MAI Holdings is an independent firm working with technical founders on the commercial side of building a company. We operate across three areas: fundraising, strategy, and management. Every engagement is hands-on, run as an extension of the founding team.
We take on a limited number of engagements each year, and each is weighed carefully. We look at what the venture could realistically become, whether the market is genuinely ready, how strong the team is, and where the founder's edge sits. The final question is always whether our involvement moves the needle for this specific company. Not every founder is a fit, and we would rather stay focused than spread ourselves too thin.
The reason for the limited book is simple. Every engagement is hands-on. We work as an extension of the founding team on the commercial architecture of the business, from the strategy behind the product to the mechanics of raising capital and the operating discipline that scales a company through its growth stages.
Every engagement is scoped tightly. The shape depends on where the founder needs us most: a strategy sprint, a fundraise mandate, or an operator role. Involvement often continues past the initial mandate, especially when we hold equity in the venture or have been embedded long enough that the working relationship compounds.
Pitch narrative, data room, investor prep, term sheet. We run the fundraise end-to-end as an extension of the founding team. That means shaping the story with the founder, structuring the process from first conversation to close, sitting in the room during investor meetings, and negotiating alongside the CEO through the term sheet stage.
Business plan, unit economics, GTM, pricing. The business layer under the product, structured so it holds up under scrutiny from the CEO, the investors, and the operators running the business day to day. Engagements are scoped as defined projects with clear deliverables, and often extend into ongoing partnership with the CEO as the company scales.
Operator, executive, or board involvement inside a portfolio or client company. CxO roles when a business needs senior operational leadership through a transition. Board seats where longer commitment makes sense. The engagement is defined by what the company actually needs at that stage of its growth.
MAI Holdings is an independent firm founded in 2018 by José Murta. Advisory work for technical founders runs alongside a portfolio of investments and long-term interests held across sectors.
Over a decade of operator and founder experience across marketplaces, luxury hospitality, luxury real estate, and tech and cleantech, from senior roles inside scaling companies to co-founding several ventures from the ground up.