The founding ten
10 founding spots. None taken yet.
We're reserving the first ten hotels on NovaBid for founding partners. 10% commission for life. Gold badge. Top-anchored on our directory. A direct line to me. The first-mover story when we go to press.
What founding partners actually get
Founding Partner vs Standard
The benefits are concrete and locked in writing — not a perks list that quietly evaporates.
From the founder
Why founding hotels matter — honestly
A marketplace is worth nothing until both sides show up. NovaBid doesn't have a credible pitch for SMBs until we can say "X Edinburgh hotels are ready to compete for your booking right now." That sentence is impossible until the hotels exist.
So the first ten hotels aren't customers — they're the lever that unlocks the marketplace. That's why they get co-founder treatment: the rate, the badge, the direct line, the press story. Because for the next 90 days, that's what they effectively are.
Six reasons to be in the first ten
A rate that's locked in writing
Every hotel that joins after you pays 12%. You pay 10%. For life. That difference compounds across every booking, every year.
"Founding Partner" is an identity
A small commission discount is forgettable. Being one of the first ten hotels to back a new Edinburgh company is a story you tell — and the gold badge signals it everywhere your name appears.
Direct line to the founder
Reply to my emails any time. For the next 90 days I personally respond, usually within hours. If something's broken, or you want a feature, you skip the support queue entirely.
Top-anchored placement, forever
Founding partners always sort first on /partners. As we add hundreds of standard hotels behind you, your position holds.
First-mover press coverage
When we go to press in Edinburgh — and we will, repeatedly — founding partners are named. It's a story that's factually true forever: you backed it before there was anything to back.
Skin in the game, both ways
We reciprocate the trust. Patience during bugs is met with personal accountability. Referrals to other hotels you trust are how the programme grows. You're a co-builder, not a customer.
The math
What it costs you (it doesn't)
A booking through NovaBid charges the guest. The hotel receives the booking value minus commission, paid out through Stripe Connect 7 days after check-out. There's no listing fee, no subscription, no per-quote charge.
On £15,000 of GMV per year (50 bookings at £300 avg), the founding rate saves you £300 vs the standard rate. The cost to NovaBid of giving you that 2% is the same £300. It's a fair, transparent trade: lower commission for you, signal-value + advocacy for us. No silver bullets, no fine print.
This closes when the tenth hotel joins
There's no quiet extension. Once the tenth hotel is admitted, the programme is closed forever. The badge, the rate, the placement — only the first ten hotels ever get them.
FAQ
Honest questions
What if I join later — can I get the founding rate then?+
No. The whole point is that the first ten get something nobody else will ever get. Once we extend the offer, it stops being scarce and the marketing value evaporates. The rate, the badge, the placement — strictly first ten, ever.
What if I sign up and NovaBid disappears in six months?+
Fair concern. The honest answer: founding partners pay nothing upfront, there's no listing fee, no subscription, and your guest relationship stays yours — the contact details aren't masked behind the platform. Your downside is the 5 minutes it takes to register. Your upside is being part of the launch story if it works.
How is this different from the standard 12% offer?+
Same product, same dashboard, same SMB demand pool. The differences are: 2pp lower commission for life, the gold badge that shows everywhere your name appears, top placement on /partners, direct founder access for the next 90 days, and being publicly named when we go to press in Edinburgh.
Do I have to commit to a minimum volume?+
No. Bid on as many or as few trip requests as you want. The founding-partner status and rate aren't conditional on volume.