequencing of these components as you go through the process is one of the biggest value-adds.”

Looking ahead, PSL has ambitious plans to expand Lev’s capabilities in ways that could make it indispensable to early-stage founders. Upcoming features will include modules focused on team-building and fundraising, while allowing users to trigger practical actions—such as sending emails or purchasing domains—directly from the platform. The long-term vision is even more comprehensive; McCann envisions Lev evolving into a central “command center” for running a startup, integrating with tools like Notion and HubSpot while drafting investor updates, tracking competitors, and suggesting strategic priorities. This would position Lev within the growing “AI chief of staff” category that several startups are currently pursuing. For founders concerned about privacy and intellectual property protection, PSL emphasizes that it has designed Lev with robust safeguards. “We are making intentional product and technical decisions to ensure Lev is designed from the ground up to safeguard ideas and founder data, including guardrails on data we collect and our team can access,” Kannan told GeekWire.

The launch of Lev raises fascinating strategic questions for PSL itself, essentially confronting a classic innovator’s dilemma. By codifying its startup-building expertise into software, PSL is potentially disrupting its own business model before someone else does. “In some ways, this is ‘Innovators Dilemma,’ and you have to cannibalize yourself before someone else does it,” McCann acknowledged, referencing Clayton Christensen’s influential concept about technology disruption. However, PSL sees multiple strategic benefits in this approach. The tool can serve as a pipeline for identifying promising entrepreneurs they might work with in the future, while dramatically extending PSL’s reach beyond its traditional Pacific Northwest focus. “It’s scaling our knowledge in a way that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” McCann explained. In a blog post about Lev’s development, Kannan and PSL Principal Kevin Leneway described how the firm has already used the tool internally to generate high-quality startup ideas more efficiently and at lower cost.

The pricing model for Lev suggests PSL is pursuing both accessibility and sustainable revenue. The platform currently offers a free tier allowing users to develop one idea, with paid options starting at $20 per month for up to five ideas and extending to $100 monthly for ten ideas and advanced features. Initially available through a waitlist system, PSL is targeting venture-oriented founders—people working in tech companies or accelerators who aim to build rapidly growing startups. However, McCann believes Lev’s long-term potential could extend to supporting solo entrepreneurs running multiple micro-businesses. To boost awareness and engagement, Lev also offers creative marketing tools including a founder “personality test” and an “idea matcher” that generates startup concepts aligned with users’ interests and experience.

As artificial intelligence continues transforming how businesses operate, Lev represents a significant experiment in whether the art of company building can be partially automated and democratized. The tool embodies both the potential and limitations of AI in the entrepreneurial process—structuring and accelerating ideation and validation while still requiring human judgment, passion, and execution. For PSL, the initiative reflects a forward-thinking approach to its own evolution, embracing technology that could fundamentally change the startup studio model while potentially expanding its impact far beyond what would be possible through traditional hands-on methods. “As we see more and more individuals become founders with the support of AI, we are incredibly excited for the potential increase in velocity and successful outcomes from methodologies like ours that focus on upfront ideation and validation,” wrote Kannan and Leneway. Whether Lev proves to be a transformative force in startup creation or simply an enhanced toolset for existing entrepreneurs, it represents a fascinating convergence of startup methodology, artificial intelligence, and the evolving landscape of company building.